With plenty of big-name sequels and stand-alone blockbusters, 2021 was a good year for anime feature films. Here are my picks for the best of the best.
*Note: Entries are listed in alphabetical order.
Image source: 『竜とそばかすの姫』細田守最新作＠スタジオ地図 on Twitter
Belle
Genre: Coming-of-Age, Modern Fairytale, Idol
Studio: Studio Chizu
Release date: July 16, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: In the virtual world of “U,” you can be anyone—or anything—you want to be. But among the millions of users, none is more well-known than renowned singer/songwriter Belle. Yet, despite this, her real name and appearance remain a mystery. No one would expect that she is actually nothing more than an unpopular high school girl, still working through the trauma of her mother’s death years before—nor would they expect her connection to the closest thing the virtual world has to a villain: “The Beast.”
Why you should watch it: While obviously built using the framework of the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast, this film is not simply a retelling. It varies drastically in both tone and moral. It is the story of two young people in pain who, through the magic of the internet, find the one other person who can truly understand them—even if their situations are far from identical. Add on top of that an amazing score (filled with songs that will stick in your head days and weeks after you finish watching) and otherworldly visuals unlike any you’ve ever seen before, and you have a modern anime classic that will be remembered for decades to come.
Watch it if you like: Summer Wars, The Boy and the Beast
Where You Can Watch It: In US theaters starting January 14, 2022.
You can read my full review here.
Image source: 株式会社カラー khara inc.official on YouTube
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
Genre: Mecha, Psychological
Studio: Khara
Release date: March 8, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: Shinji has lost everything. He is 15 years out of time, is supposedly responsible for the near extinction of mankind, and just watched his best friend die when he tried to make things right. He wants nothing more than to be left alone to die himself. But now he finds himself in a place without giant robots and fighting, where people are finding the simple joys of life in spite of all that has come to pass—even as the end of the world looms on the horizon.
Why you should watch it: Thrice Upon a Time is a film that sets out to do the impossible: conclude the Evangelion anime franchise for a second time. The reason it succeeds is because, while certain plot points are reused, the film is a fundamentally different one from the End of Evangelion in both how the characters develop and the overall message of the film. On the character side of things, this is the story of how Shinji finally grows up and gets in the damned robot for himself and no one else. On a thematic side of things, the moral of the story is no longer “those closest to you will inevitably hurt you but that’s better than being alone.” Instead, it is “if you selflessly love those you care about and expect nothing in return, then you’ll find happiness with those who do the same for you.” It is an optimistic capstone to the story and one that will leave you content even if this is truly the final anime of Evangelion we ever receive.
Watch it if you like: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Where You Can Watch It: Amazon Prime
You can read my full review here.
Image source: マクロス MACROSS ch on YouTube
Macross Delta: Zettai Live!!!
Genre: Space Opera, Idol
Studio: Satelight
Release date: October 8, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: After a surprise attack by a new enemy with an AI capable of wielding the powers of a Star Singer, Delta Flight and Walkure find themselves separated from their home base and those they’ve always counted on. Luckily, they are not alone. Famed captain and pilot Max Jenius is on hand to help our heroes. Together they must stop a fanatic bent on using ancient protocultre weaponry to bring about the destruction of the mysterious “Lady M.”
Why you should watch it: On a personal level, this film is a direct follow up to the previous Delta film and deals largely with the unresolved dilemma brought up there: that one half of our main couple has a much shorter lifespan than the other. And while that would make for an interesting story all on its own, it’s the meta story that sets the film apart. This film is the answer to the biggest mystery in the decades-spanning Macross franchise. As such, this film is a love letter to hardcore fans and a celebration of all that has come before—something that is doubly true when you remember that the short film Macross Frontier: The Labyrinth of Time (which serves as an epilogue to the films of that series) is being screened alongside this film as well.
Watch it if you like: Macross, Macross 7, Macross Delta
Where You Can Watch It: Japanese Theaters
Image source: GundamInfo on YouTube
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway
Genre: Mecha, Sci-fi
Studio: Sunrise
Release date: June 11, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: As the Universal Century calendar moves into its second hundred years, Zeon and the wars surrounding it are things of the past. Unopposed, the Earth Federation government is becoming ever more corrupt—with the rich living in luxury while the poor of Earth chafe under the growing oppression. The underground paramilitary organization “Mafty” is out to right these wrongs. Seen as heroes in the eyes of the common man but terrorists in the eyes of the government, they have reached the point where the Federation military is bringing the big guns to bare. But no one in the government suspects that the leader of the organization is one of their own war heroes: the young man Hathaway Noa.
Why you should watch it: While Hathaway is framed as a battle of political ideals, the film itself is actually a much more personal story—even with its beautiful scenes of giant robots duking it out. Hathaway is a man haunted by what he experienced on the battlefield—and the memories of the girl he loved who died there. To right the wrongs he feels he helped perpetuate, he leads Mafty against the government. However, in the midst of this, he meats a woman who reminds him of his dead love—distracting him from his goals by dangling the specter of lost happiness in front of him. Moreover, Hathaway finds himself in the middle of a cat and mouse game—forging a reluctant friendship with the man sent by the government to hunt him down even as he works to keep his true identity secret. It all makes for a tense and emotional hour-and-a-half viewing.
Watch it if you like: Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
Where You Can Watch It: Netflix
You can read my full review here.
Image source: アニプレックス YouTube チャンネル on YouTube
Sword Art Online: Progressive -Aria of a Starless Night-
Genre: Trapped in a video game, Death Game
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Release date: October 30, 2021
Non-spoiler plot summary: On the surface, Asuka seems to have it all. She’s rich, intelligent, beautiful, and has tons of friends at school. Yet, this is all just a façade to please her perfectionist mother. In reality, she has only one true friend, Misumi, a hardcore gamer who she secretly plays games with afterschool. And so, when Misumi starts playing the revolutionary new VRMMORPG Sword Art Online, Asuna joins her. But all too soon, the pair of girls discover that Sword Art Online is actually a death game—where if you die in the game you die in real life. Now trapped in this virtual world full of monsters and danger, one question becomes clear: Will Misumi be able to keep Asuna alive long enough to teach her what she needs to know to survive?
Why you should watch it: At this point, we’re already five TV series and a movie deep into Sword Art Online—which can make the franchise more than a bit imposing for newcomers. Aria of a Starless Night takes us back to the beginning of the story and retells it not from Kirito’s viewpoint but Asuna’s—with over half the film showing events never seen before. This makes it both suitable for newbies and interesting for longtime viewers. It also isn’t afraid to deviate from the original anime in minor ways to improve the story of both the film and the overall series narrative. But more than that, this film is a great example of what made the franchise a worldwide hit in the first place: all the drama of a death game in an exciting fantasy-world reality.
Watch it if you like: Sword Art Online, Accel World
Where You Can Watch It: In US theaters starting December 3, 2022.
You can read my full review here.
Top image source: 株式会社カラー khara inc.official on YouTube.
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