In this era of streaming platforms as the primary entry point to media, movie buffs are buying individual movie titles less than ever. Even anime movies, which make up far less mainstream media than American-produced live-action movies, have felt at home on one streaming service or the other.
Most notably, HBO Max has collected nearly every Studio Ghibli film, from the internationally acclaimed Spirited Away to hidden gems like Only yesterday. But despite the hefty acquisitions of HBO Max and other streaming platforms, there are still quite a few incredible and even very notable anime movies that viewers can’t enjoy with a subscription. Here are 10 great anime movies that are currently unavailable on North American streaming services.
10 Tomb of the Fireflies (1988)
This infamous tearjerker is the only Studio Ghibli film missing from HBO Max’s lineup, due to Shinchosha Publishing Co’s distribution rights. Whether viewers prefer to rent, buy or wait for the film to make its way to a streaming platform, Tomb of the fireflies is a must-see for anyone who considers themselves a film connoisseur.
Adapted from a short story based on Japanese author Akiyuki Nosaka’s own experiences during World War I, the film has been regarded by critics as both one of the greatest war films ever made and an iconic piece of Japanese animation.
9 Your Name (2016)
Despite being one of the highest-grossing anime movies of all time both globally and in Japan, this critically acclaimed fantasy novel is nowhere to be found in streaming. A mesmerizing mix of beautiful animation, melodious songs, enchanting story and a host of secret details that need to be revisited a few times to capture, your name is well worth the price of buying a permanent one for your entertainment collection.
A live-action remake is currently in the works, with JJ Abrams as co-producer. Hopefully, unlike its predecessor, the redesigned movie will be available to stream.
8 Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017)
Many Studio Ghibli aficionados forget that this coming-of-age fantasy wasn’t actually produced by the animation studio, despite feeling incredibly reminiscent of the magical but grounded maturity titles. This is most likely not a coincidence, as the director of the film, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, started his film career in Studio Ghibli.
Games to play if you like Studio Ghibli movies
Unfortunately, this means that the Studio Ponoc film will not sit side by side with Yonebayashi’s previously directed film, When Marnie was around, on HBO Max. However, if viewers have already browsed the streaming platform’s Studio Ghibli collection and are craving something similar but new, Mary and the flower of the witch would yield a satisfactory result.
7 Perfect Blue (1997)
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For anyone who thinks animated movies can’t be dark, disturbing, and stylistically experimental, Perfect Blue proves them wrong. The psychological thriller follows an idol-turned-actress as she tries to create a new image for herself as she engages with a stalker, a trail of death that seems to circulate around her, and her own crumbling mental state as she and the viewers struggling to figure out what’s real and what’s fake.
A dizzying dive into the divides and intersections of reality and self-image, this film doesn’t need to be streamed to be worth watching.
6 Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
While not nearly as acclaimed as its predecessor, this standalone sequel to the science fiction classic, Ghost in the shell, is still an entertaining film in its own right. Although Major Motoko Kusanagi, the protagonist of the Ghost in the shell franchise, is still a major player in the movie, Innocence revolves around her former subordinate Batou as he investigates a series of murders involving glitching gynoids, female humanoid robots.
Critics and fans still debate whether the film is overly dense and philosophical or complex and intellectually stimulating, but they all agree that the animation is absolutely breathtaking.
5 My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019)
heroes who rise is the second feature film of the popular manga series. The plot is set after the events of the manga Meta Liberation Army arc. My Hero Academia’s creator and supervisor of his films, Kōhei Horikoshi, has confirmed that all MHA’s movies are canon for the manga. Therefore, fans and non-fans of the manga will want to make sure they are aware of the plot to avoid possible spoilers and to have the story context needed to fully enjoy the movie.
MHA’s third movie, world hero mission, will start streaming on Crunchyroll in August 2020, so subscribers need to rent or buy soon heroes who rise to watch the sequel when it comes out.
4 Belle: The Dragon and the Freckled Princess (2021)
Despite the fourteen-minute standing ovation at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and five Annie Award nominations, this Beauty and the Beast-inspired science fantasy has yet to be grabbed by streaming platforms.
While not technically a musical, BelleThe film’s soundtrack is at the heart of the film, following the main character who uses the French word as a pseudonym for her idol character in the beautifully rendered ‘U’ metaverse. Ever since Belle is still recent, there is hope that this beautiful film will soon be included in a streaming library.
3 Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Re; Surrection (2019)
Lelouch Of The Re; Surrection serves as the sequel to the three-part Code Geass compilation film, which created an alternate universe of the critically acclaimed Code Geass mecha anime series. While the movies have already proven themselves with their own canon storyline, Re; Resurrection is especially controversial among fans of the original series because it drastically changed the show’s iconic ending.
However, with the announcement of a sequel anime series in Re;Resurrection’In the alternate universe, viewers should consider setting aside canon divergence pet peeves to see where this new storyline is headed.
2 The Girl Who Jumped Through Time (2006)
As the title implies, The girl who jumped through time is about a girl who suddenly gains the power to travel through time through “time jumps”. Even non-science fiction fans will enjoy this movie, which is much less about the mechanics of time travel, but much more about growing up and learning not to take the things (and especially the people) you have in the present for granted.
The film’s beautiful themes are combined with equally captivating art. For those interested in the story but unwilling to pay for an individual movie, there is a manga of the same title with some minor plot deviations.
1 Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009)
This movie is not based on an anime or manga series, but based on the Professor Layton puzzle video game franchise. The film has an original storyline that is loosely connected to the games and retains its signature puzzles. Though viewers have to click pause or think fast to solve the puzzles before the characters do.
The art style, like the games, is simple yet charming and the usual pleasant soundtrack, with a real orchestra, has some particularly enchanting songs, taking into account the operatic setting.
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