With curtains drawing on yet another year of anime, it’s safe to say that 2024 will be remembered as exceptional for the medium. From long-anticipated continuations to trailblazing new hits to surprising hidden gems, each season of 2024 had something incredible to offer, producing a number of instant classics. However, the best anime of the year weren’t just limited to series – 2024 was just as great of a year for anime movies.
The most impactful and unique anime films of 2024 will be remembered fondly for years to come, their lineup consisting of outstanding original movies, stellar adaptations, and feature sequels that surpassed fans’ expectations. While fewer in numbers than TV series released in 2024, each of the year’s most memorable anime films showcased the industry’s peak capabilities – visually, emotionally, and narratively. And, with 2025’s first anime premieres right around the corner, there’s no better time to reminisce about the best anime movies of the passing year.
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10
Blue Lock: Episode Nagi Offers a New Perspective on the Events of the Series
Released April 19, 2024
2024 was a controversial year for Blue Lock – one of the biggest sports titles of today, the series released its heavily criticized second season in the Fall, only to turn the tables on the disappointed fans at the very last moment with the U-20 arc’s exceptional finale. However, the year started with a much more universally appreciated premiere for BLLK fans – the release of Blue Lock: Episode Nagi.
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Retelling the events of the first season from the perspective of Seishirou Nagi, the movie was both an excellent recap to prepare fans for the series’ return and a captivating standalone story that dug deeper into the motivations and relationships of side characters. A stellar mix of high-octane soccer action, sidesplitting comedy, and tender drama that explored the complicated bond between Nagi and his partner, Reo, Episode Nagi masterfully captured everything great about the franchise.
Blue Lock
- Release Date
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October 8, 2022
- Directors
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Tetsuaki Watanabe, Shunsuke Ishikawa
- Writers
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Taku Kishimoto
9
Trapezium Offers a Refreshingly Realistic Take on the Idol Theme
Released May 10, 2024
Despite never becoming as mainstream as some other anime subgenres, the idol theme will always have its regarded niche within the community – and its gems even those not into the genre can appreciate. One such work is CloverWork’s Trapezium – a tender and dramatic idol movie about four ambitious girls’ path to musical stardom.
Trapezium’s biggest strength lies in its more realistic, down-to-earth portrayal of the struggles aspiring idols must face, the film focusing on the heroine’s interpersonal conflicts, insecurities, and tribulations as they discover the unexpected challenges of their chosen career. Yet, the hopeful tone of the movie is never overhauled by its bleaker dramatic moments – the inspirational story is elevated stellarly by Trapezium’s mesmerizing soundtrack, a hallmark of all great idol series.
8
Solo Leveling: ReAwakening Is More Than Just a Recap
Released November 29, 2024
In recent years, anime has been expanding its horizons by adapting some of the best stories found in Korean web novels and manhwa, with 2024’s Solo Leveling being one of the most successful exemplars of this newly emerging trend. A high-octane portal fantasy with unique lore and riveting action, Solo Leveling follows the story of Sung Jinwoo, a low-rank hunter chosen by this world’s System to level up outside its limitations.
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While it’s easy to dismiss Solo Leveling: ReAwakening as a straightforward recap movie, the film takes extra steps to elevate the source material, notably improving the animation and tightening the pacing for a perfect compilation experience. However, ReAwakening’s biggest merit lies in its original material – the film offering a sneak peek at the second season’s first two episodes.
Solo Leveling: ReAwakening
Over a decade after ‘gates’ connecting worlds appeared, awakening ‘hunters’ with superpowers, weakest hunter Sung Jinwoo encounters a double dungeon and accepts a mysterious quest, becoming the only one able to level up, changing his fate.
- Language
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Japanese
- Studio
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A-1 Pictures
- Run Time
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116 minutes
- Director
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Shunsuke Nakashige
7
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction Is a Mind-Bending and Uniquely Intimate Sci-Fi Adventure
Released March 22-May 24, 2024
The works of renowned mangaka Inio Asano were always considered difficult – if not impossible – to adapt to anime due to the author’s uniquely detailed and complex style of both art and narration. However, 2024’s Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction proves that, in the right hands, Asano’s masterpieces can be brought to life and even elevated through the medium of animation.
A novel take on the classic alien invasion sci-fi trope, DDDDD is a thought-provoking slow burn that contrasts its mind-boggling plot development with surreal slice-of-life amid an apocalypse. And the two-part movie series produced by Production +h might be the best way to enjoy this unorthodox story, capturing the allure of the original manga perfectly.
Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction
- Release Date
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March 22, 2024
- Runtime
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120 minutes
- Director
-
Tomoyuki Kurokawa
- Writers
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Reiko Yoshida
- Producers
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Junya Okamoto, Tatsumi Yoda, Yukio Kawasaki, Yoshikazu Beniya, Shunsuke Muramatsu, Koichi Inaba, Nobumasa Sawabe
-
ano
Ouran “Ontan” Nakagawa (voice)
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Lilas Ikuta
Kadode Koyama (voice)
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Atsumi Tanezaki
Kiho Kurihara (voice)
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Miyuri Shimabukuro
Ai Demoto (voice)
6
Bocchi the Rock! Was Unprecedented Successful for a Compilation Movie
Released June 7-August 9, 2024
When it comes to recap movies, it’s difficult for such compilations to stand out unless they add something notable to the source material. However, the 2024 Bocchi the Rock! movie duology is an exception to the rule, being both an astronomical box office success and a unique experience even fans who have seen the series can appreciate for what it is.
Bocchi’s story lends itself exceptionally well to the movie format, the two films recontextualizing the heroine’s path of overcoming her social anxiety through her love of music and changing the pacing to make the narrative more streamlined. And, of course, music becomes an even more significant part in this version of Bocchi the Rock!, with the new songs featured in the compilation being some of the best from Kessoku Band.
Bocchi the Rock!
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022
- Directors
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Keiichirô Saitô
- Writers
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Erika Yoshida, Aki Hamaji
5
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era Is an Unexpected Gem of Top-Tier Animation
Released May 24, 2024
Uma Musume is a peculiar franchise even by anime’s standards – the series’ central gimmick making its heroines adorable horse girls who passionately pursue their ambitions in racing. Yet, while its concept might be difficult to take seriously at first glance, Uma Musume has grown into a captivating and earnest multimedia franchise since premiering in 2018.
And no installment in the series demonstrates its merits better than Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. A great introduction to Uma Musume’s oddly charming world and an absolute blast for existing fans, this unique film features some of the best animation of the year – its masterfully directed, intense visuals paired with a simple yet impactful story that exceeds the viewers’ expectations at every turn.
4
The Colors Within Is a Beautiful Cinematic Experience Filled with Sincere Feelings
Released August 30, 2024
Anime has always excelled at telling gentle, intimate stories that, while not attempting to convey any specific message at first glance, manage to deeply affect the viewers purely through their ambiance and feeling. Famous for her work at Kyoto Animation on such projects as A Silent Voice and K-On!, director Naoko Yamada is a virtuoso of this gentle form of storytelling, her latest movie – The Colors Within – being another excellent addition to her distinctive filmography.
An earnest tale of three peculiar strangers deepening their friendship by writing music together, The Colors Within is this year’s most relatable and endearing film. While not as bombastic as Science SARU’s other 2024 premiere, Dandadan, The Colors Within paints common struggles and joys of adolescence in a vibrant yet demure manner exemplary of its creator.
The Colors Within
- Release Date
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January 24, 2025
- Runtime
-
101 Minutes
- Director
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Naoko Yamada
- Writers
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Reiko Yoshida
-
Sayu Suzukawa
Totsuko Higurashi
-
Akari Takaishi
Kimi Sakunaga
3
Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain Is a Worthy Addition to an Old-Time Horror Classic
Released July 26, 2024
Spinoffs and sequels to older anime franchises, especially ones with such strong cult-classic following as the 2007 Mononoke, can be tricky to nail. Yet, to the relief of every fan of this old-school horror classic, Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain is a stellar addition to the original show, capturing the series’ iconic charm while elevating it through the advanced technology of today.
Renowned for its surreal watercolor visuals and uniquely eerie execution of occult horror themes, Mononoke sticks to what made the original so memorable in the sequel movie. However, the new format allows the film to focus more on plot and character development than the anthology series. A must-watch for all fans of supernatural horror and unique animation, Phantom in the Rain revives a beloved franchise in a faithful yet unexpectedly innovative way.
2
Haikyuu!! Movie: The Dumpster Battle Marks the Incredible Return of the Beloved Sports Franchise
Released February 16, 2024
The defining sports anime series of the 2010s, the Haikyuu!! manga had one of the most acclaimed finales of any new-gen shonen series out there. And, after a long four-year wait, the first part of Haikyuu!!’s finale premiered in theaters.
Haikyuu!! Movie: The Dumpster Battle is an explosive return to form for the franchise, packed with intense action moments, the series’ signature dramatic storytelling, and stellar animation sequences. The decisive showdown between the protagonists’ team, Karasuno, and their old-time rivals, Nekoma, was worth the wait, now opening the doors for the story’s culmination fans have to anticipate in the final movie – which, hopefully, wouldn’t take as long to release.
1
Look Back Is a Moving Love Letter to Art and Artists
Released June 28, 2024
Based on a one-shot by Tatsuki Fujimoto of Chainsaw Man fame, the Look Back movie was highly anticipated by the mangaka’s fanbase. Produced by a newcomer studio with a very tricky source material to adapt, Look Back, nonetheless, exceeded all expectations, becoming one of this year’s greatest anime highlights.
An intimate story of two friends, Fujino and Kyoumoto, pursuing their dreams as manga authors, Look Back seeps with passion for creative expression from every frame – be it manga, anime, or any other form of artistic exhibition. Visually stunning, uninhibited, and beautifully tragic, the film is a manifesto of what it means to love art and be an artist, connecting with the viewers through the passion it aims to convey.
