8 best anime movies on Netflix that are not from Studio Ghibli
Anime movies on Netflix are just as popular as TV series, even if they don't come out of Studio Ghibli's prestigious catalogue. From recent gems like Suzume to My Hero Academia's best movie to date, here are some recommendations for Japanese animation fans.
Of course, as we mentioned above, you can also find almost every Studio Ghibli film on Netflix, and we encourage you to watch them. The studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata has produced some of the most stunning animated films ever, from Oscar-winner Spirited Away to fan-favourites like Princess Mononoke and My Neighbour Totoro.
However, this time we're focusing on non-Ghibli movies that deserve your attention, too. If you've already checked out our list of the best anime series on Netflix UK, we strongly suggest you don't miss out on these amazing movies.
Suzume
Makoto Shinkai's Suzume was one of the best movies in 2023, and it's now available on Netflix for those who missed it in cinemas.
It's an awe-inspiring fantasy epic that stays true to Shinkai's style and preferred themes — like in the worldwide sensation Your Name, there is an amazing visual creativeness through a story of romance and natural disasters.
Suzume explores grief through the story of a teenage girl who unknowingly interferes in some sort of supernatural balance and unleashes an apocalypse-level disaster upon Japan. Only she and a young-man-turned-table can stop it.
Maboroshi
This 2023 anime movie directed by Mari Okada and Seimei Kidokoro explores what it means to be a teenager in the most dramatic of ways.
The story follows 14-year-old Masamune and his friends, who find themselves in the midst of a collapsing reality after a factory explosion suspends their small town in time.
In line with Makoto Shinkai's emotional takes on fantasy stories, Maboroshi is a fascinating and visually stunning adventure.
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King
Black Clover is a popular anime TV series with fans all around the world, so the arrival of this movie to Netflix was great news and the perfect opportunity to be introduced into its action-fantasy world.
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King follows Asta, a boy without magic powers living in a world where magic is everything. Despite being at an apparent disadvantage, he wants to become the Wizard King in order to prove his abilities and keep his oath with his friends.
In case you want to start with the TV show, one season is available on Netflix, while the complete three-season show is available on Crunchyroll.
Violet Evergarden: The Movie
Talking about fan-favourite anime TV series, Violet Evergarden also released a movie which is now available among the best anime movies on Netflix.
Violet Evergarden: The Movie follows Violet, a child soldier turned Auto Memory Doll who writes letters evoking the words her clients can't. However, by taking care of other people's emotions, she has neglected her own happiness. When a terminally ill boy requests her services, Violet's own feelings about love and loss take centre stage.
The movie has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which means it's a must-see on Netflix.
Modest Heroes
Former animators from Studio Ghibli went on to create their own studio, Ponoc, and Modest Heroes is one of their most interesting works. It's a collection of three independent stories, including one directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi — director of Ghibli's The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There.
The first story follows two underwater siblings surviving on their own, the second focuses on a boy with a serious egg allergy, and the third on a man invisible to the rest of society. Whether you consider it a single feature or three separate short films, the collection is undoubtedly one of the best anime movies on Netflix.
Drifting Home
Studio Colorido's Drifting Home is a perfect family movie that mixes fantasy, adventure and beautiful animation.
The movie follows a group of teenagers as they find themselves in a strange situation: while exploring an abandoned apartment block after school, they are dragged into a journey of survival as the building sails away into an endless ocean.
Fortunately, it doesn't get as ugly as Lord of the Flies or other similar teenagers-on-desert-island stories. The emotional core of the story is in best friends Natsume and Kosuke, as they deal with the loss of the latter's grandfather, who was an important presence in both their lives.
As we said in our review, Drifting Home is "an engaging mix of ideas and visuals, plus themes of growing up and growing apart makes it a perfect film for younger viewers".
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
There is no superhero fatigue when it comes to My Hero Academia, one of today's biggest anime series. The saga also includes several movies, with My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising being the strongest of them all. After all, the movie sees frenemies Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo come together for a truly epic fight.
Released in 2019, this second My Hero Academia movie follows U.A. High's Class 1-A as they travel to Nabu Island to train as superheroes without their teacher's supervision. The movie's plot is based on an original story, but don't let that put you off.
The Garden of Words
Makoto Shinkai is one of the most popular anime directors working today, having broken box-office records with Your Name and blowing us away with Suzume. If you're keen on exploring the rest of his work, you can find one of his previous movies on Netflix, the beautiful The Garden of Words, released in 2013.
You will instantly recognise his style — of course there is rain, romance and crazy plot twists — though this is a more intimate story than other titles like Weathering With You. The movie follows the mysterious morning encounters of Takao Akizuki, a 15-year-old who wants to be a shoemaker, and Yukari Yukino, a troubled 27-year-old woman at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Yukari's identity will change everything between them.
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