The ’90s were a decade of creative fulfilment in the anime sector. Not only did we get someincredible anime TV showsand see the medium shift towards character-driven storytelling, but the success of Akira in the late ’80s gave the go-ahead to a rush of feature film productions. Some were based on TV shows, while others were standalone productions.
The turn of the millennium also marked the consolidation of one of the greatest anime production companies: Studio Ghibli, whose feature films played a critical role in helping anime break through in the West. Here are some of the most notable anime films of the decade that deserve a rewatch.
8Whisper Of The Heart
1995
How can a film about doing your homework be compelling? AskStudio Ghibli: this 1995 feature lacks the grandiose plot of Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, but its down-to-earth storytelling is every bit as absorbing. The only fantasy segments occur in the imagination of its creative, troubled, butwell-meaning protagonist.
The film also features a beautiful soundtrack that pays tribute to folk music. Whisper of the Heart is a film that can be watched from two perspectives: once in the throes of teenage angst, and again in the hindsight of adulthood.
Whisper of the Heart went on to inspire one of Studio Ghibli’s other films, The Cat Returns.
7Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie
1994
Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie is a small miracle by virtue of two things: it is avideo game adaptationthat is actually good, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone movie. That said, separating it from the source material in 1994 would have been quite difficult, as Street Fighter 2 was so ingrained in the public consciousness that even if you didn’t play video games, you would know of it.
Thanks to its engaging plot and high-quality dub, Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie was a ’90s triumph for both anime and video games that helped anime break through in the West as its source material captured the imagination of millions.
6Porco Rosso
1992
Studio Ghibli’s fondness for pigs is well-known, and it wasn’t long before the company made a film with a pig protagonist. Porco Rosso is one of Studio Ghibli’s mosteasily digestible films, not least because of its incredible English dub.
Featuring a fighter pilot cursed with literal pigheadedness, Porco Rosso is consistently funny and quite moving as well. Joe Hisaishi’s beautiful score helps round out the film’s presentation; at just over 90 minutes, it’s a short but fun and endlessly rewatchable movie.
5Perfect Blue
1997
One ofSatoshi Kon’s most popular works, Perfect Blue, parallels Ghost in the Shell as a breakthrough anime film that served to inspire Western directors. But though it appealed to the likes of Darren Aronofsky and Guillermo del Toro, Perfect Blue is a definitively Japanese movie.
Idol culture in Japan far outstrips any celebrity worship Western anime fans can conceive of. Idols are presented not just as skilled singers or dancers, but as real-life flawless superheroes who exist only to appease their fans and thank them for their support. This leads to massive mental strain, and Perfect Blue deserves credit for highlighting issues that corrupt music executives would prefer to be left unsaid.
4The End of Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a deeply unhappy anime, and its earlier mech focus is eventually replaced entirely by an exploration of Jungian psychology. However, the show’s last two episodes were a failure by Hideaki Anno’s own admission, with budgetary constraints forcing Gainax to resort to paper drawings to communicate the final scenes.
The End of Evangelion serves not only as an opportunity for Gainax to right this wrong, but also to provide another vehicle for Anno to communicate directly with the audience. Halfway through, the film abandons its reliance on animation entirely and switches to live-action B-roll footage while a fourth-wall-breaking speech is delivered in Shinji’s voice.
3Princess Mononoke
Studio Ghibli excels not just in animation, but in direction. Princess Mononoke is an outlier in the company’s output as it’s decidedly somber in tone and at times shockingly violent. It’s an incredible film worth any anime fan’s time.
The story is multifaceted and sometimes unfolds solely on a visual plane, because words would take away from the power of Princess Mononoke’s imagery. It is a divine meditation on the importance of respecting nature and not striving to overpower it through technology.
2Ghost In The Shell
Would the cyberpunk genre be the same without Ghost in the Shell? We contend to the contrary. This delightful, mature, thoughtful and downright sophisticated film has influenced artists in both hemispheres and in a variety of genres with its mix offuturistic visualsand enigmatic storytelling.
Ghost in the Shell is a decisive argument against animation being just for children. It served as the main inspiration for The Matrix, and set the tone for science fiction going forward. To this day, its cel-shaded visuals continue to impress us.
1Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
1999
Much like the bike in Akira, the dieselpunk armour of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade forms a core part of its public image, despite having surprisingly limited significance within the film itself. It does look cool, but Jin-Roh is a film with loftier ambitions than just being cool.
Instead, this is a spy thriller with a plot on par with high literature. Jin-Roh explores the consequences of post-war authoritarianism, with its tragic protagonist forced to place his loyalty to his country over his loyalty to himself or his loved ones.
