2020-2021 is a period of massive change in Japanese anime movie industry since the record of the highest-grossing movie was broken. The Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away was replaced by the anime movie adaptation of the popular manga and anime series: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train.
Other forgettable anime movies are being released between 2020 and 2021 including the popular anime series’s sequels and the brand new films.
Here, I’m making a list of the best 2021 anime movies from a perspective of an anime freak living in Tokyo. The ranking consists of the anime movies that have been showing by popular demand since last year as well as the ones newly released in 2021.
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1. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
Released date: March 8, 2021
The long-awaited final part of the Rebuilt of Evangelion anime movies was finally released on the 8th March, 2021. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版) has brought an end to the expectation of many fans who has lived with Evangelion since the TV anime series of Neon Genesis Evangelion started in 1995.
Including the three titles of Rebuilt of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. (2007), 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. (2009) and 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo., the director Hideaki Anno has just completed his masterpiece with this finale.
In addition to powerful battle scenes of Evangelions, it depicts the drama of the relationships of Shinji Ikari with other main characters such as Rei, Asuka, his father Gendo and so on.
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版) should be the best anime movie released in 2021 for many anime fans all over the world.
Update: Fortunately, it’s announced that Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is distributed worldwide on Amazon Prime Video from August 13, 2021 as well as the three previous titles of Rebuilt of Evangelion.
If you are not a member of Amazon Prime, check here for the free trail first!
2. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train
Released date: October 16, 2020
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) has been the smash-hit movie since it was released in October, 2020 beyond 2021. Following the most popular manga and anime series, the sequel movie retains its quality produced by the Japanese anime studio Ufotable.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train is now the highest-grossing movie earning around 40 billion yen at the domestic box office, which has replaced Spirited Away that had held the record since 2001.
This anime movie mainly focuses on the fights between the main characters including Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke with a Hashira named Kyojuro Rengoku and demons of the Twelve Kizuki.
Looking forward to the second season of the anime series that will be released within 2021!
3. Violet Evergarden: The Movie
Released date: September 18, 2020
Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン) was showing until the early 2021 for its popularity though it was released in September last year.
The 2018 anime series has moved many anime fans and beginners emotionally with the heartwarming story and the beautifully painted scenery. Following the 13 episodes and the spin-off anime movie released in 2019, Violet Evergarden: The Movie is more than what the fans expected.
The sequel revolves around the protagonist Violet Evergarden, who is still longing for her beloved Major Gilbert. The story starts to move with an unaddressed letter.
4. Belle
Released date: July 16, 2021
Belle (竜とそばかすの姫), the fifth original full-length anime movie directed by Mamoru Hosoda, is one of the hottest trends in 2021. The fantasy film was released on the July 16, 2021. It premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, following the previous work Mirai in 2018. It was given a standing ovation for 14 minutes. Belle is completed as a romance fantasy, inspired by the famous Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and mixed with musical.
Set in Kochi Prefecture, Japan Belle tells the story of a high school student Suzu. She suffers from being unable to sing songs, which she used to like, and strains the relationship with her father after losing her beloved mother in an accident. She joins the global-scale virtual world called U as her unique avatar named Belle.
The modern anime movie is filled with lots of social themes including the virtual reality, domestic violence, anonymity on the Internet and so on. You can find them through the characters with accessible feeling.
5. Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie
Following the first season of the hottest anime series, its first anime movie Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (劇場版 呪術廻戦 0) was released on December 24, 2021. The release date is closely related to the major incident happening in the story. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is a prequel of the anime series that started in 2020, based on the volume 0 of the original manga series written by Gege Akutami.
The recent film tells the story of a couple of years before the beginning of the anime series when the main characters Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki enters the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical School. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 concentrates on a shadowy character Yuta Okkotsu, who still holds lots of mysteries in the main story of the anime and manga series. You can see the backgrounds of Yuta and his teacher Satoru Goji and the fatal curse incident called The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons in the 2021 finest animation.
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