Animated Wonders: Essential Animated Movies You Can’t Miss
Share
Animated Wonders: 23 Essential Animated Films and Series
From Studio Ghibli to Akira, Cowboy Bebop and Evangelion: the animated films and series every fan should see, with the story behind each one and a minimalist poster to match.
Key facts (updated 2026-11-11):
- Spirited Away (2001) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the Golden Bear in Berlin.
- Studio Ghibli classics: Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service.
- Anime landmarks: Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Perfect Blue, Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- Minimalist posters of every title from 98 Types, Camden, from £3.
📋 In This Guide
The animated films and series every fan should see
Quick answer: the essential animated films include Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle, anime classics such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Perfect Blue, and series such as Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Dragon Ball Z. Spirited Away was the first anime film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Here are 23 essential animated films and series, from Japanese anime to Western favourites, each with a minimalist poster designed in our studio at Camden Market, London.
23 essential animated films and series
1. Adventure Time (2010–2018)
Created by Pendleton Ward. Cartoon Network's surreal fantasy series about Finn the human and Jake the dog in the Land of Ooo. Loved by children and adults alike, it won several Primetime Emmy Awards.
See our Adventure Time poster →
2. Akira (1988)
Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Based on Otomo's own manga, Akira's neon-lit Neo-Tokyo and hand-drawn animation set the standard for cyberpunk and introduced anime to a generation of Western fans.
3. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Walt Disney Animation. Disney's colourful take on Lewis Carroll's story, with the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. It was nominated for an Academy Award for its music.
4. Belle (2021)
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda. A shy teenage girl becomes a global singing star in a vast virtual world, in Hosoda's dazzling modern twist on Beauty and the Beast. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
5. Coraline (2009)
Directed by Henry Selick. Laika's stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novella, about a girl who finds a door to a sinister 'other' world. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
6. Cowboy Bebop (1998)
Directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. A crew of bounty hunters drift through space to a legendary jazz soundtrack by Yoko Kanno: one of the coolest anime series ever made.
7. Dragon Ball Z (1989–1996)
Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama. Goku and his friends defend Earth in epic battles that made Dragon Ball Z one of the most influential anime series of all time.
See our Dragon Ball Z poster →
8. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Directed by Mamoru Oshii. A cyborg police officer hunts a mysterious hacker in a philosophical cyberpunk classic that inspired The Matrix.
See our Ghost in the Shell poster →
9. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Based on Diana Wynne Jones's novel, Miyazaki's tale of a young woman cursed with old age and a wizard's walking castle was nominated for an Academy Award.
See our Howl's Moving Castle poster →
10. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. A young witch starts a flying delivery service in a seaside town, in Studio Ghibli's gentle story about growing up, adapted from Eiko Kadono's novel.
See our Kiki's Delivery Service poster →
11. My Hero Academia (from 2016)
Based on the manga by Kōhei Horikoshi. In a world where almost everyone has a superpower, a boy born without one dreams of becoming the greatest hero.
See our My Hero Academia poster →
12. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Two sisters befriend a giant forest spirit in the Japanese countryside. Totoro became so loved that he is now Studio Ghibli's logo.
See our My Neighbor Totoro poster →
13. Naruto Shippuden (2007–2017)
Based on the manga by Masashi Kishimoto. The continuing story of Naruto Uzumaki, the young ninja who dreams of becoming Hokage, across 500 episodes.
See our Naruto Shippuden poster →
14. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. A princess fights to save her people and a poisoned world. Its success led to the founding of Studio Ghibli, and it is often counted as the first Ghibli film.
See our Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind poster →
15. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996)
Directed by Hideaki Anno. Teenagers pilot giant robots against mysterious 'Angels' in a series that turned the mecha genre into a deep psychological drama.
See our Neon Genesis Evangelion poster →
16. Perfect Blue (1997)
Directed by Satoshi Kon. A pop idol turned actress loses her grip on reality in Kon's psychological thriller, often compared with Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan.
17. Ponyo (2008)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. A goldfish princess wants to become human after meeting a boy named Sōsuke, in Miyazaki's joyful take on The Little Mermaid.
18. Princess Mononoke (1997)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. An epic about the war between humans and the gods of the forest. Its English-language script was written by Neil Gaiman.
See our Princess Mononoke poster →
19. Spirited Away (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Chihiro must work in a bathhouse for spirits to save her parents. It won the Golden Bear in Berlin and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
See our Spirited Away poster →
20. The Cat Returns (2002)
Directed by Hiroyuki Morita. A girl who saves a cat is whisked away to the Kingdom of Cats, guided by the Baron from Whisper of the Heart.
See our The Cat Returns poster →
21. Arrietty (2010)
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi. A tiny girl and her family secretly 'borrow' from the humans whose house they live in, in Studio Ghibli's adaptation of Mary Norton's The Borrowers.
22. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
Directed by Isao Takahata. Painted in a delicate watercolour style, Takahata's retelling of the ancient Tale of the Bamboo Cutter was nominated for an Academy Award.
23. The Wind Rises (2013)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The life of aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi, told as a dreamlike tribute to creativity. It was nominated for an Academy Award.
See our The Wind Rises poster →
Where to start with Studio Ghibli
If you are new to Studio Ghibli, start with My Neighbor Totoro for something gentle, Spirited Away for the full magic, and Princess Mononoke for an epic. Then try Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle and The Wind Rises. See all our Studio Ghibli posters.
Creating an anime wall
Pick a theme (all Ghibli, all Miyazaki or 90s anime classics), choose matching frames and mix one A3 print with smaller A4 and A5 prints. With buy 3, get 1 free, a four-poster anime wall costs the price of three. Browse our anime posters, our animated film posters and our Pixar posters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best animated film of all time?
Spirited Away (2001) is often named the greatest: it was the first anime film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and it also won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
What is the first Studio Ghibli film?
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) was made just before Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985, but is often counted as the first Ghibli film. Castle in the Sky (1986) was the first produced by the studio.
Which anime should I watch first?
For films, start with My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away; for series, Cowboy Bebop is a perfect introduction.
Did Princess Mononoke have a famous English script writer?
Yes, the English-language adaptation was written by the author Neil Gaiman.
Where can I buy anime posters in the UK?
98 Types Studio sells minimalist anime and Studio Ghibli posters from £3, designed in Camden, London, online and at our Camden Market stall.
More from 98types
[message]
[title]
[message][subMessage]
Love it? Add to your wishlist
Your favorites, all in one place. Shop quickly and easily with the wishlist feature!