The seasonal lineup every year had been the typical anime habits of various fans from all over the world. No matter what year we are in, anime fans never come short when it comes to a list of series to watch. However, anime movies are usually on a different scale, they don’t come in seasons but one thing is sure, there are always some gems to look forward to every year.
In 2019, we had been treated to a full-scale anime indulgence, not only because of popular series like Kimetsu no Yaiba, The Promised Neverland, Dr. Stone, Vinland Saga, or The Rising of the Shield Hero. Instead, we also got a great offer from the 2019 anime movies lineup. These movies come in different stories and genres, and each of them offers a unique experience that every anime viewers should have.
In this post, I would like to share our 10 of the best anime movies from 2019. I have to admit but this has been a hard job for me to do because I can’t simply decide which one should I put higher than the other. I even have to let go of some of my personal favorites, as I am planning to make a thread of Top 10 Anime Movies by year and 2019 is just the start.
If you’re worrying that this list might have spoilers, you shouldn’t worry as I’ll try to make it spoiler-free as much as I could. Now, let’s start with the anime movie at my 10th spot.
10. Her Blue Sky
From the director of Anohaha and The Anthem of the Heart, Tatsuyuki Nagai, here comes another dramatic story that will deal with an emotional blow to the viewers. The story was written by Mari Okada, thus anime fans can expect a great narrative and complex plot with a story that appeals right through your heart. Paired with a great soundtrack, Her Blue Sky was an exciting movie of self-realization and young adulthood on which many of us will surely relate ourselves with.
9. Children of the Sea
Mysterious and vaguely ambiguous. Children of the Sea is a movie that will ask you some questions that are larger than life. It presents a story of complex nature, from basic universal themes that people can easily understand up to the point of having a psychedelic experience. Children of the Sea were filled with various metaphors about life, death, humans’ connection to each other, and the whole world as a whole. In general, Children of the Sea is a mystical and visually aesthetic anime experience.
8. Weathering with You
As much as I love the works of Makoto Shinkai, Weathering with You had some flaws that I can’t easily ignore. While it’s obviously one of 2019’s most beautiful anime movies in terms of animation and visual quality, the story itself did have some loose ends. Nonetheless, those are tolerable, and aside from the fast-paced storytelling, and leaving so many questions unanswered, Weathering with You is just as good as the rest of Shinkai films in penetrating the depths of our emotions. It’s just a movie that you can’t avoid to cry, all the feels are swirling from every depths of my bones while watching it and listening to the eargasmic appeal of its theme songs “Is there anything that love can do?” and the climactic “Grand Escape.” Furthermore, one of the things that really drove us in is the fact that Taki and Mitsuha from Shinkai’s 2016 blockbuster hit Your Name had made a cameo appearance in Weathering with You.
To read our whole thoughts about it, check our review: Weathering with You Anime Movie – In Between Sunshine & Heavy Downpour
7. One Piece: Stampede
Just like any other One Piece movies out there, Stampede was filled with great fight scenes and the usual hilarious mood that the Straw Hat pirates had. It follows the same old usual routing of storytelling and development but what makes it interesting even though it feels like repetitive? I believed it because solid One Piece fans are always up to all the surprises no matter how many times they had seen it. Additionally, who wouldn’t fall in love with all the antics of the characters that never gets old. This movie has simply proved that no matter what the time is, One Piece will always be as good as it has always been through all these years.
6. Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl
Our favorite rascal is back together with the usual gang from the 2018’s most loved romance anime series Rascal Does Not Dream of a Bunny Girl-senpai. How amazing that we still had the feels here, and it even offered an exciting and heartfelt drama with so much sincerity. So, our dear rascal was caught between two rivers and he needs to choose which one should he have in fact, he is greedy enough to sail on both. So, what’s the tea? We did have an exciting sci-fi romance story here that reminds me of Subaru from Re:Zero at some point as our main character had to play a game with fate to have the outcome that he wants. I would love to suggest that you better prepare some tissues beside you to prepare for some tearjerking scenes.
5. My Hero Academia Movie II: Heroes Rising
If there’s any shounen series that I am insanely in love right now, that would be My Hero Academia due to our adorable young heroes. In 2019, they released the franchise’s 2nd film and I am really glad that the movie had given the members of UA Class 1-A a decent amount of time to shine. We had witnessed the teamwork, resiliency, resourcefulness, friendship, and trust that our young heroes had with each other. For Bakugo fans, this movie is a must-watch for you as we had plenty of great moments together with our explosive hero.
Check our full review of the film here: My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising – What it means to be a hero?
4. Code Geass: Lelouch of Re;surrection
For a die-hard fan of the original Code Geass anime series, who wouldn’t fell in love with this new movie from the franchise. While, the story is far from the spectacular and complex one we had a decade ago, Code Geass III or Lelouch of Re;surrection offers a new chapter in the life of the anime and its fans. The whole movie was loaded with action and nostalgic moments that every Code Geass fans will surely enjoy.
3. Violet Evergarden Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll
I have to admit this but Kyoto Animation’s Violet Evergarden never fails to make me cry. It has been one of my top anime series of 2018 and its side story movie – Violet Evergarden Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll had brought back all those emotions. The movie has the usual mild drama and amazing character development with plenty of relevant life lessons to learn from. In the end, it was one of the most satisfying anime movies that I had from 2019.
2. Ride Your Wave
This anime film means a whole lot to me. Ride Your Wave is just any other dramatic anime stories out there. However, the amount of emotions I had invested in this one is just immeasurable just like those waves from the depths of the sea. The film is an emotional roller coaster and if you think you had enough with Your Lie in April and I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, then I dare you to try to Ride Your Wave. It was a sensitive story of romance, embracing our losses, and moving forward.
Read our thoughts about it here: Ride Your Wave Anime Movie Review
1. Hello World
A true spectacle for the eyes of anime viewers. If any anime movies surprised me last 2019, it’s no other than Hello World and its sci-fi romantic stint. How much are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of your love? How far can you go to save it? Can you defy fate itself? There’s just plenty of emotional outbursts that the viewers can have when watching Hello World. It is a paradoxical experience that makes the whole story worth watching despite how complex, how excruciatingly painful, and how hopeless the situation is. If there’s anything that Hello World has proven, then it’s the quote that “Love Conquers All.” You may read our full review of the film here: Hello World – A Love Story that Transcend Space and Time
I actually had plenty of things to add but I am trying not to divulge huge spoilers as much as I could, so I’ll leave it at that. Nonetheless, these are the top 10 anime movies of 2019 that people shouldn’t miss to watch. While there are plenty of other notable anime films out there from the same year, these 10 had made the year an amazing one for us and hope you guys will feel the same watching it.
Last Updated on December 14, 2020 by Yu Alexius
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