Oscars is considered to be the most prestigious award in the world and getting it is a matter of honour. In 2001, for the first time a different category, the “Best Animated Feature Film” category was introduced to appreciate the work in the field of animation.

Surprisingly next year, Spirited Away made history by becoming the first anime film to won the Academy Awards. But, unfortunately, that was the last one as well because since 2002 not a single anime movie won the Oscars even after having so much potential.

And, in this article, we will take a look at some of the most influential anime films that deserved the Oscars but never got their hands on it.

So, let’s get started then.

A Silent Voice (2017)

A Silent Voice is one of the most emotional and beautiful anime films ever made by Kyoto Animation. Pleasing backgrounds and expressive character design makes this movie a piece of art.

Even after having such an amazing storyline, the film didn’t receive Academy Award for that year. It had that charisma to attract the eyes of the voters but sadly it didn’t make the cut.

A Silent Voice is about the developing relationship between two high school students, Shouka Nishimiya and Shoya Ishida. As a child, Shoya bullied Shouka for being deaf which resulted in his expulsion. Several years later, they both meet again and this time Shoya tries to make it up to her by forgetting all the past mistakes he did.

Wolf Children (2013)

Wolf Children is a story about a sweet mother-child relationship that was completely ignored by the Oscars committee in 2013.

Frozen won the Academy Award for that year as it was the first Disney movie to focus on a family relationship but Wolf Children was nothing less than that. It explored a more pure side of a parent-child bond. The movie is about a werewolf mother Hana who finds a way to raise her children after his lover passes away.

For its incredible art style, it won the 2013 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas (2018)

Another romantic emotional anime film that had a deep influence on the audience, I Want To Eat Your Pancreas is a brilliant masterpiece that explores the themes like love, the meaning of life and separation.

The movie follows the story of Haruki, a high school student who comes across a diary in a hospital. Later, he discovers that the diary belongs to his classmate, Sakura and she is suffering from a fatal pancreatic illness.

Sakura wishes to live a normal life and as a result, gets closer to Haruki. They rediscover life together without stressing about the illness she goes through.

This beautiful movie also didn’t get the attention of the Oscar awardees and got neglected like any other anime film.

Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms is a deeply touching movie that illustrates real-world themes. It demonstrates the beautiful story about motherhood, ageing and loss. Sadly, it was not even nominated for the Academy Awards but this anime film deserved the Oscars.

Maquia is a story of a young girl with the same name who is a member of a special race that live for hundreds of years. While escaping a deadly war, she finds a sole surviving infant and decides to raise him as her own son.

Howl’s Moving Castle (2005)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the best anime films by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki. He admitted himself in an interview stating that it was his best creation. It was not totally neglected by the Oscars as it received a nomination for the ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ category in 2005 but unfortunately didn’t grasp it.

The movie is about a young girl, Sophie who runs her late father’s hat shop. Her life takes turns after she meets a wizard named Howl, who lives in a magical flying castle. She enjoys her happy and wonderful living until a witch being jealous of their bonding casts a spell on Sophie that turns her into an old lady.

Howl’s Moving Castle is based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones and it was appreciated by many movie critics for its emotional impact on the viewer.

Grave Of The Fireflies (1988)

Grave of The Fireflies is one of the best war films of all time. The film is based on a semi-autobiographical short story by Akiyuki Nasaka.

It is about two young siblings, Seita and Setsuko who lost their mother in a bombing at the end of World War II. After the havoc caused by World War Seita struggles to keep his younger sister alive who suffers from malnutrition.

The story shows you how cruel and disastrous life can become after a horrible massacre. It showcases some deeply influencing and emotional moments between the brother and sister that can make you cry.

As the film premiered in 1988, way back then the Oscars introduced the “Best Animation Featured Film”, so it didn’t receive any recognition. But, if it would have been released after that then maybe Grave of The Fireflies would have won it.

Paprika (2007)

Paprika is a wonderful psychological anime being known for its amazing visuals and awesome transitions between dream and reality which is seen rarely in anime movies.

It’s just like the infamous Christopher Nolan’s film ‘Inception’ and tells a similar story like travelling through someone’s dream, but on a different level. The film is produced by Studio Madhouse and is popular for its mesmerizing art and hallucinating soundtrack which was a good enough reason for it to win Academy Awards.

Ponyo (2009)

A Studio Ghibli film, Ponyo is based on a Danish fairytale ‘The Little Mermaid’ by Hans Christian Andersen. It tells the story of a friendship between a human boy and a mermaid who wants to experience life on land.

After the Oscar winner Spirited Away, Studio Ghibli’s works were never considered for the Academy Awards further and Ponyo was one of them. One reason can be the average age of Academy Award voters which is 64 while, anime is targeted to the younger audience.

Not to be saddened as sometimes best works don’t get the best results, still, they’re the masterpiece.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train movie became the most successful Japanese movie in history. It broke all the records and collected more than $500 million becoming the highest-grossing worldwide movie of 2020.

This was the first time when a non-Hollywood film topped the annual box-office chart. Moreover, it received multiple awards, including the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Animation, in just two years including. But, even after so much success, they didn’t make the way to the Oscars.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is an action-adventure anime movie about the Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro and the troublesome trio of Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke who boards a train to investigate the report about the disappearance of 40 people from the train.

Your Name (2017)

The only anime film that deserved the Oscars without any doubt is Your Name. Directed by Makoto Shinkai, it turned out to be the most successful animated film in history grossing its box-office tally to $360 million.

Moreover, it earned many recognisable awards including the 2016 Los Angeles Films Critics Association Awards and 71st Mainichi Film Awards for Best Animation Feature Film.

It tells the beautiful story of two teenagers who finds themselves swapping their bodies and growing closer & closer in this process. But, later they discover that they both exist in two different timelines. The unconditional bond between these two and one’s attempt to protect the other is a treat to watch.

But, despite all these facts, Your Name was not even considered for the Academy Awards even after having the potential to win so.

With this, our list of ’10 anime that deserved Oscars’ comes to an end. We hope you liked it. Let us know in the comments section, which anime according to you should have been considered for the Academy Awards.

And don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends so that we’ll come up with more exciting anime articles like this one.