Animation Feature Films have always been the best possible way to target the audience and every time, the results from them are astonishing. Walt Disney was the first to bring this tradition to Hollywood but, from the past three decades, the Japanese industry is also getting its hands on it.

Since 1980, hundreds of anime feature films have been created so far. Directors like Hayao Miyazaki bloomed the beautiful flowers in the industry by their amazing talent and thanks to their efforts we got to see extraordinary works. And after seeing all this success in the industry, a question arises in a fan’s mind, which is the highest-grossing anime movie?

And, to answer this simple question of a viewer we’ve covered up all the top anime films of past years that broke the box-office records and became the highest-grossing anime movie of all time.

So, let’s get started.

10. The Secret World of Arrietty ($149 Million)

The Secret World of Arrietty is a 2010 feature film animated by a well-known production house, Studio Ghibli. The screenplay was written by popular Japanese directors Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa.

In the 2010s, Arrietty was one of the most loved anime films as it garnered a lot of praise from its fans. The movie performed really well on the big screen and collected a large amount of US $149 million from the box office. And, surprisingly Arrietty is the debut film of famous Marvel actor Tom Holland who worked as a voice actor in the British dub of this movie.

The film is based on the 1952 novel “The Borrowers” by Mary Norton that portrays the family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of a typical household, borrowing items from humans to survive. It tells the story of a young Borrower (Shida) befriending a human boy (Kamiki) while trying to avoid being detected by the other humans.

9. Princess Mononoke ($169 Million)

Princess Mononoke is a 1997 epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk’s anime list is incomplete without this film.

The film was a critical hit in 1997 as it marked the box-office milestone of US $169.7 million and was holding all the records until Spirited Away surpassed it in 2001. It received many national and international awards for its brilliancy in the animation film industry.

The story follows a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka, and his involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. During his journey, he meets Princess San and along with her tries to maintain peace between both the parties.

8. Pokémon: The First Movie ($173 Million)

Pokémon The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back is the first anime film of the Pokémon franchise. It was initially released in 1998 and after a gap of 20 years, in 2019, the makers released a CGI remake as well.

Talking about the 1998 film, the movie was well received in Japan and the critics praised the film for its emotional impact on the viewers and exploration of ethical topics like cloning and genetic modification.

But, on the other hand, the movie was totally discarded by the international viewers as it received very negative comments from the audience for its poor voice acting and anti-violence message. However, despite being rejected by the English audience the film blazed the box office with a stunning collection of US $173 million.

Pokémon: The First Movie follows the journey of Ash Ketchum and his friends Misty & Brock who come to encounter their biggest threat as they face a powerful bioengineered Pokémon, Mewtwo.

7. Stand By Me Doraemon ($183 Million)

Doraemon is the most popular anime series among kids and even adults as well. Everyone has grown up by watching this show in their childhood. And, the interesting bond of Nobita & Doraemon never disappoints its fans.

The franchise of Doraemon consists of 39 feature films and a 2014 released anime film, Stand By Me Doraemon is the highest-grossing anime movie of the franchise making its box-office tally cross the mark of US $183 million.

Stand By Me Doraemon was commercially successful in Japan. For a consecutive five weeks, it was number one on the box-office charts and second highest-grossing anime film in Japan in 2014 right behind Disney’s Frozen.

6. Weathering With You ($193 Million)

Weathering With You was theatrically released in 2019 and was praised for its animation quality and emotional impact on the audience. Filmmaker & director, Makoto Shinkai received a lot of appreciation for the narration of the story.

The film grossed over US $193.6 million becoming the highest-grossing anime film of 2019. Prior to its release, it received a light novel adaptation as well by the creator himself.

The romantic fantasy world of Weathering With You depicts the beautiful theme of hope in despair and follows the life of a high school boy, Hodaka Morishima who runs away from his rural home to Tokyo and befriends an orphan girl, Hina Amano who can control the weather.

5. Ponyo ($204 Million)

A Studio Ghibli film, Ponyo is based on a Danish fairytale “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen. As of 2021, it is the fifth highest-grossing anime movie with a box-office collection of US $204.8 million.

Ponyo is also directed by Hayao Miyazaki and it was his eighth film as a director for Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki’s works are always a treat to watch and Ponyo is nothing short of it. Celebrity singer Dua Lipa is a big fan of this anime.

The film tells the story of Ponyo, a goldfish who escapes from the ocean and is rescued by a five-year-old human boy, Sōsuke after she is washed ashore while trapped in a glass jar.

As they bond with each other, the story deals with resolving Ponyo’s desire to become a human girl, against the devastating circumstances brought about by her acquisition and use of magic.

4. Howl’s Moving Castle ($236 Million)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the best anime films by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki and in an interview, he admitted it was his best creation. It received an Oscar nomination as well for the “Best Animated Feature Film” category in 2005 but unfortunately didn’t grasp it.

Howl’s Moving Castle is based on the novel with the same name by Diana Wynne Jones and it was appreciated by many movie critics for its emotional impact on the viewer. With a net box-office collection of US $236 million the anime film ranks fourth on the list.

The film is about a young girl, Sophie who runs her late father’s hat shop. Her life takes a turn 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.

3. Your Name ($380 Million)

Your Name is hailed to be the best anime film by well-known filmmaker Makoto Shinkai which was released in the theaters in 2016 and received very positive reviews from the viewers. It turned out to be the most successful animated film in history grossing its box-office tally to $380 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. Sadly, despite being an Oscar deserving anime film, it didn’t even get nominated.

However, Your Name 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 pleasure to watch.

2. Spirited Away ($395 Million)

Half of the movies listed in this section are created by popular Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki and Spirited Away is another one among them. It was the highest-grossing anime movie of all time until Demon Slayer: Mugen Train dethroned it from the top spot.

Miyazaki wrote the screenplay of Spirited Away in the 2000s and launched it on the big screen after its completion. The response from the movie was unbelievable as it grossed more than US $395 million and won an Oscar in succession as well becoming the first anime film to do so.

Spirited Away tells the story of a 10-year-old girl Chihiro Ogino who while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). After her parents are turned into pigs by a witch named Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.

1. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train ($503 Million)

Ufotable’s animation film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is the most successful Japanese movie in history. It broke all the records and collected more than $500 million becoming the highest-grossing anime movie of 2020.

This was the first time when a non-Hollywood film topped the annual box-office chart. Adding more to its achievements list, it received multiple awards, including the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Animation, in just two years.

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 mystery about the disappearance of 40 people from a moving train.

With this, our list of highest-grossing anime movies of all time comes to an end. We hope you liked it. Let us know in the comments section, which one is your favorite anime film and why?

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