It’s entirely possible.
It definitely feels these days that non-standalone movies get overhyped. They’re rarely, if ever, better than the best moments in the TV series they are attached to.
It’s easy to blame movies for being much shorter, but here are 5 anime movies that are actually better than what they are related to — some sequels and some alternative takes.
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Yes, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu) is a classic anime franchise. However, it does have some problems: notably, the second season’s Endless Eight, which repeated the same episode eight times with minor changes.
However, that arc was crucial for the development of a certain character. The actual payoff only happens later, in the Disappearance movie, which is considered one of the best anime movies of all time.
Macross: Do You Remember Love?
The Macross franchise initially started with the 1982 series, but among hardcore fans, the original is far less acclaimed than the movie based on it. Macross: Do You Remember Love? isn’t a sequel or a side story — it’s a rewrite of the series in the movie form.
Despite being much shorter, it arguably achieves much more in just 2 hours, and the song that gave the movie its name is considered iconic.
Saekano the Movie
While Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata) was popular with the fans, many complained that the romantic development in the anime was pretty slow until the end of the second season.
Thankfully, the anime got a perfect conclusion with the movie, which is now largely regarded as one of the best romantic resolutions in modern anime.
Girls & Panzer Movie
The Girls & Panzer franchise was already pretty famous among otaku with just the TV series. The movie, however, was even better — and that’s partly because it cut down on slice-of-life moments.
While the slice-of-life parts of the TV anime weren’t bad, people who were just watching it to see the tank reconstruction battles were somewhat bored by them. The movie was essentially just that — and the animation was better than in the TV anime, too.
Sword Art Online: Progressive
The original Sword Art Online series might be iconic, but it had a fair amount of problems. Notably, some fans complained that the anime rushed through the game setting without showing most floors.
Sword Art Online: Progressive is a rewrite of the series, focusing on gradual plot progression and showing Asuna and Kirito in the game. Many fans consider it superior to the series — and if you were disappointed by how jarring the pacing of the first arc was, it’s worth a try.