The amount of new & great anime movie releases makes fans think the 2020s are the golden age for anime movies.
Most of the movies that get talked about are usually related to big franchises or made by popular directors.
We do get a lot of great films, but that’s just because anime is getting more popular.
Movies have always been getting special treatment from anime fans. It’s really easy to understand why: they usually have far better production values, and, unlike series, usually don’t end on cliffhangers.
We’ve been getting many great anime movies over the years, but to some, the 2020s feel like a new golden age for them. Seriously, it feels like we’ve had more than we usually get, but is it really true?
We are getting many hype movies
Movies like The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka) and Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari) instantly come to mind when you think of new great anime movies. The former was even nominated for an Oscar — which hardly ever happens with anime.
However, this isn’t exactly a new 2020s trend: we’ve been getting movies from Hayao Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai every few years.
Other important anime movies include franchise movies like Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle and various movies for Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) — the most popular one was Mugen Train, but even the recap ones are doing pretty well. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was also released in the 2020s, and it feels like now is the best era for anime movies.
Just in 2024, we already had the aforementioned Haikyuu!! movie, and it’s far from the only important one. Look Back, an adaptation of a one-shot by Tatsuki Fujimoto (the author of Chainsaw Man) is coming out this year. Both movies for Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction are premiering this spring, and we get new projects like Trapezium and Make A Girl as well.
It’s not that simple
However, most of these releases are nothing out of the ordinary. The franchise-related movies do well because of their franchises, not by themselves. Movies by famous directors like Hayao Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai will also do well regardless of their actual quality — just the name is enough.
Most of the new movies — especially original ones that aren’t based on any manga — didn’t actually do that well. The ones that are going to be released this year are hyped, but only time will tell if they actually get remembered by the fandom in a few years.
This indicates a general trend
That said, we are getting more anime movies that interest the general public recently. That, however, doesn’t really indicate anything. Remember, anime itself has been getting more and more popular, and since more anime are produced, that also extends to movies.
All in all, there’s nothing unusual about the current decade when it comes to anime films.
It’s a bit more complicated than that.
Summary:
The amount of new & great anime movie releases makes fans think the 2020s are the golden age for anime movies.
Most of the movies that get talked about are usually related to big franchises or made by popular directors.
We do get a lot of great films, but that’s just because anime is getting more popular.
Movies have always been getting special treatment from anime fans. It’s really easy to understand why: they usually have far better production values, and, unlike series, usually don’t end on cliffhangers.
We’ve been getting many great anime movies over the years, but to some, the 2020s feel like a new golden age for them. Seriously, it feels like we’ve had more than we usually get, but is it really true?
We are getting many hype movies
Movies like The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru ka) and Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari) instantly come to mind when you think of new great anime movies. The former was even nominated for an Oscar — which hardly ever happens with anime.
However, this isn’t exactly a new 2020s trend: we’ve been getting movies from Hayao Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai every few years.
Other important anime movies include franchise movies like Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle and various movies for Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) — the most popular one was Mugen Train, but even the recap ones are doing pretty well. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was also released in the 2020s, and it feels like now is the best era for anime movies.
Just in 2024, we already had the aforementioned Haikyuu!! movie, and it’s far from the only important one. Look Back, an adaptation of a one-shot by Tatsuki Fujimoto (the author of Chainsaw Man) is coming out this year. Both movies for Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction are premiering this spring, and we get new projects like Trapezium and Make A Girl as well.
It’s not that simple
However, most of these releases are nothing out of the ordinary. The franchise-related movies do well because of their franchises, not by themselves. Movies by famous directors like Hayao Miyazaki and Makoto Shinkai will also do well regardless of their actual quality — just the name is enough.
Most of the new movies — especially original ones that aren’t based on any manga — didn’t actually do that well. The ones that are going to be released this year are hyped, but only time will tell if they actually get remembered by the fandom in a few years.
This indicates a general trend
That said, we are getting more anime movies that interest the general public recently. That, however, doesn’t really indicate anything. Remember, anime itself has been getting more and more popular, and since more anime are produced, that also extends to movies.
All in all, there’s nothing unusual about the current decade when it comes to anime films.
