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A significantly large portion of the anime medium consists of episodic series ranging from anywhere between a dozen to a hundred episodes. For years this practice has remained the staple for the industry, but recently Japanese animators have started to shift at least some of their focus towards making full-length anime films.
Anime anthology films have been far and few between, but almost all of them have had solid reception. This style of filming not only gives fans numerous delightful stories to watch in one sitting but also allows Japanese animators to showcase their ideas and experiment with their animation styles. Here are some of the best anime anthology movies that fans have been treated to over the years.
5/5 Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond
Genius Party and Genius party Beyond are a combination of bizarre but intriguing short films created by Studio 4℃. The first volume of this anthology, titled Genius Party, was released in 2007 and contained seven shorts, while the second volume, titled Genius Party Beyond, contained five shorts and was released in 2008. Each film uses a distinct art style and tells a unique story from renowned Japanese screenwriters.
The films in the first volume include Genius Party, Shanghai Dragon, Deathtic 4, Doorbell, Limit Cycle, Happy Machine, and Baby Blue while the second one contains Gala, Moondrive, ‘Wanwa’ the Doggy, Toujin Kit, and Dimension Bomb. Each story is intriguing in its own right and showcases the talents of Japanese animators and storytellers.
4/5 Short Peace
From the creators of Akira, comes an exciting compilation of four films under the title Short Peace. Released in 2013, this anthology series portrays Japan in various eras, both real and fictional. Each film is brimming with style and tells a captivating story. The Oscar-nominated, Possessions follows a lone traveler as he tries to find shelter from a storm and ends up staying in an old shrine inhabited by spirits.
Combustibleis set in the Edo period and presents a tragic tale of love, which ends up setting fire to an entire neighborhood.Gambo tells the story of a white bear, named Gambo, as he struggles to fight off an alien being to save a girl’s life. The last film in the anthology, A Farewell to Weapons, is a short saga of men battling robotic tanks in the aftermath of the Third World War.
3/5 Modest Heroes
Modest Heroes is a Netflix original anime anthology series created by Studio Ponoc and was released in 2018. This anthology contains three inspiring stories that successfully deliver powerful messages to their audience. The first short is called Kanini and Kanino and follows two sibling fish creatures surviving the dangers of the ocean, trying to reunite with their family.
The second film is called Life Ain’t Gonna Lose and centers around a boy named Shun, who has a severe egg allergy. This condition makes Shun and his mother struggle to cope with everyday life. The last film is called Invisible and focuses on a man who is never seen by other people, which causes him to start losing his physical appearance as well.
2/5 5 Centimeters Per Second
5 Centimeters Per Second contains three short films that center around the same two protagonists, but each part is set years apart. The film as a whole showcases how hard it is to maintain long-distance relationships and how time eventually forces you to move on. This romantic drama was written and directed by Makoto Shinkai and was beautifully animated by CoMix Wave Films.
The first episode, titled Cherry Blossoms, is set in 1991 when Akari first moved to Takaki’s elementary school, where they soon became friends. However, in the next few years, the two friends eventually had to move to different corners of the country, making it harder to stay in contact. The second part, called Cosmonaut, is set in 1999 and follows Takaki’s journey through his third year in High School, where he still longs to talk to Akari, but fails to send her any emails. The final part of the series is called 5 Centimeters Per Second and gives a sad but understandable conclusion to the story.
1/5 Flavors of Youth
Flavors of Youth is a compilation of three incredible short films all reminiscent of days passed. Created by Studio CoMix Wave Films, this anthology series not only has captivating visuals, but three beautiful stories, unfolding in different cities of China, that will leave audiences recollecting their younger years, and cherished memories. The first short is called The Rice Noodles and is told from the perspective of a man named Xiao Min, who is seen trying to cope with adulthood but has lost the sense of contentment he had when he was a child.
The second film is called A Little Fashion Show and stars two sisters trying to make it big in the fashion industry, but the struggle at times starts to feel too much for the elder one. The third film, called Love in Shanghai, tells a tale of two lovers who end up moving farther apart because of misunderstandings.
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