10 Award-Winning Anime Masterpieces

Why Watch: Rated 8.93/10, Koe no Katachi stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

As a wild youth, elementary school student Shouya Ishida sought to beat boredom in the cruelest ways. When the deaf Shouko Nishimiya transfers into his class, Shouya and the rest of his class thoughtlessly bully her for fun. However, when her mother notifies the school, he is singled out and blamed for everything done to her. With Shouko transferring out of the school, Shouya is left at the mercy of his classmates. He is heartlessly ostracized all throughout elementary and middle school, while t...

Why Watch: Rated 8.91/10, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2 stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

One year has passed since the Black Rebellion, a failed uprising against the Holy Britannian Empire led by the masked vigilante Zero, who is now missing. At a loss without their revolutionary leader, Area 11's resistance group—the Black Knights—find themselves too powerless to combat the brutality inflicted upon the Elevens by Britannia, which has increased significantly in order to crush any hope of a future revolt. Lelouch Lamperouge, having lost all memory of his double life, is living peac...

Why Watch: Rated 8.83/10, Kimi no Na wa. stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

Mitsuha Miyamizu, a high school girl, yearns to live the life of a boy in the bustling city of Tokyo—a dream that stands in stark contrast to her present life in the countryside. Meanwhile in the city, Taki Tachibana lives a busy life as a high school student while juggling his part-time job and hopes for a future in architecture. One day, Mitsuha awakens in a room that is not her own and suddenly finds herself living the dream life in Tokyo—but in Taki's body! Elsewhere, Taki finds himself liv...

Why Watch: Rated 8.77/10, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

Stubborn, spoiled, and naïve, 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino is less than pleased when she and her parents discover an abandoned amusement park on the way to their new house. Cautiously venturing inside, she realizes that there is more to this place than meets the eye, as strange things begin to happen once dusk falls. Ghostly apparitions and food that turns her parents into pigs are just the start—Chihiro has unwittingly crossed over into the spirit world. Now trapped, she must summon the courage to...

Why Watch: Rated 8.75/10, Cowboy Bebop stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

Crime is timeless. By the year 2071, humanity has expanded across the galaxy, filling the surface of other planets with settlements like those on Earth. These new societies are plagued by murder, drug use, and theft, and intergalactic outlaws are hunted by a growing number of tough bounty hunters. Spike Spiegel and Jet Black pursue criminals throughout space to make a humble living. Beneath his goofy and aloof demeanor, Spike is haunted by the weight of his violent past. Meanwhile, Jet manages...

Why Watch: Rated 8.71/10, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

In the year 2010, the Holy Empire of Britannia is establishing itself as a dominant military nation, starting with the conquest of Japan. Renamed to Area 11 after its swift defeat, Japan has seen significant resistance against these tyrants in an attempt to regain independence. Lelouch Lamperouge, a Britannian student, unfortunately finds himself caught in a crossfire between the Britannian and the Area 11 rebel armed forces. He is able to escape, however, thanks to the timely appearance of a m...

Why Watch: Rated 8.67/10, Howl no Ugoku Shiro stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

That jumbled piece of architecture, that cacophony of hissing steam and creaking joints, with smoke billowing from it as it moves on its own... That castle is home to the magnificent wizard Howl, infamous for both his magical prowess and for being a womanizer—or so the rumor goes in Sophie Hatter's small town. Sophie, as the plain daughter of a hatmaker, does not expect much from her future and is content with working hard in the shop. However, Sophie's simple life takes a turn for the excitin...

Why Watch: Rated 8.67/10, Mononoke Hime stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

When an Emishi village is attacked by a fierce demon boar, the young prince Ashitaka puts his life at stake to defend his tribe. With its dying breath, the beast curses the prince's arm, granting him demonic powers while gradually siphoning his life away. Instructed by the village elders to travel westward for a cure, Ashitaka arrives at Tatara, the Iron Town, where he finds himself embroiled in a fierce conflict: Lady Eboshi of Tatara, promoting constant deforestation, stands against Princess S...

Why Watch: Rated 8.64/10, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

Simon and Kamina were born and raised in a deep, underground village, hidden from the fabled surface. Kamina is a free-spirited loose cannon bent on making a name for himself, while Simon is a timid young boy with no real aspirations. One day while excavating the earth, Simon stumbles upon a mysterious object that turns out to be the ignition key to an ancient artifact of war, which the duo dubs Lagann. Using their new weapon, Simon and Kamina fend off a surprise attack from the surface with the...

Why Watch: Rated 8.59/10, Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu stands out for its execution of the Best Anime Masterpieces genre. It is widely considered a masterpiece, praised for its character depth and stunning animation.

On a cold December day, Kyon arrives at school prepared for another outing with his fellow SOS Brigade members. However, much to his surprise, he discovers that almost everything has changed completely: Haruhi Suzumiya and Itsuki Koizumi are nowhere to be found; Mikuru Asahina does not recognize him at all; Yuki Nagato is a regular human; and Ryouko Asakura has mysteriously returned. Although he is no stranger to the supernatural, Kyon is disturbed by this odd turn of events and decides to inves...