4 films to kick start your anime journey

If you’re an amateur otaku or asking yourself, “With what anime movies should I start with?”. Fear not, we have got you covered. We’re delivering you a list of the four best anime movies that exactly what you need, to kick start your anime journey.

Paprika (2006)

The mind-bending experience of the 2010 Inception is the best example of surrealism for movie lovers. It is often speculated that Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece drew inspiration from the animated film Paprika. Paprika draws a very fine between reality and dream. The iconic art style and artwork add to its beauty. In the near future, Dr. Chiba is a psychiatrist who treats her patients by entering their dreams with the help of this machine called DCMini.

DCMini is still in its testing stage because of the stupendous power it can unleash. Paprika is Chiba’s dream world complement who keeps bouncing between dreams. Paprika a high-spirited and colorful entity wants to help her patients in every possible way. But soon the dreams start to meddle with their reality with the device getting hit by sleep terrorism. You can better understand the machine with the help of this quote, “The more Mini becomes familiar with a person’s body, the faster it learns to adjust to the pattern of that body” by Dr. Tokita.

Akira (1988)

If you are a fan of cyberpunk and motorcycles here’s a catch for you, the 1988 film Akira. The film features a world of rakish motorcycle gangs, neo-Tokyo, para-psychology, and probably the most iconic motorcycle drift scenes. This film has been an inspiration for many to date like a looper, stranger things, etc. The film is set 30 years after a massive explosion that took place in Japan. This explosion is popular as World war III in the setup. The devastation led to the rise of a new city, Neo-Tokyo. Neo-Tokyo is turned into what one of the officials coined as “garbage heap” with violence, corruption, greed, motorcycle gangs, aimless youth, and mob rivalry.

We are introduced to Kaneda, Tetsuo, and their rider’s gang. They are destined to dig the overpowered God, Akira, and other mysteries. This film actually represents post-world war II Japan. Akira not only expresses anxiety, struggle, and tragedy that Japan underwent but also pride in emerging as a world leader along with the fear of losing cultural identity. Being fast-paced, brimming, and full of action this film still astonishes viewers after such a long course of time.

I want to eat your pancreas (2018)

It is ordinary to get muddled by the title “I want to eat your pancreas”. But rest assured you won’t get that disgusting horror stuff, rather it is a pleasing and at times perniciously touching story. The story centers on two polar apart high schoolers. Haruki is a recluse who prefers books to people and Sakura is a socialite but their fates clash when he discovers a secret about her.

The more time they spend together the more development we see in Haruki, unforeseeable and insouciant Sakura fractures his blank demeanor. Sounds like romance, trust me it’s not. How a total stranger gives your life meaning even the person closest to you is unable to bestow. This movie provides a totally different perspective on life and death. What will you do if you are on the brink of death?

Her blue sky (2019)

What if you get a chance to meet yourself from that time which you treasure the most what will you do?? This is the gist of Her blue sky. Rebirth in a symbolic way is the core of the film. Film centers Aoi, Akane, Shinnosuke, and Shinno. Her blue-sky wheels around these 4 temperaments, as they encounter their perception towards each other and make selections that will influence their lives from now on.

Unfulfilled desire leads to the birth of a living spirit, namely Shinno which always remains 18 years old. But why is this Shinno present and what does he symbolize?? These questions are answered in the film. The story provides the viewer with the idea of moving forward and to coupe with repentance. Taking lessons out of these regrets resulting in progress instead of holding onto them.