Best Anime Movies On Crunchyroll

As one of the most popular and highly regarded anime streaming services, Crunchyroll has been providing anime fans with their favorite series for years now. Many fans can likely point to the service as a reason they got into anime in the first place. It has long held recognition in the community as a jumping-off point due to its accessibility and ease of use.

Though it’s perhaps not as widely known for its films, Crunchyroll offers a varied selection of feature-length anime movies as well. From stone-cold classics to under-the-radar flicks, there is a lot to explore on the streaming service. What are the best anime films on Crunchyroll?

The following movies are available in Crunchyroll’s North America lineup. The selection varies from region to region.

Updated December 28, 2024, By Mark Sammut: Crunchyroll’s best anime movies received a major boost earlier this month when a highly-regarded trilogy debuted on the streaming service. Click below to jump directly to these films.

41

King Of Thorn

MyAnimeList: 6.88

Based on a fairly respected seinen manga that lasted for six volumes, the King of Thorn anime rushes through large chunks of the narrative as it tries to cram everything into less than two hours. Consequently, this adaptation is undoubtedly not the best way to experience this sci-fi story since it does not have enough time to properly explore its entire roster of characters. That said, the movie is still reasonably entertaining as a standalone production.

As a disease that turns people into stone spreads through the world, a group of people are chosen to be frozen for a century in a strange research facility, with the hopes that a cure will be available once they wake up. Naturally, something goes wrong, and they awaken to find themselves stuck in a hellish environment covered in thorns and filled with creatures. King of Thorns follows these characters as they try to survive in this unforgiven world, all the while steadily uncovering a few secrets that turn the whole operation on its head.

40

Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown

MyAnimeList: 7.26

Criticisms aside, Goblin Slayer is generally a decent dark fantasy that features a strong roster of main characters who have likable camaraderie. Goblin’s Crown takes place between the two available seasons and covers an arc from the light novel, making it canon. Now, despite billing itself as just shy of 90 minutes, the movie starts with a long recap of the first season, and the new content does not get going until roughly 25 minutes in. As such, Goblin’s Crown walks the line between a special and a movie, although its production value is closer to the latter than the former.

Anyone familiar with the show should know what to expect from the film. Basically, a party is decimated by goblins, with only one female character surviving. Naturally, Orcbolg, Priestess, and the rest of the heroes head on an expedition to track down the goblins, all the while trying to save any remaining members. Along with pretty good action, Goblin’s Crown focuses quite a bit on survivor guilt and PTSD, more so than the core series.

39

City Hunter Movies

MyAnimeList: 7.34 (Bay City Wars)

City Hunter is a manga and anime classic that was particularly popular during the late ’80s and early ’90s. While somewhat forgotten in this day and age, the anime holds up pretty well all things considered. Crunchyroll has the full series, including every movie; combined, City Hunter should be able to keep someone entertained for a few weeks.

Ryo Saeba is a private detective with an accurate shot and a tendency to fall for every girl he meets. The movies tell standalone stories, but they also expect the audience to be somewhat familiar with the main roster of characters.

38

Sword Art Online The Movie -Ordinal Scale-

MyAnimeList: 7.56

Sword Art Online needs no introduction, and most people familiar with anime likely already have an opinion regarding the isekai franchise. Ordinal Scale is not going to alter that perspective; the movie will impress fans but will have little impact on those who are not on board with Kirito’s high jinks. That said, the feature has one of the more fascinating storylines in the series.

Set after season 2, the world has become enamored by Augmented Reality, specifically a piece of hardware called Augma. Ordinal Scale is a game that uses this technology, and Asuna happens to be great at it. Meanwhile, Kirito has largely remained focused on VR. The film ties its story to the original SAO VR game through the introduction of Eiji, the film’s main antagonist, and it is quite interesting.

Sword Art Online the Movie: Progressive – Aria of a Starless Night is also on Crunchyroll.

MyAnimeList: 7.51

Due to the existence of Brotherhood, 2003’s Fullmetal Alchemist tends to be overlooked or simply ignored. While the later show is arguably the superior of the two, the original series is nevertheless a fascinating and frequently fantastic alternate take on Hiromu Arakawa’s manga.

The anime’s movie sequel, Conqueror of Shamballa, is also far superior to Brotherhood‘s The Sacred Star of Milos; if nothing else, the former completes its timeline’s narrative rather than serving as a side quest that can be readily skipped. Conqueror of Shamballa retains the show’s conclusive bittersweet tone, telling a story that allows the characters’ newly discovered normal to be explored and challenged.

36

Urusei Yatsura Movie 2: Beautiful Dreamer

MyAnimeList: 7.85

While Crunchyroll does not have the 1981 Urusei Yatsura series, a shame as it is a comedy classic, the streaming service has the English versions of all six movies. Although none of them are terrible, they are also largely extensions of the show, and they are difficult to recommend to complete newcomers. They are certainly not standalone adventures that can be appreciated without prior knowledge of these characters. However, people who have watched the 2022 reboot should have developed enough familiarity with this universe to jump into the films.

Beautiful Dreamer is comfortably the most ambitious Urusei Yatsura film, and it is generally regarded as a high point for the franchise as a whole. The movie was directed by Mamoru Oshii, who worked on the show and also led the first feature. He would go on to direct Patlabor: The Movie, Ghost in the Shell, and Angel’s Egg, just to name a few of his triumphs. Beautiful Dreamer showcases the cerebral and atmospheric storytelling that would come to define Oshii’s style, leading to a somber and psychological entry in a series mainly known for slapstick humor and colorful characters. That’s not to say the story lacks any comedy, but it is not the point as the characters find themselves reliving the same day while the world fades around them.

Unfortunately, Crunchyroll does not have the Japanese versions of the Urusei Yatsura movies, and the English dubs are not particularly great.

35

The Stranger By The Shore

MyAnimeList: 7.86

One day, Mio Chibana and Shun Hashimoto meet on a beach, and they have instant chemistry. While they are anxious around each other at first, they quickly find themselves striking a natural rapport that helps both of them grow as people. However, their meeting is short-lived, and it takes another three years for them to meet up. The Stranger by the Shore primarily focuses on their secondary meeting as both characters come to accept their genuine love for each other, a journey that requires them to face past trauma that left them lonely and insecure.

Clocking in at less than an hour, this 2020 movie accomplishes a lot in its short runtime without feeling rushed. Ultimately, this boys’ love anime is a character study that thoroughly explores Mio and Shun as both individuals and partners. The film also has gorgeous animation and plenty of beautiful naturalistic environments.

34

Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple

MyAnimeList: 7.92

Bungo Stray Dogs has been consistently great. Luckily for anime fans, Crunchyroll has the entire series in its library, including 2018’s Dead Apple movie. Following the second season, the film finds the Armed Detective Agency facing a massive threat as a fog descends on Yokohama that causes abilities to take physical form. Naturally, this spreads chaos across the city, and things become even more complicated when Dazai seems to join forces with the people behind the act.

Dead Apple has splendid action and good animation, which is to be expected of a Bones production. However, the movie’s greatest strength is its character development, particularly concerning Atsushi. The story forces the latter to confront his past in a more direct way than ever before, and the ensuing growth greatly enhances his character.

33

Robot Carnival

MyAnimeList: 7.24

A celebration of ’80s anime and its future, Robot Carnival is an anthology movie consisting of nine shorts, each directed by an up-and-coming voice. The segments are connected through the common theme of “robot,” but similarities start and end there as each story sets out to do its own thing. This goes beyond just the narratives since Robot Carnival also highlights different animation styles, most of which still look impressive all these decades later.

More importantly, pretty much all the shorts are memorable in their own ways, be it Deprive‘s thrilling action or Chicken Man and Red Neck‘s nightmare fuel. A technical showcase, Robot Carnival is a gem and one of the best anime movies on Crunchyroll.

32

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes

MyAnimeList: 7.53

If a shonen anime is popular enough, it will receive a couple of movies, most of which tend to be filler and do not impact the core narrative. Two Heroes somewhat bucks that trend by being canon with My Hero Academia‘s continuity, even though it tells an “event of the week” style story with limited relevance to Deku’s overall journey. Like so many battle shonen movies, Two Heroes essentially condenses a standard MHA arc into less than two hours, serving as something of a greatest-hits collection that benefits from a bumped-up budget.

While far from amazing, this side story is pretty entertaining in its own right, particularly an early section that showcases a young All-Might in the United States. The present-day plot is fairly forgettable, but it does have a unique island setting and moves at a fairly quick pace once the action gets going.

31

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

MyAnimeList: 7.78

Written by Mamoru Oshii and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is visually stunning, and it nowadays serves as a demonstration of cel-shaded animation’s timelessness. Narratively, the film takes place during the 1950s and envisions an alternate reality where Germany won World War 2 and is now occupying Japan. To keep the public in line, the regime utilizes a terrifying Panzer corps that largely follow instructions without question, regardless of how vile they are. However, one day, a soldier (Kazuki Fuse) defies a kill order.

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade moves at a measured pace, prioritizing atmosphere and character moments over intense action. Consequently, the film can feel like a long sit at times, particularly during its second act. Nevertheless, there is still a lot to love and appreciate here.

30

Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Re;surrection

MyAnimeList: 7.91

Even though season 2 has grown slightly divisive over the years, Code Geass‘ original conclusion is largely considered to be a triumph, if not downright one of the best endings in anime history. Consequently, Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection retconning the story’s final beat was risky, although the movie wisely opted to present itself as an alternate reality rather than a genuine continuation. As such, Re;surrection is not a must-watch for fans of the series since nothing that happens means anything; that said, the experience is still enjoyable.

C.C. revives Lelouch out of love, a process that dominates most of the film’s first half. As the story moves on, the focus shifts to a conflict with the Kingdom of Zilkhstan, specifically its queen. Neither plot threads are especially complex or nuanced, but they lead to a few memorable action sequences and some touching moments between Lelouch and C.C.

29

Black Jack: The Movie

MyAnimeList: 7.32

Osamu Tezuka’s classic Black Jack manga has been adapted into live-action films, anime series, OVAs, and a couple of animated features. Aside from the original manga, 1996’s Black Jack: The Movie is probably the best starting point for newcomers to the franchise, although the 2004 series is also strong.

Relatively self-contained, the film does a good job of establishing the eponymous doctor’s personality and motives, while also delivering an engaging story that mixes medical jargon with a touch of humanity. Regardless of whether someone is already familiar with Tezuka’s property or is experiencing Black Jack for the first time, they are likely to have fun with this movie.

28

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz

MyAnimeList: 7.78

Another classic ’90s anime film, Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz continues the After Colony plotline and acts as a sequel to the first Mobile Suit Gundam Wing movie. Originally released as a three-part series in 1997, it was compiled into a feature-length film and released in 1998.

Set after the war between Earth and its space colonies, the film follows a new threat as the unsteady peace is threatened by new foes hungry for power. The giant robot fights are simply incredible and make this film worth the watch.

27

Trigun: Badlands Rumble

MyAnimeList: 7.91

Madhouse’s Trigun is a classic in every sense of the world. The ’90s show has aged well in most areas, be it animation, characters, (some of the) humor, or action. And, it ended on a satisfying note that did not require further expansion. Coming out roughly a decade later, Badlands Rumble tells a filler story that is the definition of non-essential; that said, it is still a fun ride that presents fans with another opportunity to spend time within this universe.

Honestly, this movie is just for die-hard fans of the original. Beyond pretty good animation and some kinetic action sequences, newcomers will likely be overwhelmed by the story’s hectic pace and the characters’ chaotic presentation. For the latter, Badlands Rumble introduces a few fresh faces who, while not terrible, distract from the core four who defined Trigun‘s success. The film’s version of Vash comes across as a caricature at times, which does diminish the overall experience.

26

The Boy And The Beast

MyAnimeList: 8.24

All of Mamoru Hosoda’s movies are, at the bare minimum, watchable, and the director’s best projects are masterpieces. While falling short of the latter category, The Boy and the Beast regularly flirts with greatness, even if it suffers from some pacing issues. Finding himself alone, the young Ren follows a monster, Kumatetsu, into the Beast Kingdom, where he eventually becomes the latter’s pupil. Despite constantly fighting and seemingly hating each other, the two wind up living together for a number of years, steadily intensifying their bond in the process. Eventually, Ren returns to the human world and starts to form a few connections, and things get complicated from here.

Unsurprisingly, The Boy and the Beast‘s animation is brilliant and identifiable. The story is at its strongest when focusing on Ren and Kumatetsu’s relationship, which unfortunately takes a backseat during the movie’s second half. Still, the film’s high points are very high.

25

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

MyAnimeList: 8.17

Crunchyroll serves Dragon Ball fans well as the streaming service has nearly the full franchise, and that includes 16 movies that used to be fairly difficult to get a hold of. The classic Dragon Ball movies are glorified specials rather than full-blown features, but releases like Cooler’s Revenge and Fusion Reborn are definitely worth a watch. In the 2010s, Dragon Ball made a comeback in the form of Battle of Gods, which is not on Crunchyroll. However, all three of its movie sequels are on the platform, and they are generally just as good as their missing predecessor. Out of the four post-return movies, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is comfortably the best and most cinematic. At the time of its debut, the film felt like a genuine event, more so than pretty much any other movie in the series.

As the title suggests, the story focuses on Broly, a powerful Saiyan who is manipulated by his father to seek revenge against Vegeta. The antagonist’s backstory is handled well, and the character is fairly sympathetic while always coming across as a significant threat to the Z Warriors. Dragon Ball lives and dies on the strength of its fight sequences, and Broly hits the mark in this area. Every battle has a unique flavor and is bolstered by great animation.

24

Saga Of Tanya The Evil: The Movie

MyAnimeList: 8.23

Isekai anime are both very popular and acquired tastes, to the point that most people tend to either love or hate these types of stories. In many ways, Saga of Tanya the Evil offers a relatively conventional take on the genre, including a pretty OP protagonist who is generally smarter and stronger than nearly every other character. However, the story sets itself apart from the crowd by taking place in a war-ridden world that is heavily inspired by World War One, along with focusing on a conflict that incorporates technology and magic. Also, a petty deity forces the protagonist to be reborn as a little girl, motivating the latter to set out to destroy the former.

For the most part, Saga of Tanya The Evil: The Movie maintains the same standard as the series, albeit with a higher budget offered by a feature project. The animation is generally fantastic, and this sequel comes across as a proper movie rather than a glorified special. More importantly, the story introduces Mary Sioux as the central antagonist, depicting her as essentially a saint to counteract the devilish Tanya. The TV series lacks a proper rival that can match the protagonist, and the movie fixes that shortcoming.

23

Fruits Basket -Prelude-

MyAnimeList: 8.42

Based on Natsuki Takaya’s seminal manga, Fruits Basket is undoubtedly one of the greatest romance anime of all time. The 2019 series weaves a tale of hope and love while touching upon themes of depression, isolation, and trauma. The three seasons end on a high note that requires no expansion, to the point that the Prelude movie feels more like an encore than a vital new act. That said, it is still Fruits Basket.

After a recap of Kyou and Tohru’s relationship, the movie switches focus to the latter’s parents, chronicling their relationship from beginning to end. Prelude retains the main series’ smart writing and knack for emotional gut punches, although the story’s impact depends on whether a viewer cares enough about Katsuya and Kyouko to get fully invested.

22

Black Butler: Book Of The Atlantic

MyAnimeList: 8.25

Has there ever been an anime that walks the line between silliness and seriousness as well as Black Butler? Drenched in Victorian Gothic imagery and touching upon themes of revenge, obsession, and mortality, the series is a dark fantasy epic that just happens to center around a self-serious 13-year-old protagonist. Ciel and his demon butler, Sebastian, have been through their share of mysteries at the behest of the Queen, and Book of the Atlantic finds the pair embarking on a long aquatic voyage to investigate reports of necromancy. Before long, the expedition turns deadly, and a few other familiar faces might be involved.

Putting aside the anime-only sequel season, Black Butler has been consistently entertaining over the years, and Book of the Atlantic is not an exception. The storyline benefits from the movie’s higher production value, allowing for a cinematic presentation that blossoms beautifully towards the end of the journey. The core mystery is fairly interesting and ties well into the rest of the story, even including a few significant reveals (Book of the Atlantic is canon, unlike most shonen feature films).

As fun as this flick is, Book of the Atlantic should not be watched in isolation. It is a sequel to Black Butler, Book of Circus, and Book of Murder. The former two are available on Crunchyroll, although the latter 2-part OVA is not.