Anime is a diverse medium that delivers more than ninja fights and laser beam battles. The anime movies that are produced are often perfect vehicles for their creators to express social commentary and highlight issues in the world or in society. Anime movies are an excellent format because you can incorporate surreal or science-fiction elements seamlessly into the story without it feeling campy or forced. These movies enjoy the advantage of allowing the audience to explore their imaginations more without being taken out of the experience by a bad acting performance or bad special effects. Let's take a look at some of the best examples of social commentary in anime movies.

10 Perfect Blue (1997)

First on the list is Perfect Blue. Perfect Blue is a psychological thriller animated film that was released in 1997 and distributed by Rex Entertainment. It was directed by Satoshi Kon and followed a Japanese Idol member who becomes a victim of stalking. She retires from her high-status music career to transition her fame into an acting career. However, her life becomes turned upside down by a series of gruesome murders. She also experiences a slow deterioration of her mental state and starts to lose her grip on reality.

The show is an excellent example of social commentary in Anime. It tackles a smart commentary on the public and private aspects of being a celebrity. Mima Kirigoe's decision to change her career path is what sets the story in motion, making her entitled fanbase lash out in anger. Everyone who interacts with Mima is either trying to suppress her, trying to make her own choices, or exploiting her for their own game. Mima has to undergo sexual exploitation that takes a permanent psychological toll on her. Mima has nowhere to turn, her fans are toxic, and the people in the industry are only out to exploit her. The movie thoroughly examines the para-social relationship phenomenon of celebrities and how the customers view her as a product rather than a person. Anytime Mima steps outside what other people fantasize that she is, they seek to punish her at every turn.

9 Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away is a fantasy animated film distributed by Toho and released in 2001. It was directed by Hayao Miyazaki and followed the story of a young girl who enters the world of spirits. These spirits are called Kami and represent spirits of Japanese folklore. Tragedy strikes as her parents are turned into pigs, and she has to get a job in the spirit world to free herself and her parents and return to the realm of humans. The film was released to massive financial success, becoming the most successful Japanese film in history for nearly 19 years. It grossed $395 million at the worldwide box office. It also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, being the only non-English film to this day to win this award.

The film is surreal, so many of its themes are subtle, but it uses social commentary as one of the primary ways it conveys its messages. It tells a coming-of-age story in a world where many people are uncaring, where working transforms people into workers without their own names. One of the spirits, Yubaba, steals the names of her employees and turns them into puppets she can control. These employees gradually forget who they are and their motivations in life. The film tries to remind the viewer to never get who they are and the dreams that they are striving for in the midst of such a society. Names in Japanese society hold special importance, with many anime connecting one's name to their memories. In Anime, characters with amnesia will often forget their names as well as their purpose in life. A name tethers a person to their identity, and names in Anime often connect a character to an aspect of their personality and identity.

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8 Paprika (2006)

Paprika is a science fiction anime film that was released in 2006. It was distributed by Sony Pictures and directed by Satoshi Kon. The film takes place in a society where a device allows people to share their dreams in a dream world. A terrorist steals the device and uses it to cause nightmares in people. A dream detective named Paprika also starts entering people's dreams to help her solve cases. This Anime movie uses its dream premise to make social commentary on the duality of people and how they are comprised of different identities that often come into conflict. Paprika becomes unable to distinguish and reconcile her dream personality and her real one, leading to an identity crisis that causes her to be unable to embrace reality ultimately. It also comments on the effects of society alienating and isolating people when their identity doesn't match a preconceived notion.

7 Akira (1988)

Next up is Akira, a cyberpunk action film from 1988. The film was distributed by Toho and directed starred Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, and Mami Koyama. It follows the story of Shōtarō Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang surviving in the dystopian future of 2019. The setting involves the aftermath of a world war that caused the destruction of Tokyo. The rebuilt Neo-Tokyo is full of corrupt politicians, criminals, and terrorists, and the anti-government sentiment of people is high. The film takes a look at the raw and exposed version of human nature that occurs after society breaks down. It also takes aim at the way militaries often fail their people and how government officials are easily corrupted when left by themselves.

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6 A Silent Voice (2016)

A Silent Voice is a drama film distributed by Shochiku that was released in 2016. The film is directed by Naoko Yamada and follows the story of a young deaf girl and her bully in a coming-of-age story that features the potential of redemption. It features themes of suicide and alienation in society based on people's differences. Japanese culture heavily encourages people to conform and looks down on people who stand out from the norm. A Silent Voice uses this setting to deliver social commentary dispelling myths about bullying, suicide, and mental health. The film went on to win Best Animation Film at the Japanese Academy Awards.

5 Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell is a noir cyberpunk animated movie distributed by Shochiku and released in 1995. The film follows a cyborg police agent who has to investigate a mysterious hacker that is controlling people through their cybernetic implants. The movie explores the boundaries between humanity and machines, and how technology transforms people into a mixture of the two. A ghost is purposed as a person's soul, and the shell is the body that can be completely transformed by cybernetics. It also features social commentary on the nature of abuse and human trafficking and how this technological society is mistreating its robot dolls.

4 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Another anime movie that makes great use of social commentary is The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. This film was distributed by Kadokawa Herald Pictures and released in 2006. It is based on a novel of the same name and tells the story of Makoto Konoo, who learns the ability to travel through time. She uses her powers frequently to cause minor problems in her life, leading to complications the more mistakes that she goes back to fix. The film suggests that we should embrace the imperfections in society and not avoid things just for the sake of not trying something new.

3 Weathering With You (2019)

Weathering With You is the next anime movie on the list, distributed by Toho. It was released in 2019 and was directed by Makoto Shinkai. The plot follows a high school boy who has run away from his home in the country to live in Tokyo. While there, he meets an orphaned girl who can control the weather. The film draws parallels to climate change and the 2011 nuclear disaster that devastated an area of Japan. It seeks to establish how the human ability to control nature can bring about unforeseen consequences.

2 Grave of the Fireflies (1989)

Grave of the Fireflies is a World War II animated film released in 1988 and distributed by Toho. It tells the story of two war-orphaned siblings trying to survive in 1945 toward the end of the war. Their father is off fighting in the war, and their mother has recently died, leaving the siblings to fend for themselves. It is a tragic film that details the civilian side of the war and how much people suffer far from the front lines. It is often considered one of the greatest war films of all time, thanks to its superb animation and the desperate struggle portrayed.

1 Princess Mononoke (1997)

At the top of the list, we have Princess Mononoke. Princess Mononoke was released in 1997 and distributed by Toho. It tells the story of a young prince named Ashitaka that becomes involved in a struggle between humans and the spirits of the forest. The film examines the relationship between human society and nature and how it creates social outcasts thanks to an endless cycle of hatred.