Crunchyroll is a treasure trove for anime enthusiasts, offering a vast collection of movies and series. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or just dipping your toes into the world of anime, there’s something for everyone. In this curated list, we’ll highlight 7 of the best anime movies on Crunchyroll, ensuring you have a fantastic viewing experience. Get ready to immerse yourself in captivating stories, stunning visuals, and unforgettable characters.
Read more:
1. Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple
Bungo Stray Dogs has maintained a high standard throughout its run. Fortunately for anime enthusiasts, Crunchyroll offers the complete series in its collection, along with the 2018 film, Dead Apple. Set after the second season, the movie depicts the Armed Detective Agency confronting a significant danger as a mysterious fog envelops Yokohama, manifesting abilities in tangible forms. This situation leads to widespread disorder in the city, further complicated by Dazai’s apparent alliance with those responsible for the chaos.
2. Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown
Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown is a dark fantasy movie set between the two seasons of the anime series. It follows the heroes on a quest to avenge a fallen party and save survivors from goblins. While the movie features strong characters and likable camaraderie, it starts with a lengthy recap of the first season, reducing the actual new content. The film focuses on survivor guilt and PTSD more than the main series, offering decent action and staying true to the original source material.
3. Conqueror Of Shamballa
The presence of Brotherhood has led to the original 2003 series of Fullmetal Alchemist being frequently overlooked or disregarded. Although the later adaptation is often considered the better of the two, the original series offers a compelling and often remarkable alternative interpretation of Hiromu Arakawa’s manga.
Additionally, the anime’s movie sequel, Conqueror of Shamballa, surpasses Brotherhood’s The Sacred Star of Milos in quality; it not only completes the narrative arc of its timeline but also avoids the pitfalls of being a mere side story. Conqueror of Shamballa successfully maintains the series’ poignant bittersweet atmosphere, delving into a narrative that explores and tests the characters’ newly established normalcy.
4. City Hunter Movies
City Hunter is one of the best anime movies on Crunchyroll that gained significant popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although it may not be as widely recognized today, the anime remains quite enjoyable by contemporary standards. Crunchyroll offers the complete series along with all the movies, providing ample content to keep viewers engaged for several weeks.
The protagonist, Ryo Saeba, is a private investigator known for his sharpshooting skills and his penchant for romantic pursuits with every woman he encounters. While the films present independent narratives, they also assume that the audience has a basic understanding of the key characters involved.
5. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
If a shonen anime achieves significant popularity, it often leads to the production of several movies, most of which are typically filler and do not contribute to the main storyline. However, Two Heroes somewhat deviates from this pattern by being part of the official My Hero Academia timeline, despite presenting a narrative that resembles an “event of the week” format with limited connection to Deku’s overarching journey. Like many battle shonen films, Two Heroes effectively compresses a typical MHA arc into under two hours, functioning as a sort of greatest-hits compilation enhanced by a larger budget.
While it may not be exceptional, this side story offers a decent level of entertainment, particularly in its early scenes featuring a young All-Might in the United States. The contemporary storyline is rather forgettable, yet it boasts a distinctive island backdrop and maintains a brisk pace once the action commences.
6. The Stranger By The Shore
Mio Chibana and Shun Hashimoto encounter each other on a beach one day, experiencing an immediate connection. Initially, they feel nervous in each other’s presence, but they soon establish a natural bond that fosters personal growth for both. Unfortunately, their time together is brief, and it takes three years before they reunite. The Stranger by the Shore centers on this second meeting, where both characters come to terms with their authentic love for one another, a process that compels them to confront the past traumas that have left them feeling isolated and insecure.
With a runtime of under an hour, this 2020 movie achieves a great deal without feeling hurried. Ultimately, this boys’ love anime serves as a character study that delves deeply into the lives of Mio and Shun, both as individuals and as partners. The film is also notable for its stunning animation and beautifully rendered natural settings.
7. Robot Carnival
Robot Carnival is a tribute to ’80s anime and its evolving landscape, presented as an anthology movie featuring nine distinct shorts, each helmed by emerging directors. While all segments revolve around the central theme of “robot,” they diverge significantly in style and storytelling, allowing each narrative to stand on its own. This diversity extends beyond the plots, showcasing a variety of animation techniques that remain striking even after many years.
Notably, each short leaves a lasting impression, whether through the exhilarating action of Deprive or the unsettling imagery found in Chicken Man and Red Neck. As a technical showcase, Robot Carnival is a true treasure and ranks among the best anime movies on Crunchyroll.