Anime movies to watch this summer

No matter where you live or how perfect the weather is, summer in real life can never be as perfect as it is in anime. Setting aside the magical adventures, romantic encounters, and life lessons that never happen in a single season of our real lives, something about the way anime can translate the feeling of summer through sights and sounds alone somehow feels more authentic than the real thing. So, what better way to enjoy the summer than with some anime that can spirit you away into an idealized version of the season for an hour or so?

Now that anime has fully saturated the wider media landscape and is no longer a niche hobby, anime films are getting far more attention in the West than ever before. Once upon a time, you had to go to a convention and buy a bootleg VHS with no subtitles to see the latest movies, but now Netflix, Hulu, and Prime all have a massive collection of anime shows and movies. As good as that is, it does lead to that same choice paralysis you get when scrolling those services not knowing what you’re looking for. These are my personal top five picks for anime movies you should check out to soak in that summer vibe.

1 Weathering with You

Rain, rain, go away

I’ve loved Makoto Shinkai’s work since Voices of a Distant Star, and while Weathering with You isn’t my favorite of his work, it is the most “summer” movie in my opinion. The plot centers around a high schooler who has run away from home and is taken in by a small magazine publisher to work for him. One of his first assignments is to investigate the “sunshine girls” who supposedly have the power to stop it from raining. As it turns out, Japan is undergoing a seemingly paranormal level of rain that summer. It turns out to be true, and the two begin building a relationship while taking requests to stop the rain for people. If you know Shinkai’s work, then you can expect it to get gut-wrenching towards the end, but the journey is a fun and uplifting story about lost people helping one another.

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2 Summer Wars

Not the OZ you remember

With a name like Summer Wars, how could this not make it on the list? Name aside, this was actually a tough choice between it and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, so if you’re not pressed for time I highly recommend both. Summer Wars, though, is about a talented student named Kenji who is invited to a friend’s grandmother’s 90th birthday. Little did he know that his friend introduced him as her fiance to please her family, all of which have gathered for the occasion. As if that wasn’t a strong enough plot, there’s also the VR world named OZ that Kenji accidentally helps get hacked and unleashes a an AI named Love Machine. Between navigating the uncomfortable situation in real life, he also has to find a way to stop the rogue AI from causing more damage online. It is a masterful mix of family drama and video gamey action.

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3 A Silent Voice

A story of redemption

I have to give a major asterisk on this recommendation because A Silent Voice is not an easy film. It is emotional, sure, but the themes of bullying, trauma, disability, mental health, and suicide are front and center in this story. They’re handled and presented about as perfectly as I have ever seen, but if you’re not up for that, by all means skip this one. The story begins with a young Shoya mercilessly bullying a new student named Shoko who was born deaf, but jumps ahead several years and focuses on Shoya’s attempt to somehow atone for his behavior and damage he caused. It takes into account every angle of bullying and trauma, as well as regret and forgiveness. The less I say, the better, but can’t recommend it highly enough.

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4 Wolf Children

Run free

Motherhood is hard enough under normal circumstances. Being a single mother is a level beyond that, but Wolf Children takes things to the extremes when a woman has two children with a werewolf before he sadly passes away. She’s left to try and figure out how to raise two rambunctious kids who also have the ability to transform into wolves. It sounds cheesy and kind of dumb on paper, but the film uses that outlandish premise to tell a very grounded and heartfelt story about the struggles of raising children and allowing them to find their own path. The story spans years, but the summer months are some of the best.

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5 My Neighbor Totoro

The spirit of summer

If I don’t include one Ghibli film on this list I would probably wake up to an angry mob outside my house. Thankfully, it wasn’t hard at all to find one to fit the summertime theme. I went with My Neighbor Totoro because of its more laid-back and simplistic story. A small family moves to the countryside to be closer to their sick mother and starts encountering friendly nature spirits. It is a less plot-driven story and feels like a more natural little adventure of two young girls during a particularly challenging time in their lives. You don’t need to tell me what a visual treat you’re in for when Ghibli is involved, either. I won’t spoil anything, but it does have a happy ending to look forward to.

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