Here’s a little fun fact about me: I’ve had the pleasure of working for my hometown’s Japanese Import Toy Store for around 5 years. That means yes, it was me behind the counter selling your kids their respective packs of whatever the latest Pokémon cards have released, but that also means I’ve had the utmost honor of another, much more important role: MC of the store television. Every morning before turning the open sign on, I made it my mission to pick a series or movie that was just right for the vibe of the day.
Frankly, nothing makes you feel like you’ve got good taste quite like accruing a gaggle of kids all looking up at the TV. I’ve always told parents one thing- connecting with your children over their hobbies creates memories that will last them a lifetime, so here are 8 of the best anime movies for kids and families for a fun movie night!
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At a Glance
- Family Movie Night Picks: 8 anime films kids and parents can enjoy together
- Beloved Classics: Includes favorites like My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Pokémon: The First Movie
- Adventure & Heart: Stories about friendship, courage, growing up, and imagination
- Great for Many Ages: Kid-friendly anime options from preschool to tweens
- A Cultural Bonus: Introduce kids to Japanese animation, storytelling, and folklore
Family-Friendly Anime Movies Kids Will Love
My Neighbor Totoro G 1988 ‧ Fantasy/Adventure ‧ 1h 26m
For any discerning readers, please understand that a list like this without a Studio Ghibli movie would be like writing a listicle about American movies for your kids and not having any Disney films. That being said, excluding Totoro would be like ignoring Mickey Mouse himself. My Neighbor Totoro is a film about two young sisters, who, after their father moves to the countryside, the girls start exploring the forests and find themselves in a world of forest spirits- such as the titular Totoro. Totoro takes the girls on fantastical romps through the forest, not unlike the very fairy tales the sisters read.
The kids are sure to fall in love with the magic of Studio Ghibli’s irreplaceable style of animation, and are sure to pick up and share the film’s love for nature, the environment, and Japanese folklore itself. Totoro is not just a colorful and beautiful film to show your kids anymore, but with time, Totoro’s popularity sent shockwaves through culture itself. Between the iconic imagery of leaf umbrellas, magic dancing soot, and catbusses, showing this to the family early will let them see and understand all the later films in the list, or in other movies they might’ve seen how Totoro’s world has inspired our own. Besides, your kid probably knows Totoro already. Did you catch him in Toy Story 3?
Kiki’s Delivery Service G 1989 ‧ Family/Fantasy ‧ 1h 52m
Speaking of Disney, the two studios have actually had a long-standing friendship for more than 50 years. You’ll notice many old DVD or Blu-ray releases of Ghibli films were actually released under “Disney Presents”, as the mouse was initially responsible for bringing Ghibli’s films to the West. Kiki’s delivery service is in many ways as close a recipe for that classic Disney princess magic as you can get. In a world with witches, talking animals, and, of course, an economy, Kiki’s delivery service follows a 13-year-old Kiki and her familiar, a black cat, as she moves to a new city and starts a delivery service, all while she finds what makes her special in a world where magic and mundane co-exist.
Much like Totoro, Ghibli’s style takes over your home and teleports you to the beautiful port town of the film, and if your kids loved films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Matilda, putting Kiki on your radar is the least I can do for you. Another fun thing for adults showing the English versions of Ghibli films to their kids is the number of actors you’ll start to recognize, such as Jingle All The Way’s Phil Hartman and Spider-Man’s Kirsten Dunst!
Ponyo G 2008 ‧ Fantasy/Adventure ‧ 1h 43m
The last of the Ghibli films I allowed myself to add to the list ends here, with a personal favorite of mine, Ponyo, and this time I’ll be hedging a bet. If you show this film to your kids, and they don’t spend the next month singing Ponyo’s theme, I’ll personally send you my Blu-Ray copy. Ponyo is an adorable love story about Ponyo, a little fish that escapes from her father’s ocean palace only to get herself trapped in a glass jar (I guess Ariel made it look a little too easy).
After being saved by a local boy, Sosuke, who takes her in and cares for her, she slowly learns to use her magic powers to fulfill her wish of becoming human just like Sosuke. While the film itself is more cute than it has any right to be, with one of the most iconic soundtracks in Ghibli’s filmography. The raw talent involved in the animation of the swarms of fish and iconic scenes like Ponyo running on the waves is enough to make anyone mesmerized, and certainly keeps it in my higher ranking lists.
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Pokémon: The First Movie G 1998 ‧ Family/Adventure ‧ 1h 36m
Try not to act shocked when I say this, but Pokémon is actually pretty popular. Chances are, if you’re a millennial parent, you’ve seen this movie an unheard of number of times, and now it’s time to show the kids you’ve been sitting on some elite ball knowledge. The film was actually the debut of one of the most popular Pokémon in the franchise: Mew-Two, when the newly bio-engineered Mew-Two breaks out of the lab that created it, steadfast on proving its dominance over all of mankind, it begins luring Pokémon trainers into battles they can’t win, one of those trainers being Ash, the protagonist of the animated Pokémon series.
In a fight for the balance of the world, Ash tries to prove that friendship between man and Pokémon is possible. Obviously, this film is a must for any Pokemon fans too young to have seen it in theaters, and if you haven’t seen the film yourself since you were young, it’s most definitely worth a rewatch, with some of the most iconic moments in the series, and animation quality that’s super effective compared to the early seasons of the animated series. As Mew-Two itself has gone on to be one of the most iconic Pokémon, reappearing in almost every mainline series game and even appearing in games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it could be a fun afternoon to show your kids the origin story, and of course, any of the tens of Pokémon movies that have come out since!
Stand by Me, Doraemon G 2014 ‧ Family/Adventure ‧ 1h 35m
I earlier likened Studio Ghibli to our own Disney, and while I wasn’t wrong when I did that, I didn’t go as far as to call Totoro Japan’s Mickey Mouse; instead, that moniker actually belongs to the robot cat of the Future Doraemon. Renowned enough to walk alongside Super Mario himself during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Doraemon is one of those instances of a character bigger than you’d initially realize, purely due to the lack of popularity in the West. Doreamon’s premise follows the titular blue cat, a robot from the 22nd century who travels back in time to help a pre-teen named Nobita; he does this with his wacky assortment of single-use, incredibly specific gadgets, and usually leads to the overuse and or misuse of the gadget, with chaos ensuing.
Stand By Me, Doraemon sees the titular cat coming from the future to warn the fourth grader of how grim his future will be without some serious change. With Nobita’s low grades and penchant for being bullied, it’s clear why. The movie tells a condensed version of the Doraemon story while hitting all the important beats and gags, but the movie’s incredible animation and surprisingly emotional ending will have your kids coming out of it with some important lessons at the heart of the film, and if they end up loving it, you’ll be glad to know there’s a sequel!
A Whisker Away PG 2020 ‧ Fantasy/Romance ‧ 1h 44m
There’s nothing quite like a movie about animals with their own secret societies and lives outside of humans; in fact, that’s kinda Pixar’s whole thing. While I could certainly give a spot on this list to a film like 2002’s The Cat Returns, I would never go back on my word about how many Ghibli films I can put on this list… right? A Whisker Away is about a 14-year-old Miyo Sakaki, who, amidst unrequited feelings for her crush, receives a special mask from a shady mask seller. The mask turns Miyo into a cat, which allows her to spend more time with her crush as he takes care of her as his own, unbeknownst to her true identity.
Fate turns when the mask seller turns Miyo’s human form into a mask, and goes off to sell it to a cat that wants to turn human, causing Miyo to follow him to the secret island of cats in order to turn back into a human, and confess her feelings to her crush. The film has an adorable cast of anthropomorphized cats and a cozy small-town setting, sure to sweep any kid or cat lover into the world of the film.
Drifting Home PG 2022 ‧ Fantasy/Adventure ‧ 2 hours
Drifting Home mixes the fantastical with something a little more grounded. Trust me, if you’re one of those moviegoers who feel let down when the title of a movie isn’t one-to-one with the actual film, you’re in good hands. Kosuke Kumagaya and Natsume Tonai are 11-year-olds who grew up like siblings. The two drift apart after the passing of Kosuke’s grandfather, until they both unexpectedly cross each other’s path when they sneak into a “ghost apartment complex”, better known to the two as the building they both grew up in.
After an argument and a heavy rainstorm, the kids find themselves suddenly stuck in an apartment building, drifting through the ocean. With a dream-like vibe and strong character writing, the mysterious plot and exploration of growing up hold on to you throughout the watch and stay with you, especially for any kids looking to learn a thing or two about moving on and embracing change.
Summer Wars PG 2009 ‧ Sci-fi/Action ‧ 1h 54m
To round out the list, as the weather starts to finally melt all of those sidewalk snow banks, I’m sure we’re all thinking the same thing- I wish it were summer. Your kids are definitely thinking the same, and in the meantime, I’d like to offer you a viewing of 2009’s Summer Wars. Kenji Koiso is a timid eleventh-grade math genius, brought to the city of Ueda by a senior, Natsuki, to celebrate her grandma’s 90th birthday.
However, Kenji gets framed for hacking a huge online game he plays by a self-aware, evil AI named Love Machine. Kenji takes the case into his own hands to stop the rogue machine and prevent any further chaos. The world of Summer Wars provides a beautiful contrast between a more traditional Japanese countryside and the in-game world of OZ and its vibrant, eye-catching characters and environments, with strong themes of connection, family, and perseverance. The film’s unique style, unapologetic Japanese stylings, and beating, human heart in the midst of an evil, cold AI could be just the thing to tide you over until the weather really starts to pick up.
The world of Japanese animation, as well as all foreign animation, is vast, incredible, and a worthwhile investment in giving your kids a more fun way to explore different cultures and places. While not everything I would normally recommend can make it onto a list like this, it’s worth asking your kids if they already watch anime, what they’re watching, and going from there.
Not every parent has the time to sit down and understand all 1000+ episodes of a show like One Piece, or the complicated magic systems of Jujutsu Kaisen, but that’s why I always encourage opening up a dialogue with you about the media they watch. As it turns out, kids actually love nothing more than talking at length about the stuff they watch, who knew?
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