What do you want to watch tonight?
Each title says who it's good for, and who it isn't. Tap what you want tonight, or say no to one and why.
Closest to Warriors of the Wind first
Princess Mononoke 1997
Anime
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
The sides of Princess Mononoke
- A cursed prince heading west
- A girl raised by wolves
- Gods of the forest against an iron town
Good for you if
- you like an epic with gods, spirits and wolves.
- you like a story where nature fights back.
- you like Lady Eboshi, who cuts down the forest and shelters lepers.
Bad for you if
- blood and severed limbs may shock you or kids.
- you don't watch animated films.
- you won't read subtitles. It's in Japanese (a dub exists).
About: nature · hatred · coexistence
Avatar 2009
Film
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
The sides of Avatar
- A whole alien world to explore
- A soldier who changes sides
- Nature against machines
Good for you if
- you want to be swallowed by the screen, especially in 3D.
- you love getting lost in a world with its own plants, animals and rules.
- you like forests that glow and mountains that float.
Bad for you if
- you want sharp dialogue more than images.
- nearly three hours is too much for one evening.
About: colonisation · nature · belonging
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 2009
Anime
Disregard for alchemy’s laws ripped half of Edward Elric’s limbs from his body and left his brother Alphonse’s soul clinging to a suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers seek the Philosopher’s Stone. Enemies and allies – the corrupt military, the Homunculi, and foreign alchemists – will alter the Elric brothers course, but their purpose will remain unchanged and their bond unbreakable.
The sides of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Two brothers who paid for alchemy with their bodies
- A soul bound to a suit of armor
- A conspiracy inside the army
Good for you if
- you like a world where alchemy has strict laws and a price.
- you like two brothers who never give up on each other.
- you want fights against Homunculi that keep raising the stakes.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you can't commit to sixty-four episodes.
About: brotherhood · sacrifice · power
Spirited Away 2001
Anime
On the way to their new house, a ten-year-old girl and her parents wander into the world of spirits. Her parents are turned into pigs, and she has to work in a bathhouse to save them.
The sides of Spirited Away
- A strange world with its own rules
- A child finding her courage
- Quiet moments and nature
- Every frame drawn by hand
Good for you if
- you love getting lost in a world with its own strange rules.
- you like not knowing what will walk through the door next.
- you like films that stop to breathe, like that quiet train ride.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want everything explained. A lot of the bathhouse never is.
About: growing up · greed · keeping your name · work
Howl's Moving Castle 2004
Anime
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.
The sides of Howl's Moving Castle
- A young woman cursed into an old body
- A walking castle
- A vain wizard against a war
Good for you if
- you like a world of magic doors and fire demons.
- you like Miyazaki's hand-drawn images, a castle walking on bird legs and a field of flowers by a lake.
- you like a gentle love story with a curse to break.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch animated films.
- you want a plot where everything is explained.
About: self-worth · war · love
Attack on Titan 2013
Anime
100 years ago, the last remnants of humanity were forced to retreat behind the towering walls of a fortified city to escape the massive, man-eating Titans that roamed the land outside their fortress. Only the members of the Scouting Legion dared to stray beyond the safety of the walls – but even those brave warriors seldom returned alive. Those within the city clung to the illusion of a peaceful existence until the day that dream was shattered, and their slim chance at survival was reduced to one horrifying choice: kill – or be devoured!
The sides of Attack on Titan
- Survival against impossible odds
- Twists that flip who the enemy is
- War, freedom and what it costs
Good for you if
- you like humanity trapped behind walls with giants outside.
- you like a story that turns everything upside down halfway.
- you can take a dark, brutal war story.
Bad for you if
- giants eating people ruin it for you.
- you don't watch anime.
About: freedom · war · revenge
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- The biggest battles of the trilogy
- Two hobbits climbing a mountain
- Saying goodbye
Good for you if
- you want the siege of Minas Tirith and the charge of the Rohirrim on a big screen.
- you like an ending that takes its time to say goodbye.
- you've loved this world and want to see it through.
Bad for you if
- over three hours, with several endings, is too much for you.
- you roll your eyes at big, sincere speeches. Aragorn rallies an army at the Black Gate.
About: friendship · sacrifice · home
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 2019
Anime
After a demon attack leaves his family slain and his sister cursed, Tanjiro embarks upon a perilous journey to find a cure and avenge those he's lost.
The sides of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- A boy whose family is killed by a demon
- A sister turned into a demon
- Sword fights with breathing techniques
Good for you if
- you like sword fights that light up the screen.
- you like a brother who will do anything to save his sister.
- you cry when a demon's human past is finally told.
Bad for you if
- you can't stand demons tearing people apart.
- you don't watch anime.
About: grief · family · revenge
One Piece 1999
Anime
Years ago, the fearsome Pirate King, Gol D. Roger was executed leaving a huge pile of treasure and the famous "One Piece" behind. Whoever claims the "One Piece" will be named the new King of the Pirates. Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who consumed a "Devil Fruit," decides to follow in the footsteps of his idol, the pirate Shanks, and find the One Piece. It helps, of course, that his body has the properties of rubber and that he's surrounded by a bevy of skilled fighters and thieves to help him along the way. Luffy will do anything to get the One Piece and become King of the Pirates!
The sides of One Piece
- A rubber-bodied boy who wants to be King of the Pirates
- A crew gathered one island at a time
- A hunt for a legendary treasure
Good for you if
- you like a crew that would die for each other.
- you like a sea full of strange islands, each with its own rules.
- you like goofy humor between big fights.
Bad for you if
- over a thousand episodes is too much for you.
- you don't watch anime.
About: freedom · friendship · dreams
The Demon Slayer Corps are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight as the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji begins.
The sides of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
- A castle of endless shifting rooms
- Hashira against the Upper Rank demons
- The start of the final battle with Muzan
Good for you if
- you like fights broken up by the sad pasts of the people fighting them.
- you want to see it big, with rooms flipping all around the fighters.
- you like fire and water techniques animated in full color.
Bad for you if
- you can't stand severed limbs and blood.
- two and a half hours of fights is too much for you.
- you don't watch anime.
About: sacrifice · revenge · siblings
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- A small hero with a huge task
- A world with its own history and languages
- A fellowship that may not hold
Good for you if
- you love a world so detailed it feels like it existed before the film.
- you want landscapes that make you want to walk for days.
- you like battles with armies and monsters.
Bad for you if
- three hours is too much, and it's only the first part.
- you need it to move. There is a lot of walking.
About: temptation · friendship · courage · power
Naruto Shippūden 2007
Anime
After 2 and a half years Naruto finally returns to his village of Konoha, and sets about putting his ambitions to work. It will not be easy though as he has amassed a few more dangerous enemies, in the likes of the shinobi organization; Akatsuki.
The sides of Naruto Shippūden
- A ninja who never gives up
- A friend who left
- A world at war
Good for you if
- you like long, epic ninja battles.
- you like a hero who'd do anything for his friends.
- you like villains with backstories that break you.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- five hundred episodes is far more than you want to start.
About: friendship · perseverance · hatred
Avatar: The Way of Water 2022
Film
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
The sides of Avatar: The Way of Water
- A family fleeing to the ocean
- Whales that remember
- Hours underwater
Good for you if
- you want underwater scenes on a huge scale, made for the biggest screen you can find.
- you like reefs, whales and a world in balance.
- you like the reef clans of Pandora, with their own customs and sea creatures.
Bad for you if
- over three hours is too much for one evening.
- you want a story told through sharp conversations. This one tells it in images, with long stretches underwater and few words.
About: family · nature · belonging
Dragon Ball 1986
Anime
Young Goku sets off on a quest with his teenage friend Bulma to find the seven Dragon Balls, which grant whoever possesses them a single wish.
The sides of Dragon Ball
- A boy with a monkey tail
- A search for seven wish-granting balls
- A martial arts tournament
Good for you if
- you like slapstick and a hero who knows nothing about the world.
- you like kung fu fights and tournaments.
- you like a road trip where rivals become friends.
Bad for you if
- you find 1980s animation dated.
- you don't watch anime.
About: adventure · friendship · innocence
The Cat Returns 2002
Anime
Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.
The sides of The Cat Returns
- A schoolgirl who saves a cat prince
- A kingdom of cats
- An offer to marry the prince
Good for you if
- you want a light, short adventure that ends well.
- you want something to watch with kids that runs barely over an hour.
- you like a hidden kingdom of talking cats.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you like Ghibli's quiet, patient films. This one moves from chase to chase in 75 minutes.
About: self-confidence · kindness · growing up
Suzume 2022
Anime
Suzume, 17, lost her mother as a little girl. On her way to school, she meets a mysterious young man. But her curiosity unleashes a calamity that endangers the entire population of Japan, and so Suzume embarks on a journey to set things right.
The sides of Suzume
- A door standing alone in ruins
- A young man turned into a three-legged chair
- A road trip across Japan to stop earthquakes
Good for you if
- you like doors in abandoned places that open onto a starry other world.
- you like Makoto Shinkai's skies, light and ordinary towns drawn in detail.
- you like a girl finally facing the day she lost her mother.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- a giant worm under Japan and a talking cat lose you.
About: grief · loss · disaster
Castle in the Sky 1986
Anime
A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
The sides of Castle in the Sky
- A girl who falls from the sky with a glowing crystal
- A family of air pirates
- A floating castle above the clouds
Good for you if
- you like the first sight of a castle covered in trees, floating in the sky.
- you like flying machines and a lost civilisation.
- you like chases on trains, mines and airships.
Bad for you if
- you find 1980s animation dated.
- you don't watch anime.
About: greed · friendship · nature
The Boy and the Heron 2023
Anime
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
The sides of The Boy and the Heron
- A boy who lost his mother in the war
- A talking gray heron
- A tower that leads to another world
Good for you if
- you like a world of parakeets, pelicans and a stone tower.
- you love Miyazaki's hand-drawn worlds.
- you like a boy learning to accept a new mother.
Bad for you if
- you don't watch anime.
- you want a story where every symbol is explained.
About: grief · family · growing up
InuYasha 2000
Anime
Kagome Higurashi is a modern day young girl who lives with her family by the old Higure shrine. Unbeknownst to Kagome, she is the reincarnation of priestess Kikyo and posseses the "Jewel of Four Souls" (the Shikon jewel). One ill-fated day, Kagome locates an ancient well near her home and is abruptly transported through the well and into a feudal Japan, inhabited by demons. There, she encounters Inuyasha, son of a powerful demon father and a human mother, who is pinned to a tree by an enchanted arrow.
The sides of InuYasha
- A schoolgirl who falls through a well into feudal Japan
- A half-demon pinned to a tree
- Shards of a shattered jewel
Good for you if
- you like two people who bicker their way into love.
- you like a feudal Japan full of demons and priestesses.
- you like sword fights against a new demon every week.
Bad for you if
- you won't sit through well over a hundred episodes.
- you don't watch anime.
About: love · destiny · the past
Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers--Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.
The sides of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- The siege of Helm's Deep
- Gollum talking to himself
- A fellowship split in three
Good for you if
- you want a night battle in the rain that lasts and lasts.
- you want more of this world: talking trees, horse lords, the marshes.
- you like following three stories at once.
Bad for you if
- three hours, in the middle of a trilogy, is too much for you.
- you roll your eyes at big, sincere speeches. Sam's speech about the good left in this world is one.
About: hope · temptation · war