Anime movies are a great way to make sure you have a good time with your significant other. Although watching an anime movie in the theater sounds more romantic, chilling at home and enjoying a cozy time watching a good film can be equally satisfying. With so many OTT platforms expanding their anime library, it has become a no-brainer to find the right anime movie and get into it.
Oftentimes, couples go for romantic anime films, which is a great way to get lovey-dovey, hold hands, exchange a teasing remark now and then, make plans for future dates upon seeing a couple in a certain location, or mirror the romantic scenes from a movie. But there are couples who prefer to not watch overtly romantic movies and focus on other aspects. With the availability of so many anime movies, the choice to pick the right movie can be slightly challenging. However, that shouldn’t be an issue as this list covers ten anime movies that one may find suitable to enjoy at any given situation.
Hotarubi no Mori e, Ponyo, and 8 other anime movies that one can watch with their significant others during date night
1. Classmates (or Doukyusei)
The 2016 movie production by A-1 Pictures revolved around the life of classmates Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou. The premise is simple – a school setting, summertime, Hikaru helping Rihito perfect the song for the upcoming chorus festival, blossoming friendship and sorting out feelings of love, and falling in love.
However, falling in love is not without its complications, especially so when the two guys are positioned in a landscape that is not accepting towards LGBTQ+. Yet, the complexity in their relationship gets a new perspective when the two realize that together they are not defined by gay but rather love. Therefore, for a night when someone wants to enjoy a movie that doesn’t overcomplicate its plot but has a satisfying ending, then Classmates should be their easy choice.
2. Weathering with You
The ecological concern in this Makoto Shinaki directorial may be as not impactful as Ghibli movies, but the reason why veteran anime watchers go back to this anime movie is rooted in its animation, music, and storyline. Sure some may contest with Your Name, but the emotional strength that Hodaka Morishima and Hina Amano exhibit even reaches the sky, literally.
Aside from the romance and coming-of-age theme that Weathering With You has, the focus is greater on how humans’ tendency to exploit nature/natural phenomenon can ultimately backfire on a macrocosmic level. Moreover, Shinkai’s this anime movie does not offer any solutions, but the web of intrinsic relationship that the main protagonists have with the supporting cast makes Weathering with You all the more watchable.
3. Ponyo
Ghibli anime movies are a perfect remedy for those who don’t wish to fall into the trap of Disney movies but still want to get a similar vibe. And what’s better than Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo, which is a loose retelling of The Little Mermaid. Like Weathering with You, the movie’s ecological concern runs on the same line, albeit with a cute goldfish-turned-human Ponyo, the five-year-old human Sousuke, and lack of blood or violence.
With incredible imagery, what sticks in one’s mind is Ponyo running on waves along the island and the various kinds of aquatic life surviving alongside humans in areas that were once solely dominated by mankind. Although there is no romance per se, the anime movie still hits the viewers with the incredible characterization of Ponyo.
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4. Hotarubi no Mori e
For nights when one wants to feel slightly sad with their partners at the prospect of watching the on-screen couple not being able to unite, Hotarubi no Mori e may cater to their tastes. Inspired by the motif of ‘star-crossed lovers’ who can’t be together, Hotarubi no Mori e extends on it by infusing elements of supernaturalism and fantasy.
So, when Hotaru Takegawa visits her grandfather’s house every summer, she meets up with a masked forest spirit named Gin. She befriended him when she was a kid, but over the years, as she became old, Gin remained the same. The only barrier their relationship faces is touch, yet they somehow manage to tackle that issue for some time. But given its a slow-burn romance with no happy ending, the separation will make the viewers shed a tear or two long after the anime movie has ended.
5. Belle
Like Ponyo, Belle is a loose retelling of Disney’s The Beauty and the Beast in a modern day world involving technology. The story follows a high school girl named Suzu Naitou from the countryside stumbling upon ‘U’ – a virtual social media platform where can create an online persona. Since in the real world she was unable to sing due to her past traumatic experiences, Suzu projects her repressed desires onto her virtual persona as Belle and becomes a global singing sensation U.
However, danger lurks in the form of The Dragon, whom Belle finds a misunderstood victim of circumstances. Although the premise does a great job in engaging the viewers, it is the auditory and visual factors that makes watching this anime movie all the more sublime.
6. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is based on a classic love story model involving Tsuneo Suzukawa and Kumiko/Josee. Following an accidental encounter, the former gets requested by the latter’s grandmother to be the caretaker of the wheelchair-bound Josee, Tsuneo finds hope to save up to pursue MA in a foreign university.
Although the duo don’t get along initially, they soon realize each other’s dreams and help the other achieve them. In the process, they also end up developing feelings for each other. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is meant for those hangouts with one’s partner when all they want is a casual light-hearted short something where the interactions between the characters doesn’t get boring or feel forced.
7. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Madhouse produced The Girl Who Leapt Through Time may give the impression of being a feel-good slice-of-life anime movie, but it moves way past that to let the viewers know that the price of love isn’t cheap. While it’s nothing like Hotarubi no Mori e, the anime movie sees the actions of Makoto Konno snowballing into a dire consequence – one that leads her to lose one of her best friends to time.
With much angst that follows the light-heartedness of the first half of the movie, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time infuses elements of time travelling with unreciprocated love together. So, for someone hoping to drown in the sad feelings along with their partner, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a must watch.
8. Summer Wars
Mamoru Hosoda’s Summer Wars also navigates its plot line by combining both real-life and virtual experience together. Summer Wars begins with a math prodigy named Kenji joining his crush, Natsuki, for her trip to her grandmother’s place to celebrate her 90th birthday. However, the catch is he had to pose as her boyfriend, to which he agrees.
Although everything seems to go well, the events of one lonely night leads Kenji to breach Oz’s security wall, but the action leads Love Machine to create havoc that jeopardizes their existence. But with the help of Natsuki and her family members, the danger is subdued and all returns to normal. In fact, Kenji gets a kiss from Natsuki. With an explosion of colors and hurried movements that doesn’t look overwhelming, Summer Wars is an incredible watch for night when viewers need some satisfying laughs in a good plot.
9. A Silent Voice
For over years now, A Silent Voice has been watched by anime fans for its expertise in handling a few sensitive subjects that often risk the depiction of failure, if not executed in the right manner. Similar to Weathering with You, the anime movie doesn’t offer any solutions to the anxieties, insecurities, and other mental health issues.
But what it does is show a path to recovery and forgiveness through the character of former bully, Shoya. Steering clear of overused cliches, this Naoko Yamada directorial portrays the cruelty of children that is often dismissed until the effects are realized in the long run. The romantic aspect in this movie is ambiguous, but A Silent Voice is not about romance in the first place. For date nights when viewers and their partners want to watch a slice-of-life that is deep and makes one think, A Silent Voice may be the suitable anime movie.
10. Spirited Away
Perhaps the greatest Studio Ghibli production, Spirited Away is now a household name for almost everyday. However, despite the hype that the movie is surrounded with, Spirited Away doesn’t involve a grand theme as Miyazaki employs a simple mode of storytelling to tell the story of Chihiro into a magical world that has turned her parents into pigs.
With malicious spirits, ghosts, dragons, strange spells, and other good natured supernatural beings, Chihiro embarks on a journey that is interpreted by many as transition from childhood to adulthood, or innocence to maturity. But the story is also an allegory of serious elements such as tyranny, children’s role in the adult world, loss of humanity, etc. Thus, the events of this Miyazaki anime movie will not make feel giddy with Chihiro’s relationship with Haku but it will also provide food for thoughts to discuss with one’s partner.
