As a movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I have seen the rise and fall of countless animated films. From Disney classics to Studio Ghibli masterpieces, I have wept, laughed, and been left utterly bewildered by the vast array of animated stories that have graced our screens.
2025 might witness an overwhelming presence of anime films in the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars, with this year’s most touching animated production, “Look Back,” being one of them. Created by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the manga artist behind “Chainsaw Man,” “Look Back” is a profound exploration of the friendship between schoolgirls Fujino and Kyomoto, stirring emotions in viewers. Critics and audiences alike are smitten with this film, as it boasts an exceptional 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, leaving many viewers in tears. Its success could potentially extend to the Academy Awards next year, given its eligibility for nomination.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed all the animated films that could potentially receive an Oscar nomination for the 2024 awards ceremony. In previous years, anime films have shown promising results with Studio Ghibli’s productions frequently featured among the nominees in this category. However, next year’s competitors will face tough challenges as some impressive anime movies are set to vie for the top spot.
Apart from “Look Back”, four other anime feature films have been suggested by The Academy as potential nominees. One of them is “The Imaginary”, directed by Yoshiyuki Momose. This film revolves around an imaginary friend of a young girl, who learns that he will vanish if she ever forgets about him. Adapted from the novel by A.F. Harrold, it received favorable reviews from critics with a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its audience score is slightly lower at 77%. Currently, “The Imaginary” can be streamed on Netflix.
Those two films will face tough competition from The Colors Within (Kimi no iro), directed by Naoko Yamada. The film hasn’t yet been released in the U.S., but saw a Japanese theatrical release in August, which earned it strong reviews. The official synopsis reads, “High school girl Totsuko can see the colors of the emotions in people. In order to keep her friends and family from feeling dark feelings, she worries, reads situations, and even lies to smooth thing over. At an antique bookshop in the corner of Nagasaki, she meets a beautiful woman with an incredibly beautiful color and a music-loving boy trying to put together a band. The story follows these three sensitive people who gather together to play in a band.”
Among the contenders under discussion, it’s quite unexpected that “Ghost Cat Anzu” would be one of them. Directed by Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita (based on their manga), this film has received less critical acclaim compared to the others discussed thus far. The movie tells the story of a young girl who moves in with her grandfather in rural Japan. While there, she develops an unusual friendship with a ghostly cat. “Ghost Cat Anzu” premiered in U.S. theaters earlier in November, receiving mixed reviews and reactions from both fans and critics, with a 69% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
It came as quite a shock that one of the top contenders for the Best Animated Feature award in 2025 hasn’t hit the screens yet – it’s none other than The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. This film has also made The Academy’s list. Based on an anime prequel, this movie portrays Helm Hammerhand as he valiantly fights his final battle at the Hornbug (later known as Helm’s Deep). War of the Rohirrim is set to premiere in theaters on December 13th.
In simple terms, the listed movies are those that can potentially be considered for awards, but being on this list does not guarantee a nomination. However, given the exceptional critical acclaim for the movie “Look Back”, it would be quite unfortunate if it is ignored. It’s also worth noting that anime enthusiasts are aware that The Academy sometimes doesn’t give animated films the recognition they should receive.
You can find the full list of eligible animated movies below:
- Art College 1994
- Captain Avispa
- Chicken for Linda!
- The Colors Within
- The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie
- Despicable Me 4
- Flow
- The Garfield Movie
- Ghost Cat Anzu
- The Glassworker
- The Imaginary
- Inside Out 2
- Kensuke’s Kingdom
- Kung Fu Panda 4
- Living Large
- Look Back
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
- Mars Express
- Memoir of a Snail
- Moana 2
- Piece by Piece
- Rocket Club: Across the Cosmos
- Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds
- Spellbound
- Sultana’s Dream
- That Christmas
- Thelma the Unicorn
- Transformers One
- Ultraman: Rising
- Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
- The Wild Robot
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2024-11-26 03:11