The 10 Best Anime Movies For Kids

The wonderful characteristic of family-friendly anime movies, is that they are just as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids. The artistry of the animation is world class, and the stories are dramatic yet wholesome.

10. Ponyo (2008)

This lovely anime makes for compelling viewing for adults and kids alike, and follows a boy who finds a goldfish with a human face. He names it “Ponyo.” This fish wishes to be human, and through some accidental magic, Ponyo gets her wish. So far so good, right?

Wrong! Ponyo’s transformation goes against nature, and causes a snowball effect of events that could wreak major havoc in the world. Famed animation house Studio Ghibli created this creative The Little Mermaid reinterpretation.

9. Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017)

Mary and the Witch’s Flower is a great movie for tweens who love the Harry Potter series, as it includes age-appropriate danger, scary chases, humans magically turning into animals, and even kidnapping!

Based on a children’s fantasy book called The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, it tells the story of how a young girl named Mary follows a cat into a forest, and discovers a rare magical flower that blooms just once every seven years.

The flower and a magic broomstick both bring Mary to a magical school, where Mary must save everyone from the frightening goings-on by risking her own life.

8. Wolf Children (2012)

This beautiful story is about a woman who falls in love with a wolf man, and who must raise their two children, Ame and Yuki, by herself after the unexpected death of their father.

The siblings have the power to transform into wolves.

Wolf Children is a wholesome story about the relationship between a single mother and her two unusual children. It follows the family through their struggles and their joys, and young viewers are especially likely to enjoy the fantasy elements of this lovely anime.

7. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Celebrated director Hayao Miyazaki directed this gorgeous anime masterpiece about friendship and imagination. Miyazaki is responsible for great art, being the director of Studio Ghibli films, whose movies are considered the best in class of Japanese animation.

The film follows two sisters, whose father moves them to be closer to their sick mother, in a hospital in the countryside. The sisters find magical creatures, including the gentle giant Totoro, who show the girls that the world is wonderful and full of joyful curiosities, helping them to deal with their mother’s illness.

6. Spirited Away (2001)

Another fantastic Studio Ghibli creation, and Japan’s highest-grossing film at the box office, is Hayao Miyazaki’s strange anime called Spirited Away.

This story is about a girl named Chihiro, who is forced to work in a bizarre, fantastical bathhouse after her parents accidentally eat food that is only allowed to be eaten by spirits.

The bathhouse is full of odd, and sometimes disturbing gods and ghosts, and Chihiro must use her wits and inner strength to survive.

5. Okko’s Inn (2018)

Helping children to navigate their grief over the loss of a parent is no easy task, and this beautiful anime can be useful to guardians, because of its gentle and age-appropriate lessons about death and loss.

Okko’s Inn follows a young girl called Orika Seki, who loses both parents in a car accident, and suffers from memory loss as a result. She goes to live with her grandmother at the inn she runs, and is surprised to meet various friendly spirits.

The ghosts, her family and the guests who stay at the inn all help Orika to deal with the tragedy that befell her.

4. Drifting Home (2022)

While on summer vacation from school, a group of children are suddenly transported from their apartment building to the open seas.

Drifting Home is a coming-of-age movie that follows the children as they try to find their way home together. The look and feel of the film is soft and nostalgic, with beautiful watery backgrounds lending a magical air to the story.

This is likely to be the most wholesome survival movie available for a young audience to see.

3. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki’s Delivery Service is a classic and immensely popular anime about a young girl who is a witch. According to her witchy culture, Kiki must leave home and live independently for a whole year, before returning to her loved ones.

So, the 13 year-old witch settles in a town by the sea with her cat, Jiji, and starts her own business: a delivery service (since she can get around quickly on her broomstick).

This pleasant film about becoming independent and growing inner strength is another beautiful piece of art by Studio Ghibli.

2. The Cat Returns (2002)

Kids love cats, and this charming film tells the story of a young girl named Haru, who, after rescuing a cat from a truck that was about to hit it, is rewarded by the Cat King.

The cat characters have the power of speech in this film, and they live in a magical world called the Cat Kingdom, where Haru joins them for various cat adventures.

This family-friendly film contains themes of courage and friendship, and the talking cat characters make the story a fun fantasy that kids the world over can enjoy.

1. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (2020)

This romantic comedy is suitable for children ages 10 and up, and is a heartwarming tale that includes a main character with a disability.

Josee, the Tigre and the Fish follows Tsuneo, a male university student, who befriends a girl named Josee. Confined to a wheelchair, the girl does not get out of her house by herself very often, unless you count occasional outings with her grandmother.

So, Tsuneu starts taking her on adventures. While the story has some romantic elements, they are very innocent and rosy, and suitable for older children.