《Dragon Cat》《Crayon Shin-chan》Lost! The Champion of Japan's Strongest Animated Film TOP10 is It, Watching Over 20 Years Still Not Tired, Eventually Making Many Netizens Cry

A Japanese voting website recently released the 'Animated Film Popularity Ranking.' The ranking, based on evaluations from netizens who rated works from 1 to 100, saw Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away' take the top spot with a score of 79.5. 'A Silent Voice' and 'Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro' secured the second and third positions, respectively, demonstrating that both classic and recent masterpieces continue to hold significant importance among film enthusiasts. This article compiles the top 10 animated films from the Japanese netizen voting popularity ranking, helping you understand the appeal of each work and the comments from viewers. 10th Place: 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind' 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,' directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is set in a post-apocalyptic world a thousand years after the 'Fire Seven Days.' It depicts the struggles of survivors in a decaying sea filled with toxic gas and the threat of giant insects. Nausicaä, the daughter of the Valley of the Wind's chief, can communicate with insects and seeks coexistence between war, nature, and human desires. The work combines science fiction, fantasy, and environmental issues. Although it is an older work, Nausicaä's confrontation with the Ohmu and her image soaring on the Mev are still iconic scenes in animation history. Netizen comments focus on the work's worldview and Nausicaä's character appeal. Some netizens describe it as a 'world-class animated masterpiece' and the starting point of the Ghibli legend. Others believe that the giant insects and the decaying sea in the film are actually important systems for Earth's self-repair, making the story's scope quite grand. Another netizen mentioned that Nausicaä's gentleness and strength left a deep impression, and despite humanity repeatedly making the same mistakes, she still strives to change the world. 'No matter how many times I watch it, the image of the Ohmu is unforgettable!' 10th Place: 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind' (Image source: IMDb) 9th Place: 'Weathering With You' 'Weathering With You,' directed by Makoto Shinkai, is set in Tokyo, where it has been raining continuously. It tells the story of Hokuto Hoshishima, a boy from an island who moves to Tokyo and meets Hina Amano, a girl with the ability to 'make it sunny.' Hina can briefly clear the sky, bringing hope to people but also having to bear the corresponding price. The film continues Shinkai's signature themes of youth, fantasy, and romance, placing the choices of young boys and girls between world order and personal emotions. The ending has sparked much discussion since its release. Netizen reviews often mention the emotional impact and visuals of 'Weathering With You.' Some viewers say that this film is more tear-jerking than 'Your Name,' like a fairy tale story that has been perfectly concluded. Others particularly like the line 'It's going to be sunny now,' finding the 'sunshine girl' setting fresh, and the scene of the young boy and girl running with all their might makes one want to cheer for them. Some netizens admitted that the ending might have mixed reviews, but they like this kind of conclusion because the work makes one think about 'what happiness is' and the courage to live true to one's heart. 9th Place: 'Weathering With You' (Image source: IMDb) 8th Place: 'My Neighbor Totoro' The Ghibli classic 'My Neighbor Totoro' is set in a Japanese countryside and tells the story of sisters Mei and Satsuki, who move to an old house for their mother's treatment and encounter the mysterious creature 'Totoro' in the forest. The film has no intense conflicts but presents nature, family, and childhood fantasies through the perspective of children. Scenes like the rainy bus stop, the cat bus, and seeds sprouting at night have become shared memories for many viewers. Netizen comments are almost all filled with nostalgia. Someone said that 'My Neighbor Totoro' is an indispensable work when talking about animation films, from childhood only finding it cute to adulthood seeing dreams, hope, and new messages. 'I think no other movie can make people enjoy it like this one.' Another viewer recalled that this was the first animated film they watched, with the music and colors of the scenes being unforgettable, especially the various shades of green in the film that evoke different emotions. Someone else mentioned that they have watched it for 30 years and still don't get tired of it, believing in their childhood that if they were good, they could meet Totoro and ride the cat bus. 8th Place: 'My Neighbor Totoro' (Image source: IMDb) 7th Place: 'Wolf Children' 'Wolf Children,' directed by Mamoru Hosoda, tells the story of a college student named Hana who falls in love with a wolf man, has two children named Yuki and Ame, and after her husband suddenly passes away, she takes the children to the countryside to start a new life. Yuki and Ame have both human and wolf identities, and Hana strives to let them freely choose their own paths in the future. The film, spanning 13 years, depicts motherhood, children, self-identity, and growth with delicate and heavy emotions. Netizen comments about this film mostly revolve around Hana's strength and the children's choices. Some viewers say that the title seems difficult to imagine the content of the story, but after watching it, one is deeply moved by the mother's emotions and the problems in the children's growth process. 'It's a film that makes one want to watch it over and over again.' Others believe that although Yuki and Ame are caught between humans and wolves, there is always a mother who accepts them behind them, making one feel that although life requires one to choose, having someone by one's side makes one feel at ease. Another netizen admitted that this is a good film but 'I never want to watch it a second time' because Hana is too hardworking and heartbreaking. 7th Place: 'Wolf Children' (Image source: IMDb) 6th Place: 'Your Name' 'Your Name,' directed by Makoto Shinkai, tells the story of Taki Tachibana, a high school boy from Tokyo, and Mitsuha Miyamizu, a high school girl from the countryside of Gifu, who start swapping bodies in their dreams one day. From confusion to gradually getting used to each other's lives, they discover that this encounter involves time, disaster, and fate after the swapping suddenly stops. The film, with its detailed backgrounds, beautiful lighting, and music by RADWIMPS, creates a youthful fantasy feel and sparked a social phenomenon after its 2016 release. In netizen comments, the visuals and music are the most frequently mentioned highlights. An animation researcher described the film's visual beauty as artistic, even approaching the real world, pushing Shinkai's past works' detailed depictions of real scenes to a higher level. Others mentioned that the scenes, sounds, songs, and story are almost perfect, with the non-daily setting of the male and female leads swapping bodies, combined with the key word 'knot,' beautifully depicting the form of love. Another netizen said that the songs in the film and Shinkai's drawings are very well-matched, deeply touching 'both the eyes and the ears.' 6th Place: 'Your Name' (Image source: IMDb) 5th Place: 'Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask! The Storming of the Adult Empire' 'Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask! The Storming of the Adult Empire' is considered by many fans to be the representative work of the 'Crayon Shin-chan' movie series. In the story, the newly opened '20th Century Expo' in Shindai makes adults indulge in a nostalgic world, even forgetting children and the future. Shin-chan and the Shindai Defense Team therefore take action, trying to pull the adults back to reality. The work combines comedy, family emotions, and social implications, with scenes of Hiroshi's memories of his life being listed by many viewers as iconic scenes in animation films. Netizen comments almost all mention 'adults will cry.' Someone called it an early masterpiece of 'Crayon Shin-chan,' especially Hiroshi's memory recovery scene without dialogue, which, combined with the music, makes one burst into tears. Another said that this film made them realize for the first time that 'every adult was once a child.' Another viewer mentioned that after growing up, watching it again makes one think of their own father, think of their parents working hard for the family every day, and re-experience the importance of family. Even a netizen bluntly stated that the reason Hiroshi has such huge popularity is that this film is definitely one of the keys. 5th Place: 'Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask! The Storming of the Adult Empire' (Image source: IMDb) 4th Place: 'Summer Wars' 'Summer Wars,' directed by Mamoru Hosoda, begins with the story of the introverted high school student Kenji Koiso, who is invited by his senior Natsuki Shinohara to her grandmother's house in Nagano, pretending to be her boyfriend to attend a family gathering. Kenji accidentally solves a string of numbers, causing the virtual world OZ to fall into crisis, and the real world is also affected. Under the leadership of the great-grandmother Sakaki, the numerous members of the Jinnai family each use their own methods to fight against the AI's rampage, combining youth, science fiction, and family emotions. In netizen comments, 'summer' and 'family' are the keywords. Some viewers say that although the virtual world is easy to make one feel cold, this film describes human connections and cooperation in cyberspace, making one feel warm and bringing excitement that is difficult to experience in reality. Others mentioned that this film makes one think of summer vacation, from being invited by a senior to a big family, to later fighting to protect world peace against artificial intelligence, every segment has its highlights. Another fan mentioned that even when facing a doomed situation, the Jinnai family still chooses to fight, and that hot-bloodedness leaves a deep impression. 4th Place: 'Summer Wars' (Image source: IMDb) 3rd Place: 'Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro' 'Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro,' directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is a classic animated film released in 1979. In the story, Lupin and Goemon discover that a large amount of money stolen from a Monaco casino is actually a sophisticated counterfeit called 'Gothic,' leading them to a small European country, the Principality of Cagliostro, to investigate the counterfeit mystery, and also