{"id":10623,"date":"2015-12-01T13:00:15","date_gmt":"2015-12-01T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.insidejapantours.com\/?p=10623"},"modified":"2026-02-27T10:40:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T10:40:49","slug":"5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/","title":{"rendered":"5 anime films for people who don\u2019t like anime"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>For Japan fans, the world is divided into three distinct sections: those who love anime, those who hate it, and those who have absolutely no idea what anime is.<\/p>\n<p>For the benefit of those in the third camp, anime (pronounced like \u201cAnnie-May\u201d) are most easily understood as Japanese-style cartoons \u2013 the word anime being simply a shortening of \u201canimation\u201d. These are the cousins of manga, or Japanese-style comic books, and a popular comic book will often become the inspiration for an anime serialisation or movie.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Unlike comics in the Western world, manga and anime are read and watched voraciously by adults and children alike. Hop on any commuter train in Tokyo and you will see plenty of besuited businessmen poring over their favourite comics, while magazine racks in convenience stores are lined with adults catching up on the latest instalment of their favourite series. Anime TV shows are no different.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/spiritedaway-town.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10637 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/spiritedaway-town.jpg\" alt=\"Spirited Away\" width=\"700\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/spiritedaway-town.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/spiritedaway-town-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/spiritedaway-town-390x211.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/spiritedaway-town-510x275.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the West, however, watchers of anime tend to be either A) Japan fanatics, B) Under 12, or C) A little bit weird. This is a shame, because the world of anime has produced some fascinating, beautiful pieces of art that deserve to rank amongst the very best of \u201cgrown-up\u201d Western cinema.<\/p>\n<p>So for those who think that anime is all Pokemon, soppy high school stories and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/15\/japans-weirdest-manga-and-anime-in-140-characters\/\">just plain weird<\/a> (and these things do exist, don\u2019t get me wrong) \u2013 the following five films are your crash course in anime that\u2019s actually awesome.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Spirited Away<\/h2>\n<p>With a list so small, it was a struggle not to exclusively choose films by Hayao Miyazaki. As it is, I managed to keep it down to a very conservative two.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you\u2019ve never watched anime in your life, the chances are you have probably heard of Studio Ghibli, the brainchild of director Hayao Miyazaki and the animation studio behind Japan\u2019s best-loved and most famous animated films. I have chosen <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0245429\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Spirited Away<\/em><\/a> for inclusion on this list not just because it\u2019s one of my favourite films of all time, but also because it was this film that really brought Japanese animation to the world\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-10623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/0dcfe3c2c4aac937273d5563ca9a029753f1acb6\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/0dcfe3c2c4aac937273d5563ca9a029753f1acb6-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-10624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/0dcfe3c2c4aac937273d5563ca9a029753f1acb6-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/0dcfe3c2c4aac937273d5563ca9a029753f1acb6-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-10624'>\n\t\t\t\tSpirited Away poster\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/nofacesen-spiritedaway1\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/nofacesen-spiritedaway1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-10631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/nofacesen-spiritedaway1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/nofacesen-spiritedaway1-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-10631'>\n\t\t\t\tIn the bathhouse of the spirits\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Of course, Studio Ghibli had been producing classics for decades (<em>My Neighbour Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Howl\u2019s Moving Castle<\/em>\u2026 all absolutely stellar) but it was when Spirited Away won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003 that the world really stood up and took note. The story follows a young girl, Chihiro, who stumbles into the world of the spirits and ends up working in a bathhouse in an attempt to rescue her parents from being turned into pigs.<\/p>\n<p>Though made primarily for children, Miyazaki&#8217;s spirit world is so beautifully imagined and realised that it is every bit as enchanting for adults as it is for kids.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10627 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Spirited Away train station\" width=\"728\" height=\"410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/maxresdefault.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/maxresdefault-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/maxresdefault-390x220.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/maxresdefault-510x287.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>2. Akira<\/h2>\n<p>Released in 1988 and based on a popular manga comic series, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0094625\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Akira<\/a><\/em> is a film that inspired a generation of teenagers to become interested in Japan. Not just this, but it\u00a0has a huge cult following and regularly tops critics\u2019 lists of best animated films of all time.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-10623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/akira_by_chuchuan-d4o2gcx\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/akira_by_chuchuan-d4o2gcx-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-10626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/akira_by_chuchuan-d4o2gcx-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/akira_by_chuchuan-d4o2gcx-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-10626'>\n\t\t\t\tAkira poster\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/vision1-1f\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/vision1-1f-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-10638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/vision1-1f-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/vision1-1f-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-10638'>\n\t\t\t\tMetamorphosis\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><em>Akira<\/em> is set in a dystopian future of 2019, and centres on the leader of a biker gang, Tetsuo, who develops psychic powers and must be prevented from releasing the imprisoned spirit Akira. The plot is somewhat confusing (or at least it was to me), but the story is really secondary to what is a spectacular, surrealistic visual feast \u2013 and <em>Akira<\/em> is every bit as stunning and visually arresting as it was nearly 30 years ago. <em>Akira<\/em> is a landmark masterpiece in Japanese animation, and had a huge impact on manga and anime artists to follow. If you don\u2019t like this \u2013 you\u2019re probably never going to like anime and you should give up now.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/neo-tokyo.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10629 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/neo-tokyo.jpg\" alt=\"Neo Tokyo\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/neo-tokyo.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/neo-tokyo-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/neo-tokyo-390x220.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/neo-tokyo-510x287.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>3. Paprika<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0851578\/?ref_=nv_sr_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Paprika<\/em><\/a>, released in 2006, is set in a near future where doctors are able to perform \u201cdream therapy\u201d \u2013 a revolutionary treatment whereby the psychologist can use a device to access their patients\u2019 dreams. &#8220;Paprika&#8221; is a the dream alter-ego of Dr. Chiba, who uses this device to illegally treat patients outside her research facility.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-10623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/paprika-18991\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/paprika.18991-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-10632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/paprika.18991-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/paprika.18991-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-10632'>\n\t\t\t\tPaprika poster\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/paprika\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/paprika-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-3-10633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/paprika-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/paprika-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-3-10633'>\n\t\t\t\tPaprika\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><em>Paprika<\/em> certainly isn\u2019t short on that particular brand of weirdness that characterises much of Japanese animation \u2013 in fact it\u2019s easily the weirdest film on this list. As dreams gradually spill over into the real world, the film becomes a brilliantly bizarre, fantastical pageant through which the characters must unpick the threads of reality. Those with a low tolerance for the absurd would do well to steer clear: this is <em>Inception<\/em> on acid.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ylak5UM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10639 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ylak5UM.png\" alt=\"Paprika\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ylak5UM.png 700w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ylak5UM-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ylak5UM-390x220.png 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/ylak5UM-510x287.png 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>4. Princess Mononoke<\/h2>\n<p>I just couldn\u2019t resist squeezing in another Ghibli\/Miyazaki masterpiece in here \u2013 and after Spirited Away, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0119698\/?ref_=nv_sr_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Princess Mononoke<\/a><\/em> has to be my second-favourite. Set in a fantasy Japan of the Middle Ages, Princess Mononoke is a paean to environmentalism, documenting the struggle between the destructive force of humanity and the gods of the forest. The film was released in 1997, and swiftly became the highest-grossing motion picture in Japan\u2019s history (until <em>Titanic<\/em> was released later that year).<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery galleryid-10623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/princess_mononoke_poster\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/princess_mononoke_poster-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-4-10634\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/princess_mononoke_poster-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/princess_mononoke_poster-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-4-10634'>\n\t\t\t\tPrinces Mononoke poster\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/princess-mononoke-princess-mononoke-17269910-576-324\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Princess-Mononoke-princess-mononoke-17269910-576-324-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-4-10635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Princess-Mononoke-princess-mononoke-17269910-576-324-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Princess-Mononoke-princess-mononoke-17269910-576-324-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-4-10635'>\n\t\t\t\tThe spirit of the forest\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Inspired by the primeval rainforest on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/yakushima\/\">Yakushima Island<\/a> (one of InsideJapan\u2019s favourite ever destinations), <em>Princess Mononoke<\/em> is a great story, a work of art, and a travel advertisement all in one \u2013 and that\u2019s not to mention Joe Hisaishi\u2019s stonking soundtrack, which is surely one of the most epic movie scores of all time.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mononoke-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10628 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mononoke-4.jpg\" alt=\"Princess Mononoke\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mononoke-4.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mononoke-4-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mononoke-4-390x219.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/mononoke-4-510x286.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>5. Short Peace<\/h2>\n<p>Rounding off my list (which is based on nothing but my own preference, by the way) is one that you won\u2019t find on your average IMDB round-up of seminal anime movies \u2013 but one which I highly enjoyed. Released in 2013, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt3392330\/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Short Peace<\/a><\/em> is a feature-length collection of four short films, each with a different director: <em>Possessions<\/em>, <em>Combustible<\/em>, <em>Gambo<\/em> and <em>A Farewell to Weapons<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery galleryid-10623 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/nnvg10007844_shortpeace_itunes\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/NNVG10007844_ShortPeace_iTunes-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-5-10630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/NNVG10007844_ShortPeace_iTunes-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/NNVG10007844_ShortPeace_iTunes-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-5-10630'>\n\t\t\t\tShort Peace poster\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/5-anime-films-for-people-who-dont-like-anime\/short-peace-possessions\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Short-Peace-Possessions-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Short Peace: &quot;Possessions&quot;\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-5-10636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Short-Peace-Possessions-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Short-Peace-Possessions-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-5-10636'>\n\t\t\t\tPossessions\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>It would be pointless to attempt to describe the eclectic mixture of the strange and the clever that make up this quartet, but all I can say is that this is some pretty crazy stuff. I went into the cinema expecting not to enjoy it at all (I don\u2019t usually consider myself a huge fan of anime \u2013 or short films) and came out wanting to recommend <em>Short Peace<\/em> to everyone I knew.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10625\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10625\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/5ed6e03ebc4a26e1f5f5866529ca2f041363794734_full.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10625\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/5ed6e03ebc4a26e1f5f5866529ca2f041363794734_full.jpg\" alt=\"Gamon\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/5ed6e03ebc4a26e1f5f5866529ca2f041363794734_full.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/5ed6e03ebc4a26e1f5f5866529ca2f041363794734_full-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/5ed6e03ebc4a26e1f5f5866529ca2f041363794734_full-390x219.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/5ed6e03ebc4a26e1f5f5866529ca2f041363794734_full-510x286.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10625\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gambo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Thus concludes this brief introduction to anime for beginners, by someone who knows relatively little about anime themselves. If you are still not sold on Japanese animation, have a look at our recent blog post on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/10\/10-films-you-should-watch-before-visiting-japan\/\">10 films to watch before you go to Japan<\/a>! And if you <em>have<\/em> been convinced, InsideJapan Tours have designed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/self-guided-japan-holidays\/i-mangac\/insidejapans-manga-and-anime\/\">Manga &amp; Anime itinerary<\/a> to help you delve even further into this weird and wonderful world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F10623\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! For Japan fans, the world is divided into three distinct sections: those who love anime, those who hate it, and those who have absolutely no idea what anime is. For the benefit of those in the third camp, anime (pronounced like \u201cAnnie-May\u201d) are most easily understood as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2525],"tags":[1299,1846,2604,2605,2606],"class_list":["post-10623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-arts-and-entertainment","tag-anime","tag-manga","tag-film","tag-movie","tag-japanese-cinema"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10623"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26717,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10623\/revisions\/26717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}