The 1980s are where modern anime film was invented: Studio Ghibli formed, Akira crossed the Pacific, and directors like Mamoru Oshii and Isao Takahata made features that still top all-time lists. With Rumiko Takahashi back on screens through Netflix's Ranma ½ remake, here is the decade's essential film watchlist, ranked by SenpaiRanks Consensus, with where to stream each one.
Quick answer
According to SenpaiRanks, the best anime films of the 1980s are Grave of the Fireflies (8.19), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (8.11) and My Neighbor Totoro (8.09), followed by Castle in the Sky (8.01) and Kiki's Delivery Service (7.96) — five Miyazaki/Takahata films in the top five. Akira (7.79) is the highest-ranked non-Ghibli film. Studio Ghibli titles stream on Max in the US and Netflix in most other regions; Grave of the Fireflies streams on Netflix in most regions.
The ranked list
1. Grave of the Fireflies — SenpaiRanks Consensus 8.19
1988 · Studio Ghibli · directed by Isao Takahata. Two siblings try to survive the final months of the war in Kobe. It is the hardest watch on this list and the highest-rated — a film people recommend once and never rewatch.
2. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind — SenpaiRanks Consensus 8.11
1984 · Topcraft · directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki's eco-epic about a princess caught between warring kingdoms and a toxic jungle. Topcraft's team went on to form Studio Ghibli a year later.
3. My Neighbor Totoro — SenpaiRanks Consensus 8.09
1988 · Studio Ghibli · directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Two sisters, a countryside house and a forest spirit. The gentlest film here, and the one that became Ghibli's logo.
4. Castle in the Sky — SenpaiRanks Consensus 8.01
1986 · Studio Ghibli · directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Ghibli's first official feature: sky pirates, a floating city and a chase that still sets the template for anime adventure.
5. Kiki's Delivery Service — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.96
1989 · Studio Ghibli · directed by Hayao Miyazaki. A 13-year-old witch starts a delivery business in a seaside town. A coming-of-age story about burnout decades before the word was common.
6. Akira — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.79
1988 · TMS Entertainment · directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. Neo-Tokyo, biker gangs and psychic catastrophe. The film that sold anime to the West, and still the reference point for hand-drawn spectacle.
7. Macross: Do You Remember Love? — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.64
1984 · Artland · directed by Shōji Kawamori & Noboru Ishiguro. A retelling of the Macross TV saga where a pop song decides an interstellar war. Its dogfights are still studied by animators.
8. Barefoot Gen — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.60
1983 · Madhouse · directed by Mori Masaki. Keiji Nakazawa's semi-autobiographical account of Hiroshima. Shorter and more direct than Grave of the Fireflies, and just as unforgettable.
9. Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.59
1984 · Studio Pierrot · directed by Mamoru Oshii. Rumiko Takahashi's characters trapped in an endlessly repeating school-festival eve. Oshii turned a comedy into a dream-logic puzzle — the perfect side trip if you are watching the Ranma ½ remake.
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.42
1988 · Sunrise · directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Amuro and Char's final clash closes the original Universal Century rivalry. Essential groundwork for the Hathaway films.
11. Patlabor: The Movie — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.39
1989 · Headgear · directed by Mamoru Oshii. A police-procedural about a computer virus inside Tokyo's construction robots. It predicted the networked-city anxieties of the next 30 years.
12. Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise — SenpaiRanks Consensus 7.32
1987 · Gainax · directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga. Gainax's debut: an alternate-world space race told through one aimless cadet. Slow, gorgeous and the seed of Evangelion's studio.
Just off the list: Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day (1988, 7.50) would slot in at #10, but it only works after the TV series; Oshii's Angel's Egg (1985, 7.34) is an OVA, not a theatrical feature.
Why the decade reads like this
Five of the top five share a creative family: Topcraft's Nausicaä team became Studio Ghibli in 1985 and released a feature almost every year after. That concentration is why one-number sites flatten the decade into "watch Ghibli." The rest of the list is where taste splits — Akira and Beautiful Dreamer reward rewatching, while Honnêamise divides first-time viewers more than anything else here. Rate the ones you have seen; your marks move both the Consensus and the Quality axis.
Where to watch 1980s anime films
Ghibli's films (Nausicaä through Kiki) sit on Max in the US and Netflix across most of the rest of the world. Grave of the Fireflies, distributed outside Ghibli's library deal, joined Netflix in most regions in 2024. For Akira's current options, see our Akira where-to-watch guide. Availability for the rest shifts by region, so check each film's catalog page — for example Akira's ranking card or Char's Counterattack.
Keep going
This closes our film-by-decade series: continue with the best anime films of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. For the TV side of the era, see the best 80s and 90s anime and best Studio Ghibli movies. Mecha fans can jump from Char's Counterattack to Gundam Hathaway on Netflix and the Armored Trooper VOTOMS watch order; Takahashi fans can check is Ranma ½ Season 3 good? and Rintaro's new Galaxy Express 999 film.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the best anime film of the 1980s?
A: According to SenpaiRanks Consensus, Grave of the Fireflies (1988) at 8.19, just ahead of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind at 8.11.
Q: Is Akira the best 80s anime movie?
A: It is the highest-ranked non-Ghibli film of the decade at 7.79, sixth overall behind five Miyazaki and Takahata films.
Q: Where can I watch Studio Ghibli's 1980s films?
A: On Max in the United States and on Netflix in most other regions.
Q: Was Nausicaä a Studio Ghibli film?
A: It was produced by Topcraft in 1984; much of that team founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, and Ghibli now distributes it.
Q: Which 80s anime film should I watch first?
A: My Neighbor Totoro or Castle in the Sky for an easy start; Akira if you want the decade's big sci-fi landmark.