The kind of exponential financial boost Anime has undergone in the last few years is exceptional. The anime genre has become an inseparable element of the box office world. It has emerged as a worldwide phenomenon and has established itself as a multibillion-dollar industry. Interestingly, there are signs that its popularity will skyrocket in the upcoming years. Whether engaging stories or action sequences that give us goosebumps, Anime has captured the hearts of millions globally. Today, let us take a look at 7 highest-grossing anime movies at the worldwide box office.
7 Highest-Grossing Anime Movies Of All Time
1. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Who needs to prove the spectacular success of Demon Slayer? After the first season of Demon Slayer proved to be greatly fruitful for the makers, the team created history with the Mugen Train movie. Although it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the highest-grossing anime movie at the worldwide box office. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, directed by Haruo Sotozaki, minted USD 507 million globally.
Well, it was not only the massive fanbase that it managed to clinch the top spot; Mugen Train also features a compelling story and some incredible CGI effects.
2. Spirited Away
Spirited Away is the brainchild of Hayao Miyazaki, who wrote and directed it. At the 75th Academy Awards, it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. This beloved anime film made history by remaining the most financially successful project at the worldwide box office until Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—The Movie: Mugen Train overtook its numbers.
Spirited Away stands second among the highest-grossing anime movies globally, with an overall collection of USD 383 million. It was released in 2001, when animation was viewed as a genre solely for children. The story revolves around a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro, who enters the world of Kami, the spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore.
3. Your Name
It ticks all the boxes of elements that an engaging anime movie comprises. Your Name is an endearing tale of two high school students, Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu. In a heartwarming twist, the duo learns that they swap bodies, and what happens next forms the rest of the plot. Coming from the creative mind of Makoto Shinkai, this romantic fantasy film reached a milestone of USD 361 million at the global box office.
Owing to its financial success, which is beyond expectations, and incredible imagery, Your Name is the third highest-grossing anime movie of all time. It is also critically successful.
4. Suzume
What makes an anime truly engaging? Romance or fantasy or adventure? Suzume is a perfect blend of these themes and features an endearing tale of a 17-year-old girl who tries to prevent a series of disasters across Japan by teaming up with a stranger, Souta Munakata. Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, this anime feature film grossed USD 318 million globally. It secured the fourth position on the list of 7 highest-grossing anime movies at the worldwide box office.
5. The Boy and the Heron
After Suzume, the anime movie that scripted history is The Boy and the Heron. It goes without saying that it promises a gripping storyline. So, what makes it one of the highest-grossing anime movies at the worldwide box office? The reason is none other than Hayao Miyazaki. Following the impressive financial success of his Spirited Away, the director again stormed the global box office by 2023 and released The Boy and the Heron.
The much-celebrated anime film earned USD 293 million worldwide during its theatrical run. Interestingly, The Boy and the Heron also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 96th Oscar ceremony. This win marked Hayao Miyazaki’s second triumph at the Academy.
6. The First Slam Dunk
Promising many action-packed scenes and neat animation, The First Slam Dunk is one of the best anime feature films you will ever encounter. It was released in 2022 and is based on a manga series named Slam Dunk. Its worldwide box office collection amounts to USD 281 million, thereby becoming the sixth highest-grossing anime movie of all time. The First Slam Dunk follows a 17-year-old boy who pursues his late older brother’s lifelong aspiration of becoming a highly skilled basketball player.
7. Howl’s Moving Castle
If you love watching fantasy drama and get easily moved by a magical watch, Howl’s Moving Castle is definitely for you. Loosely based on a novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, this animated fantasy film was released in 2004. It speaks up the legacy of Hayao Miyazaki. The fact that Howl’s Moving Castle was nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature Film category at the 78th Oscar ceremony proves that it ticks all the boxes of a captivating watch. With USD 237 million as the global collection, the anime movie became one of the highest-earning anime movies globally.
Following Is The List Of Highest-Grossing Batman Movies Of All Time:
| Rank | Movies | WW Gross Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train | USD 507 Million |
| 2 | Spirited Away | USD 383 Million |
| 3 | Your Name | USD 361 Million |
| 4 | Suzume | USD 318 Million |
| 5 | The Boy and The Heron | USD 293 Million |
| 6 | The First Slam Dunk | USD 281 Million |
| 7 | Howl’s Moving Castle | USD 237 Million |
Besides these, some other anime movies that left a big impact at the box office are Ponyo, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and Weathering With You, among others.
Pinkvilla has also curated a list of the highest-grossing Batman movies worldwide and the highest-grossing World War 2 movies globally.
Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more!
Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
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