7 highest-grossing anime films that have scored exceptionally well at the global box office

It’s remarkable to witness the exponent rise of anime in recent years. The anime genre has grown to be an essential part of the movie theater industry.  Check out the top 7 anime films that have made the most money at the global box office.

1. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train 

Post the success of the first season of Demon Slayer, the production team made history with the Mugen Train film. Despite being released amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this anime film holds the record for biggest global box office receipts. Haruo Sotozaki’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train made USD 507 million worldwide.

2. Spirited Away

Hayao Miyazaki’s directed and scripted film was the recipient of the 75th Academy Awards’ Best Animated Feature Oscar. With a total receipt of USD 383 million, Spirited Away is the second highest-grossing anime film worldwide. When it was first published in 2001, animation was thought to be a genre exclusively for young people. Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl, is the protagonist of the tale. She ventures into the realm of Kami, the spirits found in Japanese Shinto folklore.

3. Your Name

The breathtaking story of Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, two high school classmates, is told in Your Name. The pair discovers, in a touching turn of events, that they are body swappers, and what follows shapes the remainder of the story. This love fantasy film, which came from Makoto Shinkai’s creative genius, achieved a record-breaking $361 million at the worldwide box office.

4. Suzume

Suzume, a charming story about a 17-year-old girl who teams up with a stranger named Souta Munakata in an attempt to stop a string of calamities across Japan. This anime feature picture, which Makoto Shinkai wrote and directed, brought in $318 million at the box office worldwide.

5. The Boy and the Heron

In 2023, Hayao Miyazaki unleashed The Boy and the Heron, which once again dominated the global movie office after the remarkable financial success of his Spirited Away. During its theatrical run, the highly acclaimed anime picture grossed USD 293 million worldwide. Remarkably, during the 96th Academy Awards, The Boy and the Heron also took home the Best Animated Feature Film trophy.

6. The First Slam Dunk

One of the greatest anime feature films you will ever see, The First Slam Dunk promises lots of action-packed sequences and stylish animation. It was published in 2022 and is based on the Slam Dunk comic series. It has made USD 281 million at the box office worldwide. In the film The First Slam Dunk, a 17-year-old boy aspires to fulfill his late brother’s lifetime dream of becoming a professional basketball player.

7. Howl’s Moving Castle

This animated fantasy movie, which was premiered in 2004, was loosely based on a book by British novelist Diana Wynette Jones. It highlights Hayao Miyazaki’s legacy. Howl’s Moving Castle checks all the boxes for an engrossing watch, as evidenced by its nomination for the Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature Film category at the 78th Oscar ceremony, which has a global collection of USD 237 million.