Need a distraction for rainy days? Watch any of these beloved anime movies. Their awesome visuals and amazing story lines will keep your mind off the bad weather.
Rain brings the mood down, doesn’t it? The days are dark, the raindrops are so noisy, and the constant flooding makes it a hassle to go out. What do you do when it’s so miserable outside? Watch anime, of course!
An anime a day can keep the blues away, especially if it’s a movie. A series is fun and all, but feature films tend to have better animation, more picturesque art, and riveting stories to distract you from the stormy weather. Studio Ghibli is always a good idea, as are Mamoru Hosoda‘s emotional masterpieces.
Choose from any of the 10 anime movies below to watch on a rainy day.
1. Weathering With You
You probably think this is a weird movie to start this list, but hold on, you’ll understand in a bit. Why would you watch an anime movie where Japan practically sinks because of rain on a rainy day? Because said film is fun, exciting, and shows that you can still have a good time even when it’s raining.
Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You is a lovely little romantic fantasy about two Tokyo teenagers who offer weather-control services to brighten their clients’ day. The premise alone is fun, but in signature Shinkai fashion, the story has emotional undertones that will tug at your heartstrings.
2. Summer Wars
Mamoru Hosoda is right up there with Shinkai and Miyazaki as one of the best anime filmmakers. He’s crafted his own signature style and themes that are both fun and fascinating. One of his best is Summer Wars (2009). Timid eleventh-grader Kenji Koiso gets invited by his crush Natsuki Shinohara to pretend to be her boyfriend at her great-grandmother’s 90th birthday.
This film touches on the family-centric cultures of many Asian and Southeast Asian countries, which is why it’s so beloved. And with its summer Japanese countryside setting, it’s easy to feel warm while watching this movie, especially on a cold, rainy day.
3. The Girl Who Leaped Through Time
Another Maomuro Hosoda summertime film is The Girl Who Leaped Through Time (2006), based on the novel of the same name by Satoko Okudera. The premise is already in the title: 17-year-old Makoto Konno discovers she can literally time-leap, and uses this power to make all sorts of antics.
She later finds out, however, that using this power comes with a cost. Throughout her misadventures, she also discovers that her close childhood friend, Chiaki Mamiya, may not be who he seems. All of this results in a fun, sunny sci-fi romance anime film that’s both heartwarming and heart-wrenching.
4. Tamako Love Story
Any fans of Kyoto Animation here? Then you’ll love the studio’s adorable 2014 rom-com, Tamako Love Story. The film serves as the sequel to the studio’s 2013 slice-of-life series, Tamako Market, and shows the progress between its two leads, Tamako Kitashirakawa and Mochizō Ōji.
Tamako and Mochizō are childhood friends who live and have grown up in the Usagiyama Shopping District. They come from rival mochi shops placed right in front of each other, so while their parents don’t exactly get along, they do. The movie focuses on their final year in high school, as Mochizō works up the courage to finally confess his love to Tamako.
5. Ocean Waves
Whether it’s a rainy day or not, it’s always a good idea to watch a Studio Ghibli anime movie. The world-famous studio boasts a rich filmography that never fails to warm any heart, even on a cold, wet day. It’s practically impossible to choose from its iconic slate of masterpieces. So why not pick the most underrated?
Ocean Waves (1993) is a coming-of-age drama directed by Tomomi Mochizuki. Timid high school student Taku Morisaki gets caught up in the whims of his attractive classmate, Rikako Muto. The movie is classic 90s teen romance, complete with sunny cityscapes and a bit of a Hawaiian tropical appeal.
6. Night is Short, Walk on Girl
There’s something about watching a psychedelic film on a rainy day that just feels right. Since the weather is already crazy, why not put on something equally wild? Masaaki Yuasa‘s The Night is Short, Walk on Girl is a drug trip of an anime movie that you truly shouldn’t miss.
The film follows two unnamed college-aged protagonists, the female kohai and male senpai, as they traverse through a wild night filled with supernatural beings, nighttime festivals, and a whole lot of alcohol. The male senpai gets caught up in all sorts of challenges as he tries to confess his feelings to his female kohai, and it’s as rambunctious as it is romantic.
7. Okko’s Inn
Forget Philadelphia! It’s always sunny in the Japanese countryside, and movies set there are always a fun watch on a rainy day. One that’s particularly heartwarming is Okko’s Inn (2018). Set in a Hananoyu hot spa town in the shadow of Mount Ikoma in Nara Prefecture, it’s a cute 94-minute supernatural kids’ movie the whole family can enjoy.
The film tells the story of Oriko “Okko” Seki, who moves in with her grandmother Mineko at their family-owned Harunoya Inn after she survives a car accident that killed her parents. While training to be the next proprietor, she discovers she can see ghosts and works to help both the spirits and her inn.
8. The House of the Lost on the Cape
Here’s another family-friendly supernatural drama set in the sunny Japanese countryside for you: The House of the Lost on the Cape (2021). This emotional film follows a found family who moves into an old, large house on a cape.
The movie has a serious tone as its protagonists meet at a shelter following the devastating Tōhoku tsunami on March 11, 2011. Teenage runaway Yui, orphaned mute little girl Hiyori, and wise elderly woman Kiwa all move into the titular house on the cape where they live peacefully amidst helping spirits and fighting demons.
9. A Letter to Momo
Can’t get enough of supernatural anime movies set in the Japanese countryside? Well, here’s another one. A Letter to Momo is such an adorable, albeit sometimes creepy, supernatural comedy film that you’d forget all about the rain the moment it begins.
The titular Momo Miyaura is an 11-year-old girl who moves to the Seto Inland Sea with her mom to live with relatives on their family’s estate on Shio Island after her father, Kazuo, dies suddenly. It’s there that she discovers she can see yōkai, monsters in Japanese folklore, and tries to stop them from disrupting people’s lives.
10. Lu Over The Wall
Finally, there’s Lu Over The Wall, Masaaki Yuasa’s wacky 2017 take on the classic fairy-tale, The Little Mermaid. Anime has had a long relationship with Han Christian Andersen’s iconic story, with respected filmmakers like Hayao Miyazaki and famous studios like kine-ma Citrus producing their own interpretations.
As expected, Yuasa’s spin on it is on the quirkier side, as the mermaid in question here dances to music produced by the protagonist, pessimistic 9th grader Kai Ashimoto. Instead of the mermaid falling in love with the human, the movie turns the tables, with the lonely teenager finding solace in his newfound fish-tailed friend.
Source: IMDb, GKIDS Films Official YouTube Channel, TBS Global Business YouTube Channel, Eleven Arts Official YouTube Channel, Rotten Tomatoes Indie Official YouTube Channel.
