Highlights

• HIDIVE offers a wide selection of unique anime movies that can't be found on other popular streaming services like Crunchyroll and Netflix.
• Girls und Panzer das Film is an entertaining anime movie with an exhilarating climactic battle that's worth watching.
• The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie is a compilation film that condenses the 2019 series into a digestible two-hour experience, featuring awesome aerial combat sequences.

In the world of anime streaming services, Funimation and its subsidiary, Crunchyroll, are the dominant forces. Although they don't specialize in Japanese animation, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video all have substantial anime libraries, including content that can't be found anywhere else. With all these services available in the United States, anime fans are spoiled for choice, so much so, they might ignore other options. However, that would be a mistake.

RELATED: Best Anime Movies Of 2021 (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

Launching in 2017, HIDIVE has steadily grown an impressive catalog of subbed and dubbed anime series, movies, and OVAs. Some anime can only be streamed on HIDIVE, and the platform covers both classic and modern releases. For those looking to expand their horizon beyond Crunchyroll and Netflix, they should try out the best anime movies on HIDIVE.

Girls Und Panzer Das Film (2015)

Girls und Panzer das Film is simply entertaining. The anime uses its story as little more than a means to an end, specifically a long final act revolving around a battle between Ooarai Girl High School and a university team. That's climactic battle makes up roughly half the movie, and it is an absolute delight to watch unfold.

RELATED: Best Movie Sequels To Anime Series, Ranked

Girls und Panzer der Film expects viewers to have watched the show since it doesn't go out of its way to reintroduce any of the main characters, opting to just get down to business as soon as possible.

Girls und Panzer Das Finale - Part 2 and Part 3 are also some of the best anime movies on HIDIVE.

Tamako Love Story (2014)

Anime movie sequels to popular series do have a habit of coming across as unnecessary, however, that criticism holds no water when it comes to Tamako Love Story. In fact, this sequel enhances the show, injecting pathos through its depiction of maturity, young love, and change. Tamako Market is a charming slice of life anime; the type of show that feels like a warm blanket. In comparison, Love Story is a more challenging sit since the movie explores what happens when those fluffy ordinary days approach their end.

RELATED: Most Underrated Romance Anime

The anime also avoids answering every question or neatly tying all storylines; after all, uncertainty is an inescapable part of life. Throughout this all, Tamako Love Story still manages to throw in a few cozy moments.

Revue Starlight: The Movie

Revue Starlight wears its Revolutionary Girl Utena influence loudly and proudly, and the movie is no exception. Following the one-season show, the film finds the Seishou Music Academy students on the verge of graduation, a life-changing event that naturally sparks anxiety in everyone. This uncertainty is exasperated by a sudden break-up, and things quickly spiral out of control as all the main girls find themselves in conflict with the person who means the most to them.

Revue Starlight: The Movie is a surreal coming-of-age story that revisits and fine-tunes the show's themes. Visually, the anime is spectacular, and the same can be said for the soundtrack. While it might be a difficult sell to people who have never watched the series, Revue Starlight: The Movie stands well enough on its own to be worthy of a recommendation. After all, it is among the best anime movies on HIDIVE.

Locke The Superman (1984)

A somewhat forgotten '80s anime movie, Locke the Superman was quite the technical marvel when it debuted, and its animation holds up pretty well after all these years. The title refers to a powerful psychic who yearns to lead a quiet, peaceful life; unfortunately, other people have different plans in mind for Locke.

Blending action and drama, Locke the Superman does not rely solely on the strength of its art, opting to deliver an admirable storyline that explores themes dealing with war and identity.

The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie (2020)

A common practice in anime is to compile a series or an arc into a movie. Popular franchises like One Piece have gone down this road, although the shonen anime struggled somewhat to condense its long storylines into a digestible 90 minutes. Comparatively, The Magnificent Kotobuki: The Movie fares better since it only has 12 episodes to work with. While the feature does include a couple of new scenes and tweaks, people familiar with the 2019 series are unlikely to get too much out of the movie. However, the compilation film is a valid alternative for the uninitiated who would prefer to dedicate two hours rather than the four required to sit through the show.

The Magnificent Kotobuki focuses on a squadron of fighter pilots tasked with protecting zeppelins from enemy ships. Although the story is nothing special, the main characters are likable and charming enough to pick up the slack. More importantly, The Magnificent Kotobuki has awesome aerial combat sequences, something that precious few modern anime can claim.

Laidbackers (2019)

Lasting only an hour, Laidbackers comes across as a proof of concept rather than a fully fleshed-out feature. Kumi arrives in Kyoto to help at her grandmother's shop, but she quickly meets three peculiar women (and a dog) who are really heroes summoned to Earth in order to defeat the Demon Lord. As their mortal enemy failed to show up, the heroes have been biding their time. Long story short, a demon shows up, giving the heroes, Kumi, and another character (who will not be spoiled) something to do.

RELATED: The Best Summer 2022 Anime & Where To Watch Them

Laidbackers moves at a blistering pace and feels like it would work better as a series. Still, viewed on its own, this HIDIVE anime movie is a pleasant ride while it lasts. The animation is expressive and colorful, particularly during the fight sequences. The characters, while a bit shallow, are amusing.

Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie

Teasing Master Takagi-san produced three delightful seasons, so it is hardly surprising that the movie follow-up largely maintains the same tone and rhythm. Although the story itself is not difficult to comprehend, this feature is designed for existing fans rather than people who are just looking for a rom-com anime movie. Takagi and Nishikata are spending their summer holidays together, and they are fully aware that their middle school years are coming to an end. While not exactly depressing, the film has an element of sadness that stems from the main pair's fears that they might have wasted a lot of time.

Despite this feeling, Teasing Master Takagi-san: The Movie is still predominantly sweet and wholesome. Falling into slice of life territory, the story covers three incidents during their summer, and they connect not only well with each other but also build nicely on the events of the previous seasons. Takagi and Nishikata's chemistry is undeniable, and they have not lost any of their charm.

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon?: Arrow Of The Orion (2019)

Non-canon side stories and anime go together like peanut butter and jelly. Even if they rarely provide anything of significant substance, these projects give fans a means to spend more time with the characters they love. Arrow Of The Orion is in many ways a bog-standard non-canon movie, however, it does a better job than most of expanding upon the franchise's universe and characters.

At the Holy Moon Festival, Bell accomplishes a task that proves he is the perfect adventurer to aid the goddess Artemis, a figure who has history with Hestia. The heroes travel to another kingdom outside Orario to meet Artemis, and it quickly becomes apparent that things are not as they seem. Good action, a memorable new character, and a gripping storyline make Arrow of the Orion a fun addition to Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?.

Fragtime (2019)

Somewhere between an OVA and a feature, Fragtime is a bit of a mess that does not fully come together; that said, the anime does have its moments. Misuzu has the power to stop time for three minutes a day, which she uses to spy on her crush, Haruka. However, Haruka is immune to this ability, and she catches Misuzu in the act. The two strike a turbulent romance that jumps back and forth between sweet and unhealthy, although the movie does not explore the latter aspect all that much.

Fragtime is at its most enjoyable when it pushes structure to the wayside and focuses on highlighting a couple of events from the characters' lives. This scattershot approach might leave many layers of Haruka and Misuzu's lives underdeveloped, but it does reflect the fleeting nature of young love and adolescence.

Venus Wars (1989)

Akira was not the only sci-fi anime with a cool bike to debut in the late '80s. Venus Wars takes place on the titular planet, which has become a battleground pitting the nations of Ishtar and Io against each other. As always, a few innocents get caught in the middle; in this case, that person is a biker named Hiro Seno.

For better or worse, Venus Wars is a product of its time, particularly in relation to its animation style. That's not to say the movie is visually unappealing, just that its art is typical of the late '80s. While the story is a bit too rushed to leave much of an impact, the anime more than delivers the goods in the action department.

No Game No Life: Zero (2017)

A prequel to No Game No Life, which is also available on HIDIVE, Zero establishes how Disboard came to be a world run by games. In a realm with magic, humanity's lack of it puts them at the mercy of powerful species that are fighting to determine who will be Disboard's true deity.

A human, Riku, seeks to put an end to this power imbalance, a goal that starts to seem possible when he discovers Schwi, an Ex-Machina. No Game No Life: Zero has fantastic animation and music, along with a story that hits harder than most episodes in the series.

Initial D Legend Movies (2014-16)

Except for perhaps Speed Racer, Initial D is the most famous racing anime of all time. The manga debuted in 1995, with an anime following a few years later. The latter concluded its run in 2014; in the same year, the first Initial D Legend movie was released. This trilogy covers the events of the show's first season, although the films stick closer to the manga than the TV series.

RELATED: Best CGI Anime, Ranked

If someone has the option, they should watch the show rather than the features. As tends to be the case with these types of remakes, the films save time by streamlining the story, resulting in a cliffs notes version of Initial D. That said, the movies have consistently great driving sequences, arguably better than the series.

Non Non Biyori Vacation (2018)

One of the best iyashikei anime ever, Non Non Biyori follows the lives of a group of girls living in Asahigaoka, a calm rural village. Stripped of any conflict or tension, Non Non Biyori combines charming comedy with relaxing scenes of nature. It is a sweet and heartwarming series.

Non Non Biyori Vacation is just more of the same, albeit with a change in scenery as the girls head to Okinawa. The thought of watching a movie about nothing might not sound particularly enticing, but Non Non Biyori Vacation is just too innocent to not love.

Space Brothers #0

Space Brothers is a fantastic anime, and while HIDIVE does not have the series, the streaming service has the prequel movie released in 2014. Space Brothers #0 takes place roughly four years before the events of the show, and it focuses on Mutta's struggles as a salesman whose novel ideas are routinely pushed aside by his superiors. As kids, Mutta and his younger brother, Hibito, both dreamed of traveling the stars; as adults, Hibito pursued this dream while Mutta left it behind. However, when his sibling starts astronaut training, Mutta decides that maybe it is not too late to turn things around.

Space Brothers #0 reveals barely any new information that cannot be deduced from the series, but it does expand nicely on both characters' backstories. More importantly, the prequel captures the show's tone well, balancing comedy, drama, and slice of life elements to create a satisfying overall experience.

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!: Take On Me

Following a passable but unnecessary sequel season, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! managed to end on a relatively high note with Take On Me. With graduation and a move to Italy around the corner, Rikka and Yuta decide to go on a trip across Japan so they can celebrate their relationship, which is destined to change regardless of their actions. Naturally, the couple are accompanied by a few of their closest companions, most of whom are largely there to serve as comedy relief.

Take On Me is not groundbreaking in any notable way, and the story takes Yuta and Rikka on a predictable arc that could have used some more meat on its bones. That said, Kyoto Animation still succeeded in putting together a very entertaining rom-com featuring almost universally lovable characters. Even if lacking surprises, Yuta and Rikka's journey is nonetheless endearing and sends the pair off on a satisfying note.

The Life Of Budori Gusuko (2012)

The Life of Budori Gusuko might conjure images of 1985's Night on the Galactic Railroad, a movie by the same director, Gisaburo Sugii, based on a novel by the same writer, Kenji Miyazawa. The latter is, admittedly, superior to The Life of Budori Gusuko in nearly every conceivable way except for perhaps animation, which is subjective. However, fans of the surreal classic should check out the 2012 release as they share similar tones, concepts, and pacing.

RELATED: Great Surreal Anime You Should Watch

The Life of Budori Gusuko follows an anthropomorphic cat who has to leave his home after years of famine and suffering. He goes on a physical and spiritual journey that takes him to places far beyond his imagination.

Seitokai Yakuindomo Movie & Movie 2

Seitokai Yakuindomo is a gag comedy set in an almost all-girls school that has one male student. Takatoshi Tsuda is a part of the student council, and while the other members might seem innocent at a glance, 90% of their banter consists of innuendos and raunchy humor. That's the crux of Seitokai Yakuindomo's comedy, and the show sticks to that formula for the majority of its run.

Rather than deviate from what made the series so popular, the anime's movies just deliver more of the same. Consisting of short storylines, both films largely ignore an overarching narrative in favor of skits and punchlines.

Fate/kaleid Liner Prisma Illya: Vow In The Snow & Licht Nameless Girl

Fate/kaleid Liner Prisma Illya has a complicated reputation in the Fate universe, which largely stems from the anime's reliance on fanservice. While that criticism holds true for the seasons, the movies largely circumvent this issue; consequently, they are easier to recommend to fans of the main series. That said, they are direct continuations of the show.

Prisma Illya is set in an alternate reality where Illyasviel becomes a magical girl. Initially, the anime is quite lighthearted, but the story steadily grows darker as its tone evolves to match that of the larger franchise. Vow in the Snow and Licht Nameless Girl are the culmination of that development, and they present the protagonists with some fascinating moral dilemmas. More importantly, they have fantastic animation and fight sequences.

Made In Abyss: Dawn Of The Deep Soul (2020)

The best anime movie on HIDIVE is also one of the most devastating. Like the series, which can be streamed on the platform, Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Souls blends an engrossing sense of adventure with harsh moments designed to break its young characters (and the audience in the process).

In the fifth layer of the Abyss, Riko, Nanachi, and Reg meet Bondrewd's "daughter", Prushka. They grow to like the girl, which obviously means that nothing bad could ever happen to her. Dawn of the Deep Souls is haunting, tragic, and unforgettable; a brilliant sequel to Made in Abyss season 1 and a perfect precursor for the upcoming season 2.

MORE: Anime That Get Really Dark After A Few Episodes