This article is part of a directory: Best Anime of All Time || Game Rant’s Official Best Anime Ranking
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With so many streaming platforms out there, it can be difficult to know which ones to subscribe to. This goes double for anime fans as the industry's releases are being spread out among so many services, it is near impossible to select one that is truly all-encompassing. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Hulu all have plenty of anime goodness to go alongside their live-action shows, but there is one thing Tubi has over these platforms – it is free (with ads).

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Tubi is not lacking in anime content, offering a wide selection of popular shows for viewers to sink their teeth into. Even more surprisingly, the service has plenty of anime movies, which are often much hard to come by than series. For example, Crunchyroll only has a small selection of feature-length anime. For those looking for a way to kill a few hours without spending a dime, they should check out the best anime films on Tubi.

Akira (1988)

Akira anime screenshot

Japanese Title

Akira

Studio

Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Starting with a big one, Akira is pretty much the definitive anime movie, in the sense that it has served as an introductory point to Japanese animation for plenty of people. Set in a dystopian future, Akira is a beautifully animated cyberpunk nightmare that ramps up the horror as it sprints towards an unforgettable conclusion.

Akira has quite a few scenes that are difficult to watch, but the film itself is constantly entertaining. Also, anyone who believes anime is solely for children should give Akira a try. The sci-fi film holds up extremely well and is comfortably among the best anime movies on Tubi​​​​​​.

Ghost In The Shell (1995)

ghost-in-the-shell-major

Japanese Title

Koukaku Kidoutai

Studio

Production I.G

Alongside Akira and Studio Ghibli's projects, Ghost in the Shell is arguably the most well-known anime movie of all time. Mamoru Oshii's cyberpunk masterpiece envisions a future where technology has advanced to the point of allowing humans to replace their bodies with cybernetics. As part of the Public Security Section 9, Major Motoko Kusanagi protects Japan from the shadows, taking on cases that threaten to tear society apart. The Major is put on the case of the Puppet Master, a criminal who raises questions that challenge what it means to be human.

Putting aside its story, Ghost in the Shell is a visual and auditory masterclass. The anime blends smart storytelling with a haunting score and thought-provoking themes to create an experience with very few peers in sci-fi. On Tubi, Ghost in the Shell would make a great double-feature with Blade Runner 2049.

Redline (2009)

redline anime car

Japanese Title

Redline

Studio

Madhouse

Sticking to Madhouse, Redline is a tour-de-force of animation. Taking years to complete and coming with a big budget, the action anime movie serves as a testament to the endless potential of hand-drawn animation.

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The story centers around a race known around the universe, but it is not particularly important. Redline is the ultimate popcorn film, a project designed to satisfy the audience's primal desire to watch awesome things happen on screen. This movie is hype personified.

The Fantastic Adventures Of Unico (1981) & Unico In The Island Of Magic (1983)

Unico In The Island Of Magic anime movie

Japanese Title

Unico & Unico: Mahou no Shima e

Studio

Madhouse

Based on Osamu Tezuka's charming manga about a unicorn that inspires goodness in everyone around them and the Gods who really do not like that, Unico tells a simple but effective narrative. The manga's structure involves Unico being whisked to a new world away from the Gods' sight; eventually, they find him, causing Unico to be transported somewhere else. Although this can get repetitive in places, it does allow the manga to constantly shake up its setting.

Madhouse's two anime adaptations capture the essence of the Unico formula, and they do a great job of highlighting this story's strengths. These movies will probably satisfy children more than adults, although the latter should not feel bored either.

Memories (1995)

Memories 1995 anime

Japanese Title

Memories

Studios

Madhouse, Studio 4°C

An anthology film split into three shorts based on manga by Katsuhiro Otomo, Memories is an ambitious sci-fi project with incredibly detailed animation throughout. None of the shorts come close to being weak, although "Magnetic Rose" is generally regarded as the strongest of the three.

  • Magnetic Rose – A deep space freighter answers a distress call from a seemingly abandoned spaceship.
  • Stink Bomb – Nobou Tanaka tries to cure his cold and causes mayhem in the process.
  • Cannon Fodder – In a city permanently at war against an undefined threat, people are born to endlessly fire cannons at this target.

Digimon Adventure Tri. (2015-18)

Digimon Adventure Tri anime movie cast

English Title

Japanese Title

Digimon Adventure tri. Reunion

Digimon Adventure tri. 1: Saikai

Digimon Adventure tri. Determination

Digimon Adventure tri. 2: Ketsui

Digimon Adventure tri. Confession

Digimon Adventure tri. 3: Kokuhaku

Digimon Adventure tri. Loss

Digimon Adventure tri. 4: Soushitsu

Digimon Adventure tri. Coexistence

Digimon Adventure tri. 5: Kyousei

Digimon Adventure tri. Future

Digimon Adventure tri. 6: Bokura no Mirai

Studio

Toei Animation

Digimon Adventure tri. brings back the characters from the original Digimon Adventure and takes place a couple of years following the events of the first season. Split into six movies that are all available on Tubi, Digimon Adventure tri. has a more mature tone than tends to be the case for the franchise, and that extends to its pacing and animation.

Newcomers to Digimon will not find too much to enjoy here, but anyone who grew up with the classic anime should make sure to check out this refreshing sequel. Although an argument can be made that this series loses some steam during its second half, at worst, the films are decent.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble (2010)

Trigun Badlands Rumble anime

Japanese Title

Trigun: Badlands Rumble

Studio

Madhouse

Madhouse is well served by Tubi. Trigun: Badlands Rumble is an unnecessary side-story to the 1998 anime series, but this film's filler nature doesn't preclude it from being a lot of fun.

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Vash the Stampede finds himself stuck in a town filled with bounty hunters looking to cash in on a famous robber with a huge price on his head. While the story isn't anything to write home about, Trigun: Badlands Rumble gets the action right, delivering sequence after sequence of exhilarating gunfights and wacky humor.

Gintama: The Very Final

Gintama The Very Final gintoki

Japanese Title

Gintama: The Final

Studio

Bandai Namco Pictures

Gintama: The Very Final serves as Gintama's conclusion, a series that has over 300 episodes. Considering the show is not on Tubi and the movie does not tell a standalone story, this recommendation is only for preexisting fans who have otherwise consumed everything the anime has to offer. More important, Gintama: The Very Final is not readily available on streaming services like Crunchyroll or Hulu; consequently, people looking to complete their time with the Odd Jobs crew might need to turn to Tubi.

Gintama: The Very Final maintains the franchise's ridiculously high standards. The feature showcases Gintama's penchant for comedy and action, merging the two to create an unpredictable experience that jumps back and forth between hilarious and tragic scenes.

The Princess And The Pilot (2011)

The princess and the pilot in the cockpit of a plane together

Japanese Title

Toaru Hikuushi e no Tsuioku

Studio

Madhouse

Produced by Madhouse and TMS, The Princess and the Pilot is based on a light novel by Koroku Inumura. Set in a world defined by a war between two forces, Charles Karino is charged with flying Princess Juana so she can be reunited with her prince.

The Princess and the Pilot's greatest asset is its animation, as this is a gorgeous film from the first frame to the last. Narratively, it has an old-school romantic adventure feel, one punctuated with bursts of action.

Tokyo Godfathers

Gin, Hana, and Miyuki with baby.

Japanese Title

Tokyo Godfathers

Studio

Madhouse

During his tragically short career, Satoshi Kon produced four great movies. Out of these masterpieces, the director's most underappreciated project, Tokyo Godfathers, is the only one on Tubi. It also happens to be one of the best anime movies on Tubi.

Set during the holidays, the film follows three homeless people who discover an abandoned baby and then try to return the child to their home. Comedic in nature, Tokyo Godfathers has slapstick, wacky characters, and a somewhat lighthearted tone. However, the movie also touches upon grounded themes such as guilt, homophobia, and abandonment.

After watching Tokyo Godfathers, make sure to track down Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Paprika. They are all worth it.

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