Best Japanese Movies of 2021

This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese Movies of 2021" contains films with the following parameters. Style: captivating, anime, tense, disturbing, entertaining and exciting. Plot: fight, friendship, battles, love, violence, slice of life, martial arts, teenager, flashback and criminal. Genre: Drama, Animation and Action. Country: Japan, USA and China.
Best Japanese Movies of 2021
Best Japanese Movies of 2021
TOP Movies: Sing 2 (2021), Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021), Belle (2021), Old (2021), Drive My Car (2021), Free Guy (2021), Last of the Wolves (2021), Dear Evan Hansen (2021), Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021), Goodbye, Don Glees! (2021), Luca (2021), Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021), Gintama: The Final (2021), We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021), Tokyo Revengers (2021), Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (2021), Pompo the Cinephile (2021), Character (2021), Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (2021), Sing a Bit of Harmony (2021).

List of Best Movies

Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 101 min.
Story: A mysterious group called Humarize strongly believes in the Quirk Singularity Doomsday theory which states that when quirks get mixed further in with future generations, that power will bring forth the end of humanity. In order to save everyone, the ...
Style: anime, exciting, captivating, tense, manga ...
Plot: heroes, superhero, superpower, supernatural power, fight, battles, save the world, showdown, good versus evil, supernatural ability, terrorist, fighting crime ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
 7.4
 86K
Sing 2 (2021)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Musical
Country: USA, Japan, France
Duration: 110 min.
Story: The film follows Buster and his new cast who now have their sights set on debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But with no connections, he and his singers must sneak into the Crystal Entertainment offices, run ...
Style: inspirational, entertaining, visually appealing, humorous, 3d animation ...
Audience: kids, family friendly
Plot: anthropomorphic animal, gorilla, anthropomorphism, koala, furry, creativity, elephant, pig, music, animal, musician, dancing ...
Time: future
Is relevant ?
Fate/Grand Order the Movie: Divine Realm Of The Round Table: Camelot Paladin; Agateram (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Part two of Fate/Grand Order: Shinsei Entaku Ryouiki Camelot - Wandering; Agateram; an adaptation of the the Sixth Holy Grail War, The Sacred Round Table Realm Camelot Singularity of Fate/Grand Order.
Style: anime, captivating, disturbing, entertaining
Plot: fight, warrior, save the world, magical, wizards and magicians, supernatural ability, magical power, supernatural power, battles, wizard
Is relevant ?
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Tsuzumi Mansion Arc (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 87 min.
Story: Tanjiro ventures to the south-southeast where he encounters a cowardly young man named Zenitsu Agatsuma. He is a fellow survivor from Final Selection and his sparrow asks Tanjiro to help keep him in line.
Style: anime, tense, exciting, captivating
Plot: supernatural, supernatural ability, martial arts, demonic possession, supernatural power, teamwork, warrior, demon, fight, battles, young
Time: 2020s
Is relevant ?
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Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 105 min.
Story: Yuta Okkotsu is a nervous high school student who is suffering from a serious problem—his childhood friend Rika has turned into a curse and won't leave him alone. Since Rika is no ordinary curse, his plight is noticed by Satoru Gojo, a ...
Style: anime, captivating, suspense, tense, disturbing ...
Plot: supernatural, demon, paranormal, spirit, curse, high school life, supernatural power, warrior, supernatural being, magical creature, supernatural ability, evil spirit ...
Is relevant ?
Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 154 min.
Story: The fourth and final film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series.
Style: mecha, anime, captivating, disturbing, futuristic ...
Plot: technology, fight, violence, battles, hi-tech, space station, spacecraft, showdown, outer space, fantasy world, dream world, college ...
Place: paris france, south pole, france
Is relevant ?
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Asakusa Arc (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 103 min.
Story: Tanjiro ventures to Asakusa, Tokyo for his second mission with the Demon Slayer Corps.
Style: anime, captivating, tense, suspenseful
Plot: mission, hunting, monster hunter, combat, hunter, battles, demon, supernatural, teamwork, demon hunter
Is relevant ?
 7.1
 17K
Belle (2021)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Music, Musical, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story: Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural town with her father. Wounded by the loss of her mother at a young age, Suzu one day discovers the massive online world "U" and dives into this alternate reality as her avatar, ...
Style: anime, captivating, disturbing, visual, adult animation ...
Audience: teens, kids, teen drama
Plot: virtual world, fictional reality, friendship, magic, society, teenager, virtual reality, internet, singing, social media, love, coming of age ...
Time: future, 21st century
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
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 5.8
 159K
Old (2021)
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan, China
Duration: 108 min.
Story: A group of families on a tropical holiday discover that the secluded beach where they are staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly – reducing their entire lives into a single day.
Style: suspense, mysterious, tense, psychological, psychedelic ...
Plot: island, vacation, rapid aging, time, aging, medical experiment, island prison, ocean, race against time, family vacation, held captive, trap ...
Time: 2020s
Is relevant ?
 7.5
 64K
Drive My Car (2021)
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 179 min.
Story: Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanja at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to ...
Style: poetic, slow cinema, art house, inspirational, relaxing ...
Plot: infidelity, driver, japanese wife, stage play, snow, loss of wife, grief, audition, asian, amor, anton chekhov, car ...
Time: 2020s, 2010s
Place: japan, hiroshima japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
 7.1
 420K
Free Guy (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 115 min.
Story: A bank teller realizes he's a background character in an open world action game.
Style: entertaining, humorous, exciting, feel good, heroic ...
Audience: teens, boys' night, family friendly, kids, adult
Plot: virtual reality, video game, game, gamer, changing lives, career change, heroes, fantasy world, bank teller, code, programmer, altering history ...
Time: 2020s, future, 21st century
Place: new york, seattle, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Last of the Wolves (2021)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 139 min.
Story: After Shogo Ogami’s death in Hiroshima, Detective Shuichi Hioka successfully implemented Shogo Ogami’s plan, which was to control the yakuza to prevent further gang wars and save innocent people from getting harmed. Shuichi Hioka manages the ...
Style: tense, captivating, disturbing, suspense
Plot: yakuza, fighting crime, gangster, police detective, organized crime, mafioso, criminal gang, criminal, gang, mob hit, mafia, bandit ...
Place: japan, hiroshima japan
Is relevant ?
Dear Evan Hansen (2021)
Genre: Drama, Musical
Country: USA, Japan, China
Duration: 137 min.
Story: Film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. The story follows Hansen, a high schooler with social anxiety. He unintentionally gets caught up in a lie after the family of a classmate who committed suicide mistakes one of Hansen’s ...
Style: disturbing, captivating, psychological, interactive
Audience: teen drama
Plot: suicide, mental illness, teenager, social anxiety disorder, high school, based on broadway musical, letter, mental health, social media, love, forest, laptop ...
Time: 2020s, future, 2010s, 21st century
Is relevant ?
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 103 min.
Story: In the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town, a ruthless bank robber is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor, whose adopted granddaughter Bernice has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for ...
Style: suspense, exciting, tense, disturbing, suspenseful ...
Plot: curse, investigation, rescue, criminal, geisha, disappearance, inheritance, heroes, heroic mission, escapades, mission, brutality ...
Place: usa, japan
Is relevant ?
Goodbye, Don Glees! (2021)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Teen misfits Roma, Toto, and Drop call themselves the “Don Glees,” an informal name for their backyard adventures. One day, when the trio gets blamed for a nearby forest fire, they set off into the woods to prove their innocence. As disaster ...
Style: anime, semi serious, entertaining, captivating, feel good
Plot: friends, travel, summer vacation, treasure, teamwork, treasure chest, hidden treasure, treasure hunt, friendship between boys, slice of life, friendship between men, bear ...
Place: iceland, japan
Is relevant ?
 7.4
 191K
Luca (2021)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Italy, Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story: In a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, two young boys experience an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another ...
Style: captivating, funny, entertaining, 3d animation, cute ...
Audience: kids, family outing, teens, family friendly
Plot: water, friendship, coming of age, ocean, sea voyage, disguise, seaside town, sea adventure, sea, monster, creature, male female friendship ...
Time: 1950s, 2020s, future, year 1959, 20th century
Place: italy, europe, riviera, mediterranean sea
Is relevant ?
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story: An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap, and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and ...
Style: psychological, disturbing, suspense, captivating, anthology ...
Plot: love triangle, coincidence, women, encounter, lgbt, lesbian, multiple storylines, female protagonist, revenge, destiny, relationship problems, lifestyle ...
Time: 2020s
Place: japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part II - The Beginning (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 137 min.
Story: Kenshin Himura goes up against mysterious weapons dealer Enishi. He controls the underworld of China. The secret of Kenshin Himura’s "Jujishou" is also revealed.
Style: captivating, tense, perverse, manga, anime ...
Plot: samurai, one man army, shogun, fight, martial arts, secret, organized crime, gang leader, gang, warrior, arms dealer, bandit ...
Time: 1860s
Place: japan, china, kyoto japan
Is relevant ?
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Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part I - The Final (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 138 min.
Story: In 1879, Kenshin and his allies face their strongest enemy yet: his former brother-in-law Enishi Yukishiro and his minions, who've vowed their revenge.
Style: tense, captivating, exciting, historical drama, perverse ...
Plot: medieval, swordsman, katana, master warrior, fight, destruction, combat, showdown, escapades, character change, confronting the past, changing lives ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Gintama: The Final (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 104 min.
Story: The concluding film to the Gintama anime series, adapting the final chapters of the manga series of the same name written by Hideaki Sorachi. The film covers chapters 699-704 of the original manga, with original material added in.
Style: anime, parody, disturbing, humorous, semi serious ...
Plot: friendship, culture clash, rebelliousness, heroes, investigation, society, fight, rivalry, violence, law enforcement, good versus evil, martial arts ...
Is relevant ?
We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 124 min.
Story: Two people meet each other after missing the last train home, leading to a beautiful relationship over five years.
Style: captivating, romantic, entertaining, romantic drama, psychotronic
Plot: boyfriend girlfriend relationship, love and romance, love affair, in love, male female relationship, fall in love, relationships, love, premarital sex, love interest, young lovers, tattoo ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Sword Art Online: Progressive Aria of a Starless Night (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 97 min.
Story: One month after Kayaba Akihiko's game of death began, the death toll continues to rise, two thousand players having already lost their lives to the ultra-difficult VRMMO world of Sword Art Online. On the day of the strategy meeting to plan out ...
Style: anime, entertaining, captivating
Plot: virtual reality, sword fight, video game, fantasy world, virtual world, dream world, fight, virtuality, battles, technology, monster, survival ...
Is relevant ?
Tokyo Revengers (2021)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story: An unemployed man learns that his ex-girlfriend was murdered. He suddenly finds himself travelling through time to his middle school years and has chance to change the future and save the girl. He aims to rise to the top of the most brutal ...
Style: disturbing, tense, suspense, captivating, slang ...
Audience: date night
Plot: time travel, time jump, character change, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, revenge, gang, gangster, school, changing the past or future, changing lives, time traveler, time paradox ...
Time: future
Place: tokyo
Is relevant ?
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Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (2021)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: Japan
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Nikuko is a brash, jolly, scattered, and passionate woman in an otherwise sleepy seaside town in northern Japan. She’s also the single mother of 11-year-old Kikuko, who is her opposite in many ways. Kikuko is a string-bean of a young girl, ...
Style: entertaining, captivating, anime, comedy drama
Plot: mother and daughter, slice of life, family problems, mother daughter relationship, family relations, family life, lifestyle, fishing village, friendship, teenager, boat, life lesson ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Pompo the Cinephile (2021)
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 94 min.
Story: Operating out of the movie capital "Nyallywood," Pompo has been shooting one B-grade entertainment flick after another that anyone would enjoy. One day, Pompo's "movie buff" assistant Gene spots a new script written by Pompo ...
Style: anime, black comedy, dark comedy
Plot: slice of life, art, bank, film producer, love, blonde, actress, movie studio, actor, fall in love, investment banker, friendship ...
Is relevant ?
 6.5
 1K
Character (2021)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 125 min.
Story: A kind man aspires to become a manga writer, but villains and evil deeds do not come easily to him, for he has little experience or natural inclination for them. Things take a surprise turn when he comes across a family who were described as ...
Style: manga, tense, scary, stylized, psychological ...
Plot: serial killer, murder, law enforcement, murder mystery, investigation, violence, meeting, chase, victim, murder investigation, youth, escapades ...
Time: 21st century
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story: After Char's rebellion, Hathaway Noa leads an insurgency against Earth Federation, but meeting an enemy officer and a mysterious woman alters his fate.
Style: anime, mecha, exciting, tense, captivating ...
Plot: military, space colony, robot, robot vs. robot, terrorism, terrorist, fight, showdown, power struggle, uninhibited rivalry, against humanity, fight for supremacy ...
Place: the philippines
Is relevant ?
Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet (2021)
Genre: Animation, Action, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 110 min.
Story: At the opening ceremony of the WSG (World Sports Games) Tokyo Games, a sports festival held once every four years, it is announced that the world's first vacuum superconducting maglev with a maximum speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour will open. ...
Style: anime, tense, disturbing, captivating, detective ...
Plot: detective conan, technology, secret revealed, advanced technology, sabotage, hi-tech, investigation, mysterious disappearance, sleuth, uncover truth, cold case, unsolved crime ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Violet Evergarden: Recollections (2021)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story: An emotionally scarred former child soldier becomes a letter writer in this condensed recap of the moving, gorgeously animated award-winning series.
Style: anime, captivating, thrilling, psychological, feel good ...
Plot: love, slice of life, love and romance, couple relations, lifestyle, relationships, humanoid robot, male female relationship, couples, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, robot human relationship, female protagonist ...
Is relevant ?
Sing a Bit of Harmony (2021)
Genre: Animation, Drama, Music, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 109 min.
Story: Satomi is fine being alone until an AI named Shion joins her class with a song and a promise to make her happy. While Shion’s musical numbers and princess gowns don’t quite pass as human, her antics bring Satomi closer to four other classmates. ...
Style: anime, entertaining, semi serious, feel good, captivating
Plot: school, slice of life, classmate, high school life, friends, relationships, new school, music, schoolgirl, lifestyle, new student, student ...
Place: japan
Is relevant ?
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
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