New Anime Movies to Watch in Theatres This Year

Anime movies have been extremely popular for years, and Western fandom for anime continues to grow. Anime influences countless creators in the US, and fan interest means that more and more anime movies are playing in US movie theatres — and a lot more quickly, following their Japanese premieres, than they used to.

There’s a little something for everyone in the 2022 anime landscape. Here are some of the most anticipated anime titles hitting theaters this year.

Inu-Oh

From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short Walk On Girl, Mind Game) comes a “hypnotically psychedelic” rock opera spotlighting Noh theater in 14th-century Japan through the rise of a mysterious masked dancer and his blind, biwa-playing companion. Born with unique physical features, Inu-Oh must wear a mask so as to not horrify passersby. One day Inu-Oh meets a blind biwa player named Tomona, and discovers an incredible talent he never knew he had.

Opens on August 12 in Japanese with English Subtitles.

Teasing Master Takagi-san The Movie

Takagi and Nishikata are in their final year of middle school and have both anxiety and hope for the future. During the summer of their final year, on the day before summer vacation starts, the two find a kitten that they name Hana. They decide to take care of the kitten themselves until they can find its mother. [August 14, in Japanese with English Subtitles]

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero.

Opens on August 19 in Japanese with English Subtitles and English Dubbed versions.

Bleach The Movie: Hell Verse (Anniversary Edition)

BLEACH fans unite! It’s been 20 years since the story of Ichigo Kurosaki was first published and exciting things are in store for the rest of 2022! Before the BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War anime begins this fall, come together in celebration by watching one of the most exciting BLEACH movies ever released along with its prologue. You’ll be rewarded with a collectible BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War lanyard, bonus content featuring Johnny Yong Bosch (the English voice of Ichigo), Sung Won Cho (aka ProZD), and more! [August 25]

Only Yesterday (Studio Ghibli Fest 2022)

It’s 1982, and Taeko (Daisy Ridley) is 27 years old, unmarried, and has lived her whole life in Tokyo. She decides to visit her relatives in the countryside, and as the train travels through the night, memories flood back of her younger years: the first immature stirrings of romance, the onset of puberty, and the frustrations of math and boys. At the station she is met by young farmer Toshio (Dev Patel), and the encounters with him begin to reconnect her to forgotten longings. In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self. From Academy Award®-nominated director Isao Takahata (The Tale of Princess Kaguya) and general producer Hayao Miyazaki, Only Yesterday is a critically-acclaimed masterpiece of time and tone, rich with humor and stirring emotion, and beautifully animated by one of the world’s most revered animation studios.

Plays on August 28 and 29 in English subtitled and English dubbed versions.

Howl’s Moving Castle - Studio Ghibli Fest 2022

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, comes the Academy Award®- nominated fantasy adventure for the whole family. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a curse on Sophie and turns her into a 90-year-old woman. On a quest to break the spell, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent moving castle and into a new life of wonder and adventure. But as the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, Sophie finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world. Featuring the voice talents of Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Blythe Danner, Emily Mortimer and Jean Simmons.

Plays on September 25, 26 and 28 in English subtitled and English dubbed versions.

Spirited Away (Studio Ghibli Fest 2022)

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature, Hayao Miyazaki’s wondrous fantasy adventure is a dazzling masterpiece from one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animation. Chihiro’s family is moving to a new house, but when they stop on the way to explore an abandoned village, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. Put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons, Chihiro must use all her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents and return to the normal world. Overflowing with imaginative creatures and thrilling storytelling, Spirited Away became a worldwide smash hit, and is one of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time.

Plays on October 31 and November 1 and 2 in English subtitled and English dubbed versions.

We'll have more anime coming to the big screen later this year!

All images courtesy of Funimation.