Square Enix, as most gamers could tell you, primarily makes video games, not anime movies. This is very true, but they have also made some of the most compelling CG movies currently available. While some people would say that they are not strictly anime movies, they fit the generally accepted definition of anime as being “animation originating in Japan”. Whether or not you think Square Enix should technically included in this list, their movies are of unarguably high quality and are just as laudable as their more rigidly defined counterparts in this guide.
Hironobu Sakaguchi
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
Fainaru Fantajī (ファイナルファンタジー)
Directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, the world’s first photorealistic CG feature-length movie still holds up well against the other entries in the now saturated CG movie genre. For a movie that came out almost a decade before James Cameron’s Avatar, the visuals still hold up well, avoiding the uncanny valley and remaining impressive as opposed to distracting. The movie’s plot does not directly relate to a specific Final Fantasy game, but instead follows a group of people in the year 2065 as they try to free the world from an alien race called Phantoms that can essentially kill people on contact. While this movie did not perform well financially in its original theatrical run, it is still a great experience and is suggested for anime and film lovers alike.
Tetsuya Nomura
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (2005)
Fainaru Fantajī Sebun Adobento Chirudoren (ファイナルファンタジーVII アドベントチルドレン)
Do yourself a huge favour and watch the Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete version of this movie on Bluray, as it is a full half-hour longer than the original version, nicely touched-up, widely available and now actually quite cheap to buy as well. Directed by Tetsuya Nomura, who has directed and designed many of the games in the Final Fantasy series, Advent Children is one of the most visually stunning movies ever made. The movie’s plot picks up around two years after the end of the Final Fantasy VII game and follows Cloud Strife and his entourage as they try to save Edge city’s children (and some adults) from being corrupted by a disease called Geostigma being perpetuated by three mysterious men looking for their “mother”, Jenova, an alien being of sorts that is the cause of the disease. While the plot may be heavy for those unacquainted with the story of Final Fantasy VII, I went in with no prior knowledge of the series and completely enjoyed every minute of the movie. The action in the movie goes by really fast, so you’ll want to think twice about whether you want to watch the movie in its original Japanese or in English, especially since all of the characters’ mouth movements were completely redone to match the English voices. A movie through which you can palpably feel the years of hard work from a very dedicated team of individuals that went into it, Advent Children really is a cinematic milestone that should be on everyone’s “To Watch” list.
