The Best Anime Movies of the Year 2001

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2001 was a great year in regards to anime movies, as quite a few movies were released that have since become classics.

Here is our list of some of the best anime movies of 2001.

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

“Spirited Away” (original title: “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi”) is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film is widely regarded as a masterpiece of animation and has gained global acclaim, becoming one of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time.

The story follows a young girl named Chihiro Ogino. While moving to a new town, Chihiro and her parents stumble upon what seems to be an abandoned theme park. Her parents are transformed into pigs after eating food left out in one of the stalls, revealing the “abandoned” park as a realm inhabited by gods, spirits, and supernatural beings.

Chihiro, now stranded in this mysterious world, seeks to rescue her parents and return to the human realm. She finds employment in a bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba.

In this realm, Chihiro is given a new name, “Sen.”

Throughout her journey, Sen meets various supernatural beings, including the mysterious boy Haku, who turns out to be a river spirit; No-Face, a spirit with a mask; and Lin, a worker at the bathhouse who helps guide Sen in the right direction. She also faces various challenges, from dealing with the demanding guests of the bathhouse to confronting Yubaba and saving her parents.

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Metropolis (Metoroporisu)

Director: Rintaro

“Metropolis” (Metoroporisu) is a 2001 Japanese animated science fiction film directed by Rintaro and written by Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of “Akira.”

The film is loosely based on the 1949 manga of the same name by Osamu Tezuka, which itself was inspired by the 1927 German silent film “Metropolis” directed by Fritz Lang.

Set in a futuristic city-state called Metropolis, society is divided into two stark classes: the wealthy elite who live in luxurious skyscrapers and the poor and downtrodden who live in the slums below, surrounded by a massive system of underground production facilities and machines.

The story follows a young boy named Kenichi and his uncle Shunsaku Ban as they search for an outlaw scientist, Dr. Laughton. During their investigation, they discover Tima, a mysterious girl who turns out to be a highly advanced robot designed to control Metropolis. The city’s ruler, Duke Red, intends to use Tima to solidify his power over the city. However, the robot girl gets lost in the massive city and befriends Kenichi. As the two try to find their way, they get caught up in the city’s political intrigues, class struggles, and the uprising of disenfranchised workers against the elite.

Metropolis

$33.94

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Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira)

Director: Shinichirō Watanabe

“Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” (known in Japan as “Cowboy Bebop: Tengoku no Tobira,” which translates to “Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”) is a 2001 anime film directed by Shinichirō Watanabe.

The film is set in the universe of the popular “Cowboy Bebop” anime television series, which follows a group of bounty hunters traveling through space in the year 2071.

The story takes place between episodes 22 and 23 of the TV series. The crew of the spaceship Bebop — Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward, and their dog Ein — are after their next bounty in the city of Alba City on the planet Mars.

An explosion releases a deadly pathogen into the city’s population, and a much larger plot threatens to unleash an even deadlier bio-weapon, capable of wiping out the entire planet’s population. In response to this threat, the government places a massive bounty on the criminals responsible, attracting the Bebop crew’s attention.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie [Blu-ray]

$85.00

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One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (One Piece: Nejimaki-jima no Daibouken)

Director: Atsuji Shimizu

One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure” (Japanese: “One Piece: Nejimaki-jima no Daibouken”) is the second film in the “One Piece” film series. It is based on the immensely popular manga and anime series “One Piece” created by Eiichiro Oda.

The “One Piece” series chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of pirates as they search for the ultimate treasure known as “One Piece.”

The movie opens with the Straw Hat Pirates enjoying some downtime on their ship, the Going Merry, when suddenly, a pair of thieves named the Trump Siblings – Borodo and Akisu – steal their ship. To get it back, Luffy and his crew track the thieves to Clockwork Island.

Upon arriving at Clockwork Island, they discover that the island is controlled by the Trump Siblings’ older brothers, Bear King, Honey Queen, Pin Joker, and Skunk One. These siblings are searching for the whereabouts of the Diamond Clock, a valuable item from Clockwork Island that is said to grant immense power.

As the Straw Hat Pirates navigate the complexities of the island and confront the Trump Siblings, they uncover the mysteries of the Diamond Clock and confront the island’s oppressors.

Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time

Director: Toshiya Shinohara

“Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time” (Japanese: “映画犬夜叉 時代を越える想い”) is the first movie based on the “Inuyasha” manga and anime series, which was created by Rumiko Takahashi.

The story starts 300 years before the events of the main series when the powerful demon Hyōga is defeated by Inuyasha’s father. Hyōga aimed to conquer the world using the power of the Tree of Ages, but he and his son, Menōmaru, were sealed away by Inuyasha’s father.

In the movie’s present day, Menōmaru is awakened due to a comet’s passing, the same comet that returns once every 200 years and was responsible for granting Hyōga immense power in the past. With his newfound freedom, Menōmaru seeks to absorb the power of the Tree of Ages and, in the process, avenge his father’s defeat.

As Menōmaru starts his plan, he targets the main protagonists of the series: Inuyasha, Kagome, and their friends. He aims to exploit their weaknesses and turn them against each other, especially by manipulating Inuyasha’s demonic blood. The group must overcome these challenges to thwart Menōmaru’s plans and prevent him from seizing power that could devastate the world.

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Inuyasha, The Movie 1 - Affections Touching Across Time

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