Netflix Top 25 in Anime & Animation

Spirited Away

During her family's move to the suburbs, Chihiro (voiced by Daveigh Chase) wanders into a magical world where a witch rules -- and those who disobey her are turned into animals. When Chihiro's parents become pigs, she must find a way to help them return to their human form. Adapted from the Japanese original, director Hayao Miyazaki's adventure tale won the Best Animated Feature Oscar for its enchanting story.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Faced with almost certain destruction of her planet's natural resources, warrior princess Nausicaa rallies her people against an evil queen's rampaging army in an effort to give her homeland a new lease on its future. Hayao Miyazaki directs this environmentally conscious anime that transports viewers to a magical place -- the Valley of the Wind -- where the ultimate showdown between good and evil will play out.

Persepolis

Based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, this Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film follows a young woman's childhood in repressive Iran, her adolescence in France and her return to Tehran as an adult.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Two years after leading the charge against the evil Sephiroth in this sci-fi anime adventure, Cloud has taken refuge in the country, running a delivery service for Tifa's bar, which doubles as a safe haven for children stricken with a deadly disease. But Cloud and his friends are called back into action when the mysterious Kadaj and his brothers show up on the scene, looking to be reunited with their mother.

Batman: Gotham Knight

Batman takes on Deadshot, Killer Croc and other deadly foes in six anime-inspired short films. Together, the interlocking tales bridge 2005's Batman Begins and its 2008 sequel, the Dark Knight, and illuminate our anti-hero's troubled psyche. The powerhouse writing team includes Oscar nominee Josh Olson, Batman Begins writer David S. Goyer, comic book writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello, and "Batman Beyond" creator Alan Burnett.

Grave of the Fireflies

Orphans Seita (voiced by Tsutomu Tatsumi) and Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi) fight for survival in post-World War II Japan. But society is harsh, and they come to the somber conclusion that they can neither escape the hardships of war nor find enough food to survive. Named the Best Animated Feature at the 1994 Chicago International Children's Film Festival, this film proves that not all anime tales are pixie-dust fantasies or brutal sci-fi standoffs.

The Animatrix

Straight from the creators of the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy, this collection of short animated films from the world's leading anime directors fuses computer graphics and Japanese anime to provide the background of the Matrix universe and the conflict between man and machines. The shorts include Final Flight of the Osiris, The Second Renaissance, Kid's Story, Program, World Record, Beyond, A Detective Story and Matriculated.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

In the ultimate play for power, megalomaniacal villain Lex Luthor pits Superman and Batman against the public by stripping away their hard-earned superhero status and re-branding them as rogue outcasts who can't be trusted. Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Clancy Brown lend their voices to this movie-length animated adaptation of the popular graphic novel by writer-illustrator team Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.

HALO Legends

This anthology features seven independent anime shorts from Hideki Futamura, Toshiyuki Kanno and other renowned directors, each delving into the beguiling futuristic universe of the smash-hit video game Halo. The adventures and dark history of Halo are told in "The Babysitter," "The Duel," "The Package," "Origins," "Homecoming," "Prototype" and a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the Halo world, "Odd One Out."

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

Picking up where the TV series of the same name left off, this feature-length anime follows siblings Alphonse and Edward Elric in their efforts to reunite after Edward is exiled on Earth for the brothers' failed attempt to resurrect their mother.

Steamboy

In this animated tale that's as riveting as it is retro, genius teen inventor Ray Steam receives a strange spherical device containing a mind-boggling new form of energy that can power a whole country. Soon, two ominous gents turn up looking to get their hands on the gadget; the next thing you know, Ray is caught in a battle between the Yanks and the Brits, who'll do anything to obtain the priceless orb.

Paprika

In this cautionary anime tale, reality and the dream world are on a collision course after a DC-Mini -- an experimental device that can record dreams -- is stolen from a psychiatric research facility. When the thief begins intertwining the patients' nightmares with the staff's dreams, it's clear that the DC-Mini has fallen into dangerous hands. Can Dr. Atsuko Chiba and her alter ego, a sprightly avatar named Paprika, stop the madness?

The Secret World of Arrietty

When a tiny "borrower" named Arrietty makes friends with a young boy many times her size, she must also shield her family from his towering elders. But trouble brews when a curious maid starts asking questions.

Ghost in the Shell

In 2029, a hacker known as the Puppet Master is taking over the minds of computer-enhanced humans. Government agent cyborg Motoko Kusanagi is charged with apprehending the villain, unaware that the fiend is searching for her as well.

Wonder Woman

It's up to fierce, headstrong Amazon princess Diana (voiced by Keri Russell) to use her unique powers to save her people -- by becoming the one and only Wonder Woman. She's out to stop Greek god Ares (Alfred Molina), who is plotting to use an ancient artifact called the Hand of Rage to decimate the human race, starting with the Amazons. This animated tale features the voices of Nathan Fillion, Rosario Dawson, Jason Miller and Oliver Platt.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

In the year 2071 on Mars, a lethal virus is released when a band of rogues blows up a tanker truck. Putting a stop to any future biochemical assaults -- and making some reward money off the job -- are Capt. Spike Siegel and his crew of vigilantes.

Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter / Under the Hood

This delectably dark animated short tells the gruesome tale of a shipwrecked sailor (voiced by Gerard Butler) forced to go to horrific lengths -- including building a raft of corpses -- to return home and warn his family of an imminent attack by an evil pirate ship. Based on a story within the graphic novel Watchmen, this release was originally part of the script for director Zack Snyder's 2009 live-action adaptation of the comic book.

Appleseed

A battle-weary warrior must save her utopian city in this action-packed 3D anime. It's the year 2131, and warrior Deunan Knute finds herself in a battle with the Bioroids, a race of artificial humans intent on conquering the city of Olympus.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

Alternate universes collide when Lex Luthor (voiced by Chris Noth) drops in from another dimension, imploring the Justice League to save his version of Earth -- where he's a good guy -- from a group of supervillains called the Crime Syndicate. Mark Harmon, James Woods and William Baldwin lend their voices as Superman, Owlman and Batman, respectively, in this animated feature based on DC Comics characters.

Appleseed: Ex Machina

In the second feature revolving around Masamune Shirow's popular manga, cyborg terrorists threaten to shatter the ever-precarious peace of postapocalyptic Olympus, home to the last shreds of humanity. After guerrillas nearly destroy Briareos in a shootout, Deunan -- his partner and gal pal -- is paired with Tereus, a strapping "bioroid" produced from Briareos's DNA. But complications ensue when Tereus takes a shine to Deunan.

Origin: Spirits of the Past

In the wake of a large-scale disaster that literally shatters the moon, plants -- not humans -- become the world's most intelligent life forms, until a young boy discovers a mysterious girl who's been in a state of suspended animation for 300 years. Her awakening threatens to disrupt the expansive and long-dominate Forest. Keiichi Sugiyama directs this futuristic anime that explores the delicate interplay between man and his natural environment.

Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam

This collection of DC Showcase animated shorts boasts the teaming-up of two of DC's most powerful heroes -- Superman (voiced by George Newbern) and Captain Marvel (Jerry O'Connell) -- as they battle villain Black Adam (Arnold Vosloo) and cope with the ethics of utilizing superpowers. Billy Batson, who assumes the mantle of Captain Marvel, turns to Superman for guidance on the moral implications of seeking justice ... or is it revenge?

Tokyo Godfathers

When an alcoholic, a transvestite and a young runaway happen upon an abandoned baby in a dumpster on Christmas Eve, they go in search of the child's parents, encountering an assortment of oddball characters along the way.

InuYasha: The Movie: Affections Touching Across Time

A powerful demon has been sealed away for 200 years. But when the demon's son is awakened, the fate of the world is in jeopardy. It's up to young InuYasha and his friends to stop this nearly invincible foe.

Ninja Scroll

When a monster made of rock attacks a band of ninjas, a masterless ninja named Jubei heroically saves the life of the beautiful female warrior Kagero. But Jubei succumbs to an elderly ninja's treachery and finds himself facing certain death.