Highest Grossing Anime Movies of All-Time

While anime movies have a long history, stretching back to the closing months of World War Two, anime has exploded in popularity in recent years. Although most of the focus is on popular anime television series such as Naruto, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragonball Z (just to name a few), anime movies have proved to be popular at the box office as well, not only in Japan, but around the world. Here are 15 of the top grossing anime movies ever according to Box Office Mojo.

Box office is based on North American domestic releases. Each of the links takes you to that movie's box office receipts page where you can track how much the movie made on its opening day as well as what it made on a day-by-bay basis.

15. Akira
Directed By: Katsuhiro Otomo

Release Date (US): 12/25/89

Domestic Gross $553,171

Widely regarded as not only one of the best anime movies ever made, but one of the one of the best animated movies of all time, Otomo's groundbreaking film redefined the second wave of anime.

To read the detailed box office breakdown page for this anime movie, click HERE.

14. Metropolis (2002)

Directed By: Rintaro (written by Katsuhiro Otomo)

Release Date (US): 1/25/02

Domestic Gross $722,932

Visually stunning, blending its source material from the original Tezuka manga with a page out of Fritz Lang's silent film classic, Metropolis, this anime movie is the 14^th highest grossing anime film of all time. Although the plot leaves some dangling questions, the film's stunning visuals more than make up for it.

13. Pokemon Heroes

Directed By: Kunihiko Yuyama and Jim Malone

Release Date (US): 5/16/03

Domestic Gross $746,381

This film received a limited North American release (196 theaters) before going to DVD. Pokemon Heroes is also the lowest grossing movie in the Pokemon franchise (which should be a hint as to what's coming up on the Box Office list!)

To read the detailed box office breakdown page for this anime movie, click HERE.

12. Paprika

Directed By: Satoshi Kon

Release Date (US): 5/25/07

Domestic Gross $882,267