I've always believed that live-action films can never replicate the unique charm of animated features. Some whimsical, boundary-pushing ideas can only come to vivid life through the strokes of a painter's brush. That's why I'm utterly captivated by animated films brimming with wild imagination, clever premises, and heartfelt plots. If you share the same taste, these 8 picks are absolute must-watches for you!

Yellow Submarine (1968)

Beatles fans are bound to fall head over heels for this film. Starring the Fab Four themselves, it follows their adventure aboard a yellow submarine to save Pepperland from peril. The story is a delightful blend of fantasy, whimsy and pure unpredictability.

One scene has stuck with me ever since: a long corridor lined with countless doors, each opening up to a completely different world beyond imagination. Music, visuals, colors, character designs and creativity—every element is flawlessly executed. A seamless fusion of The Beatles' iconic tunes and bold Pop Art aesthetics, this animated gem is truly one of a kind. Its magic is best experienced firsthand, so sit back and savor every frame.

Paprika (2006)

Paprika is based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's sci-fi novel of the same name. Many once said this story could never be made into a film.
If Inception is like a science nerd's idea—built on tight logic, complex math and careful thinking, showing pure smarts—then Paprika is a liberal arts genius's best work. It's free, limitless and a true picture of a dream world.
The original novel mixes reality and dreams so well that you can barely tell them apart. That made turning its weird, surreal dream scenes into a movie really hard. Luckily, Yasutaka Tsutsui watched Millennium Actress (we'll talk about it next). He was amazed and knew right away that Satoshi Kon was the only director who could make Paprika.

The story is set in the future. Scientists Atsuko Chiba and Kosaku Tokita create a new therapy tool called the DC-MINI. It lets therapists enter patients' dreams to treat mental health problems. In the dream world, Atsuko becomes Paprika—a brave, lively dream detective.
Trouble starts when the DC-MINI gets stolen. The thief forces people's dreams into the real world. The line between the two worlds breaks down. The whole city goes crazy. Strange dream creatures, toys and household items run wild in the streets. With everything falling apart, Paprika has to go into the messy dream world. She must find the thief and stop dreams from taking over reality completely.

Millennium Actress (Sennen joyû) (2001)

This is another masterpiece by Satoshi Kon. The story unfolds through an interview with Chiyoko Fujiwara, a once-celebrated film star, piecing together her lifelong quest for a lost love.
No other film has mixed different time periods so well. Stories are inside other stories. Memories overlap with each other. There's Chiyoko the normal woman, Chiyoko the famous actress, and Chiyoko the characters she played in movies. All these sides of her are put together into a smooth, amazing story.

The film uses montage, scene changes, character shifts and pacing perfectly. As the story progresses, you'll find yourself losing track of what's real, what's a memory and what's a figment of imagination. Student, noble lady, royal concubine, geisha, housewife, teacher, refugee, swordsman, warrior, astronaut—no matter how her identity and appearance change, the woman with a mole under her eye is always running, always just an arm's length away from the man she's chasing.
In the end, we come to realize: the pursuit itself has become the very meaning of her life.

Inside Out (2015)

I wasn't impressed by the film's promotional posters at first, but when I finally gave it a chance, it blew me away beyond all expectations.
The premise is pure genius: inside every person's mind, there's a "Headquarters" run by five emotion personifications—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. They handle the daily chaos of life, turning every happy, sad or awkward moment into colorful memory orbs that get sent to the long-term memory vault. Even more fascinating is the Dream Productions studio tucked away in the brain, where a team of directors and actors work round the clock to "film" your dreams every night.

The story centers on 11-year-old Riley, who is forced to move to a new city due to her father's job relocation. Leaving behind her hometown and friends, she struggles to adapt to her new environment, and her inner world crumbles into disarray. How will these five quirky emotion characters team up to help Riley navigate this tough transition? You'll have to watch the film to find out.

The Night is Short, Walk on Girl (Yoru wa mijikashi aruke yo otome) (2017)

Adapted from Tomihiko Morimi's novel of the same name, the original work weaves four short stories spanning spring, summer, autumn and winter. The film boldly condenses this sprawling narrative into a single night of adventure: a shy senior harbors a secret crush, and after a series of quirky twists and turns, he finally gets to go on a date with the girl he adores.

The film boasts striking, vibrant color clashes that paint a fantastical world. From spring's raucous drinking contest, summer's whimsical book hunt, autumn's bustling campus festival to winter's city-wide flu outbreak (where only the heroine remains unscathed), this one night is packed with enough richness and wonder to rival four seasons. Invisible threads connect every soul in the world—eternal loneliness simply doesn't exist. As dawn breaks, the night is short, so girl, keep marching forward!

Robot Dreams (2023)

This is a wordless animated film that packs an enormous emotional punch. If you're a sentimental soul, chances are you'll shed a tear or two by the end.
A lonely dog buys a robot companion to ease his solitude. Together, they ice skate, dance, wander the streets, stroll along the beach and take countless silly photos—every moment is filled with warmth and joy.

An unexpected accident tears them apart. Later, the dog gets a new robot friend, while the old robot is repaired by a kind raccoon and given a second chance at life. Both of them move on to new lives, but the beautiful memories they shared never fade away. When their favorite song plays, even miles apart, they can still dance to the same rhythm in their hearts. They may have missed out on a lifetime together, but each finds happiness with someone new who loves them just as deeply—and isn't that the best ending we could ask for?

Loving Vincent (2017)

What really led to Vincent van Gogh's tragic death? This centuries-old mystery is explored in Loving Vincent, a 95-minute animated film crafted from over 65,000 hand-painted frames.
The story begins with an undelivered letter. Armand Roulin, the son of a postman, travels to Auvers-sur-Oise—the small town where van Gogh spent his final 70 days—hoping to uncover the truth behind the artist's death by talking to the people who knew him.

Every single frame and character in the film is recreated and reimagined by artists based on more than 120 of van Gogh's original paintings; each frame alone is a work of art worthy of being hung in a gallery. On a side note, I'd like to recommend a song that perfectly captures the film's mood: I See You by Missio. Its haunting melody echoes the bittersweet, wandering life of van Gogh.

Only Yesterday (Omohide poro poro) (1991)

A heartwarming tale brimming with quiet charm. 27-year-old Taeko Okajima takes a 10-day vacation to visit her sister's in-laws in the countryside, eager to experience rural life. As the train trundles along, memories of her fifth-grade self come flooding back.
The 11-year-old Taeko was good at writing but struggled with math—kind, sensitive and always stuck in her older sister's shadow as the middle child of the family. She often wore her sister's hand-me-down clothes and used her discarded bags, leading her to wonder if her parents loved her sister more. She threw a tantrum and missed out on a family outing; the whole family gathered to savor a rare pineapple with cautious delight; little girl secrets shared in whispers; a shy confession from a boy classmate… These tiny, mundane moments still fill Taeko's heart with warmth when she looks back on them years later.
As viewers, we too will find ourselves transported back to our own pasts, touched by this "tale of years gone by". The beauty of this film lies not just in its own story, but in how it makes us cherish the precious, forgotten memories of our own lives.

Great works of art are endless, but what makes them truly moving is never just exquisite production or smart ideas. It's the way these works capture the feelings we all share. Things like love and loneliness, chasing dreams and feeling regret. May these films bring you a little comfort and some inspiration when you watch them.