Every Makoto Shinkai Movie, Ranked by Animation

Makoto Shinkai revolutionized the modern-day anime visuals in the most incredible way possible with his masterful use of lighting, weather, urban landscapes, and emotional realism. Throughout the years, Shinkai’s animation moved from small-scale indie projects to become some of the most impressive animated movies of all time.

So, in this article, we are going to rank all the Makoto Shinkai movies based on their animation, environmental portrayal, cinematography, and artistic vision. With that said, let us get into the ranking.

13 Other Worlds Revealed Shinkai’s Earliest Style

Even in this 1999 short film, Shinkai’s fascination with loneliness, urban setting, and detachment is very much visible. While the animation quality was not that good at that time, the atmospheric lighting used in this film became a signature style in several of his future works.

Looking back today, Other Worlds appears not just as a film, but rather a foundation from which Shinkai’s other well-known works emerged.

12 She and Her Cat Used Minimalism Beautifully

The black-and-white presentation gave this short film a grounded emotional weight, which still holds up today. Rather than relying on flashy visual effects, Shinkai focused on composition and storytelling to evoke emotions.

Even the rain-soaked city backgrounds carried a quiet beauty that showed his early mastery of environmental storytelling. What’s more, She and Her Cat happens to be Makoto Shinkai’s first directorial work. Even though it’s only five minutes long, the short film exudes the genius of Shinkai that we see in his later movies.

11 A Gathering of Cats Delivered Charming Comedy Animation

Being part of the Ani*Kuri15 episode 1, this short film gave Shinkai an opportunity to explore humor rather than dramatic storytelling. The exaggerated cat expressions gave the animation a playful charm that is very rarely visible in the rest of his filmography.

Despite its very basic artwork, the film maintained polished lighting and visual composition throughout.

10 Voices of a Distant Star Looked Stunning

Voices of a Distant Star remains one of the most impressive works by Shinkai because he handled most of the work himself. The space visuals and glowing cityscapes looked far ahead of their time.

Additionally, the contrast between the two worlds also visually reinforced the emotional distance between the two main characters.

9 Cross Road Made Commercial Animation Cinematic

Cross Road was basically just a two-minute commercial for Z-Kai, but it had better professional quality than many anime films. The scene with the trains and lights was especially incredible.

The realism of student life and exam preparation scenes also made this short emotionally relatable despite its tiny runtime.

8 Someone’s Gaze Perfected Slice-of-Life Visuals

Someone’s Gaze demonstrated that Shinkai was capable of bringing an everyday situation to life with breathtaking visuals. The apartment interiors and evening cityscapes looked warm and deeply realistic.

Without overusing animation effects, it relied on small movements and grounded environmental detail to evoke emotion.

7 The Place Promised in Our Early Days Expanded Shinkai’s Scale

In this film from 2004, Shinkai’s artistic vision received a huge boost. The huge tower and historical fantasy background certainly added an element of grandeur that surpassed everything else he had done before.

Despite some slightly stiff animation in the portrayal of characters at times, the environmental design of The Place Promised in Our Early Days was simply spectacular.

6 Children Who Chase Lost Voices Embraced Fantasy

Children Who Chase Lost Voices marked Shinkai’s first major fantasy adventure film. The glowing underground worlds and vast settings showcased the growing scale of his worldbuilding.

The film was often likened to Studio Ghibli for its fantastical elements, although the distinct lighting by Makoto Shinkai was easily recognizable.

5 5 Centimeters per Second Perfected Realism

Hardly any anime films have ever captured the beauty of urban realism as perfectly as 5 Centimeters per Second did. The snowy train scenes and sunset visuals remain iconic to this day.

More importantly, the environments themselves became emotional storytelling tools rather than simple backgrounds.

4 The Garden of Words Turned Rain Into Art

The Garden of Words arguably features some of the best rain animation in anime history. Every raindrop, puddle reflection, and leaf movement looked almost photo-realistic.

The park scenes especially demonstrated Shinkai’s ability to turn weather and silence into emotional storytelling devices. Without a doubt, The Garden of Words is among the Makoto Shinkai movies that deserve a live-action adaptation.

3 Weathering With You Made Tokyo Feel Alive

Weathering With You‘s submerged Tokyo visuals and magnificent cloud formations have truly pushed environmental animation to another level.

The film’s constant rainfall and dramatic sky effects made the city itself feel like a living character throughout the movie.

2 Suzume Delivered Shinkai’s Most Dynamic Visuals

The film featured Shinkai’s most technically ambitious action animation in his filmmaking career, with a large portion of the film having highly advanced camera movements compared to those in his previous movies.

At the same time, Suzume retained Shinkai’s signature emotional lighting along with the stunning environmental visuals.

1 Your Name Remains Shinkai’s Visual Masterpiece

Your Name perfectly balanced emotional storytelling with breathtaking visuals. In particular, the scene with the falling comet became an iconic moment in the anime film industry.

Visually, the film was extraordinary; nearly every frame looked like a painting, making it arguably the best-looking film of his career.

Here is a quick review of all of the films made by Makoto Shinkai –

RankMovie TitleRelease YearMovie Rating (IMDb)Where to Watch

1	Your Name	2016	8.4 / 10	HBO Max, Prime Video
2	Suzume	2022	7.6 / 10	Crunchyroll
3	Weathering With You	2019	7.5 / 10	HBO Max, Prime Video
4	The Garden of Words	2013	7.4 / 10	HiDive
5	5 Centimeters per Second	2007	7.4 / 10	HBO Max, Prime Video
6	Children Who Chase Lost Voices	2011	7.1 / 10	HBO Max, Prime Video
7	The Place Promised in Our Early Days	2004	6.8 / 10	HBO Max, Prime Video
8	Someone’s Gaze	2013	7.2 / 10	YouTube
9	Cross Road	2014	6.8 / 10	YouTube
10	Voices of a Distant Star	2002	7.0 / 10	Crunchyroll
11	A Gathering of Cats	2007	7.1 / 10	YouTube
12	She and Her Cat	1999	7.0 / 10	YouTube
13	Other Worlds	1999	5.7 / 10	YouTube

Here are some of the questions fans may have –

Now the big question for you – which Makoto Shinkai movie do you think had the most beautiful animation overall? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.