Seinen Anime in Thirty Days
Seinen Anime in 30 Days? Japanese animation (or anime) is far more than entertainment for young audiences. Many of the greatest anime series ever released are actually intended for viewers 18 and above. With darker, more grounded themes and storytelling that leans toward complexity, the seinen subgenre has influenced countless works across other cinematic mediums, including Hollywood.
The rise of seinen as an alternative anime subgenre, much like shounen, began in manga during the 1950s. The growing popularity of rental libraries in that era helped seinen manga find its readership among university students and workers looking for a break from their daily routines. When rental libraries declined in the 1960s, seinen stories found new life through magazines such as Monthly Big Comic, mirroring how shounen manga thrived through Shounen Jump.
The anime boom of the 1960s, supported by Japan’s rapid economic growth, opened the door to a golden age for seinenanime. Economic confidence encouraged studios to take risks and explore bolder themes, resulting in works whose influence is still felt today—titles like Akira and Ghost in the Shell.
Although that golden age now belongs to history, there are still many seinen-themed stories worth seeking out. From the journey of a nameless samurai to intimate portrayals of Japanese life during World War II, this article gathers 30 essential seinen films curated by Jakarta Cinema Club. Save the date: on 25 November 2023, our Secret Movie Saturday program will feature a group screening of one selected seinen title—still kept under wraps.
Seinen in 30 days:
Vampire Hunter D (Toyoo Ashida, 1985)
The Garden of Words (Makoto Shinkai, 2013)
Patema Inverted (Yasuhiro Yoshiura, 2013)
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia (Kitarou Kousaka, 2003)
5 Centimeters per Second (Makoto Shinkai, 2007)
Colorful (Keiichi Hara, 2010)
The Animatrix (Koji Morimoto, Peter Chung, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichiro Watanabe, Takeshi Koike, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Andre R. Jones, 2003)
Pom Poko (Isao Takahata, 1994)
Royal Space Force – The Wings of Honneamise (Hiroyuki Yamaga, 1987)
Ninja Scroll (Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 1993)
Sword of The Stranger (Masahiro Ando, 2007)
Hotarubi no Mori e (Takahiro Omori, 2011)
Barefoot Gen (Mori Masaki, 1983)
Memories (Koji Morimoto, Katsuhiro Otomo, Tensai Okamura 1995)
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (Yoshiaki Kawajiri, 2000)
Redline (Takeshi Koike, 2009)
In This Corner of the World (Sunao Katabuchi, 2016)
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (Shinichiro Watanabe, 2001)
The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, 2013)
Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995)
Angel’s Egg (Mamoru Oshii, 1985)
Mind Game (Masaaki Yuasa, 2004)
Night is Short, Walk on Girl (Masaaki Yuasa, 2017)
Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon, 2003)
Millenium Actress (Satoshi Kon, 2001)
Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (Hideaki Anno, 2021)
Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988)
Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon, 1997)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (Hideaki Anno, 1997)
How do you feel about our curation? Which seinen title is your personal favorite? Stay tuned for a special November campaign from Jakarta Cinema Club related to the films above. Make sure to follow us on Instagram at @jakartacinemaclub dan @thepage.podcast.
Also read: The Adult Club: Drive My Car, Murakami
