10 Anime Movie Flops That Aged Perfectly

Throughout the years, there have been several box office hits in the anime industry that have delighted fans worldwide, such as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle or Spirited Away by Studio Ghibli. However, even some of the best anime movies of all time have setbacks at the box office.

Whether because of having unlucky release dates or because their premises didn’t connect with the audience at the time, great anime movies often fail to bring massive earnings to their animation studios. As a result, some of anime’s biggest box office flops turned out to be masterpieces that later achieved cult film status.

Lu Over the Wall

Masaaki Yuasa is a well-known director who created anime masterpieces such as Ping-Pong the Animation and The Tatami Galaxy. However, while Yuasa’s films are often praised, like Night is Short, Walk On Girl, and Ride Your Wave, they haven’t had the impact fans would expect. An example of this is Yuasa’s 2017 film Lu Over the Wall.

Thanks to Science SARU’s experimental animation, Lu Over the Wall delivers a simple story with emotional moments but with a bold expressionism that makes it different from anything viewers have seen. Sadly, Lu Over the Wall only grossed 34.8 million yen (less than $240,000), becoming one of the most underrated anime films despite receiving positive reviews for its incredible visuals.

My Neighbor Totoro

While My Neighbor Totoro is one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved films, this popularity came long after its first theatrical release. Miyazaki worked on My Neighbor Totoro while Isao Takahata was making Grave of the Fireflies, and both films held a double screening, expecting the contrast of the stories to make an impression on the viewers.

However, both films ended up holding the record for the lowest box office gross of Ghibli films in 1988. Nevertheless, My Neighbor Totoro‘s popularity boom started after the film aired on television. Totoro reached unprecedented numbers, and with its subsequent re-releases, the film grossed over $41 million worldwide at the box office, becoming one of Ghibli’s most adored films.

Grave of the Fireflies

Although Grave of the Fireflies is undoubtedly a masterpiece by Isao Takahata, it’s a film that hits viewers hard. Grave of the Fireflies also had a disastrous theatrical release alongside My Neighbor Totoro, when the popularity of the Ghibli directors Takahata and Miyazaki wasn’t as high as it is today, with both films earning only 1.17 billion yen in 1988.

However, while Grave of the Fireflies lacks the rewatchable element of My Neighbor Totoro by being a heartbreaking film highlighting the cruelty of war, the film earned 1.974 billion yen in DVD distribution and was moderately successful in its U.S. release as part of the Studio Ghibli Fest in 2018.

Ocean Waves

Ocean Waves wasn’t directed by Hayao Miyazaki but was meant to showcase the talent of young artists of Studio Ghibli. The film surpassed its budget and never got a theatrical release, premiering only on television at the time. The only Ocean Waves box office numbers known were from a limited release in the U.S. in 2017.

Ocean Waves only grossed $68,300 in 30 days in the U.S. However, Ocean Waves finally got a Japanese theatrical release in July 2025. Ocean Waves‘s revival was highly successful, highlighting the timeless charm of the film. Ocean Waves stands out among other Ghibli titles for its relatable depiction of youth and transition to adulthood, being incredibly nostalgic and melancholic.

My Neighbors the Yamadas

Being the predecessor to the hit movie Princess Mononoke, Isao Takahata’s My Neighbors the Yamada had some very big shoes to fill. Many fans were disappointed that My Neighbors the Yamadas wasn’t another thrilling fantasy but rather a funny and nostalgic film depicting the everyday life and relationships of a traditional Japanese family.

My Neighbors the Yamadas also featured Ghibli’s most experimental and innovative animation of the time, being the studio’s first film to be made entirely by computer but emulating hand-drawn manga strips. However, this watercolor-style animation, its non-linear story, and its seemingly simple premise made My Neighbors the Yamadas overlooked by fans.

The film grossed modestly at the box office, earning approximately $11.91 million, which didn’t surpass the $15.27 million invested by Ghibli. However, over the years, My Neighbors Yamada has posted positive revenue after its distribution and has recently gained a new generation of fans thanks to its availability on streaming platforms, being recognized as a fascinating and minimalist anime film.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

Although Ghost in the Shell is known as one of the best cyberpunk films in history, its sequel, directed by Mamoru Oshii, didn’t enjoy the same reception. Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, CEO of Production I. G revealed recently that Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was a complete commercial failure.

Even after two decades, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence never managed to earn back the two billion yen it cost to produce. Part of the reason for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence‘s poor box office performance is due to its slower pacing and change in tone compared to the first film.

However, while Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is the reason the franchise never saw a third film, Oshii’s film has gained a better reputation over the years. Despite being much more introspective and philosophical than Ghost in the Shell‘s first movie, the sequel’s direction, conceptual complexity, and exploration of human nature make it a classic anime deserving of praise.

The Red Turtle

The first co-production between Ghibli and an international animation studio, The Red Turtle is considered an underrated anime masterpiece. Although the film directed by Michaël Dudok De Wit was nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2016, The Red Turtle didn’t achieve the box office success expected for a film with the Ghibli label.

As with other productions in 2016, The Red Turtle was sadly overshadowed by the release of Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name, which became one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time. This resulted in The Red Turtle grossing only $6.6 million at the box office with a financial loss of around $5 million, becoming one of the lowest-grossing Ghibli films.

However, The Red Turtle has earned the favor of the audience over the years, obtaining a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score thanks to its artistic sensitivity, beautiful animation, and story that promotes respect for nature and ecosystems and invites viewers to reflect on life and the importance of coexisting with others.

Steamboy

Sometimes the expectations that arise after unprecedented success unfairly affect subsequent works, as can be seen with Steamboy, directed by the legendary creator of Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo. Although Akira is known as the most influential anime of all time, marking a turning point for animation in the 80s, Steamboy was considered director Otomo’s most ambitious work.

Steamboy follows a young man who finds himself hunted by powerful organizations in Victorian England during the Industrial Revolution, with the film particularly shining in its depiction of steam engines. After a decade of production and a budget of $26 million, Sunrise released Steamboy in 2005, which held the title of the most expensive anime film for years.

Unfortunately, Steamboy didn’t receive the recognition it deserved, receiving criticism for not reaching the level of Akira. As a consequence, Steamboy became a box office flop, grossing less than $19 million worldwide. Still, Steamboy‘s impressive animation has endured the passage of time even after two decades, and the film is considered today a major exponent of the steampunk subgenre.

Redline

Redline is one of those rare projects that nearly brought its studio to the brink of bankruptcy. After Madhouse spent over seven years producing the film, Redline premiered in 2009 and was quickly hailed as one of the most visually stunning and beautifully animated sci-fi titles in the history of animation. However, Redline remains Madhouse’s biggest anime flop.

Costing around $30 million, Redline barely grossed $8 million. Yet, despite its commercial failure, Redline is a magnificent surrealist film that perfectly captures the dynamism and speed of interplanetary car racing, becoming a unique work that has gained a consistent audience over the years and is considered a cult classic and a must-watch for every animation fan.

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya

The last masterpiece directed by Isao Takahata, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is both the most expensive film in Japanese animation’s history and Studio Ghibli’s biggest financial loss. With a budget of nearly $50 million at the time, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya grossed less than $30 million at the box office between its domestic and international releases.

Although Takahata perfected in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya the experimental technique he had used in his previous film, My Neighbors the Yamadas, with beautiful strokes that evoke the emotions of the characters and frames that look like they belong in a watercolor storybook, the movie’s abstract art style failed to resonate with viewers accustomed to modern animation.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a slow, subtle, introspective, and melancholic film that moves away from the realism and epic fantasy for which Studio Ghibli is well-known but that successfully becomes an ode to animation, earning itself a place in the history of contemporary cinema and even receiving an Academy Award nomination for best animated film.