BNP Staff Favorites for 2024: Anime

So…2024 was a hell of a year. Both eventful and in some respects…hellish. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some high points. Anime, for the most part, never let us down as we have a sweeping wave of favorites that held us down, entertained us, made us weep, and overall remained a medium and art form that stays consistently and uniquely stays in our streaming rotation.

Carrie: Look Back (October 2024, GKIDS, now on Amazon Prime Video in selected regions) Plenty of films of the anime variety that released this year to great fanfare: seeing SPY×FAMILY Code: White was an experience. The Studio Ghibli fest returned soothing our souls with our faves and there were many a classic like Ninja Scroll and Cowboy Bebop The Movie returning to theaters while also making way for newer flicks like The Concierge (aka The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store) and Trapezium making some buzz for movie goers. My favorite anime film of the year would have to be the anime adaptation of Look Back, my favorite Tatsuki Fujimoto title, a one shot that went the distance and effortlessly made the world fall in love with it.

In my review of the film, I wrote that Look Back isn’t a long film, the run time is maybe a few minutes short of an hour–and it doesn’t need to be longer, to be a stand out film that emphasizes friendships, connections, and creative outlets. I loved this film for its quieter and more subtle scenes that help flesh out the friendship of the girls and the years that bond them to…