Movies like Millennium Actress: 20 to watch next

If you loved Millennium Actress (2002) — a animation, drama and romance film directed by Satoshi Kon — these 20 movies are the closest matches.

The first picks are what fans of Millennium Actress most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like japan, china and key. 14 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.

Where to watch Millennium Actress →·Get picks for your whole taste →

1. 1

   The Wind Rises 2013★ 7.8

   Shares: Animation, Drama, Romance

   A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

   Stream in India on Netflix

2. 2

   Suzume 2022★ 7.9

   Shares: Animation, Drama

   Suzume, 17, lost her mother as a little girl. On her way to school, she meets a mysterious young man. But her curiosity unleashes a calamity that endangers the entire population of Japan, and so Suzume embarks on a journey to set things right.

   Stream in India on Crunchyroll, Sony Liv, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel

3. 3

   Ocean Waves 1993★ 6.4

   Shares: Animation, Drama, Romance

   At Kichijōji Station, Tokyo, Taku Morisaki glimpses a familiar woman on the platform opposite boarding a train. Later, her photo falls from a shelf as he exits his apartment before flying to Kōchi Prefecture. Picking it up, he looks at it briefly before leaving. As the aeroplane takes off, he narrates the events that brought her into his life...

   Stream in India on Netflix

4. 4

   maboroshi 2023★ 7.2

   Shares: Animation, Drama, Romance

   A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving teenage Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.

   Stream in India on Netflix

5. 5

   The Boy and the Heron 2023★ 7.4

   Shares: Animation, Drama

   While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

   Stream in India on Netflix

6. 6

   5 Centimeters per Second 2007★ 7.3

   Shares: Animation, Romance, Drama

   Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city.

   Stream in India on Crunchyroll, Sony Liv, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel

7. 7

   Kensuke's Kingdom 2024★ 7.1

   Shares: Animation, Drama

   A young boy and his family set off on a sailing trip of a lifetime until a violent storm erupts, sweeping Michael and his dog overboard. After washing up on a remote island, terrified, they struggle to survive and adjust to life alone, One day, Michael discovers he is not alone when he is confronted by a mysterious Japanese man who has lived there secretly since World War II, angry that Michael has arrived. However, as dangerous invaders threaten their fragile island paradise, Michael and the old man, Kensuke, join forces to save their secret world.

   Not on subscription streaming in India right now

8. 8

   Over the Sky 2020★ 6.8

   Shares: Animation, Drama, Romance

   Mio has long hidden her feelings for her childhood friend Arata. After an argument leaves their relationship uncertain, she sets out to reconcile with him but awakens in a mysterious version of Ikebukuro following an accident. Guided by unusual new companions, Mio searches for a way home while confronting the feelings and memories she has avoided.

   Not on subscription streaming in India right now

9. 9

   Summer Ghost 2021★ 7.3

   Shares: Animation, Drama

   An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the "summer ghost," a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up one day. When a ghost named Ayane appears, she reveals she is only visible to those "who are about to touch their death." Compelled by the ghost and her message, Tomoya begins regularly visiting the airfield to uncover the true purpose of her visits.

   Stream in India on Anime Times Amazon Channel

10. 10

    Escaflowne: The Movie 2000★ 6.7

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Gaea is a mythical realm ruled by sword and sorcery and immersed in blood and violence. Thrust into a conflict she doesn't quite understand, Hitomi Kanzaki helps aid the young Prince Van as they embark upon a journey to fight the Black Dragon Clan. The battle over a legendary suit of dragon armor, Escaflowne, has begun.

    Not on subscription streaming in India right now

11. 11

    From Up on Poppy Hill 2011★ 7.5

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.

    Stream in India on Netflix

12. 12

    The Tale of The Princess Kaguya 2013★ 8.1

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.

    Stream in India on Netflix

13. 13

    Modest Heroes 2018★ 6.7

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Two tiny, aquatic humanoids search for their missing father, a boy battles a lethal allergy to eggs, and an invisible salaryman tries to become a hero.

    Stream in India on Netflix

14. 14

    Giovanni's Island 2014★ 7.5

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    In the aftermath of the most devastating conflict mankind had ever experienced, the tiny island of Shikotan became part of the Sakhalin Oblast... and on the unhealed border in this remote corner of the world, friendship among children from two different countries timidly blossomed, striving to overcome language barriers and the waves of history. Inspired by true events.

    Not on subscription streaming in India right now

15. 15

    Buddha: The Great Departure 2011★ 7.4

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Prince Siddhartha is heir to the Shakya kingdom, which is constantly at war with the more powerful Kosala kingdom. His father tries to raise as him as a warrior leader and to shield him from the miseries of the world. Meeting the young outcast girl Migaila, Siddhartha experiences love for the first time but also witnesses the suffering that afflicts humankind. Meanwhile, in Kosala, Chapra rises through the military, despite his lowly origins, to become a hero and general of the army. A final showdown between the two kingdoms forces Siddhartha to re-evaluate the path he is following.

    Not on subscription streaming in India right now

16. 16

    The Place Promised in Our Early Days 2004★ 6.6

    Shares: Animation, Drama, Romance

    In a post-war alternative timeline, Japan is divided into the North, controlled by the Union, and the South, controlled by the United States. A mysterious high tower rises within the borders of the Union. Three high school students promise to cross the border with a self-built airplane and unravel the secret of the tower.

    Stream in India on Crunchyroll, Sony Liv, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel

17. 17

    In This Corner of the World 2016★ 7.9

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Japan, 1943, during World War II. Young Suzu leaves her village near Hiroshima to marry and live with her in-laws in Kure, a military harbor. Her creativity to overcome deprivation quickly makes her indispensable at home. Inhabited by an ancestral wisdom, Suzu impregnates the simple gestures of everyday life with poetry and beauty. The many hardships, the loss of loved ones, the frequent air raids of the enemy, nothing alters her enthusiasm…

    Stream in India on Crunchyroll, Sony Liv, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel

18. 18

    Mai Mai Miracle 2009★ 7.1

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.

    Not on subscription streaming in India right now

19. 19

    Child of Kamiari Month 2021★ 6.5

    Shares: Animation, Drama

    A year after losing her mother, a young girl learns that she must journey across Japan to the annual gathering of gods in the sacred land of Izumo.

    Stream in India on Netflix

20. 20

    Violet Evergarden: The Movie 2020★ 8.3

    Shares: Animation, Drama, Romance

    As the world moves on from the war and technological advances bring changes to her life, Violet still hopes to see her lost commanding officer again.

    Stream in India on Netflix