Alright, anime fans, brace yourselves, because this might shake your Studio Ghibli-loving heart a little. When you think of the greatest anime movie of all time, you’re probably thinking of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It’s classic Hayao Miyazaki magic, period. You’ve got a fearless princess, giant bugs, toxic jungles, and a vibe about saving the world, total chef’s kiss.
It’s literally the movie that kicked off Studio Ghibli. No argument there. But Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe? You know, the guy who made space jazz sound so much cooler than any other show? Well, he doesn’t rate Nausicaä as the best anime movie of 1984. Nope. His favorite? Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer. Yes, the strange one with the alien girl and a time loop. Let’s unpack that wild pick.
So, what even is Beautiful Dreamer, and why is this Watanabe’s favorite anime movie?
Imagine this: there’s a show in the early ’80s that’s pure chaos. Aliens, teen romance, and slapstick comedy all mixed into Urusei Yatsura, which is based on a manga by the iconic Rumiko Takahashi (yes, the same person who created Inuyasha).
The protagonist? Ataru Moroboshi, the unluckiest and the most “excited” guy in Japan, and Lum, the electric alien princess who basically says, “Congrats, we’re engaged now.” Now take that chaotic rom-com anime, and let Mamoru Oshii, yes, the same person who gave you Ghost in the Shell, do whatever the hell he wants with it for the second movie.
The result? Beautiful Dreamer, the sequel that threw the rulebook straight into another dimension. It’s weird, it’s deep, and it’s nothing like what fans expected from the franchise. People were confused. Some were mad. But others, like Watanabe, were absolutely blown away.
So, in a 2023 interview with Forbes, Watanabe spoke candidly about 1984, a massive year in anime history. That year gave us classics such as Nausicaä, Macross: Do You Remember Love?, and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, all within months of each other.
Now, you’d think Macross would win just on space-mech musical numbers alone. Or that Nausicaä, with its phenomenal world-building and emotional depth, would take the crown. But Shinichiro Watanabe? He didn’t even hesitate. Beautiful Dreamer was his pick. Why? Because it dared to break everything.
It didn’t follow a structure. It messed with time. It didn’t shy away from going deep, odd, and a little uncomfortable. That film wasn’t going to be all cute and make everyone happy; it was going to make you think, feel, and possibly question everything you hold dear. And if that sounds familiar, it’s because that exact mindset shows up everywhere in Watanabe’s work.
Cowboy Bebop episodes that feel like standalone films? That’s Beautiful Dreamer energy. Samurai Champloo turning history on its head with hip-hop? Complete subversion. Lazarus combining dystopia with metaphysics? You see the pattern. Beautiful Dreamer basically inspired Watanabe to go wild with his creations.
So is it actually better than Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaä?
Let’s not downplay Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaä (although Ghibli was founded after the film’s release), because honestly, it’s a total masterpiece. Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is simply gorgeous, ridiculously emotional, and completely full of all that we love about Studio Ghibli.
You’ve got toxic forests, epic glider scenes, princesses who actually lead, and those moral dilemmas that make you question humanity. The animation? Stunning. The vibes? Exactly on point. It literally changed anime history. Without it, there would be no Studio Ghibli. It’s not just a movie; it’s the beginning of a movement.
So, if we need to settle this: Can Beautiful Dreamer really top Nausicaä? If we’re discussing legacy, influence, and sheer beauty, Nausicaä takes the cake. No question. But if we’re speaking of rule-breaking, mind-bending creativity, and inspiring one of anime’s coolest directors to go all-out jazz-fusion-dream-weirdness mode? Yeah, Beautiful Dreamer has a serious case.
It’s not necessarily the greatest film in the “let’s show this to someone who’s never seen anime” kind of way. But it is a better movie if you love when anime breaks rules, challenges reality, and pulls you into a dream where nothing is safe and everything is symbolic. Basically, Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaä is a legend. Beautiful Dreamer, on the other hand, is a cult classic that might just rewire your brain if you allow it to.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is currently available to watch on Netflix, and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
