Most animations are meant to be feel-good, so I don’t want to remind you of the obvious. Here’s some you might’ve forgotten about, or haven’t seen in a while.
Aladdin
Aladdin’s poor, Jasmine’s rich. After a fateful encounter, Aladdin falls in love and uses the help of a magic genie to woo Jasmine.
Reasons to watch:
Aladdin is cute, Jasmine is charming, and Robin Williams is right at home in this bigger-than-life character.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Inaccurate generalizations of middle-eastern culture, man lying to woo woman
Anastasia
The Duchess of Russia is offering an award to find her long-lost granddaughter after her family is torn apart. Dimitri is a conman who finds an opportunity in Anya, who looks just like the long-lost royal.
Reasons to watch:
Great songs and fantastic protagonists to root for. Romance is nice too.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Inaccurate history, hate-to-love trope
Howl’s Moving Castle
An evil witch curses a young hatmaker to look like a grandmother. She follows Howl, a wizard with a magic ship that allows him to travel between realms, to fix the curse.
Reasons to watch:
It’s a gorgeous imaginative world filled with likable side characters and a heartwarming romance. This movie is for girls who never relate to the perfect pretty rom-com girls.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Mild offputting body horror
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Kiki moves to Jiji (with her talking cat) to fulfill her village’s tradition of spending a year alone to train as a witch. She starts a delivery service with her broomstick.
Reasons to watch:
It’s a great tale of overcoming self-doubt and the importance of community. It’s wholesome and has beautiful visuals.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Temporary character depression
Ponyo
Goldfish princess encounters a human boy after a major flooding, and they work together to return to his mom, as Ponyo avoids returning back to the sea.
Reasons to watch:
Adorable and pretty illustrations, with imaginative and whimsical world-building. This movie will make you feel warm inside.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Fish
Ratatouille
Linguini is a terrible cook trying to survive in a competitive french restaurant, and Remy is a rat who loves fine food but has no opportunities to eat it. They both have what each other needs.
Reasons to watch:
With a delightful soundtrack, Ratatouille is playful and inspiring. There’s romance too, and so many interesting characters.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Tons of rats, rats being around food
Robin Hood
He steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Ever since the new King started taxing the citizens of Nottingham, Robin Hood has become the hero outlaw with his trusty sidekick.
Reasons to watch:
It’s a comforting 2-D illustration with cute talking animals but more than anything its also so fun and really witty. Not a musical but there’s a cute song!
Also, there’s a very dreamy but understated romance.
The Rescuers
When an orphan girl is kidnapped no one seems to care, except for a secret worldwide association of mice called The Rescue Aid Society. The two mice make a charming team between a classy French one and her bumbling partner.
Reasons to watch:
It’s a prettily drawn adventure that is easy to get invested in.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Children getting mistreated, and alligators
Lilo and Stitch
Mischievous, lonely, and misunderstood, Lilo is a young girl who wants a pet. An equally mischievous alien on the run who crash-lands on the planet and pretends to be her pet.
Reasons to watch:
It has humor and heart and is, to this day, one of the best representations of Hawaiian people. The illustration doesn’t whitewash or make everyone thin and is super adorable. There’s a sweet romance, too.
Don’t watch if you hate:
Kids being orphans, conflict with the state/foster system