Movies like Princess Arete (2001)
The best movies like Princess Arete (2001) are Brave Story (2006), Tsubasa Chronicle The Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013). If Princess Arete hooked you with its adventure and animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHowl's Moving Castle (2004)8.4/10 from 11,655 votes
- NewestAlice in Wonderland –Dive in Wonderland– (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseBrave Story (2006)Also in Japanese
Brave Story (2006)
Jr. High School Student Wataru and his friends like playing in an abandond building and looking for ghosts. However it seems he is not the only one. Another mysterious student Mitsuru shows Wataru that there is a magical door to another world where one can go and get the Goddess of Fortune to grant one wish! When tragedy strikes Wataru's family he decides to open the door for himself.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTsubasa Chronicle The Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005)
In their continuing journey to find the feathers that are the fragments of Sakura's lost memory, Syaoran, Kurogane, Fay, and Sakura move through time and space with Mokona. Here, they visit the "Country of Birdcages," a seemingly peaceful country where people and birds live together, each person having a bird companion. After a boy named Koruri confuses Syaoran and Sakura for "bodyguards" and attacks them, they learn that the king of the country possesses a mysterious power. Princess Tomoyo, Koruri, and the other oppressed citizens, having had their birds taken from them, live in hiding within the forest. In order to take back Sakura's feather, Syaoran and the others stand up against the scheming king.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisChildren Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
The film centers on Asuna, a young girl who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved by a mysterious boy named Shun. However, Shun disappears and Asuna embarks on a journey of adventure to the land of Agartha with her teacher Mr. Morisaki to meet a Shun again. Through her journey she comes to know the cruelty and beauty of the world, as well as loss.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLupin the Third: Princess of the Breeze (2013)
After a chaotic heist, Lupin and Jigen find themselves becoming caretakers of a baby boy, while a young sky pirate called Yutika is after their loot. Yutika is an inhabitant of the city-state of Shahalta, which has recently fallen to a shady minister. Soon, Lupin's gang and Yutika join forces to uncover one of Shahalta's greatest treasures, facing off against both Shahaltan authorities and Zenigata.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Ponyo (2008)
When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDoraemon: Nobita's Dorabian Nights (1991)
Shizuka ends up in the fantasy world of the 'Arabian Nights' story. However, Doraemon, Nobita, Suneo, and Jyaian must find her from the imaginary Middle East and bring her back to the real life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMiyori's Forest (2009)
After being deserted by her parents, 11-year old Miyori shuts her heart from the rest of the world and denies any form of human relationships. She was entrusted in the care of her grandmother who lives near a forest. Miyori will take a walk in the forest where she felt a strong sense of loneliness in the forest which seems to have nothing. However, she soon encounters unbelievable things...
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both fantasy & animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisUnico in the Island of Magic (1983)
A young unicorn named Unico must fight an evil magician and save everyone who's trapped under his spell.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Mai Mai Miracle (2009)
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.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSinbad - The Flying Princess and the Secret Island (2015)
Sinbad: Sora Tobu Hime to Himitsu no Shima is an upcoming Japanese animated family adventure film inspired by Arabian Nights. The film is produced by Nippon Animation and Shirogumi, directed by Shinpei Miyashita and written by Kaeko Hayafune.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both adventure & animation
Starlight Promises (2018)
Shoma Mihara, a freshman in high school, receives a sudden message from his friend Atsushi inviting him to meet again at a mysterious festival. Having been unable to contact Atsushi for three and a half years, Shoma jumps at the chance and heads to join the Starlight Festival, held in a deserted mountain village. Once there, Shoma searches for Atsushi but finds no trace of him. Instead Shoma meets Shiori, a young woman who’s also looking for someone. Kana, the director of the Starlight Festival, assures Shoma that he’ll be able to reunite with Atsushi before the festivities end. Both Shoma and Shiori end up helping with preparations, only to find themselves pulled deeper and deeper into a series of strange happenings. Will Shoma be able to meet his dear friend...?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Mirai (2018)
Four-year-old Kun struggles with jealousy after his newborn sister, Mirai, begins receiving most of his family’s attention. Retreating to the garden, he encounters Mirai as a teenager from the future and embarks on extraordinary journeys across his family’s past, gradually discovering new perspectives on love, belonging and what it means to become an older brother.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLegend of the Millennium Dragon (2011)
A spectacular journey of an unwilling young hero thrust into a mysterious past full of monsters, dragons, and strange hidden powers. Through a series of out of this world battles and adventures, Jun, a shy middle school boy, is transformed into a hero destined to battle evil and ensure harmony and tranquility in the world.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMary and The Witch's Flower (2017)
Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPatema Inverted (2013)
A young girl, from a civilization that resides in deep underground tunnels, finds herself trapped in an inverted world and teams up with a resident to escape and return home.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRainbow Fireflies (2012)
One year ago, Yūta lost his father in a car crash. Now in the 6th grade, Yūta goes to catch beetles in a dam near a mountain, a place he often went with his father. There, Yūta meets a strange old man, and while walking in heavy rainfall, slips and blacks out. When Yūta awakes, he sees a child, Saeko, who shows him a village from the past. A precious summer vacation for Yūta begins.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both fantasy & animation
Twelve Months (1980)
A young queen requests a bouquet of snowdrop flowers for New Year's Day in exchange for a reward. One greedy woman sends her stepdaughter, whom she does not like, to look for the flowers in a cold forest, knowing the task will be impossible for her. The girl almost freezes to death in the forest, but she is rescued by the spirits of the Twelve Months, who create spring around her. The girl is able to deliver the bouquet to the queen, but others want a share of the reward.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both fantasy & animation
Alice in Wonderland –Dive in Wonderland– (2025)
The main character is a modern girl named Rise. One day, she wanders into Wonderland, and when she meets Alice, the story begins to unfold.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both fantasy & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Day I Bought a Star (2006)
A young boy is tired of the city and escapes into the country. Two strangers trade him a strange seed. The boy accepts and the seed sprouts into a miniature planet, which continues to grow.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Swan Lake (1981)
The hero, Prince Siegfried, is out riding one day with his friends when he spies amidst swans on a lake a particularly eye-catching one with a crown on its head, the familiar Princess ...
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both adventure & fantasy
Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006)
It is 300 years into the future. Earth's environment had been devastated by mankind's own foolish plans and humankind is beleaguered by the sentient forests which they have awoken. The world balance is tipped when a young boy named Agito stumbles across a machine that glowed in a strange blue hue inside a forbidden sanctuary.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHotarubi no Mori e (2011)
One hot summer day a little girl gets lost in an enchanted forest of the mountain god where spirits reside. A young boy appears before her, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear. And so a wondrous adventure awaits...
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisIblard Time (2007)
A quiet stroll through the imaginary world of Iblard, originally depicted in the paintings by Naohisa Inoue, influenced by Impressionism and Surrealism.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiki's Delivery Service (2014)
A young girl named Kiki must leave her home for a year to begin training in witchcraft. She leaves on her broom, but first says goodbye to her friends and family. Kiki then begins her new life with her trusted cat Jiji.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both fantasy & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Princess and the Goblin (1991)
The story is about the Princess Irene and a young warrior boy named Curty. Irene must use her magic power to fight off goblins and save the kingdom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
SnoozefestMovies like thisLego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest (2023)
Tiana, Moana, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Ariel are off on an adventure as they are each unexpectedly transported to a mysterious castle. Shortly after arriving, they soon discover that Gaston has hatched an evil plan to take over all their kingdoms! The Princess characters must work together to solve challenges hidden deep within the castle walls and try to save their kingdoms from Gaston. Will bravery, quick-thinking, and teamwork prevail?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCastle in the Sky (1986)
A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Princess Arete?
The closest matches to Princess Arete are Brave Story (2006), Tsubasa Chronicle The Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Princess Arete?
People who watched Princess Arete most often go on to Brave Story (2006), Tsubasa Chronicle The Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013).
What is the highest-rated movie like Princess Arete?
Howl's Moving Castle (2004), rated 8.4/10 by 11,655 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Princess Arete?
Alice in Wonderland –Dive in Wonderland– (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Princess Arete?
Yes: Brave Story (2006), Tsubasa Chronicle The Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005) and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013).
How are movies similar to Princess Arete chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Princess Arete, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.