Traditional (Hand-drawn)

dir. Mamoru Oshii

S-Tier from Umbrella Entertainment. Mamoru Oshii's 1985 animated film that collectors have wanted on a quality physical release for years.

Umbrella Entertainment · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski

S-Tier Warner Bros. 4K. The animated Batman film that's better than most live-action Batman films. Getting a 4K was a big deal for animation collectors.

Warner Bros. · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Michael Schaack

S-Tier Deaf Crocodile 4K. German animated noir about a cat solving murders. One of the more unexpected 4K releases.

Deaf Crocodile · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Gerald Potterton, John Bruno

S-Tier Sony 4K. The animated anthology. The animation styles vary wildly and the HDR helps the more colorful segments.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. David Hand, Ben Sharpsteen

Disney's S-Tier 4K of its first animated feature. The transfer drew praise right away, with the hand-painted detail looking better than it probably ever has on home video. The steelbook design got a colder reception, but the disc inside is the same regardless of packaging.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Trey Parker

Paramount S-Tier 4K. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's animated musical got a proper 4K release alongside Team America. The UK release reportedly lacks Dolby Vision, which matters less for hand-drawn animation but still stings if you're paying import prices.

Paramount Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

Sony S-Tier 4K. The animation style pushes the format hard and the 4K disc is a go-to showcase disc. The steelbook designs have varied by region, with the JB Hi-Fi Australia exclusive and the WeET Collection full slip both drawing collector interest.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey

Sony S-Tier 4K. The animation in Into the Spider-Verse changed the game when it released and the 4K disc is still one of the best ways to watch it. Collectors who own both Spider-Verse films tend to reach for these over the live-action entries when showing off their setup.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Hayao Miyazaki

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."

Shout! Factory · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Takehiko Inoue

Shohoku's “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

Shout! Factory · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner

Universal S-Tier 4K. The March release rumors turned out to be accurate. DreamWorks hand-drawn animation in HDR is something people were quietly hoping for.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Martin Rosen

When the warren belonging to a community of rabbits is threatened, a brave group led by Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry and Hazel leave their homeland in a search of a safe new haven.

BFI · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi

S-Tier Universal 4K. Studio Ghibli's When Marnie Was There. The initial steelbook run had a printing error with blank spines, and Shout Factory sent out replacement cases. The Ghibli steelbook collection keeps expanding, and people are waiting for the full roster to be covered. This is one of the quieter Ghibli titles but it has its fans.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Robert Zemeckis

'Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime suspect.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Robert Zemeckis

A-Tier 4K. Jim Carrey's motion-capture Dickens. The French BubbelPop release is the 4K to track down.

France BubbelPop · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Jill Culton

A group of misfits encounter a young Yeti named Everest, and they set off to reunite the magical creature with his family on the mountain of his namesake.

dir. Katsuhiro Otomo

A-Tier 4K with the Japanese import being the best release. The big question for Western buyers is whether the Japanese disc includes English subtitles. Hand-drawn animation at this resolution shows every individual cel, which is the point.

Japanese Import · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Lee Unkrich

A-Tier Disney 4K. Pixar's Day of the Dead film. Best Buy had steelbooks at $10 USD.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Ben Sharpsteen, Jack Kinney

Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.

dir. Tetsuya Nomura

Two years have passed since the final battle with Sephiroth. Though Midgar, city of mako, city of prosperity, has been reduced to ruins, its people slowly but steadily walk the road to reconstruction. However, a mysterious illness called Geostigma torments them. With no cure in sight, it brings death to the afflicted, one after another, robbing the people of their fledgling hope.

dir. Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf head far into the forest to learn the truth about an ancient mystery of their kingdom.

dir. Dean DeBlois

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

Kino Lorber · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Brad Bird

Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet – taking care of the problems of his three children.

dir. Pete Docter

A-Tier Disney 4K. Pixar's emotions film. Inside Out 2 launched at $45 USD steelbook-only, and it became the poster child for Disney's aggressive 4K pricing. The original Inside Out 4K is still available at normal prices. The color-coded emotion worlds look really good in HDR, lots of saturated primary colors that benefit from the wider gamut.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Wes Anderson

A-Tier Criterion 4K. Wes Anderson's stop-motion film set in a dystopian Japan. There's already a steelbook floating around, and Criterion's 4K gave people a reason to double dip. All that stop-motion texture and detail really benefits from the resolution bump.

Criterion Collection · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Takeshi Nozue

The magical kingdom of Lucis is home to the world’s last remaining Crystal, and the menacing empire of Niflheim is determined to steal it. King Regis of Lucis commands an elite force of soldiers called the Kingsglaive. Wielding their king’s magic, they fight to protect Lucis. As the overwhelming military might of the empire bears down, King Regis is faced with an impossible ultimatum – to marry his son, Prince Noctis to Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae, captive of Niflheim, and surrender his lands to Niflheim rule. Although the king concedes, it becomes clear that the empire will stop at nothing to achieve their devious goals, with only the Kingsglaive standing between them and world domination.

dir. Mark Osborne, John Stevenson

A-Tier Universal 4K. DreamWorks animation at this resolution shows the hand-painted texture work more clearly. People have been waiting for 2 and 3 to follow, and KFP2 eventually dropped with little fanfare. Shows up on GRUV regularly.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Jennifer Yuh Nelson

A-Tier Universal 4K. Kung Fu Panda 2 snuck out on 4K with barely any marketing. People missed it entirely. The DreamWorks 4K transfers have been inconsistent compared to what Pixar gets, and expectations are tempered accordingly.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Mike Mitchell

Universal A-Tier 4K. Turbine included this in their 3D Series Wave 6 alongside F9 and Despicable Me 4. DreamWorks animation benefits from HDR for the fur and background detail.

Universal Pictures · 4K Ultra HD

dir. Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

A-Tier Disney 4K. Disney animation from 2002. The animated original's 4K steelbook was a surprise find at Walmart, possibly a return. Not much dedicated collector discussion around the 4K disc.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.

dir. Dan Scanlon

In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

dir. Joel Crawford

A-Tier Universal 4K. The DreamWorks sequel that surprised everyone by being great. People were legitimately scared by the villain. Turbine in Germany has a 3D release for those keeping home 3D alive. Custom steelbooks exist because DreamWorks doesn't do official ones often enough.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Gore Verbinski

A-Tier Paramount 4K. Gore Verbinski's animated western. The 4K announcement was a big deal, and Paramount was praised for continuing to release catalog titles. The steelbook and slipcover look great. People want the live-action reference footage included as a bonus feature. One of Paramount's stronger catalog 4K years.

Paramount Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people.

dir. Pete Docter

Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.

dir. Mamoru Hosoda

GKIDS A-Tier 4K. Mamoru Hosoda's animated film about a virtual world gone haywire. The steelbook-only release from Shout Factory follows a frustrating pattern for anime 4K titles where standard editions don't exist, but the artwork is excellent. Hosoda fans are hoping this leads to steelbooks for the rest of his catalog.

GKIDS · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Jeff Rowe

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O'Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

dir. Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier

The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration.

dir. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Warner put this out early in the 4K format's life, March 2016, and it's still A-Tier. The resolution bump over the Blu-ray is modest since the film was rendered at 2K, but the HDR is where it earns the rating. Colors pop in a way the standard Blu-ray never did.

Warner Bros. · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff

Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.

dir. Josh Cooley

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

dir. Mike Mitchell

It's been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.

dir. Eiichi Yamamoto

C-Tier from Anime Ltd. A psychedelic 1973 Japanese animated film with watercolor-style art. The C-Tier rating is a source material limitation. The art style doesn't benefit from resolution the way traditional animation does.

Anime Ltd

dir. Satoshi Kon

C-Tier Sony 4K. Satoshi Kon's dream-invasion anime, and the 4K announcement was huge for anime collectors. People immediately asked for Perfect Blue next. The steelbook looked great, though one person's Amazon copy arrived pre-damaged. Nolan's Inception gets compared to this constantly. The C-Tier suggests the transfer didn't get the full treatment it deserved.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Hayao Miyazaki

C-Tier Discotek Media Blu-ray. Miyazaki's first feature film, a Lupin III adventure. Discotek's release is well-regarded for the label, and they did a new English dub alongside the original. No 4K version exists yet, which is why it's still on Blu-ray. Discotek includes slipcovers as standard on all their releases.

Discotek Media · Blu-ray

dir. Satoshi Kon

D-Tier Anime Limited. Satoshi Kon's animated love letter to Japanese cinema. No 4K version exists yet, though Shout Factory's Blu-ray release was welcomed after it was the last Kon film without a proper home video edition. People are hoping for a 4K with HDR and asking about a Paranoia Agent restoration.

Anime Limited

dir. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Disney's dropping the 1951 Alice in Wonderland on 4K in May. It's a standalone release, instead of a limited edition steelbook, which is not how Disney has historically handled their vault. Hand-drawn animation at 4K lets you actually see the brush strokes and ink lines that the Blu-ray just smoothed over. The restoration teaser already has the 4K community asking if Sleeping Beauty is next.

Walt Disney Studios · 4K Ultra HD

dir. Ugo Bienvenu

10-year-old Arco lives in a far future. During his first flight in his rainbow suit, he loses control and falls into the past. Iris, a girl his age from 2075, comes to his rescue and tries by all means to help send him back to his era.

Neon · 4K Ultra HD

dir. Noriyuki Abe

A mysterious reiatsu (spiritual particle) explosion occurs in the center of Seireitei in Soul Society, causing it to be destroyed. At the exact same time, a major change overwhelms Kuchiki Rukia, which leaves her losing something important inside. Urahara Kisuke sends Kurosaki Ichigo to Soul Society to investigate the disturbance. Upon reaching Seireitei, Ichigo is attacked by his ally shinigamis.

88 Films · 4K + Blu-ray (Restored)

dir. John Lasseter

Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters.

dir. Kenji Kodama

Ran’s secret past revealed! Ten years ago, something happened between her mom and dad. Now, plagued by nightmares, Ran is starting to remember… Meanwhile, a murderous card dealer breaks out of jail to seek revenge. His target: Ran’s father. Can Conan stop him in time and save his girlfriend’s family?

Imprint · Limited Edition

dir. Tatsuya Yoshihara

In a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into Denji's world, and he faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.

Sony Pictures · 4K Ultra HD

dir. Chika Nagaoka

A message has arrived from Kid the Phantom Thief, that he will steal a Japanese sword belonging to wealthy Onoe Family in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Conan and Heiji Hattori, who happened to be in Hakodate, are on the case to capture Kid. Coincidentally the family lawyer of Onoe is found murdered in the warehouse district, apparently slaughtered by a Japanese sword. The suspect is an investor/arms dealer who is said to be after Onoe family’s hidden treasure. In the North among cherry blossoms, the exciting hunt for treasure begins!

dir. Tatsuya Nagamine

Earth is peaceful following the Tournament of Power. Realizing that the universes still hold many more strong people yet to see, Goku spends all his days training to reach even greater heights. Then one day, Goku and Vegeta are faced by a Saiyan called 'Broly' who they've never seen before. The Saiyans were supposed to have been almost completely wiped out in the destruction of Planet Vegeta, so what's this one doing on Earth? This encounter between the three Saiyans who have followed completely different destinies turns into a stupendous battle, with even Frieza (back from Hell) getting caught up in the mix.

Crunchyroll · Limited Edition Steelbook

dir. Daisuke Nishio

In order to wish for immortality and avenge his father, Garlic Jr. collects the dragon balls, kidnapping Goku's son Gohan in the process. Goku, Kami, Piccolo, and Krillin unite to rescue Gohan and save the world from being sucked into a dead zone.

dir. Tyree Dillihay

Sony 4K announcement. The blu-ray.com comments are mostly about the packaging, where Sony couldn't use the actual studio logo and had to recreate the poster art for their own release. Standard BD included with the UHD, which Sony doesn't always do for animation.

dir. Toshiya Shinohara

InuYasha is a half-demon who was trapped in the Legendary Tree and was set free by Kagome, a girl who traveled 500 years through time. This time, both of them will have to face Menomaru, a Chinese demon whose father, known as Hyoga, came 300 years ago to invade Japan, but was stopped by InuYasha's Father. InuYasha and Kagome, along with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede and Myoga, will try to stop Menomaru in his becoming the most powerful demon ever.

dir. Shoji Kawamori, Shinichiro Watanabe

Three decades after the great war between the humans and the Zentradi, the U.N. government is developing new technologies to use in their transforming fighter aircraft by running tests on the colony planet Eden. Military test pilots and former childhood friends, loose cannon Isamu Alva Dyson and the Zentradi mixed race Guld Goa Bowman, are selected to each pilot a new aircraft (Shinsei Industries' YF-19 & General Galaxy's YF-21) for Project Super Nova, to choose the newest successor to the VF-11 Thunderbolt variable fighter which is currently still in use by the U.N. Spacy military forces. Their own personal grudges end up disrupting the tests, and begin to wreak havoc on the program.

dir. Kenji Nagasaki

All Might and Deku accept an invitation to go abroad to a floating and mobile manmade city, called 'I-Island', where they research quirks as well as hero supplemental items at the special 'I-Expo' convention that is currently being held on the island. During that time, suddenly, despite an iron wall of security surrounding the island, the system is breached by a villain, and the only ones able to stop him are the students of Class 1-A.

88 Films · 4K Ultra HD

dir. Ishi Rudell

The story follows Sunset Shimmer, who (using her powers) finds out that her friends' memories of her have been mysteriously erased, resulting in them getting amnesia. Determined to set things straight, she'll need Princess Twilight's help from Equestria in order to find out the source of what caused her friends' memory loss.

Cult Epics · 4K + Blu-ray

dir. Roger Allers, Jill Culton

Boog, a domesticated 900lb. Grizzly bear finds himself stranded in the woods 3 days before Open Season. Forced to rely on Elliot, a fast-talking mule deer, the two form an unlikely friendship and must quickly rally other forest animals if they are to form a rag-tag army against the hunters.

dir. Satoshi Kon

GKIDS has the limited edition steelbook preorder up. Satoshi Kon's cult following keeps growing and this is one of those titles where the physical release matters to the audience more than most.

GKIDS · Limited Edition Steelbook

dir. Takashi Katagiri

While under the guise of taking his family on a weekend winter getaway, Loid's attempt to make progress on his current mission Operation Strix proves difficult when Anya mistakenly gets involved and triggers events that threaten world peace.

Anime Limited · Collector's Edition

dir. Gisaburō Sugii

The 4K transfer was called 'very nice overall' with one caveat about whites running slightly blue. The consensus is that this is the best version we're getting. Bryan Cranston has a voice role and apparently nobody remembers this until someone brings it up.

dir. Yasuhito Kikuchi

Sony Steelbook. The top comment calls it a disappointment and recommends a different director's work instead. Series fans will buy it.

Sony Pictures · Steelbook

dir. Mamoru Hosoda

Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.

dir. Arna Selznick

The Care Bears team up with a troubled brother and sister who just moved to a new town to help a neglected young magician's apprentice whose evil spell book causes sinister things to happen.

Altitude · 4K Ultra HD

dir. Mamoru Hosoda

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.

dir. Brad Bird

OOP steelbook, scalpers are charging a fortune, and the community is split between waiting for a 4K announcement and just paying up.

dir. Makoto Shinkai

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.

Anime Limited · Steelbook

dir. Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King

When ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind, a group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.

dir. Derek Drymon

Desperate to be a big guy, SpongeBob sets out to prove his bravery to Mr. Krabs by following The Flying Dutchman – a mysterious swashbuckling ghost pirate – on a seafaring adventure that takes him to the deepest depths of the deep sea, where no Sponge has gone before.

Paramount Pictures · Steelbook

dir. Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath

Steelbook art is getting called lazy but the design is actually Rosalina's storybook from the game, which has people cautiously into it. The Yoshi Egg tin edition feels like a mid-2000s collector gimmick. Best Buy has a 40th Anniversary mini steelbook exclusive tied to a gift card purchase, and collectors are annoyed that Best Buy wants back in after abandoning physical media.

dir. Mamoru Hosoda

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.

Shout! Factory · Limited Edition Steelbook