Best Award Winning Anime of 2004

The colossal, locomotive Howl's Moving Castle, characterized by its clanking gears and billowing smoke, is the domain of the legendary wizard Howl, renowned for his potent magic and status as a ladies' man. In a tranquil town where such legends are whispered, Sophie Hatter, the modest daughter of a hatmaker, dedicates herself to her family's trade without any desire for a life beyond it. Sophie's routine existence is upended when she faces a perilous predicament and is saved by the mysterious Howl. This interaction angers the spiteful Witch of the Waste, who, driven by jealousy stemming from a previous conflict with Howl, casts a curse upon Sophie, aging her into an elderly woman. To shatter the curse and restore her youth, Sophie sets off on a hazardous quest alongside Howl and his eccentric allies, including a powerful fire demon and a jumping scarecrow, all within the living castle. Their journey takes place against the backdrop of a raging war that threatens to tear their world apart.

In Musashino City, panic spreads following a string of assaults by a mysterious figure named Shounen Bat. This attacker zips around on rollerblades, striking victims with a gleaming gold baseball bat. The initial target is Tsukiko Sagi, a famous but withdrawn character designer, who finds herself falsely accused of masterminding the incidents. Her sole ally is Maromi, a talking pink plush toy who staunchly defends Tsukiko's innocence, even as the toy itself becomes a target. Detectives Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa are tasked with uncovering the identity of Shounen Bat. As the victim count rises, media coverage fuels public terror while disturbing rumors circulate, tightening the grip of paranoia on both children and adults. Can Ikari and Maniwa unravel the mystery of Shounen Bat before the escalating dread consumes them too?

In the year 5053, French nobles Viscount Albert de Morcerf and Baron Franz d'Epinay attend the Carnival festivities in the lunar colony of Luna. While Franz is satisfied with the revelry, Albert craves a more profound purpose in his life. His search for meaning shifts dramatically when he captures the attention of the mysterious and charismatic Count of Monte Cristo, a self-made aristocrat, during an opera performance. As the story progresses, Albert develops a friendship with the Count and introduces him to the elite circles of French society. However, the Count's true motives go beyond simple companionship; he is orchestrating a long-awaited vengeance against those who wronged him in the past. "Gankutsuou" explores the intertwined fates of Albert and the Count, and the heavy cost of seeking justice through revenge.

Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa share an intense fascination with their classmate Sayuri Sawatari and the seemingly endless Ezo Tower that rises above the Tsugaru Strait. Inspired by this unattainable structure, they begin building an aircraft called Bella Ciela from a discarded drone, hoping to one day reach its summit. With Sayuri joining their project, the three make a promise to fly to the tower together. Yet Japan is split into northern and southern regions, and tensions escalate around the tower, which sits on the border between American-controlled southern islands and Soviet-held northern territories. A devastating event occurs when Sayuri vanishes without warning, leaving Hiroki and Takuya grief-stricken and searching for answers. Unbeknownst to them, Sayuri has fallen into a prolonged coma due to a mysterious sleep disorder. When they learn of her condition, Hiroki and Takuya also discover a strange connection between Sayuri’s comatose state and the very tower they had vowed to explore together.

In 2032, medical progress has turned humanity into a more technology-dependent species, giving rise to a population of cyborg citizens. Alongside cybernetics, rapid advances in artificial intelligence have made androids a commercially feasible product. A recent spate of murders committed by a prototype female android has caught the attention of Section 9, a unit dedicated to countering cyber-terrorism. Since none of the victims' families are pressing charges, suspicions grow about the androids' true nature and their production. Months after the Puppet Master incident, with the Major still missing, the investigation falls to her cyborg commando partner Batou and his newly recruited biological partner, Togusa. Can the two set aside their differences and uncover the truth behind these murders?

Nishi rekindles his high school romance with Myon after she narrowly survives a train accident, only to discover she is engaged. While visiting Myon’s family’s yakitori restaurant and meeting her fiancé, Yakuza members ambush them, and Nishi is killed trying to protect Myon. In death, Nishi meets a whimsical, shapeshifting deity who challenges him to accept his fate by stepping through a portal into oblivion. Refusing to comply, Nishi chooses to return to life with a renewed perspective and foreknowledge of the Yakuza attack. Using this awareness, he turns one of the assailants’ weapons against them and flees with Myon and her sister in a stolen vehicle. Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, Mind Game employs a fluid, ever-changing animation style to explore themes of living without regret, establishing itself as a truly unique cinematic work.

Since the conflict with the Space Monsters erupted, many generations have come and gone, and few recall its origins—documentation from that time is sparse. Despite the bleak outlook, humanity persists in their struggle, depending on the "Topless," a distinguished corps of space pilots with unique talents allowing them to wield the Buster Machines, humanity’s last line of defense. Nono, a young woman hailing from a distant Martian village, has been captivated by tales of the famed pilot "Nono-Riri." Yearning to break free from her routine existence, she is determined to emulate her idol. Naively oblivious to the impending peril, she is unwavering in pursuit of her ambition. Fate intervenes when Nono meets Lal'C Melk Mark, a solitary Topless pilot, and she resolves to follow Lal'C into the unknown, regardless of the risks involved.

Haré's family receives a video message from Weda's city home, showing how heartbroken and lonely Weda's mother and Bel are in her absence. Moved by their sorrow, Weda resolves to take Haré and Guu back to the city for a visit. However, Haré feigns boredom and loneliness without his jungle friends as a calculated scheme to convince his mother to let him return. In response, Weda decides to enroll him in a private city school, where he immediately falls for a beautiful girl named Rita. Naturally, Guu also insists on joining the adventure and getting in on the action.