There are few traditions in media that are as well-known and frequent asChristmasspecials. Not only are they easy ways to draw in viewers when an episode of something airs around Christmas, but with how universal Christmas’ themes of love, family, and peace are, a good Christmas special can resonate with countless people worldwide, and many of them have long since become some of the most iconic stories in entertainment.
Christmas episodes or specials are a common occurrence in media, and animeis no exception. While Japan doesn’t necessarily treat Christmas the same way as the United States or other countries in the Western world, the themes of love, family, and peace are still readily apparent, and because of that,there are plenty of great anime specials or movies that use the idea of Christmas to tell emotional and all-around great stories from start to finish. A fewChristmas anime shows and specialsstand out, in particular, and they’re all plenty worth watching in and out of the holiday season.
10Chocotto Sister
In Nomad Inc.’sChocotto Sister, when Haruma Kawagoe was a child, he wished for Santa to bring him a little sister after his mother suffered a miscarriage, a wish that, unfortunately, went ungranted. As it turns out, though, creating a little sister just takes a long time, and when Haruma is in college, he’s finally given his little sister, Choko, and the instruction manual for how she works.
Chocotto Sisteris a simple story that never breaks the mold of slice-of-life anime, but it does a good job of executing its tropes in a way that’s fun to watch, and overall,Chocotto Sister’s themes of family centered around the holidays capture the true essence of what makes for a good Christmas story. The anime doesn’t cover the full story of the manga, but with what is covered, it’s still a great anime to watch during the holidays.
9Santa Company
Anime Film By Kenji Studio; Directed By Kenji Itoso
Kenji Studio’sSanta Companystars Noel White, an apprentice Tonttu at Santa’s workshop struggling to pass her final test for becoming one of Santa’s official workers: finding the most important thing for a Santa Claus. As the deadline approaches, Noel discovers that Santa missed a letter, and she takes it upon herself to fulfill the neglected request and discover what it truly means to be Santa Claus.
Santa Companyand its various sequels were all products of crowdfunding from Kenji Itoso and Kenji Studio, and in addition to looking surprisingly good for something not made by conventional means,Santa Company’s premise of characters trying to work for Santa Claus is a simple, yet effective way of conveying the themes of Christmas. It’s a film that hits all the beats of a classic Christmas story, and it’s great for anyone looking for something new during the holidays.
8Itsudatte My Santa!
Anime Series By TNK; Based On The Manga By Ken Akamatsu
TNK’sItsudatte My Santa!, loosely translating to “Always My Santa!”, stars Santa, a young boy named such because he was born on Christmas Eve and hates Christmas because his parents always prioritize celebrating the holidays over spending time with him. As such, it’s a surprise to Santa when he meets Mai, a student from the Santa Claus Academy who’s come to use her magic to teach Santa the true meaning of Christmas.
Itsudatte My Santa!is based on an early work of Ken Akamtsu ofLove Hinafame, and sure enough,Itsudatte My Santa!has all the same rom-com charm that has made the works ofmangaka Ken Akamatsuso iconic for almost 30 years. Naturally, the fanservice-laden nature of Akamatsu’s work could make it a turnoff for some, but anyone who can get past that will find a surprisingly heartwarming Christmas story inItsudatte My Santa!
7Love Hina Christmas Special - Silent Eve
Anime Special By Xebec; Based On The Manga By Ken Akamatsu
Love Hina Christmas Special - Silent Eveis, as the name implies, a Christmas special for Xebec’sLove Hinareleased shortly after the anime’s finale. As Christmas slowly approaches, a rumor reaches the Hinata House that because it’s the first Christmas of the millennium, confessing your love will make it come true, so Keitaro decides to finally confess his feelings to Naru, as unnecessarily complicated as that may be.
Silent Eveinvokes all the same harem rom-com tropes ofLove Hina, and while that could be a turnoff for some,anyone who had fun withLove Hinawill find everything they enjoyed about it inLove Hina Christmas Special - Silent Evewith the additional benefit of a charming Christmas theme adding a new dynamic to everything. The story is, unfortunately, as inconclusive as the original anime, but anyone looking for a good extension of the classic anime won’t be disappointed.
6Sailor Moon S: The Movie
Anime Film By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Naoko Takeuchi
Toei Animation’sSailor Moon S: The Movieis the second film spinoff of the originalSailor Moonanime. The Sailor Guardians must deal with Princess Snow Kaguya, an alien tyrant trying to turn the Earth into a frozen wasteland, and at the same time, Luna must also deal with her growing affection for the astronomer studying Kaguya named Kakeru.
Sailor Moon S: The Moviedoesn’t have anything to do with Christmas besides the snowy setting and Tuxedo Mask briefly dressing up as Santa Claus, but between the great chemistry of the cast and the touching drama of Luna’s failed romance,Sailor Moon S: The Moviehas all the same action and charm that madeSailor Moonsuch an iconic anime. The film is the only one based on a story from the manga, and that plays a large part in why it’s so great to watch.
Anime Series By Sunrise; Directed By Fumihiko Takayama
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket - Season 1
Sunrise’sMobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocketis the firstMobile Suit GundamOVA series and the first story not directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino. Alfred “Al” Izuruha is a young boy with an innocent idealization of war, but all of that changes as he and his friends are dragged into the One Year War as Zeon attacks their colony to prevent the launch of a powerful new Gundam.
Sunrise’sMobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocketis the firstMobile Suit GundamOVA series and the first story not directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, withPatlaborwriter Fumihiko Takayama put in charge. Alfred “Al” Izuruha is a young boy with an innocent idealization of war, but all of that changes as he and his friends are dragged into the One Year War as Zeon attacks their colony to prevent the launch of a powerful new Gundam.
War in the Pocketis a Christmas storylargely because it happens to take place on Christmas, but regardless,Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket’s small-scale narrative that perfectly captures the franchise’s anti-war themes makes it a great watch for old and newGundamfans, alike. The series is often regarded as one of the bestGundamanime ever made, and overall, it’s easy to see why.
Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz
Cast
Sunrise’sGundam Wing: Endless Waltzis an OVA series serving as an epilogue toMobile Suit Gundam Wing. One year after the events of the anime, a rebellious military force called the Mariemaia Army, led by the daughter of Treize Khushrenada, seeks to take over the Earth Sphere United Force, and now Heero and his friends must take to their Gundams once more to protect the peace they worked so hard to achieve.
Endless Waltzis more of a story taking place on Christmas than a genuine Christmas story, but whether by coincidence or design,Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz’s themes of war and peace, combined with its incredible action, makes it a great, action-packed Christmas story in a similar vein asDie Hard.Wingis one of the most iconicGundamanime, and overall,Endless Waltzwas a great way to close out its story.
3Kaguya-sama: Love Is War - The First Kiss That Never Ends
Anime Film By A-1 Pictures; Based On The Manga By Aka Akasaka
A-1 Pictures’Kaguya-sama: Love is War - The First Kiss That Never Endsis the sequel film toKaguya-sama: Love is War. Following the events of season 3, Kaguya, afraid that she went too far with Miyuki by making their first kiss a French kiss, reverts to her stoic “Ice Kaguya” personality as a defense mechanism, further complicating their relationship as they and their friends all try to find love during the holidays.
Not only does the film have all the same great writing and visuals as the anime, butKaguya-sama: Love is War - The First Kiss That Never Endsfinally having Kaguya and Miyuki become a couple is as cathartic a moment that a fan could ask for, and it feels completely earned, as well. Because of that, the film offers some of the best romantic writing of the series, and it’s a perfect film to watch around the holidays.
2The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya
Anime Film By Kyoto Animation; Based On The Light Novel By Nagaru Tanigawa
Kyoto Animation’sThe Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiyais the sequel film to the iconicThe Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. As Kyon prepares for the SOS Brigade’s Christmas hotpot party, he wakes up one day to find the SOS Brigade gone and him the only one who knows about Haruhi. Kyon only has so much time to fix things, but soon enough, the bigger question becomes if he even should as opposed to making this calmer reality his new home.
Between its gorgeous visuals and the excellent character writing,The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiyais a thoughtful and overall entertaining continuation of the original anime that more than earns its lengthy runtime with how well its direction is. There’s still no word on whetherHaruhi Suzumiyawill receive a third season, but as it stands,The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiyais a perfect way to cap off the anime.
1Tokyo Godfathers
Anime Film By Madhouse; Directed By Satoshi Kon
Madhouse’sTokyo Godfathersis a film fromlegendary anime director Satoshi Konloosely based on the 1948 film3 Godfathers. One Christmas Eve, a trio of homeless people—Gin the alcoholic, the transgender woman Hana, and the teenage runaway Miyuki—find a baby abandoned in the trash, and the three end up on a wild adventure of escalating circumstances as they try to reunite the baby with her parents.
While far more grounded than Satoshi Kon’s usual work, between its stellar animation and its thoughtful character writing centered around love and family,Tokyo Godfathersdoes a perfect job of capturing the spirit of Christmas through its sentimental themes and the gorgeous visuals accompanying them. There’s no anime that better embodies Christmas thanTokyo Godfathers, and that, of course, makes it thebest Christmas anime a person can watch.
