Haven’t gotten your fill of light academia yet? Well, here are a few animated movies that can send you directly into the aesthetic.
Light academia is an aesthetic that highlights the positive, relaxed side of academia and is the counterpart of dark academia.
The aesthetic involves happy endings and themes involving love, friendship, and glee. Typically, the visuals are neutral, romantic, and vintage with an overall cozy feel that manages to be both elegant and cute at the same time. The tone is often emotionally light, even when addressing harder subjects. As the name would suggest, schooling is involved or higher education/learning in general – the work resides somewhere in the realm of academia. In contrast to dark academia, light academia has a more relaxed feel to its approach for academia, and subjects can include paintings, photography, marble sculptures, bright and elegant architecture, classic literature, and more.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Synopsis
When Mr. Fox decides to go back to his old lifestyle of crime and robs the nearby farmers, the Fox family realizes just how dangerous their home can be. Together, all of the nearby animals must rise up and stop the tyranny of the farmers.
Light Academia Ranking – 5/5
By the summary alone, you wouldn’t flag this movie as a light academia movie. But, as any movie fan knows, it’s all in the details (especially for animation). This movie has many scenes of Ash and his cousin interacting at school and with their classmates. The ending is happy and the themes of love, friendship, and finding your joy are there. The visuals are PEAK light academia, with the neutral color palette, cozy feel, and vintage clothing. Even the light tone the story is able to take when addressing subjects like murder and kidnapping fit perfectly.
Whisper of the Heart
Synopsis
Shizuku isn’t interested in school or boys, only fantasy books. One day, she follows a cat into a new part of town and stumbles upon an antique shop that ignites her creativity. She befriends the owner and eventually falls for his grandson, who is following his dreams with a passion like Shizuku has never seen before. She decides that she should follow her dreams as well, learning more about herself along the way.
Light Academia Ranking – 5/5
Themes run supreme here, with the 3 big hitters (joy, love, and friendship) all represented in a big way. The ending is happy AND cheesy in a way that brings warmth to your chest. The visuals, like many high school anime movies, are rounded and cute. Schooling is at the forefront of this movie and Shizuku’s attitude towards school and learning fits well with light academia’s relaxed approached to the subject.
Turning Red
Synopsis
Middle schooler Mei is the ideal student and daughter, or, that’s what her mother thinks. In reality, Mei is torn between her duty to her family and her love for her friends and her passions. After an old family curse takes root in Mei, forcing her to become a giant red panda when she experiences heightened emotions, Mei must come to terms with who she really is and who she wants to be.
Light Academia Ranking – 3/5
Happy endings and themes of love and friendship? Check. However, a reason why this isn’t higher on the list is due to the visuals. The visuals, like most Pixar movies, are dynamic and colorful in a way that will appeal to young children. This isn’t a bad thing by any means, but it doesn’t hit that cute but elegant, cozy romantic feel that light academia is known for. Additionally, although Mei and her friends are students and there are many scenes in school, academia takes more of a backseat in this movie.
From Up On Poppy Hill
Synopsis
Japan is trying to leave behind the scars of WWII and focuses on modernization. High schooler Umi, however, has a hard time letting go of the past. When she finds out that her school is thinking about tearing down a historic clubhouse, she and her friends join the male students in their quest to stop that from happening.
Light Academia Ranking – 4/5
The themes and visuals are perfect for the light academia aesthetic. There’s even a happy ending (although, I do think that the film cuts off weirdly at the end despite knowing that it is, in fact, a happy ending). Academia is present here, with most of the characters being students and one of the major plot lines revolving around a school building and their love for it. However, this isn’t ranked 5/5 because the tone of the movie isn’t as recreative as you’d expect a light academia movie to be. Sure, with the subject material given it could be MUCH darker, but as it is now, the tone works well for what the storyline is, it’s just not 100% on par with the light academia aesthetic.
Missing Link
Synopsis
Mr. Link, a Sasquatch, is tired of living by himself in America’s Pacific Northwest. He longs for a family, and tricks an explorer to help him find his real home, something they believe will be with the legendary Yeti. However, even with the help of another fearless adventurer, their path will be blocked by those who want to capture him for academic study.
Light Academia Ranking – 2.5/5
In most categories, this movie fits light academia very well. Visuals, tone, theme, and ending. However, academia is a key component for the aesthetic. The movie qualifies for this list because Lionel considers himself to be an academic (he’s a man who studies mythical creatures), and wants to join a club that other academics are in. This is the whole base for his motivations. However, the plot itself does not truly revolve around academia – thus, its low placing.
Ernest & Celestine
Synopsis
Mice and bears live separate lives, wary of each other. One day, Celestine must go and steal baby bear teeth for her dentistry class, but she’s caught in the act. After another bear, Ernest, attempts to eat her, the two realize that they have more to gain by helping each other than being at odds.
Light Academia Ranking – 2/5
Similarly to Missing Link (above), this movie works for themes, tone, visuals, and the happy ending, but the question of academia comes into play. Celestine is a dentistry student who loves art. Ernest is, you could argue, a student of music and entertainment. Both of them adore art and eventually make a book together. In this way, I feel that the movie qualifies for light academia due to the aesthetic’s relaxed approach to academia, but it can’t rank very high.
Only Yesterday
Synopsis
On the train to visit her sister’s family in the countryside, Taeko daydreams about her days as a student. During her trip, she continues to think back on her youth and wonders if the life she has now is what truly makes her happy.
Light Academia Ranking – 3.5/5
Academia is more of a setting (a setting for flashbacks no less) than the main focus of this film, but everything else in terms of themes, tone, ending, and especially visuals fit well. Rounded, soft, neutral, and cute, the visuals are romantic and cozy with vintage clothes to boot – just with the aesthetic calls for.
The Secret of Kells
Synopsis
When a young Irish boy Brendan is taken as an apprentice to help complete the sacred Book of Kells, he unknowingly undertakes a task that will lead him on a journey to banish darkness from the land. Along the way he receives the help of the fairy Aisling. Together they face legendary foes, as well as human ones.
Light Academia Ranking – 2/5
Like a few movies on this list, this movie fits due to it’s themes, tone, ending, and visuals. The issue comes in with the ‘academia’ requirement. However, this movie IS all about completing a very famous text that does exist today. In helping create this text, Brendan IS an academic. So, it belongs on this list in a low position.
The Cat Returns
Synopsis
Kind, but timid Haru feels stuck in her high school life, like she’s merely moving through the motions. One day she rescues a cat from being hit by a truck and the cat speaks to her, thanking her. This moment changes Haru’s life, as the cat she saved was actually a prince and his father decides that she should become crown princess, not taking no for an answer. As a result, Haru seeks help from the Cat Bureau, and the three members follow her to the Cat Kingdom in an attempt to stop the wedding.
Light Academia Ranking – 3.5/5
Although Haru is a student and there are many scenes filmed at her school, academia is slightly limited here when compared to other movies. Everything else fits perfectly with a special shout out to the themes (joy, friendship, and love) being represented in a way that highlights that there are different ways to love someone, or to be friends with them, or to find joy.
Honorable Mentions
These animated movies were close contenders, but have qualities that kept them out of the final lineup.
Klaus
After Jesper refuses to take on any responsibilities and uses his family’s wealth to live lavishly, his father, the Postmaster General, decides to teach him a hard lesson. He sends Jesper to Smeerensburg to set up a post office and insists that over 6,000s letters must be posted by the end of the year. If he doesn’t, he’s disinherited. Easy right? Wrong. Smeerensburg is notoriously hostile, especially to their postmen. In an attempt to reach his goal, Jesper concocts an elaborate scheme and enlists the help of a local woodsman, but lies about his plans.
Why Is This An Honorable Mention?
Klaus is an interesting entry here, because there is technically schooling in this movie, in many different forms, but the movie is never about academia. Additionally, the visuals really shift back and forth from light academia to dark academia (you know, with the brawls and creepy children holding what we can only assume are dead bodies). The themes of friendship, love, and joy do ring true, and there is somewhat of a happy ending even if the emotions are high, but overall the question of academia keeps this out of the running.
Monster’s University
Mike Wazowski wants to be a scarer, and Monster’s University is the top place to achieve his goal! Unfortunately, he is told that no amount of studying can make up for his lack of scare appeal and is kicked out of the major. Also kicked out is Sully, who has the opposite problem of being naturally scary but has no drive or dedication to the craft. Wanting to get back into the program, the two reluctantly work together with the aid of a ‘loser’ fraternity in the hopes of winning the Scare Games.
Why Is This An Honorable Mention?
University = academia, even if they’re monsters, right? Maybe? But since it’s a prequel, there isn’t really a happy ending, just a continuation. Also the themes fit for friendship, but less so for others. Additionally, like Turning Red, the visuals are very Pixar – bright and strong. They don’t truly match the light academia aesthetic very much at all. Lastly, the tone. Like many Pixaar movies, this movie can’t really qualify as ’emotionally light-hearted’ because it just makes you want to cry at multiple points.
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