Top Action Adventure Anime: Thrilling Japanese Films You Need to See

Ghost Killer

2025 • 104 min

Action, Comedy, Fantasy

A college student named Fumika Matsuoka is haunted by the ghost of Kudo, a vengeful hitman. She reluctantly agrees to help him complete his unfinished revenge mission.

7.2

6.3

13+

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+10

BECK

2010 • 145 min

Drama, Music

Yukio is an ordinary high school student, focused on school and avoiding trouble. His life changes when he meets Ryusuke, a talented guitarist. Along with Taira, Chiba, and Saku, Yukio forms the rock band BECK. As BECK gains popularity, Ryusuke's…

6.5

6.8

HiGH&LOW The Movie 3: Final Mission

2017 • 118 min

To hide past government wrongdoing, the Kyuryu group plans to demolish a street and construct a casino. In response, SWORD members begin to take action to stop them.

6.6

7.1

Baby Assassins: Nice Days

2024 • 113 min

Action, Comedy, Crime

Teenage assassins Mahiro and Chisato travel to Miyazaki for a job and some downtime, but their plans change when they encounter a renowned assassin who wants to add them to his list of victims.

8.3

7.0

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+13

Gintama 2: Rules are Made to Be Broken

2018 • 134 min • Box office $30M

Comedy, Action, Science Fiction

The Yorozuya crew steps back into action to defend the nation's shogun as the Shinsengumi police face a critical situation.

7.1

6.4

Crows Explode

2014 • 129 min • Box office $10M

Action, Adventure, Crime

A month after Genji Takiya's graduation, a new competition for the top position at Suzuran All-Boys High School starts. Transfer student Kaburagi Kazeo challenges Kagami Ryohei for the coveted title, all while tensions rise with rival Kurosaki Industrial High.

6.1

5.7

13+

Death Note: The Last Name

2006 • 140 min • Budget $17M • Box office $47M

Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery

In the second film, Light Yagami encounters Misa Amane, a second Kira, and her Shinigami, Rem. Light teams up with L, Teru Mikami (a Kira follower), and Kiyomi Takada (another Kira follower) to defeat L. But will Light succeed? Or…

7.1

Underdog: Part One

2020 • 132 min

The film follows three struggling boxers who are treated as expendable fodder. Former pro boxer Suenaga Akira, aiming for a comeback, finds himself fighting for every opportunity. Omura Ryuta, a young man with a difficult past, seeks a path to…

7.1

6.7

Gonin Saga

2015 • 129 min

Seiji, a third-generation member of the "Gosei kai" gang, dedicates himself to strengthening the organization. At the same time, a journalist's investigation into a 19-year-old case leads him to Hayato, Daisuke, and Asami.

5.1

5.3

Lesson of the Evil

2012 • 129 min • Box office $26M

Thriller, Horror

Seiji Hasumi is a well-liked English teacher at a private high school. However, he harbors a violent, sociopathic nature and devises a drastic plan to address the increasing bullying and misconduct among his students.

6.7

6.6

Tokyo Ghoul

2017 • 119 min • Box office $5M

Action, Drama, Thriller

A Tokyo college student is attacked by a ghoul, a human-like creature that feeds on people. He survives the attack, but is transformed into something part ghoul himself, forcing him to go into hiding.

7.1

5.7

17+

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Bad Lands

2023 • 143 min

A con artist and her impulsive brother acquire a large sum of money, but their illegal fortune makes them a prime target.

7.1

6.0

17+

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Hell Dogs

2022 • 137 min • Box office $3M

Action, Crime, Drama

Haunted by his past, a former police officer seeks vengeance and enters the world of a dangerous yakuza syndicate. He plans to do so by forging a friendship with one of the organization’s most volatile members.

7.2

6.7

17+

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RE:BORN

2016 • 101 min

Action, Crime

Haunted by his history, a retired special forces soldier battles his inner demons. He unleashes a brutal campaign of vengeance against a group of merciless assassins.

7.1

6.0

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+11

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends

2014 • 135 min

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Shishio sets out on an ironclad ship with the goal of overthrowing the government. To prevent this, Kenshin trains with his former master to master his ultimate technique.

7.7

7.5

17+

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Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno

2014 • 138 min

Action, Adventure, Drama

Kenshin has found peace living with Kaoru and his friends when he's asked for help by the Meiji government. Makoto Shishio, once an assassin like Kenshin, was betrayed and left for dead. He survived and is now in Kyoto, gathering…

7.6

7.5

17+

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Baby Assassins

2021 • 95 min

Action, Drama, Comedy

Two high school seniors, secretly highly skilled assassins, find their friendship strained when ordered to share a room by their organization. Their tensions escalate when both girls become targets of the yakuza, forcing them to put aside their differences and…

6.6

6.4

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+16

Genome Hazard

2014 • 120 min

Thriller, Drama

Ishigami returns home to find his wife has died. Moments later, he receives a phone call from her, leaving him bewildered. Strange events unfold as he desperately searches for her. He slowly comes to realize his memories are missing, and…

6.9

6.3

13+

Blade of the Immortal

2017 • 140 min • Box office $150K

Action, Fantasy, Adventure

After a legendary battle, samurai Manji is cursed with immortality. Haunted by the murder of his sister, he seeks to regain his soul by fighting evil. He agrees to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were…

6.7

17+

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+11

Platinum Data

2013 • 133 min

In 2017, the Japanese government secretly tries to control people's DNA. Ryuhei Kagura, a leading DNA analysis scientist working for the National Police Agency, is caught in the middle. After the inventor of the DNA analysis system is murdered, Ryuhei's…

5.4

5.7

Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins

2012 • 134 min • Box office $61M

Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Following the end of the Bakumatsu war in 1868, Kenshin Himura, a former assassin, journeys across Japan wielding his sword reversed. He dedicates himself to protecting the vulnerable, striving to do so without taking lives.

7.5

7.4

17+

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ICHI

2008 • 120 min

Action, Adventure, Drama

Ichi, a blind entertainer, journeys through the countryside with her guitar and cane, seeking the kind man who raised her. Her beauty, however, draws unwanted attention and trouble. Fortunately, Ichi is also a skilled swordswoman, concealing a deadly blade within…

6.8

6.5

17+

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Kingdom

2019 • 133 min • Box office $50M

Action, Adventure, War

During the warring states period of the Qin Dynasty in ancient China, Shin, a war orphan, harbors a dream of becoming a great general. His life changes with a chance meeting with the young King Eisei, who is determined to…

7.3

6.8

17+

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Blue Spring

2001 • 83 min • Budget $500K • Box office $1M

Drama

After becoming the leader of his high school gang, Kujo finds himself disillusioned by the constant violence and animosity. He longs to step away from his role, but his position of authority paradoxically leaves him feeling helpless.

7.1

7.2

The Yin Yang Master Zero

2024 • 112 min

Fantasy, History, Mystery

In the Heian period, Abe no Seimei studies magic but finds it uninspiring. His perspective shifts when he teams up with Minamoto no Hiromasa to investigate an unusual occurrence.

5.4

5.8

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Kingdom III: The Flame of Destiny

2023 • 129 min

Action, Adventure, War

When their kingdom is unexpectedly invaded, a powerful general comes back to lead the fight, joined by a war orphan who has grown into a young man eager to prove himself.

7.5

6.8

13+

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Death Note: Light Up the NEW World

2016 • 134 min

Crime, Horror, Science Fiction

Ten years after the conflict between Kira and L, death notes reappear, plunging the world into chaos. Tsukuru is part of a new Death Note task force, joining six other investigators including Matsuda, who worked the original Kira case. Mass…

6.4

5.7

14+

Last of the Wolves

2021 • 139 min

Following Shogo Ogami's death in Hiroshima, Detective Shuichi Hioka executes Ogami's plan to control the yakuza, aiming to stop gang wars and protect civilians. Hioka successfully manages the criminal organizations, but the fragile peace is shattered when a dangerous individual…

7.0

6.7

Bleach

2018 • 108 min • Box office $3M

Action, Fantasy, Adventure

Ichigo Kurosaki is a typical high school student with a hidden ability: he can see ghosts and fleeting images from his mother's mysterious death. His ordinary life is shattered when he encounters Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper.

6.6

6.3

14+

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Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

2011 • 128 min • Box office $5M

Drama, History

This is a story about revenge, honor, and shame. It follows a poor samurai who learns what happened to his son-in-law, a wandering warrior. This discovery triggers a dangerous confrontation with the family of a powerful feudal lord.

7.2

7.3

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Tokyo Revengers 2 Part 1: Bloody Halloween - Destiny

2023 • 90 min

Hinata is killed by the Tokyo Manjikai Gang while Takemichi witnesses the event. To save him, Takemichi time travels back ten years. He must alter a pivotal event – a tragic incident involving six men who would later become the…

6.9

6.3

Tokyo Revengers 2 Part 2: Bloody Halloween - Final Battle

2023 • 96 min

Determined to protect his friends and save Hinata, Takemichi Hanagaki joins a gang war, hoping to change his destiny and build a better future for everyone.

6.8

6.3

Tokyo Revengers

2021 • 120 min

Action, Drama, Crime

When an unemployed man discovers his ex-girlfriend has been murdered, he's unexpectedly sent back to his middle school years. He now has the opportunity to alter the past and prevent her death. To do so, he must infiltrate and rise…

7.8

6.5

14+

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Faceless

2024 • 120 min

After being arrested as a suspect in a violent murder, Kaburagi escapes and goes on the run across Japan. He encounters Sayaka, Kazuya, and Mai during his flight. Detective Matanuki pursues Kaburagi, questioning those who have met him, but each…

6.3

6.8

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Gintama

2017 • 130 min • Box office $47M

Action, Comedy, Science Fiction

When aliens invade and conquer feudal Tokyo, a young samurai struggles to survive by taking on any job he can find.

6.8

6.1

13+

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+13

Crows Zero

2007 • 130 min • Box office $22M

Action, Comedy, Crime

At Suzuran High, students vie for the prestigious King of School title. A former yakuza member, now working as a hitman, is tasked with assassinating the son of a powerful criminal. However, the assignment forces him to confront his past,…

7.1

7.0

13+

Baby Assassins: 2 Babies

2023 • 101 min

Action, Comedy, Crime

To avoid losing their membership in their assassin guild, Chisato and Mahiro have four years of overdue fees to pay. They take on part-time work, but unexpectedly get caught in the middle of an armed robbery. Suddenly, they find themselves…

6.6

6.3

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+15

High & Low The Worst X

2022 • 119 min

When students from Oya High are attacked by a coordinated group of fighters from three other schools, a brawl erupts. The Oya High students fight back to defend themselves.

7.4

6.7

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First Love

2019 • 108 min

Crime, Action, Comedy

In Tokyo, a young boxer named Leo falls for Monica, a sex worker who is in prison. Their lives become entangled when they get involved in a drug smuggling operation. Suddenly, they are being hunted by a corrupt police officer,…

6.7

17+

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+18

Knuckle Girl

2023 • 107 min

Action, Drama

Ran discovers her younger sister Yuzuki is involved in something dangerous and joins a deadly, unregulated deathmatch to find out more. Facing constant threats, Ran must use street fighting tactics instead of boxing to protect her sister. Can she save…

6.9

5.3

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Bad City

2022 • 118 min

Action, Crime

Kensuke Sonomura directs Hitoshi Ozawa in this action film. The city of Kaiko is struggling with poverty and crime. A corrupt businessman seeking the mayoralty begins eliminating his rivals from the mafia. To stop him, a former police captain, recently…

6.9

6.0

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+12

Monsterz

2014 • 90 min

This is a dark paranormal thriller that presents a fresh take on the classic story of two men with extraordinary powers forced into a deadly conflict. The story centers on one man who can control others with a glance, and…

5.6

5.4

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Crows Zero II

2009 • 133 min • Box office $29M

Action, Adventure, Crime

Genji and his G.P.S. Alliance encounter a new threat: the students of Hosen Academy, known as 'The Army of Killers.' The two schools have a long history of rivalry, and old resentments are about to erupt, ending the fragile peace…

7.2

High & Low The Movie

2016 • 129 min

Chiku is a ravaged town controlled by five warring gangs. A major conflict between Mugen and the Amamiya Brothers resulted in Mugen's dissolution.

6.3

6.4

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade

2005 • 107 min

Action

Gennosuke and Oboro are secretly in love, but they come from rival ninja villages. At an annual conference with the Lord, a deadly competition is announced: a fight to the death between the five best shinobi from each village. The…

6.6

6.8

17+

Death Note

2006 • 126 min • Budget $20M • Box office $29M

Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

Light Yagami discovers a notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name is written in it. Believing he can build a perfect world by eliminating criminals, he begins a secret campaign of death. The world's top detective, known only…

7.1

7.5

Kingdom 2: Far and Away

2022 • 134 min • Box office $34M

Action, Adventure, War

This story centers on a young man aspiring to a military career and Ying Zheng, driven by the ambition to unify the country.

7.3

6.7

14+

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A Family

2021 • 136 min • Box office $2M

Crime, Drama

Kenji was taken in by the yakuza as a child and remains fiercely loyal to his traditional boss. He commits to upholding the family's strict code of conduct, even as the world around them evolves.

7.3

7.1

17+

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HiGH&LOW The Movie 2: End of Sky

2017 • 124 min

SWORD defeats Wangan Rengogun, a group led by Kohaku, restoring peace to the city. However, new, violent gangs – Doubt and Prison Gang – emerge, seeking to take control of SWORD's territory.

7.2

Demon City

2025 • 106 min

Action, Crime, Fantasy

After being wrongly accused of murdering his family and left for dead, a former assassin seeks vengeance against the masked figures who now control his city.

6.9

5.4

17+

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Tokyo Ghoul 'S'

2019 • 97 min • Box office $7K

Action, Horror, Science Fiction

Ken Kaneki, now part of the Anteiku coffee shop community, finds himself increasingly drawn to the ghouls around him. He secretly trains his abilities to defend his new home from those who hunt ghouls. However, his efforts are severely tested…

6.5

5.4

OUT

2023 • 129 min

After serving time for his past as a gang leader, Tatsuya tries to leave his old life behind. But he's quickly pulled back into the world of gang violence. He unexpectedly connects with Kaname, a member of a rival gang,…

7.0

6.5

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Blazing Fists

2025 • 120 min

After meeting in juvenile detention, Ikuto and Ryoma form a strong bond. Inspired by Mikuru Asakura, they decide to compete in the martial arts tournament, Breaking Down. However, existing rivalries pose a significant obstacle to achieving their goal.

3.0

5.8

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Melancholic

2019 • 114 min

Kazuhiko, a recent university graduate, is unfulfilled with his life until he takes a job at a bathhouse. He soon discovers the baths are secretly used as a place to kill people after the public hours have ended.

7.5

6.5

Smuggler

2011 • 114 min

Ryōsuke Kinuta, a struggling actor with a debt to a dangerous loan shark, takes on a perilous job: smuggling bodies under the cover of darkness. His latest cargo, however, includes a live, highly skilled assassin.

6.4

6.3

17+

Bullet Train Explosion

2025 • 137 min

Action, Thriller, Crime

On a high-speed train heading for Tokyo, chaos breaks out when it's revealed the train will detonate if it drops below 100 kilometers per hour. Authorities must work urgently to ensure the safety of everyone traveling inside.

6.9

6.2

14+

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Sanada 10 Braves

2016 • 135 min

"Sanada Ten Braves," set during the transition from the Sengoku to the early Edo period, tells the story of ten members of a ninja unit who all pledge service to the samurai warrior Yukimura Sanada.

7.6

5.2

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Joker Game

2015 • 108 min

During a fictional World War II, in a major Asian city, Lieutenant Colonel Yuki in Japan proposes the establishment of a spy training school called "D Kikan." Simultaneously, Kato faces execution for disobeying an order. He is then recruited by…

5.8

5.3

High & Low The Red Rain

2016 • 110 min

One year after their older brother Takeru vanished, Masaki and Hiroto Amamiya continue their search. Having lost their parents at a young age, the three brothers have always depended on each other. On the anniversary of their parents' death, Masaki…

6.4

6.2

Under Ninja

2025 • 123 min

Following World War II, the respected Japanese Ninja community dissolved after disbandment by GHQ. However, ninjas secretly persist, with rumors suggesting 200,000 still exist. Elite ninjas operate covertly in national affairs. Meanwhile, many grassroots ninjas struggle to find work, and…

7.3

5.5

High & Low The Worst

2019 • 125 min

Rival street fighting crews from Oya High and Housen Academy find themselves in escalating conflict, appearing to target each other in a series of confrontations.

7.4

6.8

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final

2021 • 138 min • Box office $33M

Action, Adventure, History

In 1879, Kenshin and his allies confront their most formidable foe: Enishi Yukishiro, Kenshin's former brother-in-law, and his followers, who are determined to exact revenge.

7.7

7.2

17+

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Exit 8

2025 • 95 min • Budget $1M • Box office $43M

Horror, Mystery

A man is trapped in a seemingly endless, sterile subway tunnel and must find Exit 8. His only instructions are to pay close attention to anything unusual: discover an anomaly, and turn back. Ignore it, and he must continue. Only…

6.9

6.5

13+

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Why Don't You Play in Hell?

2013 • 130 min

Drama, Action, Comedy

In Japan, a group of unconventional filmmakers devise a complex strategy with three goals: revive an actress's flagging career, resolve a violent conflict between yakuza gangs, and create a successful film.

7.4

7.1

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Outrage Coda

2017 • 104 min

Action, Crime, Thriller

Five years after a devastating war between the Sanno and Hanabishi crime families, Otomo, a former yakuza boss, works as a fixer in South Korea for Mr. Chang. When tensions escalate between Chang and the Hanabishi, putting his life at…

6.8

6.4

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+11

Beyond Outrage

2012 • 112 min • Box office $16M

Action, Crime

When the police aggressively target organized crime, a major conflict erupts between the Sanno and Hanabishi yakuza clans. This internal power struggle from *Outrage* has escalated into a full-blown war across the country in *Outrage Beyond*.

7.0

6.7

17+

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Kingdom: Return of the Great General

2024 • 146 min • Box office $54M

Action, Adventure

This film continues the story of the Battle of Mayang, the large-scale war against the country of Zhao that Shin and Wang Ki fought in previously.

6.8

7.2

17+

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Ajin: Demi-Human

2017 • 109 min • Box office $10M

Action, Horror, Mystery

After a car accident, Kei Nagai discovers he's an Ajin – a type of immortal. Hunted by humans, he's captured by the government and subjected to brutal experiments. While escaping, he encounters other demi-humans and goes on the run with…

7.3

6.4

13 Assassins

2010 • 141 min • Budget $6M • Box office $17M

Adventure, Drama, Action

In the final years of Japan's feudal period, a band of jobless samurai are recruited for a dangerous mission: to defeat a cruel lord and stop him from seizing power, potentially leading the nation into widespread conflict.

7.3

7.5

17+

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+11

Shinjuku Swan

2015 • 139 min

Shiratori Tatsuhiko is a talent scout for Burst, a company based in Kabukichō, a district known for its nightlife. In this competitive world where financial success is paramount, Tatsuhiko navigates a persistent conflict between competing talent agencies and the yakuza.

5.5

6.0