Best movies like Nowhere Man

An effervescent musical about one of the most unlikely couples seen on screen: two Otaku intent on hiding their nerdiness from their colleagues!

Two girls named Nana meet on a train to Tokyo. Nana K. aims to reunite with her boyfriend and Nana O. hopes to make it big in the music business. Despite their differences, the pair hit it off and become roommates.

A noble samurai serving the Shogun as 'Kogi Kaishaku-nin' (Official Executioner) is the target of a plot by the evil Yagyu Clan to take away his position and replace him with a member of their own family. When his wife is murdered and evidence is produced that he was plotting against the Shogun the Code of Bushido calls for him and his son to commit sepuku. Instead he defies the Shogun's orders and takes up arms against his enemies, becoming an assassin for hire.

The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

Haruna Wakagusa is a high school student who lives with her mother. Ichiro Yamada is gay and Haruna’s classmate. He is bullied at school, but Haruna sticks up for Ichiro. They become intimate and Ichiro tells Haruna his secret. He found a dead body along the riverside. A new body is soon found.

Adapted from the popular manga of the same name, director Masahiro Takada's coming of age drama follows five Hama Art College students as they prepare to venture out into the real world on a great voyage of self-discovery.

Due to his indecise nature, Kyoichi, an advertising company employee, repeatedly cheats on his wife. One day, he meets Wataru, an old classmate from university. Wataru reveals that Kyoichi's wife hired him to investigate whether Kyoichi is having an affair. Wataru, who has liked Kyoichi for the past 7 years, takes advantage of the situation and blackmails the salaryman: if he accepts to have a sexual relationship with him, he won't tell his wife about his infidelity.

Anne is an orphan full of imagination. When she arrives at her new home she learns that sometimes you have to be a sensible person too; at the same time her unique character changes, or at least attracts, the people around her. The story covers Anne's growth from about eleven to seventeen years old as she makes friends, goes to school and studies. At a difficult point in her life, Anne will have to make a hard choice and perhaps find a new dream.

Utsumi and Seto's daily routine is to spend their afterschool hours just jabbering with one another along a riverbed. Getting excited over trivial word play, agonizing over the content of an email to be sent to a girl, and, at times, talking about a serious problem, the two endlessly engage in meaningless idle talk as if it were meaningful.

Based on "Unico and the Kingdom of the Sun," which was newly written as a theater version, this animated film features a battle between the wizard Kukuruku and Unico. Kukuruku builds a castle using dolls transformed from men as building parts. The story revolves around the sorrow and terror of men who have been transfigured into dolls, and a girl named Cherry who wishes to recover the kindness in her brother, who is a student of Kukuruku. This work reminds us of the fact that "transformation" or "transfiguration" --- favorite themes of Tezuka Osamu --- involves not only material aspects, but also man's immaterial heart [Taken from AniDB]

Chie Takemoto is a dependable girl who struggles to help her troublesome father run a small tavern in Osaka. Unbeknown to her dad, she occasionally visits her mother who left him not too long ago. She plans on trying to reunite them, but not until her father gets a job.

The life story of a treasure hunter who lives in the countryside of Gunma in Japan. He is pure and kind, but has no communication skills and has a mind of his own. His sole friend is his co-worker. This man has never had sex. The friends find a robot one day. The robot wants to stay with the men. A bond is formed. The men resolve to change their lives.

A young boy joins a band of ninja during a peasant uprising, all depicted through an experimental form of filming pages from the original manga set to sound.

Between competitive swim team practice and cramming for classes the anime Buffalo Kotek is Minami’s only respit from her hectic life. So it feels a lot like kismet when she discovers that her classmate Shohei, and aspiring manga artist, shares her obsession—and that his brother is an amateur detective. It seems as though Minami’s finally formed the perfect team to help her unravel a big mystery of her own, following a recent trail of clues that just might lead to her long lost father. The timing couldn’t be better when an out-of-town swim competition presents itself as the perfect alibi, and she sneaks off to the Japanese coast to discover a whole new side of herself in this bold and charming story of anime, friendship, family, and the life aquatic.

Ever since his mother died, Kazuna Takashiro has been living under the roof of Mr. And Mrs. Eda, who are his father’s friends. One day, he passes out while working as a model in an art class. Repeated nightmarish imageries invade his mind, and, without even knowing, he heads toward his old home. Once he gets there, he is reunited with his older sister, Chizuna, who tells him about the secret of the grave “illness” that runs in their family. An illness that make them overcome with a desire for blood of others. When Kazuna’s symptoms are all apparent with shivering fit and all, Chizuna tries to give him her own blood, and remarks that nothing can be done about it…

Momotaro and Hidemaro are 1st-years at Otokojuku, a private boys school where true men are made. Momotaro, proficient in academics and martial arts becomes good friends with Hidemaro an underachieving weakling. Omito Date, former student leader, plans his revenge against his former school. Now leader of an evil army from rival Kanto Gogakuren school he fully intends on taking over Otokojuku.

Tsuboi and Kinoshita have just arrived at a desolate town. Both of them are amateur filmmakers. Tsuboi is a screenwriter and Kinoshita a director. They have come to this town because Funaki, an actor, has tempted them to come here, but he has yet to arrive. Tsuboi and Kinoshita start wandering around the town and happen to meet a young woman, Atsuko. The three of them go on a journey together and become friends. But one day, Atsuko disappears.

If you loved movies such as Shonen Merikensack and GS Wonderland, then this one, which predates the former, will impress you as well. The story is set in the 80s rock scene and revolves around Nakajima (Kazunobu Mineta), the lead singer of a band called 'Speed Way'. Because he refuses to write trite, pop-friendly songs he is constantly at odds with his own record company. However, he refuses to bend on his rock principles simply for better record sales. The most interesting parts of this movie is how they pay homage to music icon, Bob Dylan who gave the filmmaker his blessing, which is no small feat itself, especially for a Japanese indie debut.

Based on the life of pioneering manga artist Shinichi Abe, "Miyoko asagaya kibun" starts from the 1970's in Asagaya District of Tokyo where Shinichi Abe began his career with then model girlfriend Miyoko.

Based on the comic by Satoshi Yoshida.

A crooked boxing promoter tries to shake down Joe's manager by setting up a rigged fight in Humphrey Pennyworth's hometown.

An adaptation of the popular Sazae-San comic strip.

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An adaptation of the popular Sazae-san comic strip. The first entry in Toho's Sazae-san series.

Ayayam is a pretty hamster who excelled at everything. One day, however, she overhears her friends making fun of a picture book she loved and had given to one of them. She is so devastated that she decides she doesnt need friends anymore, locks herself into the library and hasnt taken a single step outside ever since. The God of Books sympathizes with her and gives her a Magic Quill with which she can effortlessly draw any picture and write any story she wants. Meanwhile, Hamtaro learns that Laura and her fellow students will put on Sunflower Taro as their next school play. Hamtaro and friends decide that they, too, want to try their hand at acting and prepare their own version of Sunflower Taro. In the course of preparing for the play, they are suddenly sucked into a strange Picture Book Tower, where Ayayam tells them that they will be characters in her new book – a new and exciting version of the well-known fairy tale Sunflower Taro.

Lately, Hamtaro has been having a strange dream. In the dream, a beautiful princess hamster tearfully asks for help. When Hamtaro tells his friends about it, Maxwell pulls out a Ham-Ham source book.. According to the book, there is a homeland for hamsters called Hamja Kingdom. When the Ham-Hams build a sand castle and recite a spell exactly the way it is written in the book, they are whooshed to the Kingdom. When at last the hamsters reach the bustling Hamja Kingdom of hamsters, the bad magic cat Sabakunya appears suddenly, riding the giant sheep monster Mee Mee, and starts to trample the town. The Ham-Hams are told of the state of the Kingdom and find that Sabakunya has snatched the King's daughter, Princess Shera, and is pressing her into marriage on the Kingdoms Founding Day. Sabakunya is trying to take over the country. Something clicks in Hamtaros mind. Princess Shera is without a doubt the princess who appeared in his dreams!

Hamtaro is a kind Ham-Ham with a big heart. He lives happily with his owner Laura and his other Ham-Ham friends until... One day, while Hamtaro and the other Ham-Hams are out tunnel-digging, they accidentally stumble upon the entrance to a legendary place called Ham-Ham Land. Ham-Ham Land is a wondrous place where only hamsters live. Legend has it that somewhere in Ham-Ham Land, there is a magical sunflower seed that gives hamsters the power to talk with humans... So, with great excitement, Hamtaro sets out on a big adventure in search of the magical sunflower seed that will give him the power to share his thoughts with Laura. The great little adventure of Hamtaro in Ham-Ham land is about to begin! Will Hamtaro find the amazing magical sunflower seed of his dreams?

Based on a comic strip by Kaoru Akiyoshi. First in a four part film series.

After a successful robbery leaves famed thief Lupin the Third and his partner Jigen with nothing but a large amount of expertly crafted counterfeit bills, he decides to track down the forgers responsible—and steal any other treasures he may find in the Castle of Cagliostro, including the 'damsel in distress' he finds imprisoned there.

Two sets of parents divorce and marry each other, while their children Miki and Yuu are caught in the middle and start falling for each other.

Kanzo Hattori, an apprentice Ninja, leaves his home town of Iga for his final training. He must go to the city of Edo (Tokyo), and the first person he meets shall be his master, whom he must protect with his life, whilst upholding the ninja code. Also while in Edo, Hattori must find out why their rivals, the Koga Ninjas, are flourishing while the Iga Ninjas are dying out. Hattori's master is Kenichi, a 9 year old boy. Kenichi is an introvert and not very popular boy, so he never plays with the other children from school. Kenichi also has a secret crush on a young lady called Midori, yet he's too shy to speak to her. Though as he watches Hattori trying his best, he too begins to try. Meanwhile, people are being found unconscious, their bodies completely unmarked. All the victims have a tattoo (the Koga Ninja crest) and are found with a throwing knife lying close by.

In a small town, high school students in their final year try to balance their studies while also playing together in a rock band.

A suicidal high school student, a ramen shop owner closing shop after the passing of his wife, and a cuisine researcher stranded in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region get connected due to a bowl of ramen.

The life and struggles of a notorious rock musician seeping into a pit of loneliness whose everyday life involves friends and family seeking financial aid and favors, inspired by rock music legend Kurt Cobain and his final hours.

Moritaka Mashiro doesn't want to follow in the path of his uncle who worked as a manga artist, but ultimately died because of exhaustion. Moritaka Mashiro figures he will graduate from school and work at an office. Things change though when falls in love with a girl at school. The girl, who hopes to become a voice actress, tells Moritaka they can marry, but only after they both achieve their dreams. Moritaka then teams up with fellow classmate Akito Takagi to publish their first manga.