The best musicals are animated. Following the release of Wicked, the long-awaited adaptation of the stage production of the same name, the musical genre is getting more attention. Over the years, there’s seemed to be a concerted effort for musicals, in the strictest sense, to downplay their theatrical roots.
From casting non-singers in pivotal roles to actors singing live, which gives it a raw edge but diminishes the final cinematic product, to hiding the songs in expertly edited trailers, studios seem afraid to commit to the genre. It’s a fascinating new development, considering how many classic musicals spoke to the triple-threat nature of former stars.
Even when musicals refuse to hide their influences, it’s rare to find ones that live up to the original or capture a live production’s necessary fervor and vibrancy. That’s why, more often than not, it’s been animation where the best musical entries are found. A medium that reaches beyond the limitations of live-action filmmaking, animation allows the stories to hit the visual heights necessary for a genre that often forces us to suspend our disbelief. In the best animated films, music is baked into the story’s rhythm.
The animated musical is a long, laborious genre. Since the dawn of animation, music has tethered itself to the final products. From Sleeping Beauty’s “Once Upon a Dream” to Mickey Mouse whistling on Steamboat Willie to the dialogue-free overture that bridges classical music with animation in Fantasia, Disney, in particular, harbors an innate love of musicals. It’s apparent through every studio era, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Encanto. But it extends itself beyond these evident tentpoles.
The best musicals have always been rooted in animation.
We see it in short, experimental films like the 1949 Begone Dull Care. Directors Evelyn Lambart and Norman McLaren pair jazz music with explosions of colors as they paint images directly onto their film strips. In a similar vein, the 1961 short Allures by filmmaker Jordan Belson combines a non-traditional animation with a psychedelic light show and a bone-rattling score.
Musicals are honored through folklore and the Golden Age of Hollywood, with films such as the 2016 film Kubo and the Two Strings and the 1997 underrated Cat’s Don’t Dance. And it goes beyond simple performance. Dialogue-free animated films such as The Triplets of Belleville, The Red Turtle, Robot Dreams, Boy and the World, and more excel emotionally due to the scores that help elevate the tremendous visuals. Cowboy Bebop is, obviously, a classic. But it’s also synonymous with its iconic opening backdropped by the Yoko Kanno penned “Tank!”
The genres make such terrific bedfellows that we’ve seen a significant resurgence of musical episodes in animated television series. Over the Garden Wall, Bobs Burgers, and Steven Universe are just a few series that utilize music for memorable sequences.
All of this is to say that if you’re looking for a good musical with good music and honors its musical and theatrical roots, look no further than animation. Here are the best musicals of the last ten years.
Moana (2016)
Director: John Musker and Rob Clements, co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall
Writer: Jared Bush
Synopsis: An adventurous teenager sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds. Along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she always sought: her own identity.
While the sequel struggles to reclaim the same magic, Moana struck all the right chords in manifesting a modern Disney film that feels classic. The animation stuns with a playful and emotional story, but the songs make it a memorable viewing experience. The songs, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina, with an original musical orchestral score also composed by Mancina, are addicting. There are layers of musicality woven into the numbers through the instrumentation and lyrics sung in a mix of English, Samoan, and the Tokelauan languages.
That each number fits the respective cast member only allows them to shine brighter. From Auliʻi Cravalho‘s piercing vocals in “How Far I’ll Go” to Jemaine Clement‘s playful, Bowie-esque take on “Shiny,” each number bursts with personality.
Coco
Director: Lee Unkrich, co-directed by Adrian Molina
Writer: Adrian Molina and Matthew Aldrich
Synopsis: Despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
One of the last genuinely great Pixar films, Coco succeeds beyond the film’s musical elements. With rich, potent emotions that speak to grief and the need to find our meanings, the film is a profoundly moving experience. But the music and those performing the numbers add to a narrative where the story is embedded in the need to celebrate and mourn life through music. Written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, there’s no escaping the tear-inducing “Remember Me,” the standout number in an already spectacular film.
Lu Over the Wall (2017)
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Writer: Masaaki Yuasa and Reiko Yoshida
Synopsis: Kai is talented but adrift, spending his days sulking in a small fishing village after his family moves from Tokyo. When his classmates invite him to play the keyboard in their band, their practice sessions bring an unexpected guest: Lu, a young mermaid whose singing causes humans to compulsively dance – whether they want to or not. As Kai spends more time with Lu, he finds he is able to tell her what he is really thinking, and a bond begins to form.
With the energized life fouse of a Disney classic on a sugar high, Lu Over the Wall is one of director Masaaki Yuasa’s lighthearted fare. Injected with a musical sensibility even when not engaging in full-blown song and dance numbers, the film moves with the delicate fluidity associated with Yuasa’s work. And while the film isn’t overwhelmed with showstopping performances, it comes alive in those sequences. Most notably, a moment where the mermaid Lu entrances an entire beachside of residents through her love of music, causing them to dance around town. It captures that rush of adrenaline that accompanies such all-encompassing love of music.
Liz and the Blue Bird
Director: Naoko Yamada
Writer: Reiko Yoshida
Synopsis: Best friends in their last year of high school realize there is no such thing as being together forever.
Through Naoko Yamada’s tremendous career, she’s made a point to highlight music. From the coming-of-age series K-On! to the upcoming stunner The Colors Within, her stories sing with sublime musicality. It makes sense then that Liz and the Blue Bird, an offshoot to the series Sound! Euphonium would offer more of the same.
It differs notably from other mentions on this list. Mainly because the musical elements don’t come from singing or dancing. Instead, the highlight is the orchestral music of the wind band in which the two students, an oboist and flutist, take part. The composers, Kensuke Ushio and Akito Matsuda work in tandem to unite their differing styles to a poignant, minimalist effect. The music works both in the main narrative and the fairytale subplot, which helps amplify the emotions. It’s a different type of musical but no less effective, as it once again demonstrates the uniting force of this craft.
Belle (2021)
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Writer: Mamoru Hosoda
Synopsis: A high school student becomes a globally beloved singer after entering a fantastic virtual world. She soon embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of a mysterious beast who’s on the run from ruthless vigilantes.
Director Mamoru Hosoda excels at coming-of-age narratives. Films such as Wolf Children, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Summer Wars demonstrate an ability to wield nostalgia in stories about the turbulence of adolescence, even amongst the most fantastical settings. In Belle, influenced by the original fairytale and Disney movie adaptation The Beauty and the Beast, he unleashes his signature emotionality and pairs it with the power of music. Even more notably, it captures how we cling to musicians or idols who offer catharsis through their music. It’s Suzu/Belle’s voice and her reignited love of music that helps save the life of one unlikely listener.
Through writing, directing, and animation, Belle offers a staggering look at what we yearn for through our creative release and the art of others. The music itself entrances, and the rest of the population stands quietly as Suzu sings.
Encanto
Director: Jared Bush and Byron Howard, co-directed by Charise Castro Smith
Writer: Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith
Synopsis: The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift — every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger.
Over time, there’s been a bit of a Lin-Manuel Miranda oversaturation in popular culture, but there’s a reason he became such a beloved fixture. In Encanto, Miranda demonstrates his exceptional abilities with the original songs written for the musical. As is the case in Moana, each number is tailor-made for the character and the cast member performing it, making for a personality-driven musical that is endlessly vibrant and bursting with energy.
Inu-Oh (2022)
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Writer: Akiko Nogi
Synopsis: Inu-Oh is born with unique physical characteristics, and the horrified adults cover his face with a mask. One day, he meets a boy named Tomona, a blind biwa player, and as Tomona plays a delicate song, Inu-Oh discovers an incredible ability to dance.
Director Masaaki Yuasa forgoes subtle musical touches with his full-blown rock opera, Inu-Oh. Aided by the vocal gymnastics of singer Avu-chan (lead singer of Queen Bee), the music of Inu-Oh scorches the earth of its 14th-century Japan setting. Dominated by long, intricate musical numbers, the film highlights how Inu-Oh and Tomona’s ostracization leads them to stardom. It’s the perfect marriage for Yuasa’s kinetic style of filmmaking that appeals more to motion and movement than hyper-realism, as we journey with these two characters through time as music compels them to seek more significant lives than the ones given to them.
The music is sublime and focuses on the rage and frustration the pair feel as they seek greater fame and understanding. The sheer artistry of these sequences, which combine modern musical influences with traditional Japanese instrumentation and theatrics, puts most new musicals to shame. Despite the gray that populates this world, Yuasa finds a breadth of vibrancy through the music and characters.
Musicals are vital to storytelling, but they shouldn’t be only celebrated when they’re adaptations of Broadway or live action. Did we miss one of your favorite animated musicals? Let us know on social media.
