CableTV.com ranks the 50 best animated movies of all time

CableTV.com has published an editorial ranking of the 50 best animated movies of all time, led by Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle at No. 1. The list spans hand-drawn classics, Pixar favorites, anime and stop-motion films, and includes staff picks and honorable mentions for mixed-media titles.

Why it matters: - CableTV.com is positioning the guide as a one-stop watchlist for movie nights, nostalgia seekers and animation fans sorting through a crowded streaming landscape. - The ranking highlights how animation has become a cross-era, cross-style medium, with classic theatrical releases, modern streaming-era titles and Japanese anime all treated as part of the same canon.

What happened: - CableTV.com released “The 50 Best Animated Movies Of All Time, According to Our Expert Staff.” - Entertainment writer Olivia Bono shaped the list. - The ranking put Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle at No. 1. - The Lion King landed at No. 2. - How to Train Your Dragon took No. 3. - Coco ranked No. 4. - Kiki’s Delivery Service ranked No. 5.

The details: - CableTV.com limited the list to full-length feature films with no live-action components. - The editorial team excluded animated shorts and hybrid films from the main ranking. - The staff created an Honorable Mention section for historically significant mixed-media titles. - That section includes Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The LEGO Movie, Fantasia and Mary Poppins. - The full ranking includes 39 fully animated features. - The package also includes six Staff Picks and five Honorable Mentions. - Pixar titles on the list include Coco, Finding Nemo and Toy Story. - DreamWorks titles include Shrek and Shrek 2, with Shrek 2 earning a Staff Pick slot from Sports Editor Taylor Kujawa. - The anime selections include Akira, Your Name. and Tokyo Godfathers. - Stop-motion and tactile animation entries include Kubo and the Two Strings and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. - The list also brings back cult favorites such as Heavy Metal, South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut and Recess: School’s Out.

Between the lines: - The No. 1 pick gives Studio Ghibli the top prize over Disney, which is likely to fuel debate among fans. - The mix of studio hits, anime and cult titles signals a broader definition of “best” than a simple box-office or nostalgia ranking. - CableTV.com is using the list to reinforce its broader role as a consumer guide, not just a cable and provider review site.

What’s next: - Readers can visit CableTV.com to read the full guide and staff commentary. - The ranking is likely to invite argument over what made the cut and what did not. - CableTV.com says its broader work includes serving 15 million annual site visitors, more than 200 provider reviews and a community of hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

The bottom line: - CableTV.com’s list crowns Howl’s Moving Castle as the top animated film and frames animation as a wide, evolving canon that stretches from Disney and Pixar to anime and stop-motion.