Movies Like Makkuro na Obentô

If you liked Makkuro na Obentô (1990), a history and animation movie directed by Satoshi Dezaki, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Barefoot Gen (1983)
★ 7.6/10Also animation and war
A story about the effect of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.
2
The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
★ 7.1/10Also history and war
Fr. Hugh O'Flaherty is a Vatican official in 1943-45 who has been hiding downed pilots, escaped prisoners of war, and Italian resistance families. His activities become so large that the Nazis decide to assassinate him…
3
Walking with the Enemy (2014)
★ 6.3/10Also history and war
Regent Horthy is the leader of Hungary and a German ally, but his favorable standing with Hitler changes as the war comes to an end. Forced to cede Hungary’s power or else witness the execution of his son, Regent…
4
Field of Lost Shoes (2015)
★ 6.1/10Also war and history
A group of teenage cadets sheltered from war at the Virginia Military Institute must confront the horrors of an adult world when they are called upon to defend the Shenandoah Valley.
5
The Sky Crawlers (2008)
★ 6.7/10Also animation and war
Youngsters called Kildren, who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a war as entertainment, organized and operated by…
6
The Rose of Versailles (2025)
★ 7/10Also animation and history
In an age of revolution, Marie Antoinette and her protector Oscar François de Jarjayes face tough choices as women growing into their distinct roles.
7
Buddha: The Great Departure (2011)
★ 7.4/10Also animation and history
Prince Siddhartha is heir to the Shakya kingdom, which is constantly at war with the more powerful Kosala kingdom. His father tries to raise as him as a warrior leader and to shield him from the miseries of the world…
8
Genocidal Organ (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also animation and war
The war on terror exploded, literally, the day Sarajevo was destroyed by a homemade nuclear device. The leading democracies transformed into total surveillance states, and the developing world has drowned under a wave…
9
Game of Thrones - Conquest & Rebellion: An Animated History of the Seven Kingdoms (2017)
★ 7.7/10Also animation and war
A powerful ruler from House Targaryen begins a campaign to unite a fractured continent ruled by seven competing families. With the aid of formidable dragons, the conquest reshapes the balance of power and leads to the…
10
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest Is the Sea of Stars (1988)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and war
For the past 150 years, humanity’s two greatest nations have been deadlocked in a meaningless war. In what is hoped to be a miraculous victory, the Alliance embarks on a battle to break through the Empire’s frontline…
11
Buddha 2: The Endless Journey (2014)
★ 7.7/10Also animation and history
2500 years ago, in India, Siddhartha was born as a prince of the Shakya clan, but he gives up his position as a prince to see the world. He meets a strange boy named Assaji, who can predict the future, a monk with only…
12
Outlaws - For Greater Glory (2012)
★ 7/10Also history and war
A chronicle of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's attempt to secularize the country.
13
Flyboys (2006)
★ 6.5/10Also history and war
The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots.
14
Emperor (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also history and war
As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years…
15
In This Corner of the World (2016)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and war
Japan, 1943, during World War II. Young Suzu leaves her village near Hiroshima to marry and live with her in-laws in Kure, a military harbor. Her creativity to overcome deprivation quickly makes her indispensable at…
16
Fate/Grand Order the Movie: Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot 2 Paladin; Agateram (2021)
★ 6.2/10Also animation and history
The second part in a two-part anime film project adapting the "Sixth Singularity - Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot" story from the game.
17
Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (2018)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and history
The true story of the most decorated dog in American military history - Sgt. Stubby - and the enduring bonds he forged with his brothers-in-arms in the trenches of World War I.
18
The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
★ 6.6/10Also animation and war
In a post-war alternative timeline, Japan is divided into the North, controlled by the Union, and the South, controlled by the United States. A mysterious high tower rises within the borders of the Union. Three high…
19
Fate/Grand Order the Movie: Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot 1 Wandering; Agateram (2020)
★ 7/10Also animation and history
The wandering knight, Bedivere, reaches the end of his journey. It is A.D. 1273 in Jerusalem. The Holy Land has been transformed into a massive desert and its people have been forced out of their homes as three major…
20
Empire of the Sun (1987)
★ 7.5/10Also history and war
Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the…