Nimona, was lost in the shuffle during Disney’s acquisition of Blue Sky Studios, but was remarkably brought back from the brink by Annapurna Studios. The film wonderfully marries a “castlepunk” universe reminiscent of Final Fantasy with a great narrative filled with humor and memorable characters.

Nimona was really the heart of the story, delivering some of the funniest lines and most quotable moments. The film’s style and humor, in many ways, reminded me of the charm of Road to El Dorado.

In addition to the engaging narrative and characters, Nimona has a breathtaking animation style. The finale, for instance, features a striking contrast of bright white against darkness. It had a small touch of chromatic aberration that added a unique depth and beauty to the film.

Any other year, this would be the best animated film, but we had Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse this year. However, Nimona is a very close runner-up. 9.5/10.