My Top Most 25 Favorite Anime Series
All the Anime that Left an Impact on Me + Other Really Well-done Shows
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- CreatorKentaro MiuraStarsMarc DiraisonNobutoshi CannaCarrie KeranenGuts, a wandering mercenary, joins the Band of the Hawk after being defeated in a duel by Griffith, the group's leader and founder. Together, they dominate every battle, but something menacing lurks in the shadows.Berserk is brutal but Berserk is fantastic. This is the most thematically complex show I have ever seen. Everything about Berserk is detailed and gritty. From the Art-style to the Characters to the Plot. It's a fantastic piece of art. Though it ends on a cliffhanger (which a lot of people disliked).
I - on the contrary, believe that it was the perfect way to end it, not even just in the sense of it functioning as a Brilliant Tragedy. but also being incredibly effective in getting people to read the manga. It also worked as the base conclusion to each: Griffith, Guts and Casca's Character Arcs.
(If you wanna find out what happened after the Eclipse, you can just watch the the last movie from the "Berserk: Golden Age Trilogy". It explains how they escaped in short.)
I would advise to simply read the manga instead. Though, the trilogy - itself is fine, just not as good.
(Dub Recommended: 250% - Outtakes are even Better)
Rip. Miura. - StarsMamoru MiyanoBrad SwaileVincent TongAn intelligent high school student goes on a secret crusade to eliminate criminals from the world after discovering a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written into it.One of the most Complex Psychological Thrillers, This show is masterful when it comes to it's plot and how it executes a premise that would be impossible for normal people to execute. A lot of people discredit it by the sudden quality drop in season 2 but it still goes nowhere near terrible. The last half of the show is still better 90% Anime out there. Despite the weak antagonists of the the last 12 episodes, it still has a complex plot and the Final Episode is Incredible. One of the Best Endings to a show.
(Dub Recommended: 100 Potato Chips Percent) - CreatorYasuhiro NightowStarsMasaya OnosakaHiromi TsuruSatsuki YukinoVash the Stampede is the most infamous outlaw on the planet Gunsmoke and with a 60 billion double dollar price on his head the most sought after.Trigun is an Underrated Gem. It somehow balances "Comedy" with "Seriousness" in a way that I have never seen done in any other series. And it never even feels like a drastic tone shift when it happens. This I believe is mostly because of it's main protagonist. It basically does the "Rurouni Kenshin" Narrative. But does it a lot better and a lot more effectively. Rurouni Kenshin never does anything too interesting with it's premise. But Trigun knocks it out of the park. The Series in it's latter half turns into an amazing story with some of the Best social commentary on Pacifism, Idealism and Nihlism ever written. I definitely recommend checking it out.
(Dub Recommended: 250%) - StarsVic MignognaAaron DismukeRomi ParkWhen a failed alchemical ritual leaves brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric with severely damaged bodies, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them: the fabled philosopher's stone.One of the Best Character-Driven Shows with Complex Themes on difficult topics such as War, Sacrifice, Value of Life, Mankind Limits and Man's inability to reconcile with them, etc. This was the first show that I had ever seen that had this amount of depth.
Edward Elric as the Protagonist in FMA '03 is one of the most fascinating characters I've seen from this version of the Anime. Not to mention his brother: Al, the captivating anti-heros: Scar & Lust and empathetic side-characters such as Mustang and Maes Hughes. The Main Cast is thoroughly fleshed out in a way I haven't seen from much other shows with the exception of few.
This series has two flaws: "The Villain" & a few "Unanswered Questions". The thing is that Brotherhood has those two problems to a degree as well and people tend to overlook that. I'm not gonna spoil anything from both shows so, let's get this out of the way. Brotherhood's Villain was bland. I will take a bad entertaining villain over a bland villain. Brotherhood's Villian had no personality and no charisma and was really forgettable. Brotherhood had the same amount of unanswered questions like how did the Xerxe's produce a soul, if it was impossible to create one? It doesn't make much sense now does it? There's like a dozen more of these inconsistencies, but if I mention any more I would spoil Brotherhood. A lot of people misinterpret the Ending as "Bad stuff happens! Now Cry!!!" when really, the message is more so: "You need to make Sacrifices to move forward in Life!" That's the whole point of the show that's basically the main theme both stories at the start. And the Bittersweet Ending serves to deliver that. I think the writers did a well enough job to convey that. Brotherhood drops this theme mid-way through, so it would pursue a Entertaining Shonen Narrative. There's nothing wrong with that but it deprives the show of any deeper value.
Here's an article for more on that topic: https://fullmetalnarcissist.com/2015/08/08/fma-03-vs-fma-brotherhood-deeper-themes/ - link don't work no more :(
(Dub Recommended: 250%) - CreatorShin'ichirô WatanabeHajime YatateStarsKôichi YamaderaUnshô IshizukaMegumi HayashibaraThe futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.Cowboy Bebop... Overrated? Yes! But top five? Also, yes! I think this is the perfect show. By that I mean, it's a show anyone can enjoy. You might not think it qualifies as your top 10 or something but You can't hate it. Because it's a show that has everything for everyone. You want philosophical themes. CHECK! You want action and comedy. CHECK! You want realistic looking characters. CHECK! You want great English Voice-over. CHECK! don't know what you can hate about it? It's episodic nature... So? The Episodic episodes act like short films where the main characters are actually the side characters and the plot plays into the show's themes of haunting pasts and reconciling with them in a way that explores more philosophical ideas of the human experience. But it's not only that, these episodes serve as Entertaining specticles of action and animation while simultaneously being engulfed in the themes of the show. While there are a few episodes not as Good, the vast majority are Excellent.
(Dub Recommended: 500%) - StarsYutaka KoizumiYui MakinoMichael C. PizzutoThis surreal dramedy follows Satou Tatsuhiro as he attempts to escape the evil machinations of the NHK.I finally decided to watch an Anime Series again after a long while and I'm glad I watched this. The show is extremely funny and entertaining but also extremely depressing and hits all the emotional beats just right. I wasn't expecting much but what I got from it was more than satisfying. It clowns on NEETs, otakus, recluses but also functions as a really great character drama with complex themes. The story is a lot more interesting than it seems on surface level.
Characters are Great, Their Interactions are Funny and Depressing, the Soundtrack is Amazing and the Story is Rock Solid.
(Anime is much better than the Manga and a lot more Faithful to the Novel/Source Material. Manga butchers the Characters and Tone in an attempt at Comedy and completely ruins the story by changing the Plot and Characters way too much.)
(Dub is Really Good and works Superbly, Recommended: 250%) - CreatorNaoki UrasawaStarsHidenobu KiuchiLiam O'BrienMamiko NotoTenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. The boy, now a charismatic young man, reappears 9 years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders.Monster is a great series. You should especially watch it if you don't like Anime. Since It's grounded in reality and if the pacing in "Breaking Bad" doesn't bother you then neither should the pacing in this series. I don't even think it's slow or long. (That would be One Piece.) I think it's steadily paced just like "Breaking Bad". And there's no over the top battles or comedy. Just regular 90s Germany. The only flaw that it has is the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger, and ending was not interesting enough for me to consider reading the manga, unlike how it was in the case of Berserk.
(Dub Recommended: 100%) - CreatorYasuyuki UedaStarsMichael ForestLiam O'BrienPatrick SeitzIn a man-made underground society, descendants of a banished generation vie for control of the crumbling city of Lux. Ichise, an orphan turned prize fighter, loses a leg and an arm to satisfy an enraged fight promoter.Texhnolyze is a show I don't recommend anyone to watch. And that's because this show was only made for people who want to watch Dark, Slow, Experimental Anime where the main protagonist crawls on the streets for 3 long painful episodes. It's the exact definition of snail paced. It seems more like a Experimental Video of a dark dystopic doomed city. That has a mental retard for the main character. Yet it's a lot better than it's similarly "Experimental" predecessor "Serial Experiments Lain". Because it actually goes somewhere with it's story. Lain goes nowhere. And even explanation videos couldn't explain "Lain"'s Plot. This is what I think Lain should've been.
(Dub Recommended: 100%) - CreatorYasuhiro NightowStarsKirk ThorntonLex LangSteve BlumGungrave follows the story of best friends Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowell as they join and rise in the ranks of Big Daddy's Millenion crime syndicate. The story begins in the future revealing Brandon Heat has become a creature now known as Beyond The Grave killing monsters with two very large guns and wicked looking machine gun on his back and that Harry MacDowell is now the Boss of Mellinion and has become a cruel leader who has earned himself the nickname Bloody Harry. The story strafes between the past and the future to reveal why Brandon has become a non-talking monster killer and the series of events that caused Harry to become so evil.This is a really underrated Crime-Drama with Scifi Action Elements. I mean no one really talks about it that much. It has some stellar direction, A great villain and a great protagonist that compliment each others characters perfectly even though the protagonist doesn't really talk that much.) I would say overall: It's pretty Amazing stuff.
The first half is a Crime-Drama and the second half is a Hellsing-Style monster shootout but both halfs of the show are equally strong and the Ending is Fantastic. Add to that a Good Dub and a Solid Soundtrack with Madhouse' Animation and you have a banger of an underrated classic.
(Dub Recommended: 100%) - CreatorHideaki AnnoStarsMegumi OgataMegumi HayashibaraKotono MitsuishiA teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.This is a show I completely despise on a superficial level. It's kinda like a guilty pleasure except that the only problem I seemed to have with the show were the "Weird Waifu-obsessed" side of it's fandom obssessing over teenage characters ("You Disgusting Pedophiles!") and other than that my problem is the fact that it explains everything that happens in the movie except the fact that you miss the explanation if you haven't seen the movie.
So, it's in this weird dilemma where everyone who watches it once (with the movie) do not get the plot, but most people get so bored with it that they don't want to psychologically torture themselves, a second time. Because it was essentially created for escapist Otakus of the 90s to tell them to stop being depressed and find meaning in life. I personally like it because I think it accurately captures the same dilemmas of Existentialism I had when I was 14.
Also the last two episodes make no sense but still offer a kind of conclusion to the depression and existentialism of the cast. It doesn't really matter tho since they're not cannon. If you want an ending to the actual plot I Recommend the "End of Evangelion" movie after you watch it to get an actual ending.
I will warn you tho, the movie is MADE to make you HATE Shinji and it begins that way with an infamous scene (you know which one) at the start, On Purpose.
Overall, it's an interesting piece that is a guilty pleasure of mine. Reactions to the show are often polarizing, people really hate or really love it. Give it a watch if you like similar psychological shows, if not, then don't. You'll likely find it pretentious. (it honestly kinda is, in some ways)
(ALSO, DO NOT WATCH THE NETFLIX DUB IT IS ABSOLUTE SHIIIT!!!
Sub is Fine and OG Dub is Good as well, but DON'T TOUCH the NETFLIX VERSION!!) - CreatorYoshihiro TogashiStarsNozomu SasakiJustin CookChristopher SabatAfter a teenage delinquent is killed while saving a child's life from an approaching car, the rulers of the underworld send him back to become an "Underworld Detective" investigating demons apparitions in the human world.Completely obliterates Dragon Ball Z. The first and the last Arc might be a little weak but the middle portion of this Anime (Chapter Black Saga & Dark Tournament Saga) are amazing. (They take the bulk of the series... about 72 episodes...) Dark Tournament Saga is the best tournament Arc I've ever seen. And Chapter Black Saga has a really complex villain and some deep exploration of human condition.
The cast of characters are absolutely amazing. (I'd recommend the Dub, even though it seems dated at the start.) Once the show gets rolling and the characters start developing it proves itself to be one of the best dubs of all time.
All of the voices fit the characters so well, that it seems hard to imagine them without their english voice actors. And this gets better as you see them learn and grow over the course of the series.
(Dub Recommended: 250%) - StarsCrispin FreemanDan GreenLisa OrtizA young boy named Shuzo rushes to the defense of a stranger who is being attacked for her magic pendant, only to find himself transported into another world where water is a scarce commodity and he is forced to join an army of children.Legitimately one of the best anti-war works I have ever seen. don't let the character designs, the appearances and that first episode fool you. This show gets incredibly bleak and deals with subject matters that gets as dark as shows like Texhnolyze and Berserk.
Yet throughout it's 13 episode-run it doesn't give you a nihlistic message, despite the bleak setting and unfortunate events and circumstances, the message of the show still rings clear and is universal.
No matter how terrible and unbearable life can get, the fact that you are alive means there's always light at the end of the tunnel.
That Hope - no matter how fleeting is always preferable to Non-Existence. Human Life is Sacred and should NOT - in any circumstance - be devalued.
(Dub and Sub are both equally good.) - CreatorKeiko NobumotoStarsSarah HauserDarren PleavinKenta MiyakeIn a post-apocalyptic future where humans live in domed cities surrounded by wasteland, wolves are assumed to be two hundred years extinct.A show about wolves disguising themselves as men and living between humans turned out to be more interesting than I ever thought it would be. Despite the 4 filler episodes, (that you should definitely skip ep15-ep18) and the first open ending (which tbf is pretty good on it's own), the Series overall combined with the final OVA episodes is one of the Most Underrated Shows put together. The Characters are great, the Drama is hard-hitting, the Plot is well-written, the Setting is amazing and atmosphoric and the Music from Yoko Kanno is Absolutely Exhilirating. Everything in this show that you wouldn't expect to work, works so brilliantly. The OVAs definitely exceeded my expectation. And the rest of the show (minus the filler) was awesome. Brilliant Stuff.
(Dub is Top Notch. Amazing Casting. Recommended: 250%) - CreatorShôji KawamoriKen'ichi MatsuzakiStarsArihiro HaseMari IijimaVic MignognaAn alien spaceship crash lands on Earth and her secrets lead to a desperate war against an alien enemy sent to retrieve the ship.This show is a lot better than I liked to admit at first. A WHOLE lot better! In fact I'm shocked at how good it was but part of me also feels like I'm overhyping it.
Regardless, I went in expecting some basic mecha story but never expected it to deliver interesting themes on war, love, culture, tragedy.
And the romance, that I admit I hated at points, was resolved so well by the end that I had practically no choice but to applaud it.
Macross can get gut-wrentchingly sad while also providing cheerful moments and comedy at the same time. the break-neck pace of the plot and the character drama complement each other so well that it feels somewhat genius at points.
It has great soundtrack featuring Minmay's songs and other compositions around those tracks, and regardless of the animation errors in certain scenes the animation quality holds up fairly well.
I'll just say: watch it, if it feels close to your alley.
(Sub or ADV's 2005 Dub both work, the old dub diverges significantly so it's best to be avoided if you want the actual story and themes.) - CreatorMonkey PunchStarsYasuo YamadaRichard EpcarMichelle RuffThe adventures of the master thief Lupin III and his cohorts as they dive into various escapades, all the while in pursuit by the tenacious Inspector Zenigata.Oldest Anime on the List, however one of the most intelligent and comedic. All five main characters: Lupin, Jigen, Fujiko, Goemon, Zenigata have such great character dynamics with their contrasting personalities that you can probably make like thousand different stories/scenerios with each one feeling fresh. At only 23 episodes, this show does not disappoint. Almost all episodes are amazing with very few exceptions. Although episodic, the individual episodes always bring something fresh and interesting to the table.
Smooth Animation, Great Soundtrack, Great Music, Top-Notch Humor, Iconic Characters, Quality Show.
[no dub :(( but the jap voices are pretty cool tho :)).] - CreatorMasaaki YuasaStarsHouko KuwashimaRomi ParkMamiko NotoIn a futuristic dystopian world where memories are literally stored, bought and sold and rich have all the privileges, a young amnesiac is trying to find out who he is.The most interesting Sci-fi Amnesia Plot that I've seen. The way in which concepts of conciousness, individuality and the mind are explored are brilliant.
The premise is simple: Kaiba suffers from Amnesia and seeks to get his memories back. From this simple premise we are then thrown into a plot that forces it's audience to question and think while characters take actions that align with how they answer these questions.
While it is comedic at times, it's not nearly as focused on comedy as Masaaki Yuuasa's other works like Tatami Galaxy. It takes itself more seriously which allows for more down time and introspection. - StarsMasako NozawaJôji YanamiBrice ArmstrongSon Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.The Mother of Shonen Anime. It's pretty creative and fun. It might not hold up as well but still it's completely worth checking out if you're in a dire need of lighthearted Anime.
(Dub Recommended: 100%) - StarsShintarô AsanumaHiroyuki YoshinoRin MizuharaWhen a nameless student at Kyoto University encounters a demigod one night, he asks to relive the past three years in order to win the heart of Ms. Akashi, the object of his affection.Brilliantly creative non-linear story with some top-notch humor and high quality animation & direction. It becomes a bit reflective near the end and gives you some Interesting themes and characters but I still found that it focused a lot more on the comedy. Excellent stuff.
(There's no dub and this Anime desperately needs one because the monologue scenes are way to fast to follow at times in the subs so have fun pausing :D) - CreatorSatoshi KonStarsShôzô ÎzukaToshihiko SekiMamiko NotoSeemingly unconnected citizens of Tokyo are targeted for bludgeoning by a boy with a golden baseball bat. As detectives try to link the victims, they discover that following the assaults, the victims' lives have improved in some way.Psychological Mind-Bending Show. One of Kon's Best since he directed Perfect Blue. This trumps all of his Work except for "Perfect Blue" and "Memories: Magnetic Rose". Brilliant Direction and some pretty good Plot Twists.
(Dub is Good, Recommended: 100%) - StarsMakoto FurukawaKaito IshikawaMax MittelmanThe story of Saitama, a hero that does it just for fun & can defeat his enemies with a single punch.Really entertaining and Unique Series that completely flips the Shonen/Superhero tropes on their heads - ...is what I would've said if it ended at Season 1.
Season 2 tries to do more with the concept. There is still quite a bit of subversion of tropes but it's massively lacking. That's also not to mention some animation problems in certain scenes. it's a bit inconsistent, albeit works.
Garou is a fairly interesting character that works as an outlaw for the story's main conflict. The Season ends at a cliffhanger, which means it'll definitely have a third season and from what I expect they'll either run the concept into the ground or give us a satisfying conclusion to Saitama's Story. (I really doubt the second will happen, but that's what I hope). Although, most probably: they'll definitely run it into the ground. lol.
Overall Pretty Great Show.
S1 = 8.5/10 (N#20)
S2 = 7/10 (N#40)
(Dub Recommended: 100%) - CreatorKohta HiranoStarsKatie GrayCrispin FreemanVictoria HarwoodThe vampire Alucard, his master Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, and his newly sired ward Seras Victoria, try to protect England from a war-crazed SS-Major who seeks to start an eternal war with his vampire army.One of the most entertaining Action Series. Hellsing: Ultimate is just pure badass. It has one of the best dubs of all time and I would absolutely recommend it in Dub. The only problem would be the pacing and the short unfunny gags that show up once each episode or so. (Dub Recommended: 200%)
- CreatorShuichi ShigenoStarsShin'ichirô MikiSteve BlumTodd HaberkornThe story of a young delivery boy who becomes a drift-racing legend.Banger of a Racing Anime. Everything I expected it delivered. Fantastic Music, Great Races and Charming cast of Characters. A story that made me give a shit about the races in interesting ways. Ways that I did not expect. Overall: Solid Show.
(Dub Recommended: 100%) - CreatorToshimichi SuzukiStarsYoshiko SakakibaraKinuko ÔmoriMichie TomizawaA female mercenary team, armed with unique power armor suits, battle the forces of the corrupt mega-corporation, Genom in futuristic Tokyo.Sci-Fi OVA Series from the Late-80s that seems to be hiding more depth and maturity under a facade of seemingly corny characters.
Each Character's purpose in the story seems to be cleverly woven in such a way where despite not telling you a whole lot, still manages to convey enough depth for this Show to be levels above your average generic 80s Scifi OVA.
(the 90s Dub is dated, but it works for me.) - StarsMegumi ToyoguchiDaisuke NamikawaBrad SwaileA Japanese businessman, captured by modern-day pirates, is written off and left for dead by his company. Tired of the corporate life, he opts to stick with the mercenaries that kidnapped him, becoming part of their gang.Pretty Great Action Anime, with Great Suspense and Drama. The Soundtrack, Animation and English Dub are Amazing. Characters are quite Interesting and have Interesting Backstories and Motivation however There are some Flaws when it comes to the Themes of the Show.
They are presented in a bit of a pretentious manner at times. Which makes the Show feel a little over-dramatic but despite that, it's still Pretty Entertaining. It's not anything Deep tho, so don't be fooled when the show does that.
(Dub Recommended: 200%) - CreatorYasuyuki UedaStarsKaori ShimizuBridget HoffmanDan LorgeStrange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired".One of the most mindf#ck confusing anime out there. It is highly experimental, has some nice animation and lighting that looks off kilter and dark.
No one knows what is happening with Lain and why? But all the audience can really grasp is that she becomes a God on the Wired. At least, that is all I could understand from it. Overall I'd say, it's not as Good as Texhnolyze but still worth checking out in it's own right if you find it interesting.