Summary
These days, it seems like everyone has a favorite anime. FromOne PiecetoJujutsu Kaisento things likeHaikyuu!orStudio Ghiblifilms, anime is everywhere, and for good reason. It’s a storied art form unique to Japan that has evolved greatly while still upholding Japanese animation’s initial principles. Astro Boy had to fly before Saitama could punch. But what is it that makes an anime worth watching?
Some people apply the term Anime to series and movies, but this list focuses on TV series instead. Though the likes ofVampire Hunter DandAkiraare required watching when it comes to classic anime films, there’s more to see in these series – some of which lasted almost a decade. These anime exemplify what has become commonplace in the medium today: fusing engaging stories with commanding visuals and incredible characters.
There was a recent remake of this, but the original has undeniable panache with more unique character designs, a classical soundtrack, and epic space battles no one can forget. What’s more: the anime isn’t afraid to just outright kill off a major character – similar to shows such asGame of Thronesin the modern zeitgeist. But the show’s themes go much deeper than one might think.
TheGundamseries also encapsulates conflict between multiple space-faring parties but in a more bombastic way.Legend of the Galactic Heroesmore closely examines humans in the very real situation of war. How do they rationalize murder or handle the guilt and responsibility? The series ran for almost a decade, so there’s quite a bit of content for new viewers. Fun fact: it’s a bit of a miracle it’s as widely available today as it is. Fans had to order a VHS in the mail when the show originally debuted.
Yu Yu Hakushois a quintessential slice-of-life meets fantasy action show. It follows newly dead(?)Yusuke Urameshias he embarks on a journey as a newly mintedSpirit Detective. He hunts down malevolent spirits with the help of former enemyKuwabara, the demonHiei, andKuramawho is technically a trickster fox spirit in the body of a human. AlsoBotan, a Japanese spirit of death, is there who functions almost like Charon from Greek mythology (complete with an oar).Prince Koenma(a.k.a. Junior), the ruler of theSpirit Worldis often around, as well.
Yusuke is meant to be a teenager in this, so expect the humor to match that. However, the story delves into deep interpersonal issues. For instance, Yusuke’s mom is a single parent and struggles with alcoholism. Hiei’s mother was forced to throw him off a cliff to save his sister. For kids! The endearing nature of the characters will suck new viewers in and the action scenes will keep them coming back for more.
Anime fans may be familiar with thePatlabormovies, but the series came first with a tone much lighter than the films. In fact, one might call it theBrooklyn 99of sci-fi mecha anime in the late 80s/early 90s. There’s a nice mix of action, comedy, suspense, and world-building in every episode. But the stakes don’t feel that high, so viewers can relax as they watch it unlike some anime likeAttack on Titanand Patlabor’s cohortMobile Suit Gundam.
Though the mecha scenes were great, the show morphed into a slice-of-life character study and feels like visiting old friends each time one revisits it. There have been sequels to the show outside of the films, novels, video games, and a live-action adaptation, as well.
If ever there was a definitiveDungeons and Dragonsanime, this might be it. The story follows Parn, a fledgling warrior, Deedlit the elf, and a ragtag band as they travel the world of Lodoss amidst a brewing war. Few works capture how gargantuan dragons can really be, butRecord of Lodoss Waris not afraid to throw them at the viewer – in many variations.
The animation style is classic and rich with lots of color and weight to the characters and settings. The world-building is just as rich with there being political machinations, mistaken identities, dragons who are aspects of gods and goddesses, etc. There are different races, as well, including Elf, Dwarf, Human, etc, and each race has tensions with themselves and the other races and kingdoms in Lodoss. Though it’s a shorter watch, viewers will no doubt feel completely immersed and long for more when done with the series.
Step into the cavalier shoes ofLina Inverse, a wandering teenage sorceress who gets into many snafus and entanglements. The show is silly in tone, but features heavy concepts like the Lord of Nightmares, fragmented gods, and dragon relics. Think of it likeFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endbut now instead of being low-key and ambivalent, Frieren is high-key and unhinged….and a real kleptomaniac.
D&Dinspired anime is not common anymore, making this a must-watch for fans of new shows like Frieren orDelicious in Dungeon. The whimsy and intrigue of the plot blends well with the goofiness of Lina and her ragtag troupe of treasure hunters. Consider this theSpace DandytoCowboy Bebopbut in the fantasy genre.
Isekai animeis all over the place these days, so recommendations to watch an older one might feel odd. But The Vision of Escawflowne does isekai in a very unique way that makes it all at once a slice-of-life, coming-of-age,fantasy sci-fi mecha, and romance anime. The anime also has a film version that features stellar animation and art direction.
It tells the story ofHitomi– an athletic high school girl whisked away toGaeaand caught up in a war among empires. As with most isekai plots, Hitomi has a special role to play in the story as she is from the"Mystic Moon"(Earth). The character designs are unique even by today’s standards, the fashion iconic, and the mecha fight scenes (and regular combat) will delight any fan of the genre. Despite featuring more “girly” elements, the series has had long tail success with many anime fans regardless of gender.
Super Dimension Fortress Macross(SDF Macrossfor short) is set in a time when humanity has just discoveredother life in the universe. Long story short, humanity accidentallysparks galactic war, some humans get teleported very far from home, and theytry to return to Earth. UnlikeLegend of the Galactic Heroes,Macrossdoesn’t trade in big political drama; it gives the audience what they want: big mecha battles in space and melodramatic romance.
For an anime made in1982, the story is compelling and engrossing as it grapples with how to hold onto one’s humanity in the face of war and lost hope on top of being a space opera. It can be extremely brutal at times – something that wasn’t common in animated storytelling at the time as animation had the veneer of being “for kids”. Due to its fearlessness and gripping animation, there have many spin-offs from the originalMacrossincludingRobotech. Fun fact: most of the series is nowstreamable on Disney+.
Everyone is probably familiar withSailor Moon, but many people haven’t actually sat down and watched the show in forever or maybe at all. LikeYu Yu Hakusho,Sailor Moonintegrates action and fantasy sequences with slice-of-life stories about a middle school girl namedTsukino Usagiand her friends. Every character has different strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. The show uses its larger-than-life story to teach young adults about identity, interpersonal relationships, and how to deal with challenges they don’t understand.
It’s a staple of theMagical Girlgenre, features dozens of incredible 90s outfits and fashions, and plays with lots of ideas from astronomy and astrology to Greco-Roman mythology and traditional Japanese elemental themes. For Western viewers, they may delight in watching the version that hasn’t been heavily edited for television, discovering all new features of the show.
Fans of the animeRevolutionary Girl Utenashould take special note of this entry as the plot features a very similar aspect: a woman portraying a man. But the story itself could not be more different than that of the pink-haired prince who turns into a car. Set just before theFrench Revolution, Marie Antoinette features as a main character along withLady Oscar. Her father raised her as a son to succeed him in his military role despite the fact that she was the youngest of six daughters.
Oscar acts as a medium by which the audience learns about how the government works in France at the time while Antoinette weathers an affair’s effects on her reputation. Without spoiling the ending, the anime takes a dramatic turn as the Revolution begins to intensify. The story also came about in response to theauthor’s own growing interestin theNew Left in Japan. The political nature of the work and the author did not deter fans as there has been immense celebration of the anime with musicals, a live-action film, statues of the characters, and spin-offs, too. It sticks out as an unusual story even by today’s standards and is well worth a watch.
