The Best Anime Series Of All Time
Looking for good anime to watch? Here are the best anime shows of all time, ranked by the anime community. These top anime series include popular shows like Death Note, Attack on Titan, and many more. Plus, with so much new anime debuting each year, the list of anime favorites will only grow. The blanket term "anime" in the US can refer to any animation originating in Japan, and specifically differentiates a few aspects of Japanese animation from more Western styles. For example, the top comedy animes can be be much more explicit in their humor. This includes the Japanese culture of featuring adult themes, cool action scenes, and stories in animation, as opposed to Western "cartoons" with a plot aimed primarily at children, as well as the exaggerated, fantasy-oriented and colorful style of Japanese animated visuals.
Anime TV series first found popularity outside of Japan in the 1980s and have continued to find larger audiences in the West. A number of famous anime shows originating in Japan - such as Cowboy Bebop or Dragon Ball Z - have found enthusiastic audiences for dubbed versions in English speaking countries. The anime style has grown so popular in the US, it has stared to significantly influence the style and aesthetics of American animation. Shows such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Afro Samurai, and Samurai Jack have borrowed heavily from anime in terms of pacing, subject matter, and design.
Ranking the greatest anime ever is certainly a difficult task, but it's time to settle this once and for all: which of the most popular anime shows crack the top 100., the top 10, or even the top 10 anime of all time?
If you ask any anime fan in 2022 what their favorite new anime is, the odds are extremely high that it will be Demon Slayer. Given that it doesn't stray far from the typical shonen formula, it's hard to pinpoint exactly why this series is seeing so much success- is it the incredible fight sequences? The gorgeous animation? The wonderful voice acting? No matter why you like this series, it can't be understated just how popular it has become since its debut in 2019. It's already one of the top 10 most popular manga series of all time, and the franchise altogether has generated billions of dollars.
- 2020
- 2017
Talk about an anime with a major underdog protagonist. Although it follows the typical shonen formula, Black Clover has a way with foreshadowing future events that will blow your mind. In a world filled with magic wielders, Asta is born without the ability to utilize magic, but still holds onto the dream of one day becoming the Wizard King. He eventually produces a 5-leaf grimoire that contains mysterious swords and is able to utilize anti-magic. Right now is the best time to catch up as both the anime and manga are on break with the latter coming up on its conclusion.
Can you really call yourself an anime fan if you're not intimately familiar with the adventures of Gon Freecess and his adventures in Hunter x Hunter? If you've only seen the beginning of this epic anime, you have no idea just how dark a seemingly innocent shonen series can really get (looking at you Chimera Ant Arc.) If Hunter x Hunter author Yoshihiro Togashi hadn't gone on what now feels like a permanent hiatus, there's a good chance this popular shonen anime would widely be considered the greatest anime ever made.
If you're a manga purist who thinks an anime adaptation should always be faithful to the source material, then you undoubtedly consider Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to be the superior version of Hiromu Arakawa's masterpiece known simply as Fullmetal Alchemist. Following two genius alchemists on a journey to get their bodies back, this series is a must-watch for anyone who calls themselves a fan of anime. If you don't fall in love with the main character brothers Edward and his brother Alphonse, you'll be hopelessly attached to the show's fantastic set of supporting characters like Scar, Roy Mustang, or the homunculus Greed.
- 2015
What started as a popular webcomic ended up becoming perhaps the best satire series that any longtime anime fan can appreciate. Although newer fans can greatly enjoy One Punch Man for its humor and beautiful fight sequences, it's the hardcore fans who have experienced every shonen anime trope who will really appreciate the brilliant satire this series delivers. It's hard to imagine a show about a dude who can destroy anyone in a single punch could sustain itself for very long, but its been running for over a decade now with no sign of slowing down.
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