Yep, I’ve finally put together a top shows list. As I hopefully made clear in part one and part two of my critical biases post, this is obviously my list – it represents the things I think are most valuable in stories in the way I think they’ve best been articulated. It’s also just a list of shows I enjoy – there’s no hard criteria here, so I wouldn’t stress the numbers too much. Also, it’s a bit front-loaded – I only started watching anime seasonally about two years ago, so the last couple years are disproportionately represented. Incidentally, I’m not including movies here either – I think direct comparisons between shows and films are a bit of a stretch, but if they were included, this list would certainly be somewhat different. And finally, I’m absolutely (and thankfully) certain this list will change over time – there are still piles of widely beloved shows I’ve never seen, so I’m sure the current rankings will be filled out in the years to come. So with that all said, let’s get to the list – Bobduh’s Top 30 Anime of All Time.
-edit- I have now created a Top Shows Addendum for shows that have either fallen off or just barely missed this list. Please enjoy these additional almost-top shows!
Flip Flappers marries the blossoming artistic vision of many of anime’s most talented young animators to a story teeming with the rich psychological inquiry that anime does so well. Centered on a girl on the verge of young adulthood who feels too paralyzed by consequences to decide who she wants to be, Flip Flappers takes her on a wild adventure through a series of evocative alternate realities, all of which ultimately reflect back on the human interiority of her own world. Flip Flappers appreciates the inherent beauty of our distinct internal worlds, and pairs a wild tour through the human experience with a core character arc that reflects thoughtfully on the complexity of love, identity, and growing up. Slotting somewhere thematically between FLCL and Evangelion, it is a can’t-miss addition to anime’s coming-of-age pantheon.
Here’s my review of Flip Flappers.
Flip Flappers is available streaming on Crunchyroll.
Gatchaman’s a goddamn busy show – in the course of a 12-episode run, it covers everything from internet culture to crowdsourcing to the necessity of leadership to social responsibility to human nature to… well, you get the idea. And it explores all these ideas while also staying remarkably light and breezy – you could enjoy the show purely as a fun, visually interesting, musically brilliant adventure without even thinking about how identity is constructed in the digital age, or whatnot. And when you combine these two strengths, you get a show that proves you don’t have to be dry to be smart – you can make awesome points about how the internet will change the world without ever giving up a sense of fun and moment-to-moment excitement. Brain food and comfort food at the same time.
Here’s my review of Gatchaman Crowds.
Gatchaman Crowds is available at Amazon and streams on Crunchyroll.
Giant Robo is Bombast Incarnate. Featuring an epic clash between the Experts of Justice and Big Fire, there’s no room for subtlety in this production – it’s all massive robots and deadly superspies and fights for the fate of the world. It’s also a beautiful thing – a series of seven OVAs released over most of a decade, the show is a gorgeous ode to classic super robot storytelling, brought to life with strong animation and rich colors and epic orchestral scores. And yet for all its larger-than-life size, the show also tells a gripping story, full of fully-articulated characters and reflections on family and human ambition. Giant Robo essentially feels like the final act of the Greatest Robot Story Ever Told – it has absolute confidence, and earns the viewer’s trust through constant dramatic hooks and total polish in execution. Even if you generally like smaller stories, I’d give Giant Robo a chance.
Here’s my essay on Giant Robo.
Giant Robo is vaguely available on Amazon.
Bokurano manages the difficult feat of staying tonally downcast and even desolate at all times while simultaneously conveying an unflinching message of optimism, and belief in humanity as a species. Its premise is terribly arbitrary and cruel, and very few members of its young cast survive, but the stories they tell in their leaving reflect the kaleidoscopic spectrum of the human experience. Its compelling scifi narrative ultimately becomes little more than a stage for its young stars to shine, as they each take up an impossible mantel and fight on behalf of their species, their cruel guide mocking them all the while. But Bokurano does not believe in its guide’s cynicism; though the world it posits is harsh, its young heroes shine all the brighter for it.
Here’s my review of Bokurano.
Bokurano is available streaming on Crunchyroll.
Kyoto Animation excel at making quietly excellent little dramas, and Sound! Euphonium counts as one more feather in their distressingly pincushioned cap. The show is as gorgeous as you’d expect, the drama is understated but well-articulated, and the episodes are full of those alternately funny or poignant little moments that KyoAni’s mastery of animated storytelling always provokes. And Kumiko is one of the most fun people you could possibly follow around a story like this, with her snark and clumsy bluntness making her a refreshing and relatable protagonist. You can enjoy this show for its close viewing of the classic band experience, for its funny mess of jokes and characters, or for its well-articulated personal drama and reflections on goals and identity. It succeeds on all levels, making it one of the most impressive and fully realized high school dramas around.
Sound! Euphonium is available streaming on Crunchyroll.
As the only long-running shounen on my list, HxH’s a bit of an outlier. But HxH is not your typical shounen – directed by Madhouse (likely my pick for the best studio of all time) and adapted from a source by the writer of Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter is basically a master class in what makes adventure entertaining. Though it starts off “only” demonstrating it knows how to make challenge-based television entertaining (in lieu of actual fights, it generally sets up compelling puzzles of all shapes and sizes for its heroes), it ends up jumping from genre to genre, dabbling in crime thriller, tournament shounen, and even war drama. And through it all, the show’s fantastic aesthetics elevate it above almost everything out there – in direction, in sound design, in pacing, in animation, in basically every relevant aesthetic metric, Hunter x Hunter triumphs. That it’s been maintaining this level of quality for well over a hundred episodes is nothing short of astonishing – in fact, I’d say Hunter x Hunter has only gotten better over time.
Here’s a critical breakdown of HxH episode 116, and here’s an essay on the recently concluded (and breathtaking) Chimera Ant arc.
Hunter x Hunter 2011 is available streaming on Crunchyroll.
Mushishi is one of those strange, special shows that seem to just emerge confident and fully constructed, exude excellence for all of their running time, and then go quietly on their way. Its vignettes are dreamy and ambiguous, full of resonance and compelling ideas but never didactic. Its world is mysterious and enchanting, evoking both a more resigned and possibly more dangerous version of Miyazaki’s mystical forests. Its production is fantastic, with beautiful backgrounds matching a wonderfully understated musical score and a great sense of pacing to conjure its powerful, singular atmosphere. And all this works in service of a show that’s fundamentally just incredibly calming and sedate – a series of long, lazy afternoons spent enjoying the company of a master storyteller.
Here’s my essay on Mushishi.
Mushishi is available at Amazon and its sequel streams on Crunchyroll.
Grouped together because they really do feel like two sides of the same coin, both of Gainax’s Buster shows would also make this list independently. Flippant and heartbreaking, cynical and triumphant, personal and universal, each of these OVAs tells a story of humanity’s struggle against all the forces of the universe with style and heart. And each can stand alone, as well – Gunbuster is helmed by a pre-Eva Anno already exhibiting his unnerving style of direction, and Diebuster offers a very appropriate conclusion to the FLCL era of Gainax production. Only six episodes each, too – it’s pretty remarkable how much story each of these manage to tell.
Here are my essays on Gunbuster and Diebuster.
Both Gunbuster and Diebuster are available at Amazon.
Shinsekai Yori is basically tailor-made for fans of fantasy and scifi novels. Heavy on worldbuilding and questions of human nature, its story unfolds on a scale far greater than most anime, exploring a compelling dystopian society by following one generation from childhood through adolescence and well into adulthood. Though I often feel its characters fade into the background of its storytelling pretensions, it all works in service of an incredibly compelling central narrative, and its devastating conclusion justifies everything that came before. It’s a rare and valuable thing – few shows work on the scale of Shinsekai Yori.
Here’s my review of Shinsekai Yori.
Shinsekai Yori is available at Amazon and streams on Crunchyroll.
An idol show?!? I could actually go on for a while about what makes various idol shows great (and I have), but as far as Idolm@ster specifically goes, this show is just a solid episodic drama that succeeds in almost everything it attempts. It’s got a rich and well-developed cast of characters, lots of great little character stories, and a bunch of fun adventures like “the team runs a Sunday game show” or “one idol ends up as a runaway bride while another fights yakuza goons.” On top of that, Idolm@ster features one of the best creative teams in recent memory – a bunch of former Gainax staff and other great creators combine to make this one of the most beautifully directed and animated shows I’ve seen. Even if you don’t have any interest in idols, Idolm@ster’s combination of fun stories and gorgeous execution makes it a rare and impressive show.
Here’s my review of The Idolm@ster.
The Idolm@ster is available streaming on Crunchyroll.
Where is bleach?
IKR?! tf
bleach is a shitty series the same as naruto one peice and SAO
they are just gateway animes so they are look like they are really good because of nostalgia factor for many people.
SAO is the best how do you sleep at nighgt
i agree strongly
How do you sleep at night with your shitty taste.
I’m tired of people like you. You’re raging about not putting shit anime like SAO or AOT on this list when you probably haven’t even watched any of the top five. Jesus Christ, you don’t deserve an opinion if you’ve never watched Cowboy Bebop or LotGH. Fuck outta here.
I strongly disagree. SAO is good don’t get me wrong but compare it to Accel World, Log Horizon, .Hack://, Btooom, I don’t know maybe even Mirai Nikki. It is pretty much on the same level if not lower. The concept is not new and the main character is already level 99(not literally but turns out that way) whenever he is in a pinch you know right a way that he will be alright. So yeah SAO is good but still lacks a few points.
I completely agree I love SAO
But it makes very little sense, liked the first one and second I’ll admit to that, but the third is pretty shit. The second for one, as soon as the death guy, (don’t remeber the name), was shown to have killed the other competitor during the competition on screen, they could easily have banned him, found where he lived, and arrested him. First was alright, and the last was……shit. Kinda like a bunch of fillers. The show is okay if you don’t put too much thought into taking it apart, butit is flawed in my opinion
SAO is really story lacking… I could never get into it… AOT was the same. The fights are good but there’s not a good plot. Plus, those are animes that EVERY SINGLE FRICKEN PERSON ON THE PLANET HAS SEEN (exaggeration calm down) I like how these animes are less well known.
uuugh well sao i watched it and i agree its OK when your watching it but in the end its kinda overrated i eman i have seen alot better anime that get less fame like shigatsu wa kimi no uso or kanon hell i never even heard anyone talking about himoute ! amuru – chan these are all awsome anime yet not seen by alot of people ;-;
I hate you im new to anime but i have seen sao and it is FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!!
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it. The shows are mindlessly entertaining but not that good when you really look into them. Take SAO: bad story pacing, almost no character development, self-insert MC that can do everything and has every girl falling for him….its just bad writing. It’s not even as good as Log Horizon for the MMO gameplay. .Hack// was a better “stuck in an MMO” anime and it was pretty damn boring. What SAO has going for it is the fight scenes which are pretty decent, but that alone doesn’t make it good.
half of first season was good but it started digging itself a grave to which it laid down without fighting back. Season two was an pity of anime, shit i couldn’t watch the rest of it, it was so meaningless BUT i did and i regretted it, that’s why i watched Cowboy bebop right after to get the taste of shit out of my eyes
See the reason you’re new to anime is why you think it’s amazing. If you have only ever listen to shitty headphones, you’ll think beats by dre headphones are great. Buy high quality headphones and beats by dre become bad. Same with anime, start watching other animes that are better and sao won’t be so good anymore
Nope, One piece is the best anime ever regardless of what you say or think.
It goes both ways: OP is a so-so anime regardless of what you say or think. Watch more anime. Matter of fact, Google “anime to watch”, go to the Images results, pick the first result, and watch all of those.
Don’t compare One Piece to shows like Naruto or SAO. I’ve talked to many people about One Piece and the only flaws they’ve managed to point out were: Lack of personailty depth, shitty animation and the repetitiveness. The lack of the personality depth is because it’s a pure-hearted shounen manga, not a psychological one, nor does it rely on what I like to call “The Will Power.” It differs. The animation is pretty obvious why, and I completely agree with everyone on the repetitiveness of this manga. What can it offer? Well, amazing fights that don’t rely on nakama power, epic plot, twists and story development, characters that you can’t simply hate, an ungeneric shounen story, no ass-pulls (except the G2, DB and Asura) sick mystery elements that kept the manga alive and Oda’s creativeness. Have you watched all 700+ episodes anyway? Have you even passed through the first 150 episodes wall?
having to watch 150 eps of something before it is really good sounds like a shitty anime to me
You fucking idiot just shut the fuck up u have no idea Wat u r taking about
Lmoa
laugh my off ass
Sao naruto and one piece aremy anime so shut up and keep Iin mind that other ppeople have opinions be respectrespectivettful for others opinion
Says the guys who told someone else to shut up? I still haven’t seen anyone post any reasons as to why Naruto or SAO are good anime other than just “that’s my opinion!” Well, what are your opinions based on?
Yeah naruto bleach and other just got famous because they are on tv
you can hear the fanboys grabbing their inhalers and turing caps lock on after reading this
THIS^ Holy fuck reading this gave me every type of cancer known to man.
Sound like anything mainstream is not good =.= .. I have seen most of the series here, and agree in most of it. Saying that I disagree with your opinion of SAO and OP (Of course I prefer the manga). SAO novels and the anime are between the best on its genre, As for OP it does not need defense is already a legend of manga,
Naruto, some good parts, most of it so-so, and for me trashy ending, but not bad.
Bleach… well let^s say it was good many years ago, and should have ended many years ago.
Not all mainstream is trashy, not all non-mainstream is awesome. .-.
Would have loved to see Yamato (older or newer version) or Legend of the Galactic Heroes on the list.
Ive watched almost every anime on this list and I still think SAO, Trigun, Fairy Tail, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, InuYasha are 5 off the top of my head that should be in the top 10.
Then you’re truly the embodiment of bad taste. I feel bad for you.
Tastes in anime is relative, calm you titties and stop being an ignorant fuck wad. I have also seen almost every anime on this list, and if you SAO, Bleach, Or Naruto are bad, maybe you shouldn’t be a shitty ass Weeb and just enjoy the fucking shows that you do find good.
People can enjoy them, sure…but can you honestly say that the way the story was done in those 3 of the 5 OP posted are really deserving to be on a top 10?
what anime do you like then
If it helps any, SAO’s the only one that OP has seen. He hates it, and doesn’t seem interested in Trigun and FMAB, but it still stands that he’s only seen one.
FMAB and samurai X are very good!!
Y q onda One Piece?
Rainbow, Monster, Code Geass, Beck, Gantz, Wolfsrain, Parasyte, Gungrave, Berserk, Elfen Lied….but no you just spurt out Bleach -_-
Parasyte and Elfen Lied weren’t particularly good, though they had great soundtracks. I agree with the rest of your list.
Seriously where the fuck is Fullmetal alchemist : Brotherhood and Code geass this list sucks
Hey man, where is code geass, clannad ? 🙁
CG: Addendum
Clannad: Trash (though he liked a lot of stuff about it too)
Disclaimer: This comment was not by the original poster, it was by me accidentally not typing my full screenname.
Geass is in the addendum. Clannad wasn’t as consistent for him as the shows that made it onto this list.
Despite the name, this is more of a personal list than a general one. For a general list, rating websites like MyAnimeList do a pretty good job.
It seems to me that you are the type who prefers lesser-known anime to mainstream. Not that that’s a bad thing, its just something I’ve noticed while reading this.
Also, you have mentioned that Shiki is a very horror-ish anime with intricate plot, even though you can figure out what the supposed “epidemic” is in the first couple of episodes.
Although I do agree with you on Puella Magi Madoka Magica, it is a pretty good anime.
I think he’s really good at forming his own opinions as he goes through a season. A lot of the shows on this list were things he picked up in 2013, and even though shows like Gatchaman Crowds and Uchouten Kazoku didn’t catch everyone’s eye, he identified them as having things he really values in his shows.
His top 5 consists of two acclaimed classics, one hype show, and two generally acclaimed anime, so it’s not like he’s trying to go for underground. In fact, 17 of these shows have higher average ratings than Evangelion on MAL (I kinda consider Evangelion’s 8.32 and Utena’s 8.22 to be benchmarks for general public approval).
No Death Note? Attack on Titans?
He does not like Araki.
both boring overrated anime
Overrated? Death Note is one of the most perfect animes out there..
I understand this is your opinion and trying to involve multiple genres. But hxh should have been much higher on the list even though it is a Lon anime it gets better with every episode. And no atot, or magi I know that there are some childish concepts in magi but it also is dark an complex and thoroughly enjoyable I mean you have gagintia on here and magi os deff beter. Also what about fma brotherhood, or yu yo hakusho, nights of sidonia and plenty of other I understand this is a list trying to span genres but if you going to say 30 best anime it shouldn’t matter if they where all the same genre
Where is naruto full metal and attack on titan? What bout sao
…are you fucking kidding me? Naruto is typical shonen trash and SAO is literally one of the shittiest anime ever made. Have you even watched any of the top ten? Or Gurren Laggan? Or Legend of the Galactic Heroes? Or Cowboy Bebop?
Jesus, I can’t believe you just brought those four anime as the greatest of all time.
haha… nerd rage much?
We are not nerds we are just people who have good taste in anime.
lol, they are still good shows, just cause you got a different taste dosen’t make em bad.
Just cause you namedrop some Animes, some people might not have seen, dosen’t make you more entitled to an opinion.
I did watch the Cowboy Bebob, and LoGH. and TBH they are okay, but not THE BEST!
You cant really hold all animes up to each other. So stop beeing such a douchbag and come off your high horse. you are what makes the internet such a horrible place.
I completely agree that these people who are being mean on the internet are making it a horrible place. FINALLY SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY SMART ON THE INTERNET!
Waddlebuff is literally being mean on the internet.
Everyone have different opinions
I completely agree I love SAO
Lol, you keep on bashing amines such as Naruto, SAO and One piece and that’s your opinion fair enough. However just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you have to be like that. I have watched a lot of anime over the years such as Cowboy Bebop and LotGH and they are also good. Ofc there are flaws in the Naruto anime such as too many fillers, however from I first started watching Naruto it drew me in instantly, I could relate to it so much. Having no parents and people telling you, you won’t achieve your goals amd struggling to make friends are some of the key features in the beginning of Naruto which many of us naruto fans can relate too. If you been watching keep up with all these years and seen the journey Naruto has gone on and its amazing to see how much he has changed and grown. It kinda reminds me of myself in a way lol. Sometimes anime isn’t always about the best writing or the best art and animation, it’s simply about finding an anime you can enjoy and finding something to relate too. I know people will hate on my comment idc it’s my opinion. All I can say is there’s a reason that animes such as Naruto, SAO, Death Note, Geass, HXH, One Piece and Attack on titans are so popular. Again I like LotGH and Cowboy Bebop, but you can’t bash other people’s opinions because you think your opinion the only correct one.
Umm….The animes you said that you also watched still aren’t very good… as i guy who can list you 75 animes i’ve watched off the top of my head, I’ll tell you this. Stuff like that is popular because it appears on tv or is heavily promoted. the only mainstream stuff I can say is good that you listed is Code Geass HxH and One piece the others are just subject of heavy promotion (ATTACK ON TITAN COUGH COUGH) and appear on tv channels like adult swim
These are only things that this poster has seen. He’s not one for long shows, so Naruto and Brotherhood will have a hard time ending up here (he DOES want to watch Brotherhood though). He’s seen 2003, but just likes a lot of other shows better.
Attack on Titan he reviewed lukewarmly, and SAO he’s talked a lot on this blog about how much he doesn’t like it.
It’s cool to like these things! Must take a lot of time to watch all of Naruto! I only read it. But they don’t interest him as much as this stuff does. Maybe check some out. It’s not all gonna be super exciting (Gurren Lagann, FLCL, Madoka, and Chuunibyou are pretty exciting shows though), but maybe the experience will come off positively, and you might like them.
i have watched all of naruto and read all the manga same for bleach and one piece and as a whole they are subpar anime
Finally someone said it. They’re just overrated af.
You are all such morons if you don’t think hxh attack on titan, ouran highschool host club, and SAO are the best animes in the world.
Have you watched Monster? Gantz would also make my list oh and Beck, watch them. easily as good or better than those, and yes I did thoroughly enjoy HxH and AOT while SAO was more of a rollercoaster, definitely not the best anime of all time lol
Bkit ? Wala Yung Fairy Tail
because it is a fucking piece of shit
THE BEST LIST I’VE SEEN TODAY!
I like at least half of the top 10, although I think you could squeeze in Legend of the Galactic Heroes somewhere. Still an amazing list. The Top 2 legitimized this list for me! 🙂
you have a knack for writing really sophisticated, beautiful reviews. honestly I was hanging on every word – thanks for the list. looking forward to reading more of your reviews
hum FMA brotherhood guys …?
FMA Brotherhood is so good I don’t understand how it isn’t on here.
He hasn’t seen it.
it makrs me sad that everyone has the same taste in anime sao is not as good as any of you make it out to be dot hack was a better person trapped in a game anime and aot is overrated junk
I watched Evangelion first and to be honest I can’t find an anime for me which matches it. Sure I go to Naruto to pass time and see how they do the Madara fights, but Neon Genesis was a work of art. Watched all the movies and the episodes. I can’t get over it.
Nothing matches Eva for me either, but here’s some shows that have felt somewhat similar (generally, in order of most to least Eva-recommended):
Revolutionary Girl Utena: As an art work, definitely on Eva’s level. Fights aren’t nearly as entertaining though.
Oregairu: High school comedy with some of the best characterization I’ve seen since Eva.
Ping Pong the Animation: Amazing characters, amazing sound design, and a very unique art style. Only 11 episodes, but can have just as much to read into.
Monogatari: One part trashy fanservice comedy. The rest has character and theme writing better than anything else I’ve seen except Eva. End of TV and the last episode of Second Season give me similar vibes.
Madoka Magica: Good fights, great aesthetics, and intriguing themes. Largely compared to Eva and more widely liked. Nowhere near as character-focused as Eva, but still some good character arcs.
Eureka Seven: Long mecha centered around a relationship really similar to Shinji and Rei’s early-Eva one (except E7 is a straight-up romance).
Cowboy Bebop: Episodic classic. The last episode touches on themes that reminded me of Eva.
Thats awesome man I’ll check it out. Thanks for the suggestions ^^
Really good breakdown of your top 30. I was surfing the net and found this and I have to say your selection is diverse as well as very thought out. Some people don’t understand that anime is like all things you have fast food versions and you have something people can consider art on multiple aspects. Again it was a really great read. Bookmarked for further anime poaching.
I agree fully!
Soo great to find a rating where the author has put in real thought in the choices and has looked More at the undertones and details of the shows.
I don’t fully agree on the placement of every show on the list, but every single one of them truly belongs on a list such as this.
Very nice! Thank you.
WHERE IS TOKYO GHOUL???
In the trash, where trash belongs
I’ve seen and really liked in order of greatness:
Death note
attack on titans
spice and wolf
bleach
Also, dbz (favorite) and naruto but those are obvious.
Which should I watch? I don’t wanna watch bepop.
I’d say giving Bebop a try is really worth it!
But as far as the ones you listed:
Since you like action shows, Hunter x Hunter and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann would be good.
I haven’t seen Code Geass, but it gets compared favorably to Death Note a lot.
And other relationship-centered shows like Spice and Wolf would be Chuunibyou and Bakemonogatari.
Please don’t put Chuunibyou in the same sentence as Spice & Wolf. The later is a work of art that sadly does not have a complete anime behind it (read the LN for your fix), while Chuunibyou is simply a way to pass the time with a subpar story and bad romance.
As for the OP, I will go out on a limb and say that your are fairly new to anime. As such, and with the anime you listed, getting a good feel as to what you would be interested is hard to judge. I would recommend Steins;Gate and Ghost in the Shell (both Stand Alone Complex and the movies) since, although being somewhat entry level, they are still pretty amazing. For lesser known anime, I would strongly recommend Chihayafuru for its great animation and story telling. Also, try watching Madoka Magica for its deconstruction of the magical girl genre. The animation is also well done, plus it will jerk at your heartstrings!
Oh god.
Well, I’m not new to anime as I was practically raised off dragonballz, and grew up watching shows like sailor moon, cardcaptors, inu yasha, etc — same age as you, so you get it. But yeah, besides the mainstream stuff I guess I’m new to it.
Decided to watch SOA — binged the whole 2 seasons in 2-3 days.
Initially the show came off as crap. It was far too obvious, lacking realistic sense, and seemed poorly written I guess. However, once the romance plot kicked in, and I decided to overlook the flaws, the show became very friendly, charming, and fun. In other words, it was very enjoyable.
Bepop is probably great, but I guess I’m looking to immerse myself into something cheerful or something that lacks association to modern day reality. Typically hate anything to do with crime/cop drama/guns minus Death Note as the protagonist was a sociopathic-near genius and it had elements of fantasy in it.
Will probably go with Evangelion and hope it’s not too gritty and pretentious. Tbh I’ve been looking for something like Spice and Wolf for a while — SOA kind of achieved that in the first season.
*I meant SAO (sword art online), guess the acronym for sons of anarchy was engrained.
I feel that crime issue. I appreciated Psycho Pass, Bebop, and Stand Alone Complex, but I didn’t really feel super comfortable in them.
I said Chuunibyou and Bakemonogatari were SaW like before, but I take it back; they’re a lot more modern. Now I’m thinking Katanagatari is a lot more comparable.
I hope you like Eva! I recently finished a rewatch, and I didn’t feel like it was overly gritty nor pretentious (except in the last episode). But I’ve been really absorbed in Eva for years, so while I tried looking at it through a blank slate, my perspective probably excuses a lot of stuff a first time viewer’s can’t.
You probably won’t like hearing this but I am really not liking EVA at all. Despite the fact that I pretty much only watch films that are hard sci-fi, melancholic indie films that deal with existentialism, and psychological thrillers — this show does nothing for me.
The characters just feel superficial and not memorable. There’s nothing likeable about any of them. The protagonist is simply just depressed. The dialogue seems to always be about boring tech talk relating to the eva’s conditions. The show conveys it’s depressing monotony through it consisting of the same cycle over and over again. School, kill an angel, home, repeat. It’s tedious. The mecha fights are all pretty much the same.
I get that the show’s trying to be authentically depressing, but it’s not hooking me with it. Looking at what the show represents I really feel like I should like it more, but I don’t
I’ve zoned out through a lot of it so far and probably missed a lot of the story so maybe that’s playing apart in me not connecting much with it — but I don’t really feel that I’ve missed anything important.
Maybe the last 6 episodes will do something.
@John on Eva
Yeah that’s basically exactly how I remembered it, and nothing like how it felt on my recent rewatch.
Did you say you’re 20 episodes in? I’d say the show isn’t trying to be depressing at all. It just seems like it’s telling a story about its characters. I loved getting caught up in all the little moments when I rewatched it; again, I can only give the perspective of someone who already likes it since it’s been so long. It’s common to be put off by Eva. I was when I tried it 2 years before finishing it.
I honestly don’t think Eva is a show with the strengths of the four that you named. What kind of appeal were you expecting?
Yea, anime is going to be subjective. I’m just starting to notice that, at least for me, melancholy and hard sci-fi do not work for me in anime. Conversely, it’s all I watch in reg movies. I guess it’s because it’s animated and doesn’t hook me in the same way.
Also, shows focused primarily/solely on sports, normal hobbies, board games, heavily political, that napoleon-modern day-futuristic environment (centari from babylon 5 and what I’m seeing in code geass so far), school/work, cops, guns, western, mecha, large-eyes-poor animation, is unappealing.
Japanese anime has a particular charm in terms of character likeability and humor when done right. Romance is also good in anime as well. Action/adventure (swords, magic, fantasy, etc) is good too. Clever/intellectual anime is good as well.
Additionally, dark/horror anime seems hard to pull off right imo.
Obviously just opinion but anime with action/adventure or intellectual topics as the focal point with romance or comedy lingering in the background seem good to me. Most of the mainstream anime’s like one piece, kenshin, naruto, etc seem to try and focus on all topics at once and do a rather mediocre job at each of them imo.
I’m guessing you already have seen this, but I just finished Steins;Gate and thought that was great. Hououen Kyouma was just about the funniest protagonist I’ve ever seen, and the time travel was done well.
I loved Okarin too! Steins;Gate’s a wonderful show for story and has an amazing atmosphere.
i bet you never watch : Fullmetal Alchemist : Brotherhood, it’s available on any other sites list
your reviews seem well presented but you lack taste…. hunter x hunter should be higher,bleach is a classic, one piece is a classic and fairy tail is also a classic long running animes to entertain and help lose track of time an reality… coz life can suck at times… they are funny at times, packed with action an have good character development death note was awesome but if you dont have a brain dont bother with it… steins gate was good also… i wasnt into one piece to begin with but im glad i watched more of it… i can see why its done well an so has fairy tail… bleach was epic just with it’s black bitch ichigo theme song and that hollow jesus…….
“You lack taste…” says someone whose sole focus seems to be long running shonen.
Nothing wrong with battle shonen, but it’s a very mainstream and time-consuming genre, so it’s kinda weird to say you need to have good taste to like it. It’s the kind of stuff everyone’s heard of and generally enjoys.
What Bobduh’s Stalker is trying to say is that you are the kind of person that lacks even a tongue, much less taste.
With words like those Maria, I’m not sure you deserve a tongue.
It’s missing JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures, GANTZ, Bleach, and many others.
Yet, there’s a lot of crap on this list.
Top 30 my ass.
There are more than 30 anime in the world, of course it’s going to be missing many others.
Every one on this site needs to calm ur pants cause there’s no point in arguing if every ones has different meaning of each anime just shut it
Why isent death note on the list like seriously
That really contradicts the above comment…
It’s only stuff he’s seen.
He’s read Death Note though. He liked it, but not as much as he likes the anime on this list. Since he isn’t so into the director of the Death Note anime, I don’t think he’d prefer it to Psycho-Pass.
I am really surprised to not see Death Note or Monster here. Neither is perfect(Death Note’s ending was horrible and Monster’s pacing was quite slow) but IMO, they are amazing.
I wish Psycho Pass was a bit higher though… What really appealed to me in Psycho Pass was Makishima Shougo. He was interesting.
I LUF CHICKAIN
the fuck with this web. it’s fucking stupid i highly recommend others not to view or even mention this page wtf moments. ajujujujuju walay pulos na lugay GOD damnit!
No SAO, no code geass, no death note????????????????????????????
where is school days? its the best!
Lol. He actually liked it more than not.
yeah i liked it, its the best!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have seen a lot of these animes, but if I need to be honest, I know some animes that are a lot better than the ones that are in this list.
For instance, bleach, attack on titan, (new anime) one punch man. etc.
This person’s watched Attack on Titan and OPM. They’re not nearly as good in his eyes.
What happened to ARSLAN, KINGDOM, BERERK, Death note,ATTACK ON TITAN, NARUTO
The only one he’s watched is Attack on Titan and you can look up his review if you want more info.
Most of you guys are super critical on other peoples liking in a certain anime and it pisses others people off.
Your also being huge critics to the producer of his own list of anime that this person enjoys and thought others might also.
. SO SHUT IT.
it was his opinion.
No one likes a critic.
Where is Gurren Lagann?
So it begins.
AHHHH my poor Sakamichi no Apollon! Downgraded! Still, nice to finally see the update.
Hey, yeah, it just hasn’t stuck in my mind as much as other shows around its original placement. Still really good, though!
Just as I near completion of the top 30, new shows have been added!
I’m glad though, because seeing them score so highly reminds me I need to watch Giant Robo and The IDOLM@STER. Bumping those to the front of my backlog.
The animes in your list are becoming my favorites one after another. All of those animes are a work of art and i hope someday everyone reconignize that. But still evangelion will always be the one above all for me, and was because it is in top 1 on your list that i have started to see all the others in the first place, every anime in here are high rated in myanimelist.com as well.
Ty very much man for those life changing animes, and sorry for the drama but it is all true.
Also sorry if i wrote something wrong, my english is not that good.
How would the list change if you split up all the different Monogatari series?
Also, why did Penguindrum not get a boost to top 30…?
Besides that though, clearly the best top 30 list. Dokes, Monogatari, Katanagatari, and Uchouten Kazoku in the top 10 is such win.
Where is bleach
I dont see bleach
Come on whr is naruto
U left out naruto shippuden
This list is amazing
But,where baccano or berserk
Baccano’s in the addendum. It was originally #28, but he’s seen a lot of shows he liked better since then.
Berserk he hasn’t gotten to yet.
I got tired of reading the comments but I was surprised nobody brought a phrase I hear all the time.
Comfort Food Anime
Naruto, Inuyasha, FairyTail, Bleach, these shows make tons of people happy as hell and they love them for it, there’s nothing wrong with them.
The same can be said for Mac’ and Cheese, metric tons of people love it, it makes you feel like buying a body pillow of it to sleep with at night your weeb is so deep.
But few deeply discerning people, the kind of people who blog about it, would put Mac’ and Cheese high on their Top 30 foods list. Filet-Mignon goes on the list. Bleach isn’t here, Eva is. I hate Eva, Inuyasha was my first, but I totally understand why they’re both where they are.
Perspective yo.
SAO is shit.
you ass hole fuck offff you sucking bastard
Wheres Death Note
Gintama? Fmab I can understand because he hasn’t seen it, but every anime fan has to see gintama. Gintama is hilarious, with a mix of romance and comedy. AOT was good. Manga was better. SAO was my first anime, so nostalgia. LOTR was awesome, and the first part of Death Note was fantastic.
I think tokyo ghoul, attack on titan, one puch man, kill la kill, death note is my favorites in my opinion. i used to like sao but if i go back and think about it, the main character is already too perfect and needs plot more than just kirito asuna and yui living a happy life and second season, there doesnt even seem to have a point to it. fairy tail, too long first of all. but i managed to finish it but when the story goes on, its one single idea, oh fairy tail is the best guild ever. and now fairy tail second season is slowly becoming boring for me probably because author ran out of idea and thatas one reason why im not going to watch and anime longer than 70 episdes. i personally like it short. and also a good anime should also have unpridictable moments like in attack on titan, i didnt think eren would ever be a titan shifter or die or anything. a good anime should also have character development like changes in character instead of perfect all the time and everything. but this is just my definition of a good anime. dont hate please its just my opinion
Ok people….. Stop putting each other down over an anime list. This list is good but, it’s from the writers opinion of the best. I’m sure you could write a list and your list will be 100% different. Same with everyone else.
So there is no need to go and name call, and knock people for their likes and dislikes. So what if they’re new to watching and haven’t seen much and have only seen the mainstream ones (SAO, AOT, Naruto, Bleach, etc). We all started somewhere.
(Sailor moon, DBZ, Rurouni Kenshin, Cowboy Bebop, Yuyu hakusho)
We are all apart of a community. Debates are perfectly fine, but name calling, it’s very childish and immature. Though a lot of you are probably early teens and mid teens act your age or above your age. If you’re well into your 20s (as I am) or older you should know better.
CoDE GeASs
#38
So having just gotten into anime I decided to do what any sensible naturally extremist person would do — binge.
In two weeks I’ve completed:
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2
Death Note
Elfen Lied
Mirai Nikki (TV)
Shingeki no Kyojin
Steins;Gate
Sword Art Online 9
Sword Art Online II
Tokyo Ghoul
And currently watching:
Clannad
Monster
Nana
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Tokyo Ghoul √A
I recommend these shows to everyone since most people prefer top-tier shows over OP’s list of “technically” good anime.
This would be in order of enjoyment:
Death Note
Sword Art Online (i know it technically sucks but I really found it to be a fun watch)
Shingeki no Kyojin
Steins;Gate
Sword Art Online II
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2
Elfen Lied
Monster
Mirai Nikki (TV)
“Technically good?” This is a list of 30 top tier anime, at least for the person writing it. Even in reputation I’d say Shinsekai Yori, Katanagatari, and Cowboy Bebop overshadow Elfen Lied.
I havent seen any of what you’ve mentioned though. A lot of the comments are bitching about the anime(s) in the list I have not being included in OP’s list.
I have no idea what you’re trying to say. All I meant is that “top-tier” makes me think of shows with both high exposure and high acclaim. In my experience, Elfen Lied tends to be middling in both categories, while Cowboy Bebop and Madoka are shows on this list that do well in both.
All the shows on his list are high-exposure?
Why isnt gurren lagaan here? i loved it.
Because he watched Giant Robo. I’m sad too (and I need to see Giant Robo!).
Great to see yet another update. I have been awaiting it since you praised Hibike! Euphonium, the original Idolmaster and Paranoia Agent (which you reviewed on Anime Classics). The only surprises were that you mentioned K-On!, Giant Robo and did not mention Love Live, having in consideration the idol anime article.
In any case, your anime list has become a reference, a Holy List, if you will. It has never disappointed. I watched several of the anime before I checked the list for the first time (Serial Experiments Lain, The Flowers of Evil, Paranoia Agent, Penguindrum, Psycho-Pass, Haibane Renmei, Shin Sekai Yori, Cowboy Bebop, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Neon Genesis Evangelion), but whenever I follow your suggestions, I always have animegasm. I have learned of the wonders of Suisei no Gargantia, Gatchaman Crowds, Toradora, FLCL and most importantly, Revolutionary Girl Utena, thanks to you and your clinical eye. Thank you very much, and keep up the good work.
I must say, I never watched any other Idolmaster, but Cinderella Girls feels a bit intoxicating. I dropped it.
I have shared my suggestions, but as a more experienced anime viewer than I was, I’d like to make my suggestions once more, also as a sign of appreciation:
-Azumanga Daioh
-Blue Drop
-Bokurano
-Boogiepop Phantom
-Bubblegum Crisis (The original, since the Tokyo 2040 wasn’t really that great of an experience, check out the genuine 80’s time capsule, back when the ideas were fresh, and with fast paced hand-drawn animation)
-Darker than Black
-DURARARA!! (Same guy as BACCANO!
-Earth Maiden Arjuna (Not flawless, but in many ways, quite masterful)
-Ergo Proxy
-Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
-Le Portrait de Petit Cossette
-Martian Successor Nadesico (Comedy and Drama go hand-in-hand in perfection)
-Nichijou
-Night Raid 1931
-Now and Then, Here and There (Loved every second of it, but it will be ages before picking it up again… War is a gut-punching reality)
-R.O.D. the TV (better than the OVA, I feel)
-Sweet Blue Flowers (Aoi Hana)
-Texhnolyze (Same creative team as Serial Experiments Lain)
-Un-Go
-Vision of Escaflowne
-Wandering Son (Hourou Musuko)
-Whispered Words (Sasameki Koto)
-X
-Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru (Yes, started off pretty inspired by you-know-what-anime, but soon develops into its own beast, and is now liked (and even loved by many) as such. Reviews on ANN can help explain why)
Hope any of these suggestions is of your pleasing. I would like to retribute this great list you have offered us.
Where is the Gangnam Style MV? What about Friends? Furious5? Sabado Gigante Hasta Siempre?
Those are GOOD anime, not like the awful anime in this list.
ugh here is my top 5 :
1 shigatsu wa kimi no uso (your in april)
2 kanon
3 himoute ! amuru-chan
4 mirrai nikki
5 sao (didn’t really enjoy this that much but was one of my very first anime i watched so it is kinda speciale)
pls tell me your top 5 😀
Katanagatari
Kill la Kill
Monogatari Series
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Neon Genesis Evangelion
That’s with #5 on top and #1 at the bottom. Not sure why the numbers went away.
My 3×3:
Chihayafuru
Spice & Wolf
Steins;Gate
School Rumble
TTGL
Bokura ga Ita
GitS:SAC
Death Note (minus 2nd part)
Usagi Drop
mirai nikki was eh
Where is Elfen Lied? Death Note?? Sword Art Online??? Not happy with this list at all
#11, #15, and #22, weren’t you reading?
Man, this is his list, offering suggestions to other people. There is no reason you or anyone should be happy or unhappy about the list. It’s all in the beginning of the list.