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 the hell are FAIRYTAIL, NARUTO, DEATHNOTE, BLEACH?
Tittle says best 30 anime series of all time
It is the best 30 anime series of all time, not the 30 worst. Get your shitty, childish taste out of here you weaboo trash.
Yeah fuck Attack on Titan
death note is pretty good though u have to admit 🙂
That’s a bit harsh, its just his opinion and the stuff he personally enjoys. No need to be so unpleasant because his taste differs from your own…
I agree, there are so many genres.. Its the same never ending debate which people have on books, movies etc.. But there are some good ones which are missed out.. Monster, Bersek..
i think this should not be called top 30 anime series of all time because there are many more animes out there and people have different opinions and this is just you opinion and no one should judge you because you lke a certain type of anime one of the human rights is that everyone has the right to share your opinion
I agree with you, but unfortunately your childish demeanor kind of undermine your point. By stating that this list is for ‘the best’ anime (aka ‘mature’, or ‘adult’), and then proceeding to trash the guy who posted this, you are sort of disproving your point… After all, people who watch ‘mature’ anime should be mature? Right?
All the same, Bleach and Naruto suck. And I am a member of the target demographic. I haven’t seen Fairy Tail, but I’ll assume it’s similar. Death Note was my first anime, and I loved the first 20 episodes. After that….it’s all downhill. If I was rating the first season, I’d rate it quite high, but after L’s death…it gets boring really quickly.
Someone likes mediocre shows…fairytale is long and I personally watched the first couple episodes and went “meh”. Maybe if I was 12 I would have been more interested.
I actually watched a good chunk of naruto, and while the core story is decent, the anime is mostly crappy filler. Again, maybe if I was 12…
God…death note…what an incredibly annoying show. The charcters do something, then explain why they did it in detail practically every single time they do anything. Not only that but they act like it was the most amazing idea/action/deduction ever, even when it is something faorly obvious. I assume it was written for idiots that don’t have working brains, or maybe blind people, that need every scene descriped to them. Possibly for 12 year Olds.
Bleach…see my comments about a Nauto…
Judging from what you like, you are 12….
I think your wrong about death note. Master piece and definitely not for 12 yr olds. The first half was amazing then it f***** up after L died and Fairy tail is the worst anime i have seen
i am 11 and i like those animes and the age rating is 13+ for naruto and the age rating for death note is 16+
okay first of all, have you watched ANY of the animes listed above? you say 30 worst, but some of these are known as the best and most well written animes out there. by saying 30 worst, you are disagreeing with a load of critics. clearly you like to stick with only your anime, but give some new ones a try, you will not regret it.
Hay. Every one likes some stuff that sucks. But that does not mean it’s good. I’m a big bleach fan. But it is not in any way a great anime. Really no shining is. And some huge anime a are just pure crap. Numbers don’t mean good.
Well, Naruto, Bleach and Fairytail are part of the big 5 so I guess they’re automatically discounted (but not in a bad way!). Death Note probably doesn’t appeal to this person, since this is their opinion.
Ok first off those 4 anime u mentioned, maybe with the exception of death note are all strictly shounen. So obviously they’re gonna be extremely popular among teenage boys. I’m a fan of all of the ones u mentioned (except fairy tail. That show fuckin sucks). The only ones that should’ve been on this list is death note and bleach Imo
You gotta love that this list features very underrated, complex, unique and underrated shows very worthy of a favorites list, and yet everyone here is saying “WHERE’S NARUTO/ONE PIECE/SWORD ART ONLINE/POPULAR ANIME EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT THAT’D HELP NO ONE LOOKING FOR ANIME RECOMMENDATIONS”
Especially considering how painfully obvious it is that the answer is “it’s MY opinion. Either I haven’t seen it yet, or I have and I didn’t like it enough to kick out any of the animes in the top 30 to make room for it”
Attack on titan is my Anime lol I recommend you to watch it if you haven’t
If you haven’t seen attack on titan I recommend NOT watching it, and ignoring anyone who tells you to in the future.
i agree with Andrew that shit was awful and the fanboys are annoying as shit
So awfull that people need to hate it because everyone loves it
i disagree with all of you, Aot is a good anime. the storyline is great the animation is good and the drama is good. i don’t see why you people hate it so much!
I saw Attack on Titan. I didn’t like it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to say “no one ever should watch it”. That’d just be silly. It has a great concept, but it’s just ruined for me because everyone is constantly whining.
6/10 for bobduh
i second nafi !
Where’s Akame Ga Kill?
Oh God. Oh God.
People liked that?
Maybe I’m just weird, but these grimdark shows just don’t work for me at all. When a shonen tries to look mature by throwing excessive violence and torture scenes alongside your typical fanservice and other bad comedy, it just… meh.
I understand why grimdark annoys people, but Akame ga Kill I actually liked. It worked with a lot of story elements: a weapon system, emotional moments, cool fight scenes, etc. Didn’t have the atmosphere of Attack on Titan, but eh.
Thought it was better than SAO, at least.
I liked it
Akame Ga Kill anime is fake…..the really story is the manga..
Sorry i dont speak english
You have a good taste Sir
You have a good taste Sir.
My top 5 (in no particular order) are :
Hunter X Hunter
Cowboy Bepop
Gintama
Yu Yu Hakusho
Parasyte the Maxim
PS – I also love the character developments in Corpse Party games(tho the a anime was rushed)
what do you see in Cowboy Beebop that you like…… it is like the worst…….it was such a bore…. No offence dude
That is so TRUE!
true
isn’t it like a decade from it’s time
What??!!?! I’m not sure how old you are or how long you’ve been watching anime but I hear a lot of younger people or newer fans of anime say that. I mean no disrespect at all by saying that either. But I’ve been an anime watched for 21 yrs now n although I’m only 26 I’ve seen generations of anime come and go. Cowboy bebop was the first of its kind. U gotta give it another shot.
The anime was rush because it was to gory to make anymore episodes. If you’d look it up you’d know…
Too*
WHERE THE FUCK IS NARUTO OR FMA OR ONE PIECE OR BLEACH. but at least you got cowboy bebop
That would require him to actually watch those shows. Naruto and One Piece aren’t even over, after all.
kill yourself
FMA, however, is a masterpiece
FMA? what`s that
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=FMA+anime
Full metal alchemist
Brotherhood or the other one?
i think DEATH NOTE should be best anime ever
That’s Madhouse’s problem.
where is fucking Anime Numero 20 ….1
go to page 2? lol…?
worst site ever
WordPress?
ermmm, some good ones there but wheres mahouka koukou no rettousei, akame ga kill, bleach and Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? get it sorted son!
Just gonna put this here..
https://wrongeverytime.com/2014/05/10/discussion-response-a-few-last-words-on-mahouka/
To be clear, you listed
-Show he hated
-Show he couldn’t even finish the first episode of
-Show with 700 fucking episodes
and
-DonMachi.
I’m pretty sure this list represents his feelings on all those shows pretty well.
Great list.
From the shows I know, I couldn’t agree more. You seem to have cut through the fluff and struck straight at the core of the best anime.
Will absolutely be watching the above shows I haven’t yet seen. Thanks!
I didn’t see this anime mentioned anywhere and decided to also add this into the mix:
PLANETES would be a show in line with bobduh’s tastes also.
WAY OFF!!!!!!!
Ikr? Kids on the Slope and Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru should be switched!
The list would be perfect if it weren’t for that. Way off.
this list is fucking stupid !! gayest list I ever fucking saw!!
1: Steins;Gate
2: Code Geass
3: Soul Eater
4: Neon Genesis Evangelion
5: SAO (Only the first arc, you can stop there. You should stop there. Seriously, don’t go further than that.)
That’s every anime I’ve ever finished…
You should watch Hunter x Hunter (2011)
The first arc, is it when Sword Art Online was cleared by Kirito, or is it when he saved Asuna?
idk about Steins Gate but Code Geass was amazing. Should watch Steins Gate
Thank you for that Sao comment, also steins;gate
Lmfao. I agree wholeheartedly. SAO took a turn for the worst after the first season lol.
I like GGO part, maybe I simply.female kirito and sinon. never mind
This list is gay and stupid.
You forgot One Piece -_-
It’s not over yet, and he doesn’t watch it, so it would be very hard to rank.
still then it is the best…. It does not need anything further to be rated as the best…..
for me code geass is the best. . . i dont recommend it cause there are others that hate emotional animes but for me i dont hate and love it. . . its just that code geass has very touching story . . try to watch it and every episodes of it .. hehe
He has seen it. It’s currently ranked as #33 in the addendum.
Shiro Bako the number 10 anime of all time…. it’s mediocre and forgettable at best, toradora… sucks. Hyouka…. forgettable. Oregairu…. no plot development whatsoever, nothing about it is profound the main character’s archetype has been done before. Psychopass… cheap ripoff of Gits. Gurren Lagan “not your type of show”… NGE best anime of all time. I can write and essay about a piece of shit and make it sound like it’s the mona lisa, it doesn’t make any difference, and in fact that’s what you did for quite a few titles.
Cry harder.
why is Baccano! not in any of the famous top anime list am I the only one who thought it was amazing?…this list which is featuring such underrated animes should at-least consider it
When I first came to this list, Baccano! was number 30. Since then, it’s been moved to the addendum, where it is ranked 32 and will likely continue to go down :/
But OP definitely liked it!
Have you watched Mirai Nikki? For me it is #1, if you didn’t watch it I think you’d enjoy it.
Ghost in the shell SAC 2nd gig is the best anime ever
Truth has been spoken. I am curious to know why it isn’t on this list, I’m going to search to see if he’s reviewed it at all.
Seen your list in babduh you gotta watch Kaiji. Great list by the way!!
I SWEAR WHERE IS BLECH ITS THE BEST WITH SOUL REAPER
YOU DRINK BLECH ITS BEST FOR GENE POOL
I really appreciate this list. A lot of effort went in to making it, and there was clearly a lot of thought and time going in.
I’ll preface my comment with this. When it comes to anime, I’m just discovering the tip of the iceberg. I’ve watched all of Naruto and SAO, and most of Fairy Tail. I’ve also seen FMA (not brotherhood), and a little bit of Shingeki no Kyojin. So, yes, like many people, I started out with the “Popular Shows.” I really love SAO, not because it’s amazing (although the animation is really good IMO), and I’ve just grown so attached to the characters from Naruto. But it is clear to me that there is SO much more in the world of anime to see, and I’m really looking forward to exploring the titles on this list.
The only two titles on here I’ve seen any of are HxH and Madoka Magica (Hint Hint, Netflix helped). I’m currently in the middle of the Chimera Ant arc for HxH, and I am LOVING it. I watched the beginning of Madoka Magica, and wasn’t particularly drawn in to the story. The animation is obviously stunning and interesting, but I couldn’t find myself caring that much. But, having seen it receive such high praise, like being the #2 on this carefully constructed list, I may have to try again.
I think the breakthrough for me was accepting subbed stuff. It’s harder for me to watch, simply because I like to multitask and watch at work, which I can’t do with subbed (since I have to be actively watching the screen the whole time). But the world of dubbed anime is sadly limited, and even then, I find the performances aren’t always fantastic in English.
I know this was a long post, and will probs be TL;DR, but such is life. 😀
I’ll give some tips and pointers! I watch my first anime (not including One Piece and Naruto because I didn’t even know they were anime since it was aired on tv at night) in 2008, it was Busou Renkin. Shonen adventure anime.
The very long animes like Naruto you’ll find are the big 5, which is Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Fairy Tail and Katekyo Hitman Reborn. There are other genres, such as horror (Another), psychological (Mirai Nikki), romance (Kaichou Wa Maid Sama), slice of life (Clannad), pointless animes with no meaning or message (Daily Lives of High School Boys. But it isn’t bad), harem (to Love ru!), adult animes (unmentionable), magical girl (Tokyo Mew Mew) and others, but I can’t name them all.
Tip: Give anime a second/third chance. They may seem boring, or the summary doesn’t sound cool, but if you continue watching to the end, it might become the next best thing on your list. Don’t underestimate them.
Tip 2: Try not to let the different art styles bother you. It may be really hard to look at, I had troubles trying to watch Sailor Moon and Spirited Away because of the art, but the story out rules the art in my opinion.
I recommend (other than the big 5) Angel Beats, Blue Exorcist, Code Geass and Mirai Nikki. But for romance, I’d say Kaichou wa maid Sama, Full Moon wo Sagashite, Kimi no Todoke and Hotarubi no Mori e. Some extra would be Pandora Hearts, Kagerou Project and Guilty Crown. You might like it, you might not, it depends what you like. Also, you might find a meme saying don’t watch Boku no Pico. DONT. I have warned you.
Hope this helps. ^.^
thanks for this. there are so many of these lists i’ve seen over the past couple of years. They end up being filled with shows i regret having watched the first episode of. With Eva at the top, and these well written descriptions, i think i may have found the animation gold-mine i’ve been looking for.
Except he is heavily biased and most of his shows are subbed. He refuses to watch some great anime and hates others simply because it’s popular. (which in his mind means its no good) He is not an anime lover, he is a hipster.
You seem to have a popular opinion on this thread. I think the popularity of most popular anime has to do with the immaturity of its audience, not with the quality of a “popular” show. And just like the guy made the list (and yourself and everybody else), I am biased. It’s called an opinion.
If you like the “hero gets stronger beats somebody up thereafter introduce an even stronger enemy which hero will beat next episode (or 100 episodes down the line after filler).. Congratulations, enjoy the “popular” shows.
The op has taste (another word for bias).
That is a lie. Stop spreading lies.
He has seen SAO, Evangelion, Attack on Titan, all popular shows.
He won’t watch Death Note because of certain things about Death Note (like that he’s already read the manga).
Stop spreading lies.
really –” there s no reason for not liking attack on titan, mqybe u just has no taste for good animes and u r just watching like dumb cow.
I mean it’s good, but it’s not great. Just because a show encourages you to be emotionally invested in it doesn’t make it a good show.
I know this is obviously just your opinion, but no Trigun?
Can’t defend him here. No idea what’s up with that. Maybe because he prefers manga for shonen, but he doesn’t seem to have read it either.
He liked the Kekkai Sensen adaptation though, and they have the same author.
This was a fucked up list! If you are a real otaku this list doesn’t even stand a chance.
He’s not a real otaku, he’s a person.
You are aware that the term Otaku isn’t a compliment, right?
It’s actually quite the insult. As far as I’m aware, it means you are so into anime that you have no life, or friends, or skills.
Where is Code Geas, Death Note, Naruto, One Piece, Berserk, Mirai Nikki, Claymore, Gundam Seed, Attack On Titan, The Legend Of Galactic Heroes, Age, Full metal achemist, Dragon Ball, Blood +, Kisejuu, SAO
#33, refuses to see it, 700 episodes, 700 episodes, wants to see it, hasn’t seen it, doesn’t love it, didn’t think it was good, wants to see it, don’t think he’s seen Age, thinks it’s good but not that good, doesn’t like it, hasn’t seen it, don’t think he’s seen it, strongly dislikes it.
It’s funny that someone who claims to love anime will flat out refuse to see something because it’s popular or not his normal cup of tea. He isn’t an anime connoisseur, he’s an anime hipster.
Lol that’s not why. He doesn’t want to watch Death Note because he read the manga and doesn’t like the anime’s director.
No one said he was a connoisseur?
It’s not that I disagree with your list, but it is heavily biased. If you are going to do a “top” list that people will take seriously then add shows people actually have seen. Most people haven’t seen your shows, not because they are underrated, but because most of them are subbed.
Also, you can’t just say a show sucks or not add it because you don’t like it. If it wasn’t for DBZ, despite its many obvious flaws, anime never would have taken off in America. It’s what made anime mainstream here. By not adding things people have seen just because you like a particular branch of animation just makes you look like hipster poser. Some of us here actually value others opinions so we can branch out and find good shows. I can’t take this list seriously because of these two main reasons. And the fact that you don’t describe the story of what these shows are actually about.
No one said you had to take the list seriously. I for one think it’s super disingenuous to make a list of top anime that includes shows you don’t like and/or haven’t seen.
If you want a better list, make a better list. See how its search results get.
At the beginning of the list, they specifically say that this is their list. It is THEIR 30 favorite anime. If they think something something is bad, then to them it’s bad, and this is a list based on their opinions. Every Anime on this list has been viewed more many people, perhaps not as many people compared to something like DBZ, but many people nonetheless. Also, we are talking about Anime here, Japanese Animations, of course a lot of them are going to be subbed, the majority of Anime have no English versions. If you’re not going to watch subs then you might want to steer clear of a lot of top anime lists, as there is a large number of Anime that are only in Japanese, and only intended for a Japanese Audience.
I realize this is a personal list… but a top 30 without FMA:B on it… I don’t want to know THAT person.
Oh my god.
I’ve only seen one anime on this list. It’s number 28, and it was the best TV show I have ever seen (Love Steins;Gate so much…)
What time is it?
Binging time.
That’s the right additude (seriously, this comment section is so venemous)! You seriously have some good times ahead of you. I personally recommend Madoka, Hunter x Hunter, Kino’s Journey, Shirobako, Hyouka, and Psycho-Pass as a starter.
Having sampled everything on this list except Tatami Galaxy and Uchouten Kazoku (with Toradora, Spice and Wolf, and HxH incomplete),
My biggest recs on this list are:
General appeal: Ping Pong, Cowboy Bebop, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Madoka, and Mushi-Shi.
Appeal to me: Gatchaman Crowds, Suisei no Gargantia, Kids on the Slope, Shiki, Evangelion(!), Monogatari(!), Utena(!), and Katanagatari.
I generally liked everything on this list I finished. Haibane Renmei and Diebuster a bit less, but I also really liked things about them.
I would not have the same list, but then I find most character driven stories to be boring, and often I find the characters boring as well. The same with the artsy type anime. I like a nice solid story with decent characters, character development, some sort of action, and keeping the life lessons reasonable and not the primary focus.
Three animes I would personally have on a top 30 list would be Berserk, Trigun, and Ergo Proxy. Berserk because it is an incredibly solid anime, and IMO is actually far better than the manga. The manga suffers from being weird/artsy for the sake of being weird/artsy, while the anime trims it down and tells the story with a more serious, and realistic approach. Considering the dark nature of the story, the anime does a much better job.
Trigun would make it because of Vash. The storyline is decent, but it is literally about Vash. He is my favorite character in any anime. Some of the scenes are over the top, and I feel a higher level of realism and less cookie cutter “bad guys” would have made the anime an even better one. However, it is still an incredibly good story.
Ergo Proxy is just amazing. It is not perfect, but it pulls off absolutely brilliant plot twists. It plays mind games with the viewer throughout, leaving people confused and guessing until the very end. Even minor characters are revealed to have hidden agendas, and almost nothing is what it seems. The only hints I will give are there are no filler episodes, and pay attention, key plot points are often only brought up once, maybe twice.
It’s nice to see a “Top Anime Series of all time” list that is not filled with overly used shounen. I’m also surprised to see so many comments defending the list from others who want to replace half the list with overrated Anime, such as; Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, DBZ, etc.
Does nobody respect Yamato and its enormous influence on the genre anymore? Too old?
and 未来少年コナン ???
How is full metal alchemist brotherhood not on the list??
Good list, feel it’s missing some obvious shouts like: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Great Teacher Onizuka, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Death Note, Trigun, the Fate series.
There are some other good series that I think will catch your attention sir considering there are many of those in your list are of the same interest of mine. here are some suggestion:
1) Sakurasou no pet na kanojo
2) Code Geass
3) Mirai Nikki
*have fun watching XD
1) He didn’t like it.
2) #33
3) Not in his plans.
I might be fanboying over Watanabe a bit, but Cowboy Bebop was a masterpiece of animation. It had interesting characters, a soundtrack better than most modern music, some badass fighting choreography, and a short 26 episode story that doesn’t quite answer all your questions–giving it a ton of rewatch value.
And completely snubbing Samurai Champloo? Dude.
He hasn’t seen every episode yet. It’s a slow process.
So this is a top 10 list that ever fan boy/ girl out there expects to be on ever top 10 list ever:
– Naruto
– fairy tail
– bleach
– death note
– Fma
– mirai nikki
– code geass
– attack on titan
– SAO
– one peice
No exceptions
I don`t regret wasting my time on this list:
FMA / FMA Brotherhood (Both were epic in their own way)
Code Geass (2nd season is wayyyy awesome)
Attack on Titan (The sense of dread and doom on the characters is amazing)
Eden of the East (It has only 8 episodes followed by 3 movies)
Soul eater (It had very neat animation)
Barakamon (Very fun anime, no one would regret watching this)
Death note (Only the first 32 episodes)
Legend of Korra (If you consider this to be an anime)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (fun season 1 only)
Kuroko no basket / haikyu (good sports anime)
Honorable mention: Gintama movie (I laughed like a crazy guy!) and fate/zero
Also watched: naruto, fairytail, zetusen no tempest (only first 15 episodes were good), Kyoukai no kanata, dbz, yu yu hakusho, inuyasha, fruits basket (this was fun), one piece, guren lagann, flcl, fate/stay night, Shounen Omnyougi, hajime no ippo, yakitate japan (a good gourmet anime), detective school q (mysteries and twists!), duraraa, psycho pass, mirai nikki (lame), i would give all these anime B+/-
Planiing to watch gatchaman crowds and shin sekai yori
Im really surprised there is no clanned here since most of these series are also in my top list and clanned is no. 1
Also, I didnt see anyone mention it in the comments.. seriously.. how?..
I’ve seen a couple comments on how it’s strange that Bobduh likes romances but didn’t list Clannad.
If you go to his MyAnimeList, you can see he took episodic notes of Clannad and Clannad After-Story.
tl;dr: The side characters and their arcs were extremely troubling for him, but the show did do stuff he really liked. After Story he thought was amazing, but he didn’t like the ending and it did keep stuff he didn’t like about part 1. It’s just not as consistently good for him as the things he has on his list.
No Gosick, AnoHana or Angel Beats? Damn…
The fact that Natsume Yuujunchou is not on your list of watched anime is extremely surprising. Think Mushishi but with a warmer tone and based on friendship. It is by far one of my all time favorite anime. Also I would like to say that I really enjoyed your taste in Anime. While personally I will always love over powered main characters that always kick-ass (Irregular at Magic High School, Code Geass, SAO, No Game No Life, etc), I also love stories about what it is like to be a person and that catches humanity in it’s essence. Thanks so much for the list I will be watching all of them!
I haven’t gotten to NY yet, but its summary kinda made me think Monogatari with Mushi-shi aesthetic. Then again, when I started Monogatari I thought it was like Mushishi with teenagers.
Monogatari and Oregairu would be an interesting recommendation. They’re led by guys with the mindsets of protagonists like Kirito and Mahoukaman, but without the power. Revolutionary Girl Utena has a Kirito-like protagonist, but doesn’t center its plot around her the way SAO does. Ping Pong might actually be a better fit. Its characters are confident, powerful, and likable.
I liked Aku no hana, Paranoia Agent and Slam Dunk to name some shows. Three totally different genres, aiming different audience, but worth watching. Aku no hana has some very interesting characters, rythim and aesthetics, Paranoia Agent has a really good ans strong story, reminding me some pof Lynch’s work, and Slam Dunk it’s justo good old fun with Sakuragi
Sorry for the mistakes (typo). Typing fast on mi cel
I’ve not seen all the Animes mentioned on here but I’ve seen quite a few and agree with them being underrated and really good Animes, however i do feel like a few masterpieces, such as Elfen Lied, have been left out which happens every now and then. I agree One Piece, Naruto, Bleach and those very mainstream Animes don’t necessarily belong here, but i firmly believe that you cannot make a top 30 anime series of all time list and not include the original Dragonball (which i believe was superior to DBZ), alone because of the influence it had on the Anime/Manga industry and how it pretty much brought the Industry over to the Western world. Even if you would disregard that, its Art style, its humor, its story and its characters are outstanding in every way. DBZ was still a great Anime, but i do understand its criticism and peoples reasoning for not putting it on this list (although i personally find it great and it has probably had an even bigger influence than DB had). However I think the original Dragonball Anime is equally underrated as many titles on this list and most certainly deserves a spot on the list.
Seriously these anime are the BEST of ALL TIME!?
what? I never heard any of these anime series in my life..Where’s One Piece that’s got to be one of the best! its just got to be…
and wheres Fruits Baskets, DBallz, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya etc…
Fruits basket lmfao… I wish I could convey the level of my laughter through text.
haha i know i hate fruit basket, sorry for those who like it 😛 – personal opinion
Some anime I would’ve loved to see on this list.
1. Ruroni kenshin
2. Project K
3. Birdy the Mighty
4. Parasyte
5. Angel beats
6. Guilty crown
7. Tokyo ghoul (both seasons)
Just to name a few. I’m more drawn to visually striking anime and conflict within protagonists so that has a huge influence on the anime I watch. But I’m also guilty of watching monster musume and say I love you so what do I know lol.