Whether you’re a new fan or an OG anime viewer, it’s always entertaining to see top ten lists. In this list, we’ll be going through the top 10 best anime.
Animes have grown vastly since their inception in 1963. The very first anime was Astro Boy, by Osamu Tezuka. Now, the industry has many genres, each with various unique and interesting anime. With so many animes to watch, it can be a daunting task trying to figure out where to start or finding an anime that is more of your pace. Here, we’ll be taking a look at the anime series that are most likely to grab your attention. The fans have spoken, and this list is the result. So without any further ado, let’s jump right in-
10. Naruto
This is the story of Naruto, who lives a lonely and secluded life. He is an orphan, and all the people in his village seem to be wary of him. This is a series based in a shinobi world, where every person has some ninja abilities. Those that train these skills, become Shinobi. Naruto is one such kid, attending a school in hopes of becoming a ninja. And not just any ninja- Naruto dreams of becoming the Hokage! The head of the village and the most powerful ninja in it.
Everyone ridicules him, and he is a bratty kid most of the time, lacking discipline. However, he harbors a powerful source of energy or chakra. An extremely powerful Nine-tailed fox beast is sealed inside Naruto, unknowingly to even himself. However, there is more to the village and its past than meets the eye.
In this series, we get a glimpse into a vast and beautiful world with characters that never cease to amaze us. The series’ popularity is seen in Japan and even in Western countries. The story deals with many themes like loneliness, betrayal, unrequited love, and haunting pasts. But all of this is dealt with in a very light manner, with ample amounts of incredible fight scenes, hilarious characters, and HYPE. The show is also well known for its many philosophical statements. It will motivate you to achieve your dreams regardless of what others say.
Also Check, How To Watch Naruto? | Watch Order, Story Arc and Filler Episodes List
9. Death Note
There’s a good chance that this was the first anime for most of you reading this article. This anime is the proper portrayal of how mature and dark themes can be handled by an animated show. Death Note is the story of an excellent Japanese high school student, Light Yagami, who finds a mysterious notebook on the ground of his school. The book says that whoever’s name is written on its pages will die. While he scoffs it off as being a prank, he is tempted to test it out.
What follows is the best cat-and-mouse detective anime you could ask for. Being one of the smartest students in Japan, Light begins using the notebook to cleanse the evil from the world, while maintaining his appearance as a regular student. However, organizations all over the world are noticing the sudden increase in deaths, specifically in that of criminals. However, with no evidence and a seemingly hopeless case, they turn their heads towards the world’s greatest detective- L.
This series manages to question the morals and integrity of characters, while also putting the viewer in an ethical battle with themselves. This is a great show that keeps you on the edge of your seat, with a soundtrack that will make you want to keep watching forever.
8. Gintama
Do you want to cry tears of laughter? Gintama has got you. This anime is the story of a Japanese man, Gintoki Sakata, living in feudal Japan, where the country (and implicitly the world) has been taken over by aliens called ‘Amanto.’ To prevent a revolution from occurring, they have banned swords. The strongest warriors were no match for these aliens, and now they rule over Japan.
Gintoki, a former samurai, however, still possesses the heart of a samurai. He runs an office, where he does odd jobs upon payment from people. He uses the money to pay for his rent, and read his favorite Weekly Shounen Jump. The story follows his adventures all over the town, and hilarity ensues as he tries to complete these odd jobs, resulting in various run-ins with the Shinsengumi (like police), getting into fights and arguments from time to time.
The show has a very chaotic nature, and it takes a while to get used to this; however, once you get into it, the series pulls you right in. Gintama is a series that has done comedy very well. It uses situational as well as visual humor, excelling in both. This is one series that will have you literally rolling on the floor laughing.
7. One-Punch Man
Imagine a superhero series but with an already maxed-out hero. From the very beginning, you have the most OP character in the show. Saitama is a hero that can defeat any villain with the force of just a single punch. Be it a puny little villain, or the most giant of monsters, Saitama can eliminate them in a matter of seconds with his fists of death.
His story to power began from struggling to find a job and failing, to subsequently undergoing rigorous and hardcore training for three years. His struggles bore fruit, and the world received the powerful one-punch man, or as the world knows him, the caped baldie. He is extremely bored of his life now, unable to feel the adrenaline rush that comes with defeating a villain. As the story progresses, we watch him meet new people and villains—other heroes who consider him a rival, and a weird but handsome cyborg.
The series gained a lot of popularity in a very short span of time and has fans all over the world. It is a very interesting take on the superhero stories that have been done to death. With an innovative approach, it drags us in to watch the next episode to see how Saitama deals with his life challenges and whether or not he can reach the grocery sale on time!
6. Haikyuu!!
This fantastic addition to the world of sports anime took the anime world by a storm. It has a very intense and interesting story, with a wide variety of characters. In this anime, we meet Hinata, who is very passionate about volleyball. However, in this massively air-borne game, he lacks height, which always sets him back from making it in the game. In his very first volleyball tournament, his team is utterly defeated against their opponents, led by Tobio Kageyama, dubbed “King of the Court.”
To broaden his chances in the game, Hinata joins Karasuno High, hoping to become a volleyball team member and seek revenge against Kageyama. However, when he opens the door to the gymnasium in the school, he is met with a surprise. Standing before him is his new ally, Kageyama. The story follows Hinata’s journey as he overcomes his shortcomings and learns the skills needed to master this wonderful game.
This anime introduces us to many teams, each with their distinct abilities and members with exceptional personalities. As you watch the show, you will fall in love with many of these characters, finding a part of yourself in their struggles. It is enticing to watch the matches unfold, and the soundtrack just makes the scenes awe-inspiring. Haikyuu!! has a great story, lovely characters, an amazing soundtrack, and great art. If you’re looking for a sports anime, this is a must-watch
5. Clannad: After Story
Tomoya Okazaki, a delinquent, finds meaning in his life after befriending Nagisa Furukawa, a girl who has been held back a year as she suffers an illness. This is the story of Clannad, a slice-of-life, rom-com that many anime fans found interesting. However, the story continues in the show’s sequel, with Tomoya and Nagisa’s life after graduation.
Tomoya finds it challenging to settle down and find a path to choose for his future. He begins to understand the importance of work ethic, and Nagisa’s support throughout the journey strengthens him. The sequel shows many facets of adult life. Nagisa and Tomoya face many challenges in their life, but with the determination and support of each other, they power through these hurdles.
This anime speaks about the importance of family and its impact on life. The storyline takes a significant turn in after story when compared to the first part. If you watched Clannad and didn’t like it, do not expect the same from After Story. It has a genuinely life-changing plot. It impacts the way you view life in. This anime can make you laugh and cry in the same episode of 20 minutes.
4. Steins;Gate
This is the tale of time travel and sci-fi that handles these complex subjects in a very “accurate” way. Or rather, the way this show chooses to explain these instances of time travel are much more believable, and their effects, much more understandable than many modern flix. In this series, we meet Okabe Rintarou, a self-proclaimed mad scientist, and his colleagues (read friends) at Future Gadget Laboratory, Daru and Shiina.
The lab members work to create strange inventions in their flat, rented out in an old building in Akihabara. The most peculiar invention is the “Phone Microwave,” which turns banana into a green gel. While this is extraordinary, it doesn’t really do anything useful. Until a set of strange and mysterious events result in them realizing that the gadget they invented can send mails to the past– altering the course of history.
What ensues is a tale complicated by the many timelines it creates. The show has a brilliant way of dealing with time travel. It addresses many problems caused by time travel, like the Observer Effect, The Butterfly Effect, Schrödinger’s Cat. Coupled with the believable sci-fi is the emotional story of the characters and their bonds. And as the plot unravels, a mystery surrounding these characters begins to unfold slowly.
3. Attack On Titan
Whenever a new season of AoT (Attack on Titan) has dropped, social media has boomed with memes and references to the show. It’s very hard not to spoil the show for yourself if you’re a frequent Twitter user, especially. There’s no doubt that there’s a massive fan-following surrounding this wonderful anime series.
It follows the story of Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert- three children living in a world once terrorized by the horrifying creatures called ‘Titans.’ These are giant, mindless, humanoid monsters that can tower over humans and destroy cities within minutes. Hundreds of years ago, they would eat any human that they could see to satisfy an unending appetite. As a result, humans barricaded themselves within large and strong walls. This was the last safe place.
While life was peaceful for many years within the walls, as the Titans had seemed to vanish, the three children had grown dreams of adventuring beyond the wall someday. However, the appearance of a giant 60-meter titan sends the city into turmoil. On this day, Eren decides that he will eradicate the world of every single titan in existence, and thus begins the tale of revenge, friendship, terror, and politics.
2. Hunter x Hunter
This ground-breaking anime comes from the mind of Yoshihiro Togashi. It is set in a world where ‘Hunters’ are tasked with many complex and dangerous missions- capturing criminals, finding treasures, and a lot more. Gon Freecs, a twelve-year-old, hopes to become a hunter one day, just like his father, who left his family behind to become one. Gon has made it his goal to find his father.
Also Read, 10 Best Anime Like Hunter x Hunter, Top 10 Episodes Of The Series
Along his journey to become a Hunter, Gon will have to give many exams and come across various friends and foes. The path to becoming a hunter is not easy, and Gon is prepared to face any challenge that comes along his way. This anime has a very shonen-like setting; however, it develops into a more suspenseful and thrilling adventure. An arc from this anime is considered to be one of the best in anime history.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Standing proudly on top of this list is an anime never shying off from some good philosophy. We follow the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric. In this world where alchemy exists, and material can be changed to form something else, the two brothers try the forbidden alchemy- human transmutation, to revive their dead mother. However, the reaction fails terribly, and Edward loses his left leg, while Alphonse loses his entire body. In a desperate attempt to protect his brother, Edward gives away his right hand to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor.
The two brothers are now on a search for a mythical relic called the Philosopher’s stone, something that they hope will help regenerate their bodies back. However, the search will not be easy. As the two become state alchemists and try to gain more contacts with the military officials, their investigation leads them to a more darker truth.
Alphonse and Edward are soon wrapped up in a state-wide conspiracy surrounding the devilish nature of the Philosopher’s Stone and their country’s murky history. This anime is a very fun and adventurous ride. It has a serious and thrilling story to keep you on the edge of your seat, with some hilarious comedy sprinkled in from time to time. The characters and their actions are very believable, and their relations are lovely to watch. This anime will be sure to entertain you, and along the way, end up teaching you a thing or two as well.
Honorable Mentions-
- Cowboy Bebop
- Code Geass
- Mob Psycho 100
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Fruits Basket
- Monster
- Your Lie in April
- Made in Abyss
- Bleach
- Samurai Champloo
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Sword Art Online
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- My Hero Academia
- Dragon Ball Z
Last Words
The “Best” anime is very subjective. Each person has his/her own tastes and likings. In general, the anime listed above are the ones that most fans are usually attracted to. What’s important for you to enjoy this extraordinary medium is to experience any anime that catches your eye. Don’t depend on the reviews or the hype surrounding the shows all that much. You might end up disappointing yourself. These stories are best experienced blindly, without any thought of others’ opinions.
What is your pick of the top 10 best animes? I would love to see Bakuman get more love in the anime community. Let us know what your favorites are in the comments!