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Anime in the 1990s was new and exciting. Experimental series were being tried out, new avenues were being explored, and series that never would have been made before took the spotlight. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean all the big hits of the era still hold up today.
Some of the most exciting anime of the 90s just aren't as exceptional without the novelty of being new. And, when it comes to series like Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Rurouni Kenshin, they aren't worth watching at all, the issues with them having been exposed by time.
Gundam Wing Has Been Made Irrelevant By Superior Mecha Anime
For many western audiences, Gundam Wing was their first introduction to the Gundam series, allowing it to hit hard. However, if Gundam Wing had been those viewers’ second Gundam series, it definitely wouldn’t have connected the way it did.
With so many other Gundam and mecha anime available, viewers have incredible options about what to watch. Gundam Wing’s melodramatic take on the series doesn’t even hold up as well as other entries in its own series, and it quickly becomes a slog when not watched week-to-week.
Tenchi Muyo! is an Outdated Harem Anime
Harem anime genre are power fantasies and comedies where viewers can either project onto leads who are surrounded by people in love with them, or laugh at the misfortunes of someone not meant to be relatable. At their best, they can be hilarious and fulfill a sense of being wanted and desired. But, while it was massive and influential in its day, that's not the right description for Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo! Introduced many viewers to the harem anime genre and brought it to a level of popularity that wouldn't be seen again until the release of Love Hina. Unfortunately, it hasn’t held up. Tenchi Muyo!’s characters aren’t well-developed, and the jokes just don’t land the way they did 30 years ago.
Ninja Scroll is Everything Wrong with Old-School Adult Animation
Ninja Scroll was incredibly important in bringing anime more respect as a serious storytelling medium. The story it tells, though, doesn’t hold up, and the series is more interesting for its place in history than its content.
While Ninja Scroll has incredible animated action, its techniques have since been replicated and improved upon a thousand times. Couple that with a story that’s lackluster and characters that exist to move between the action scenes, and Ninja Scroll becomes more about what it pioneered than what it is.
Violence Jack Only Has Gory Action to Offer
OVA series had incredible freedom in what they were allowed to show and adapt onto screen. This brought about some of the most original and tantalizing anime to ever be produced. Many of these OVAs are still highly regarded for that originality and the whirlwind freedom the creators had.
Violence Jack was an important OVA series, but what it brought to the table has been outdone by anime since. Upon release, Violence Jack was shocking. Now it is simply yet another gritty and violent anime, among many to choose from.
Apocalypse Zero is a Tiresome Slog of Violence
Violence Jack has been superseded by better shows, but is still somewhat interesting as an important historical artifact. Apocalypse Zero isn’t as important, isn’t of the same caliber in general, isn’t as creative with its violence, and isn’t even interesting as a historical artifact.
There are better shows with gore, and there are obviously better written and animated shows. There are very few reasons to check this anime out now beyond pure curisoity that could more easily be resolved with a Google search.
Rurouni Kenshin Isn't Worth Anyone's Time
There are very few reasons to watch Rurouni Kenshin now. Not only has its creator been exposed as one of the most heinous criminals to ever work in the industry but, even if that can somehow be put aside, there is still the issue of how exactly his manga was adapted.
The original Rurouni Kenshin anime doesn’t adapt the whole story, leaving out plenty of material and failing to resolve its storylines. Viewers who wanted a complete adaption were left disappointed back in the day and, with Nobuhiro Watsuki being a monster, no modern fan is going to be interested in even giving it a chance in 2026.
Ranma ½ Has Too Much Filler
Ranma ½'s modern remake exposed all the flaws of the original series. The biggest one was how much filler was crammed into it, and favored over natural plot beats and character moments.
Ranma ½ still has its classic moments that made it nostalgic, but it's a chore to try watching all of the original series today. Fortunately, the remake actually is perfect for any fan of the manga to enjoy.
Fruits Basket Has Been Replaced by its Remake
Fruits Basket was a classic shojo anime that did a wonderful job of adapting the 1998 manga for the screen. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after just one season. Fruits Basket never got the chance to properly tell its story, and had to make compromises along the way.
Fruits Basket (2019) is a case of a remake rendering the original show pointless, as there’s little reason to revisit the old show when the new one accomplishes everything the original set out to do and more. A new viewer will want to see the version that actually ends and reveals the mysteries of the Sohma family and the romantic endgame.
Hunter x Hunter Got the Adaptation it Deserved in 2011
The original Hunter x Hunter anime brought Yoshihiro Togashi’s story to the world. It also was a mess. Hunter x Hunter (1999) skipped storylines, changed characters, and didn't get an ending. Yet, if the show hadn’t had a remake, it might still be lauded as an excellent shonen anime series well worth a watch.
The 2011 remake of Hunter x Hunter makes that thought difficult to entertain though. Hunter X Hunter (2011) doesn’t skip out on the plot of the original manga and tells the story properly. One can experience Hunter x Hunter the way Yoshihiro Togashi intended, without excuses. The new series even has an ending, even if not a final ending, bringing the journey of Gon and Killua to a close.
Slam Dunk Fans Should Stick to the Manga
While there were many sports manga before Slam Dunk, it was the series that brought the sports anime genre out into the mainstream. Hanamichi Sakuragi’s story resonated with viewers, and it's still one of the best and most successful manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Unfortunately, the Slam Dunk anime, which always suffered from choppy animation, has been completely surpassed by many of the series it inspired. Considering the new bar set by Haikyu!!, Blue Lock, and Medalist, and the fact the Slam Dunk manga was always the optimal way to experience the story, there's no reason to go back to the anime today.
