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Anime fans have been treated to a smorgasbord of amazing series in recent years, with spectacular shows in every genre. However, while every new season of anime has a few fan-favorite titles, it's rare for an anime series to rise to the level of a classic.
That said, there are a handful of anime, like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, that are widely considered to be masterpieces and are essentially required viewing for most new anime fans. These series are the best that the anime world has to offer, and people will still be discussing them decades later.
Hajime No Ippo Is One of the Best Sports Anime Ever
Anime does an incredible job when it comes to highlighting different sports and how competitive rivalries can lead to quintessential action series. Hajime no Ippo is a signature boxing series that has been released in 145 volumes and helped define the sports genre. Madhouse's Hajime no Ippo adaptation from 2000 is a flawless look into Ippo Makunouchi's humble boxing career.
Ippo's underdog arc as he rises through the ranks of professional boxing sets up a successful storytelling formula, but it also excels in this department and continually surprises the audience with Ippo's journey. The original 76 episodes are a masterclass in storytelling and the one sports anime that audiences should watch, even if this genre isn't their favorite.
Paranoia Agent Is a Psychological Masterpiece
Satoshi Kon was a revered anime filmmaker with a flawless track record that includes essential cinema like Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers.Paranoia Agent is Kon’s anime series that pulls from the same psychological terror and surreal scares that made Perfect Blue and Paprika such hits.
The 13-episode anime follows the residents of a small Tokyo community who are all attacked by an odd assailant with a baseball bat, Lil' Slugger. Paranoia Agent brilliantly unpacks the concept of mass hysteria, tulpas, and the power of the court of public opinion. Each episode chronicles a different victim's experience with Lil' Slugger, which is all depicted through a different stylistic lens.
Monster Is a Slow-Burn Cat & Mouse Game
Naoki Urasawa'sMonster brilliantly reinterprets Frankenstein's themes and applies them to a psychological thriller about power, responsibility, and the ripple effect that one life can have on others. Dr. Tenma is a brilliant neurosurgeon who feels tremendous guilt when he learns that one of his former patients has grown up to be a prolific serial killer. Tenma feels a sense of responsibility since he's the one who saved this killer's life and made all of this possible.
Monster is a challenging story that isn't afraid to take its audience to uncomfortable places. At 74 episodes, Monster has just enough time to tell a detailed, complete story without it ever wearing out its welcome. It's an anime that leaves on a high point and maintains taut tension the entire time.
Attack On Titan Is a Modern Masterpiece With a Controversial Finale
Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan begins as a story about a closed-off community who are surrounded by walls in order to protect them from the monstrous Titans that are outside. Each season of Attack on Titan elegantly expands the anime’s scope and completely recontextualizes the story and characters at hand.
It’s a fascinating exercise in perspective and moral ambiguity. Attack on Titan’s ending remains controversial and split its audience, but many of the strongest storytelling decisions are those that challenge and provoke. It’s a dark conclusion that pushes forward a futile future, yet it’s also a fate that perfectly encapsulates Attack on Titan’s themes.
Hunter X Hunter (2011) Breaks Battle Shonen Boundaries
Yoshihiro Togashi's Yu Yu Hakusho is often singled out as a '90s shonen triumph, but there's a strong case to be made that Hunter x Hunter is even better. 2011's Hunter x Hunter begins in familiar territory as the young Gon Freecss heads out into a dangerous world to become a legendary Hunter, while questions about his father also haunt him.
Gon's simple start leans into standard shonen protagonist tropes, but Hunter x Hunter is anything but predictable or formulaic. It goes to exceptional lengths to push boundaries and tell distinct stories. This creative plotting, along with lovable characters and captivating battle choreography and powers, turns Hunter x Hunter into consistent, essential battle shonen brilliance.
Gintama Is Gag Comedy Gold That Only Gets Funnier
Gintama follows a trio who run an odd jobs business. The Odd Jobs trio bravely offer their expertise to whoever is in need as they struggle to make ends meet. Additionally, a grandiose extraterrestrial war plays out in the background as a larger story slowly comes together. Gintama has over 350 episodes, and it miraculously never loses its comedic momentum.
It’s willing to poke fun at any and every anime imaginable, while also setting its sights on Japanese pop culture, folklore, and self-aware meta takedowns of its own production. Gintama is somehow not just deliriously funny, but its exaggerated action storytelling still hits its mark. Gintama is just as skilled at making its audience cry as it is at making them laugh.
Cowboy Bebop's 26 Episodes Are Perfect From Start to Finish
Shinichiro Watanabe’s Cowboy Bebop is a beloved series that’s even well-known among non-anime crowds. At only 26 episodes, the majority of which are largely episodic in nature, Cowboy Bebop is the perfect gateway anime that anyone can enjoy. It’s a series that’s primarily steeped in science fiction tropes as it follows a down-on-their-luck team of intrepid bounty hunters.
Cowboy Bebop constantly reinvents itself with each new episode, some of which turn the anime into a western, horror film, or psychedelic drug trip. The iconic jazz soundtrack reflects the anime’s unpredictable nature and fearlessness towards blending together genres and vibes. Spike Spiegel is considered to be one of anime’s greatest protagonists, and he’s only gaining more fans each year.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Is a Magical Adventure About Love & Sacrifice
2003's original Fullmetal Alchemist anime builds an excellent foundation for this magically-charged shonen universe, but it's a flawed adaptation with a lackluster ending. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood doesn't just improve upon its predecessor and strip away the unnecessary filler, but it's an overall anime triumph that's a testament to the value in reboots.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood does its source material justice, capturing its stunning artwork and celebrating a powerful tale of perseverance and familial bonds that's amplified through a unique magical power system. It's hard not to fall in love with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's world and champion a happy ending for Edward and Alphonse.
Neon Genesis Evangelion Redefined Anime Expectations
Neon Genesis Evangelion made its debut three decades ago, and yet its impact and influence on the anime industry are still being felt today. It's certainly not the first anime to deconstruct the mecha genre through character studies, but the way in which Evangelion weaponizes these impulses and unexpectedly evolves into something greater is one of anime’s greatest magic tricks.
This is a mecha series that builds to an apocalyptic conclusion, yet its ending remains extremely polarizing and the catalyst for a foundational feature film finish. Evangelion combines mecha mayhem, existential and theological queries, and real, raw characters to create a powerful, provoking mission statement that’s still in a league of its own.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes Crafts Is a Multi-Generational Space Epic
There are endless anime that chronicle sprawling space dramas and the galactic wars that break out between feuding factions. Legend of the Galactic Heroes is the prototypical space opera that focuses on two rivals who are on opposite sides of a war that's 150 years in motion. Legend of the Galactic Heroes stands out from its peers by its avoidance of standard genre tropes in favor of realistic and patient storytelling and character development.
The anime covers a tremendous scope through intermittent OVAs that were released over the course of a decade. It captures the feeling of an actual historical account, and that the audience is getting a prescient glimpse into the future. Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a rare feat in serialized long-form storytelling that maintains remarkable quality across more than 100 episodes.
