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Anime fans now have the luxury of entire streaming services that are built around making the medium as accessible as possible, but things were very different in the ‘90s. Cartoon Network’s Toonami programming block made its momentous debut in March 1997 and quickly became the premier destination for anime on cable television.
Toonami has showcased over 80 different anime, some foundational classics and others fringe fascinations, while catering to a wide range of interests. Plenty of Toonami’s anime selections are all-time hits, but some of their titles stand above the rest and represent the programming block’s greatest offerings.
Trigun Preaches Love & Peace In A Sci-Fi-Inspired Wild West Battle Zone
Trigun is 26 episodes of space western bliss that exudes the '90s in every single thing that it does. This sci-fi-leaning hero's journey that's set on a desolate desert planet follows an infamous gunslinger, Vash the Stampede, who has a prolific bounty on his head.
Despite his reputation, Vash is actually a goofy pacifist, albeit one with a traumatic, tortured past, who does whatever he can to avoid taking the lives of others. Trigun is a successful subversion of standard Wild West tropes through Vash's conflicting duality and the ideological and philosophical debates that he gets in with many of his adversaries.
Vash's light-hearted antics are beautifully juxtaposed with kinetic gunplay and exaggerated action sequences against hyperbolized assassins. Trigun's messaging, combined with its characters' distinct aesthetics, and Tsuneo Imahori's impeccable musical score, have made it an all-time classic.
The Big O Is A Retro-Futuristic Throwback To Classic Super Robot Storytelling
The Big O is one of Cartoon Network's most prototypical anime due to how it combines the mecha genre's giant robot mayhem with film noir and detective fiction elements, while drawing heavy influence from Batman: The Animated Series. The Big O's Roger Smith is cut from the same cloth of Bruce Wayne and Paradigm City feels like a more Art Deco-inspired Gotham.
The Big O mixes these genres with tokusatsu action and high-minded philosophical themes about the nature of memory and humanity. It makes sure that its grandiose combat isn't just style over substance and that each episode is rooted in deep, emotional ideas.
The Big O features some of the most creative mecha designs to come out of the '90s and a captivating mystery that ties everything together. This was such a popular venture for Toonami that Cartoon Network helped coproduce its standout second season.
Outlaw Star is An Exciting Space Western That Mixes Magic With Adventure
Outlaw Star is another underrated '90s classic, albeit one that was able to significantly increase its audience thanks to its placement on Toonami. The seriesis often disregarded as a lesser Cowboy Bebop, but these anime have different vibes and goals. Outlaw Star combines space western storytelling with Eastern mysticism in a galactic treasure hunt that's loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
Gene Starwind and his scrappy crew face exciting threats and obstacles that include assassins, rival space pirates, and mysterious aliens. Outlaw Star features spaceships and weapons that are beautifully designed, and compliment the rich, magically-infused world that's crafted here.
The Original Dragon Ball Is A Magical & Evergreen Martial Arts Adventure
Dragon Ball Z helped put Toonami on the map, and it’s been a staple of the programming block for nearly its entire run. Dragon Ball Z’s success naturally led to the other entries in the franchise eventually hitting Toonami. Even though Dragon Ball Z is the most popular anime in the series, the original Dragon Ball is the tighter and more consistent program.
Dragon Ball marks the start of Goku’s incredible journey and features his earliest highlights as he learns life-long lessons, dominates at martial arts tournaments, and takes on intimidating antagonists. Dragon Ball lacks Super Saiyan transformations and over-powered energy attacks, which forces it to instead celebrate martial arts fundamentals and creative battle strategies.
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket Is A Grounded Mecha Masterpiece That Highlights The Cruel Casualties Of War
Gundam Wing was Cartoon Network's first Mobile Suit Gundam anime, and it continues to hold a warm spot in many people's hearts for exactly this reason. However, while it's a standout mecha series, it can't compare to the grueling emotional pain and anti-war messaging in Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, the franchise's first OVA.
War in the Pocket takes a step away from grandiose space battles and complex politics to tell an intimate and tragic tale that's filtered through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy, Al. Al lives in a neutral space colony on Earth and winds up experiencing traumatic collateral damage when he bonds with a rookie Zeon pilot named Bernie. War in the Pocket is only six episodes, and it doesn't waste a single minute.
Yu Yu Hakusho Goes For Broke With Its Totemic Tournament Battles
Yoshihiro Togashi's Yu Yu Hakusho didn't always get the best treatment on Toonami, but it introduced audiences to an even stronger Dragon Ball Z substitute. The early shonen battle series offers the same style of heightened, superpowered combat, but with a more economical episode count and a more well-rounded cast of characters where everyone gets something to do.
Yu Yu Hakusho immediately subverts expectations by killing its protagonist, Yusuke Urameshi, in its first episode, while the rest chronicles his humble development into a selfless spirit detective. The entire series is great, but its Dark Tournament Arc is often highlighted as not just the anime's strongest material, but the best tournament arc in all of anime.
Paranoia Agent Is A Surreal, Psychological Thriller About Shared Delusion
Satoshi Kon's Paranoia Agentis a 13-episode psychological thriller that feels like a serialized panic attack. It’s a big swing for Toonami that, for many, was their first exposure to Kon's mind-bending and dark storytelling. Paranoia Agent chronicles a series of attacks by Lil' Slugger, a mysterious assailant on rollerblades who wields a bat.
Each episode of Paranoia Agent details a different victim's account of what happens, which increasingly blurs the lines between what's real and imagined regarding this criminal. It's a beautifully animated series that gets to the core of some very real anxieties and societal woes that are even more prevalent today. Paranoia Agent unpacks the dangers of escapism and fantasy as an antidote to reality's burdens.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Is Flawless Shonen Storytelling That Excels With Its Philosophical, Character-Driven Drama
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is over 15 years old at this point, and it’s still regarded as one of shonen’s greatest triumphs. Fullmetal Alchemist has left such an impression on audiences because of its perfect pacing, lack of filler episodes, and a well-defined magic system that relies on the law of equivalent exchange.
The nuance and strategic elements that make the anime's alchemy so intriguing also carry over to its distinct world that mixes fantasy with science, religion, and political and government corruption. Unique combat against fellow alchemy users and disturbing Homunculi guarantee that Brotherhood's action never feels stale, and all this boils down to a touching tale of two siblings who want to help each other and find peace.
Neon Genesis Evangelion Remains A Bold, Existential Mecha Experiment
Neon Genesis Evangelion is an intense mecha action anime that doubles as a meditation on identity, loneliness, and the pain and importance of human connection. It’s an anime that’s absolutely not for everyone, but its high quality and groundbreaking ambition cannot be denied.
Evangelion focuses on NERV’s mission to prevent an apocalyptic event by using powerful mecha to battle surreal monsters. This premise becomes infinitely more intricate as Evangelion evolves into an unforgettable, abstract experience that’s unlike anything else. Evangelion channels intense anger and depression as it heads into its controversial endgame.
Cowboy Bebop Is A Top Tier Space Western That Has Something For Everybody
Shinichiro Watanabe's Cowboy Bebop is widely considered to be one of the best anime ever made and an untouchable classic, let alone the crown jewel of Toonami's programming. Cowboy Bebop moves to its own rhythm as it follows a rag-tag crew of bounty hunters who travel the galaxy hoping to secure their next big pay day.
Despite the clear sci-fi influence, Cowboy Bebop embraces the unpredictable and chaotic nature of jazz as it dabbles in other genres like horror, Westerns, and romance. Every element in Cowboy Bebop flawlessly comes together, and its jazz soundtrack by Yoko Kanno is in a league of its own. Cowboy Bebop is lightning-in-a-bottle magic that's unlikely to be replicated.
