8 classic anime we need a remake of

Anime continues to dominate with completely original ideas, but the industry has also entered a period in which everything old is new again. Remakes and reboots are hardly a recent development. That being said, it’s been curious to see just how many groundbreaking anime have undergone this experience and returned with a fresh coat of paint that better meshes with modern trends and sensibilities. Ranma ½, Hell Teacher Nube, Ghost in the Shell, Cat’s Eye, and Rurouni Kenshin are just a fraction of the classic anime that have received remakes in the past few years.

Even iconic shonen masterpieces like Dragon Ball Super and One Piece are set to receive remakes in 2027. There’s clearly an appetite for anime remakes, the most successful of which find strong stories that can genuinely benefit from a modern makeover. Accordingly, some beloved anime from the past could reach new heights and become even more popular if remade.

Flame Of Recca’s Superpowered Ninja Showdowns Are Ready For Another Round

Nobuyuki Anzai's Flame of Recca ran for 33 propulsive volumes, but its anime adaptation in the late '90s only received 42 episodes before it hastily wrapped up its story. Flame of Recca has flown under the radar among many modern shonen fans, even though it is the perfect blend of Yu Yu Hakusho and Naruto.

Recca Hanabishi is a teenager obsessed with ninjas who learns he's actually a descendant of the fated Hokage ninja clan. Empowered by his birthright and the ability to manipulate fire, Recca is determined to protect his "princess" after she saves his life with her healing abilities.

Flame of Recca specializes in heightened battle sequences that benefit from eclectic adversaries, unique powers, and dangerous ninja weapons. Flame of Recca is the perfect title to receive a proper adaptation that covers the entirety of its manga. It's also a classic anime that would seriously benefit from a new animation style and high-definition visuals. The current anime looks unfortunately dated.

Space Cobra Helped Establish Anime’s Space Pirate Archetype & Is Primed For Revival

Space Cobra's DNA is baked into so many essential sci-fi and space-opera anime, even if it's a title some audiences aren't directly familiar with. Cobra is a space pirate archetype who helped inspire some of anime's most iconic characters, such as Spike Spiegel and Gene Starwind. Cobra's signature Psycho Gun even helped inspire Mega Man's Mega Buster.

Cobra goes on epic space adventures with a rag-tag crew of outlaws as he's hunted by his rival and helps others along the way. It's a simple, appealing formula that could easily be updated for the modern era. It's worth noting that an OVA and anime for Space Cobra were produced in the 2000s to mark the franchise's 30th anniversary.

This offers a brief taste of what's possible with a Space Cobra remake and suggests there's an appetite for this sci-fi classic. A complete remake that covers the entire series could go even further.

Maison Ikkoku Explores One Of Anime’s Greatest Romances

Rumiko Takahashi is a renowned mangaka who is responsible for essential anime like Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura, and InuYasha. Curiously, both Ranma ½ and Urusei Yatsura have received modern remakes, but it'd be nice to see the gentle coming-of-age rom-com, Maison Ikkoku, receive the same treatment.

Maison Ikkoku chronicles the tender, realistic relationship between Yusaku Godai, a poor student with limited prospects, and the recently widowed boarding-house manager who gives him a place to stay. The anime produced 96 episodes and is still regarded as an essential '80s romantic comedy that beautifully juxtaposes slice-of-life experiences with a moving meditation on grief and love between two incredibly affable characters.

Maison Ikkoku has a pitch-perfect ending that doesn't need to be redone, but a new generation of romance fans deserves a chance to spend time with some of Takahashi's most nuanced characters. David Production or MAPPA could both do great work updating Maison Ikkoku's style whilestaying true to its roots.

Fushigi Yugi Breaks Isekai Boundaries Through A Dark, Psychological Coming-Of-Age Conflict

The news of a Magic Knight Rayearth remake happening at the end of 2026 raises the question of which other iconic isekai fantasies from the '90s deserve the same treatment. Fushigi Yugi is one of the genre's best and it tells a gripping story of identity, destiny, and friendship.

The anime puts two best friends on parallel paths, turning them into bitter rivals. Miaka and Yui experience irrevocable change when they're drawn into a fantastical world that's steeped in Chinese mythology and bitter conflict.

Fushigi Yugi's ability to subvert expectations and character dynamics helped it stand out among its many '90s isekai peers. It's a story that deserves to be remembered and experienced by a new audience.

Sherlock Hound Provides A Fantastical Take On The Famous Literary Detective

Sherlock Hound is a 26-episode steampunk- and sci-fi-infused take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, co-directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, pre-Studio Ghibli. Sherlock Hound, as its name suggests, transforms the famous literary detective and his allies and adversaries into anthropomorphic dogs.

It's a deeply adorable blend of action, mystery, and adventure that's an early glimpse of Miyazaki's brilliance. In an age when there are multiple postmodern reimaginings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes available, it feels like a new take on Sherlock Hound would quickly find an even larger audience than it did in the '80s.

A reasonable hurdle would be finding the right anime visionary to shepherd this project, but someone like Masaaki Yuasa or Naoko Yamada would do great work with this world.

Revolutionary Girl Utena Redefines Gender Roles In A Formative Magical Girl Subversion

Revolutionary Girl Utena and its corresponding feature film, Adolescence of Utena, brought forward a seismic shift in magical girl storytelling that bravely subvert gender norms and the typical hero's journey. Utena Tenjoue embraces a bold, brave tomboy dynamic rather than falling in line as a passive damsel in distress.

Utena's goal of liberating Anthy, the Rose Bride, so that she can live a free life in control is incredibly touching. Revolutionary Girl Utena is dense with action-packed duels that serve as a broader commentary on toxic relationships, systemic abuse, and internalized trauma, all of which are presented in an abstract and experimental style.

Revolutionary Girl Utena has held up well and is still a retro classic. However, it's also a title that could explore new ideas in an even more powerful way, given how much the anime industry — and gender expectations — have evolved since the '90s.

Slayers Satirizes Fantasy’s Sword & Sorcery Tropes To Reinvent The Genre

Slayers is a '90s fantasy anime with over 100 episodes and yet it's a foundational title that's barely discussed anymore. It may now seem par for the course for a high-fantasy anime to poke fun at the genre's tropes and serve as an absurdly silly satire, but Slayers helped popularize this anarchic style of genre-blending storytelling.

Without Slayers, there would be no KonoSuba or Fairy Tail. Not only is Slayers' narrative and world a tongue-in-cheek delight, but its heroine protagonist, Lina Inverse, also pushes boundaries with her deeply flawed nature. Lina Inverse helped demystify female fantasy figures while consistently entertaining audiences and throwing her weight around as a prolific sorcerer.

The Slayers franchise had many sequels and expansions during the '90s and 2000s. However, a fresh restart could strip away this baggage so that modern fantasy fans can jump right in.

D. Gray-Man Is A Dark Shonen Experience That Perfectly Meshes With Modern Sensibilities

D. Gray-man is a dark fantasy shonen triumph that aired 103 episodes during the 2000s and then received a 13-episode sequel, D. Gray-man Hallow, in 2016. This is certainly more recent than other classics that came out several decades earlier, but the anime industry has also shown that remakes of contemporary titles can still be major successes.

D. Gray-man has surprisingly fallen into obscurity and barely gets discussed, even though it's only two decades long. This is all the more reason to bring it back with a top-tier animation studio calling the shots. It's exciting to consider what WIT Studio or Studio TRIGGER could do with Allen Walker's Anti-Akuma exorcism exploits against the malevolent Millennium Earl.

D. Gray-man's dark, gothic storytelling felt ahead of the curve upon its release and it's the type of premise and universe that's even more popular today. A modern audience would adore the anime's perpetual plot twists and calculated foreshadowing.