#30. Dragon Ball
Based on the legendary Chinese myth of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, this is the story of Son Goku, an alien from a warrior race who was sent to Earth as a little baby. The story focuses on the many adventures and fights Son Goku and his friends have with the purpose of gathering the Dragon Balls. These are 7 sphere-shaped artifacts that when put together will summon Shen Long, a mighty dragon, who will grant a wish to the lucky person who owns them.
As time goes by and Goku grows and discovers his true origins, the battles just keep becoming larger and larger, as more and stronger enemies come to get their hands on the Dragon Balls. At the highest point in the story, even entire planets aren’t big enough to hold the fights that Goku has come to love due to his warrior nature!
The original anime can be divided into two parts: Dragon Ball, which covers the first part of Goku´s life as a child; and Dragon Ball Z, in which he becomes an adult. Along with this, Dragon Ball has had remakes, specials, and even 19 animated feature films and other adaptations. This simple story has left its mark in anime history and it’s incredibly popular among fans to this day.
But just as many battle anime have lots to thank Dragon Ball for, the next anime outright turned a small genre into a GLOBAL SENSATION…
#29. Sailor Moon
The story revolves around young high school girl Usagi (Serena in the US), who lives a normal and happy life until she is approached by a small black cat named Luna and given a brooch. From that day on, whenever strange things such as monsters appear, Usami uses this brooch to transform into Sailor Moon, a soldier who fights to protect everyone from evil.
As troubles escalate despite their best efforts, Luna and Usagi meet fellow girls, who also awaken as soldiers. They are Ami (Amy, as Sailor Mercury), Rei (Raye, as Sailor Mars), Makoto (Lita, Sailor Jupiter) and Minako (Mina, Sailor Venus). Together, with the occasional help of Tuxedo Mask, they embark on a quest to stop this evil from its source.
The plot of Sailor Moon is not exactly praiseworthy, as the fights repeat themselves over and over again and they’re all pretty much the same. However, what truly turned this show into a world sensation was the fact that it combined elements from two classic anime shows: Magical Girls – which is about a group of girls who fight with supernatural magic and special artifacts -, and Super Sentai, which is about a group of five people who quickly change into their hero costumes as soon as they smell trouble (kind of like Power Rangers).
“Mixing these two elements not only made Sailor Moon amazing and a novelty by itself. But there was something else that made Sailor Moon stand out…The timing. It was just right. Just perfect”, a critic once said.
With no doubt, the 90s were a golden moment for everything and anything that screamed Girl Power! And Sailor Moon and her friends, saving the world and fighting evil while embracing their femininity as much as their hearts desired, was exactly what the girls in the 90s needed to hear and see. And even today, Sailor Moon is adored worldwide and it has influenced many other animes and cartoons alike, redefining forever how the Magical Girls trope would be portrayed.
#28. One-Punch Man
If you are already an avid fan of battle anime, then you´ll know by now that most of our heroes are constantly craving to get stronger, whether it is to protect what’s important to them, to avenge someone, or just for the thrill of the fight!
But what happens when you become just TOO strong?? This is the story of our hero, Saitama. A man who trained so much, and so hard, that he ends battles in just one punch. Also, his overly rigorous training made him go bald.
After a fated meeting with his now pupil, 19-year-old cyborg Genos, he decides to join the Hero Association, in order to become a certified hero and be rewarded for his services. Will he finally regain his thrill for the battle? Will people recognize him on the street and love him for his heroic deeds? Will he finally be able to purchase food without discount coupons?? All this and more will be answered as soon as you get into this action-packed comedy.
The origins of this story are one of a kind, as instead of following the usual manga-to-anime practice, it was first created as a very simple webcomic by a mysterious person known as ONE. With the intervention of the very talented mangaka Yusuke Murata (Creator of Eyeshield 21), the story became widely known, and soon the opportunity for it to become an anime arose. And if you loved this story, just keep reading, and soon you’ll find out about another amazing masterpiece created by the same author…
#27. Berserk
Forewarning: The story you are about to read is extremely violent and gory. That being said, let’s see what Berserk is about. The lead character of the series is a man named Guts, whose life has been a never-ending cycle of fighting for survival, even against his own family. The story is set in dark times when people lived and died like beasts and when violence was the norm. Guts, with his gigantic blade Dragonslayer, eventually ran into Griffith, the leader of a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk.
Griffith managed to defeat Guts, but fascinated with his talent, he made him join the mercenaries, wherein he quickly rose almost to the top. But not even there could he find peace. As the band’s quest for recognition continues, Guts starts to see that the black and white world he thought he knew, is not quite as he thinks. And he starts taking steps to make his own decisions and his own path.
This doesn’t sit quite well with Griffith, who only follows his lust for power. And so, more troubles are yet to come in Guts’ way in this dark and gritty tale.
#26. Sword Art Online
When it comes to Japanese entertainment, many will think of manga and anime first and foremost, but for many others, Videogames are the immediate go-to answer. So it comes as no surprise that many videogames are actually based on the stories of our favorite animes. Such is the case of Sword Art Oline, a light novel series that was adapted to anime, and that then had its own video game adaptation. But let’s see what the anime series is about!
The year is 2022, and Virtual Reality has finally advanced so far that now video game enthusiasts are able to submerge into the universe of their favorite games, for real. Namely, a Multiplayer Role-Playing Game known as Sword Art Online, the first of its kind, will apparently allow players to immerse into this experience thanks to “Nerve Gear” technology, which controls people just with their thoughts.
This being said, the anime follows the steps of Kazuto Kirigaya, also known as “Kirito”. He is one of the lucky few that will get to try the first shipment of the game. Together with thousands of other players, they get to enjoy the medieval setting, with knights, weapons, and monsters. Up until they realize they cannot “log-out.” The game creator has them trapped inside the fantasy world.
Chaos ensues, and the game soon becomes a fight for survival, and not only against the monsters. Kirito has to start interacting with other players, and not all of them are exactly friendly.
Based on the first four novels of the author Reki Kawahara, this story greatly popularized the “isekai” genre, wherein characters get transported into another world, inspiring many others that would come, such as Digimon.
#25. Macross
Mecha is a genre consisting of this simple premise: Fights between giant robots. Usually, but not always, the robots are controlled by people. We have seen it over and over, from Gundam to Transformers, from Evangelion to Pacific Rim. And Japan loves its Mecha.
Right now, we’ll focus on Macross. But first and foremost, stating that Macross is a long franchise, and therefore there are many series within it, which is something usual for certain anime. This being said, we will focus on the original story: Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Let’s go straight to the plot!
“After a spaceship crashes on Earth, humanity realizes they are not alone. To prepare for further invasions, they quickly put aside their differences, leaving inner conflicts under the rug for the time being, and quickly unify under the banner of the United Nations”.
They repurpose the fallen spaceship as their own, labeling it SDF-1 Macross. Soon after, a fleet of other spaceships from the alien race Zentradi comes to Earth. The SDF-1 Macross, acting on its own, attacks the incoming squadron, sparking an intergalactic war.
The Macross and its crew, led by pilot Hikaru Ichijou, and with the company of aspiring singer Minmay Lynn, attempt to escape to the Moon orbit. But the ship, as well as the entire city, are teleported to the far reaches of space by accident. Now, the Macross’ crew embarks on an epic journey, filled with war and drama. Now that you get the picture, you might wonder… Macross? Isn’t it the same as Robotech??
The answer would be: Not exactly. Robotech is actually a US-made adaptation-combination of three different Japanese mecha, one of which is Macross, while the other two are Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada.
#24. Lovely Complex
After their respective crushes fall in love with one another, heartbroken fellow classmates Koizumi and Ootani start encouraging each other to find love again, eventually becoming close friends in the process.
It’s basically a classic friend-to-lovers story, but with a sudden turn of events. Koizumi is a very tall girl, and Ootani a very short boy. This makes the duo very funny to look at, an opportunity that the people at their school never let pass. They always team up for school projects, and the fact that their personalities seem to be complete opposites to the point they seem to be acting to be so mismatched, only adds fuel to the fire.
As their antics go by and comedy ensues, they soon find out an unexpected interest in common: They both seem to have matching interests in music and fashion. Could this be enough to turn their friendship into something else? Putting that potential chemistry to the test, they dare try to find if this is love.
Quite different from the usual school romance stories, this weird comedy brings a breath of fresh air to the genre. If you love stories with characters with clashing and contrasting personalities, but want something more mature, like an adult love story with drama and all that comes with it, then the next story is just what you are looking for…
#23. Nana
IF you are a strong believer of fate, then this premise is just for you. Nana Komatsu is a naive, fashion-lover, shopaholic, clingy 20-year-old girl who easily falls in love with boys. So much so, that she decides to move to Tokyo chasing her current boyfriend.
Nana Osaki, also 20, is a punk rocker vocalist, who left her previous band and boyfriend behind in order to move to Tokyo and pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer. These two completely different Nana met by chance on the train to the metropolis, and due to a series of events, they end up renting the same apartment in the city.
Deciding to stick together, and despite their differences, they start forming a strong friendship, which only deepens as they support each other through thick and thin, as many challenges, opportunities, troubles, and heartbreaks come their way, testing their unbreakable bond.
Despite the romances and relationships that they experience throughout the story, Nana is, overall, a story about friendship. The story was an oddity at the time, as the bonds put to the test on this kind of setting are the romantic ones.
Nana was a great success, especially its awarded manga, and two very successful live-action films are available for those who prefer to enjoy the story with real-life actors.
#22. Attack On Titan
This story is set in a post-apocalyptic universe wherein, for centuries, people have been eaten by giant humanoids to the point of almost extinction. The origin and purpose of these creatures is a mystery for the current survivors, but they know this: These giants are not eating to survive, but for the pleasure of it.
The remnants of humanity have managed to protect themselves on a reinforced citadel for about a hundred years, thinking it impregnable as no Giant had ever managed to break through yet. But that sense of safety is cruelly brought down, as the Giants finally manage to crack the outer wall, throwing people into panic again.
Eren Yaeger, after suffering the loss of a beloved person, decides to enlist, along with his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman, and childhood friend Armin Arlert, into the Survey Corps, the elite military unit that dares to venture outside the citadel to stop these creatures at all costs. The training is brutal and merciless, and dying on your first day at the job is a very likely possibility.
Dark and grim, but also poignant and potent, this is the story of humans fighting to the last standing man, determined to avoid extinction no matter the cost. Definitely not suited for small kids, but great for teen and up audiences, the anime features excellent animation and a great musical score.
Coming up next: If you are a fan of the Marvel-type movies, then this might be just the thing for you…
#21. Tiger And Bunny
This one is for those out there who just can’t get enough of Superhero movies with Marvel-like storytelling done just right. In Stern Bild City, those who are born with special abilities are called NEXT and use their powers for either good or bad. Among these, there are those who employ themselves as Heroes and appear on HERO TV fighting the bad guys and criminals, and earning Hero Points to become the “King of Heroes”. They are also rewarded by promoting their sponsors while on TV
“Wild Tiger” Kotetsu T. Kaburagi is one of those heroes, but, as his popularity has dwindled lately, mostly due to his inability to cooperate with other heroes, he is forcefully paired up with a newbie who identifies himself with his actual name: Barnaby Brooks Jr.
Tiger immediately nicknames his new partner “Bunny”, and they quickly realize they just don’t get each other at all, mixing as well as oil and water. Despite, or better said, especially because of this, they must quickly learn to get along well and work efficiently together as partners, not only for the sake of their careers but also to be ready for the dangers of Stern Bild.
#20. Kuroko No Basuke
The basketball team of Teikou Junior High School was proudly known as “The Generation of Miracles”, wherein all its members were amazing and a valuable contribution, winning the championship three years in a row. The series focuses on Kuroko, who was known as “The phantom sixth man”, and his main role was to quietly pass the ball and assist his teammates.
But when Junior High is over, most of the team’s members move to different upper High Schools and declare themselves rivals. Thus, it’s up to Kuroko to convert the unremarkable basketball team of Seirin High School into a team that can compete with his former partners-now rivals, all the while trying to work together with Taiga Kagami, a promising player returning from the US-
While Kuroko could be called a decent player, he also has to grow a lot if he wants him and his new team to stand a chance on the Interhigh Championship, where teams from all over the country will face them, including his former partners, who have godlike abilities when it comes to the sport.
Becoming a huge success in Japan, comparisons with Slam Dunk might be inevitable, but it must be kept in mind that they are indeed two different stories. Kuroko has basketball as a setting, but the important lesson it brings is that this is first and foremost a story about friendship and conflict. And frankly, some of the flashy moves the players do are just impossible to imitate in real life.
#19. Ouran Host Club
If you are already a fan of manga, anime, or even Japanese culture as a whole, you might have heard already of Host Clubs. In short words, Host/Hostess clubs are establishments where people come to have drinks and attentive conversation. A host/hostess will sit by your side at the table, and keep you company as you drink and talk to your heart’s content. Customers are usually salarymen that come to rest and relax after a long day of work. But what does this have to do with Ouran Host Club?
Ouran Host Club takes this form of entertainment and makes it more suited for teenagers. Haruhi Fujioka is a bright student who managed to earn a scholarship to attend the elite academy Ouran High School, wherein everyone but she is rich and pampered. And, as bad luck would have it, on the first day she broke a very expensive vase by accident. To pay for it, they made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She would have to work at the Ouran Host Club until the damage was paid in full. But there is one small trouble: The Ouran Host Club is comprised of male hosts who only attend female students.
After a quick makeover, the members of the Host Club manage to make Haruhi look just like another boy and quickly show her the ropes. Her chores include having tea with the female customers, listening to what they say, and being kind and charming to them. To everyone’s surprise, Haruhi does an excellent job, and the customers quickly favor her over the other hosts, no matter how hard they try. They just love her natural talent. Her “commoner” customs and knowledge also bring a lot of attention to the rich customers, who are impressed at simple things like instant coffee.
Completely hilarious and full of antics, this comedy became a big success and it’s a must-see for teenagers who are starting to watch anime. Despite its age, it’s still fondly remembered as a silly comedy for those who watched it back in the day.
#18. Cowboy Bebop
This space, sci-fi western might give us an answer to the ever-present question: “What will happen when we cannot live on Earth anymore?”.
This is the plot of Cowboy Bebop: The year is 2071, and the Earth is no longer inhabitable, which has led people to colonize and move into the other planets and moons of the Solar System. And to keep everything in check, The Inter Solar System Police works together with outlaws and bounty hunters, known as “Cowboys”. And two of these cowboys, who patrol on the spaceship “Bebop”, are the heroes of our story.
Friendly and carefree Spike Spiegel and pragmatic Jet Black make a living patrolling around the system, collecting rewards. Soon they are joined in their journeys by femme fatale Faye, a genetically engineered Corgi named Ein, and computer whiz kid called Edward Wong. Crew complete, they embark on thrilling adventures that slowly reveal their mysterious pasts.
Premiered in the US in 2001, the anime became a huge success in the US, where it became a “gateway drug” to anime aimed at adult audiences. Fondly remembered even today. The jazzy score is remarkable as well, making it a huge part of what makes Cowboy Bebop great.
#17. Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji)
Set in Victorian England, Black Butler is the story of Ciel Phantomhive and his mysterious butler, Sebastian Michaelis.
A 13-years old aristocrat, Ciel lost his family under strange circumstances and summoned the help of Sebastian, a demon, in order to find an exact vengeance on the culprit, promising the demon his soul to be devoured after fulfilling the task. Until then, he has to continue his family duties and serve as “the Queen’s Guard Dog”, solving strange cases that happen in England, and that, just like Sebastian, seem to involve some paranormal influence.
With a good mix of tragedy and comedy, Ciel and Sebastian’s adventures revolve mostly on detective work, solving these strange cases.
The first anime covers the original manga up to a certain point, while it takes several creative freedoms by the end. A second anime makes a vastly different story from the start, adding extra protagonists that follow similar circumstances, with the approval of the manga’s author. Just like Ouran, this is considered by many fans a must-see for starters.
#16. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun
Known in English as Monthly Girls’ Nozaki Kun, this is a light-hearted, romantic comedy about a high school student called Sakura, who has a secret crush on her classmate Nozaki.
Up to this point, you’d think this is one of many such stories. But here’s when things get interesting. When she gathers up the nerve to confess her feelings, she receives… An unfamiliar autograph.
By a series of misunderstandings, she discovers that her beloved Nozaki, a stoic, large man, is a mangaka! A romance mangaka no less, who works under the alias of Yumeno-sensei, and before she knows it, she ends up working as his assistant.
Now, Sakura has to keep the secret… And just when she thought this was a dream come true, she was struck with the realization that Nozaki is just completely unable to witness any hint of romance without repurposing it as an idea for the story of his manga.
Along with them, there’s also the “pretty boy” of the school, Mikoto Mikoshiba, who is also an assistant of Nozaki, and without his knowledge, the inspiration for the female protagonist of Nozaki’s manga love story. Another remarkable and hilarious character worth mentioning is Yuu Kashima, the “Prince of the School”, who is actually the leading actress of the Drama club and has all of the girls head over heels for her. Never further than two steps behind her is Hori-senpai, a friend of Nozaki and the guy in charge of writing the plays Kashima stars.
The series is an absolutely hilarious take on romance manga, which actually parodies the usual tropes of love stories. I definitely recommend this anime for everyone, whether they enjoy romance stories or not.
#15. Digimon
Created in 1997, Digimon was born inspired by the novelty toy “Tamagotchi”, or “virtual pet”. The name of the story stands for DIGItal MONsters, and presents a series of virtual pets, just like the aforementioned inspiration. The creators gave the creatures less cuddly and sharper looks, mainly to attract Western customers.
The franchise rose to fame when its first anime, Digimon Adventure, was released. The story begins when a group of kids head to summer camp but are suddenly teleported to another world, where their adventures begin.
Led by Taichi Yagami, these seven children have to survive this strange world filled with monsters and with no other humans in sight. Luckily, each child now has a companion, a digital monster called Digimon. Together, the children must go through a lot of trials and tribulations to become stronger fighters and survive in this strange world.
The children were summoned to this world for a reason: An evil is corrupting the Digimon, and they are “The DigiDestined”, and it’s up to them to save the Digital World, at least if they ever want to see their homeworld again. Comparisons to a certain other anime will be always inevitable, so, let’s clear the distinction by going straight to it…
#14. Pokemon
Pokemon was born as a video game franchise created over 20 years ago, with the latest release, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, coming out mere months ago. It’s an incredibly popular video game that almost everyone knows, even if only by their mascot, Pikachu, and it’s also the second best-selling video game franchise of all time, just behind Mario. Because of this, it was only natural for the franchise to launch an anime series based on the main plot of the games. And this is the story of Satoshi (Ash Ketchum).
Ash Ketchum lives in a world with a vast array of creatures known as Pokemon, which have special abilities like water, fire, electricity, and the like, and a tendency to battle each other on sight. In this world, many people dedicate themselves to be Pokemon Trainers, who catch these creatures and train them to become better and stronger.
After beating all the Pokemon Gyms of the region and beating the strongest trainers of the Elite Four and the current champion, one will officially become a Pokémon Master, which happens to be Ash’s dream. On his 10th birthday, Ash begins his adventure. But things are up to a rough start for him.
In the Pokemon world, new trainers choose a “starter pokemon”, which would be either a water type Squirtle, a fire type Charmander, or a grass type Bulbasaur. Unfortunately, Ash made it too late, and he couldn’t choose any of these pokemon to start his adventures. The only pokemon available at the moment was a rebellious Pikachu, an electric pokemon. However, this chance encounter would mark the start of a lifelong friendship and an epic adventure!
Setting off on a journey to become the very best, Ash and Pikachu meet on their travels a Water-type trainer, Misty, and a Rock-type trainer, Brock. But Pokemon battles aren’t the only things that lurk around in the tall grass..-
The infamous Team Rocket is always nearby, seeking to steal powerful Pokemon through nefarious schemes. But Ash, Misty, Brock, and their reliable Pokemon, will always triumph to protect these creatures from Team Rocket… Will they have the same fortune when it comes to beating the Pokemon League?
Important clarification: Several years ago, there’s been news of a particular episode of the anime that caused seizures on some viewers due to flashing lights. Ever since then, that one episode has been revised, and the anime is always safe to watch, but in spite of that, false rumors that the anime is detrimental to people’s mental health have persisted.
#13. Yuri On Ice
Winner of several awards, this anime revolves around the sport of ice skating. It also touches the topic of LGBT diversity in a way that was usually avoided in Japanese media, especially considering it involves a country (Russia) and sport (ice-skating) that have issues with homophobia. While many anime only go so far as to indulge in “queerbaiting” (the act of implying that a character might be homosexual, but eventually prove they aren’t), Yuri on Ice actually depicts a same-sex relationship between the protagonists.
The story revolves around Yuuri Katsuki. Once Japan’s most promising figure skater, he is now reeling from his crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Finale and reconsidering his future at his 23 years of age, just as he reaches the end of his career. However, he suddenly finds himself at the center of attention, after a video of him performing a routine originally executed by 5-times world champion Victor Nikiforov, goes viral.
Things get even crazier when Victor himself shows up at Yuuri’s house, offering to be his mentor. As one of his biggest fans, Yuuri eagerly accepts, quickly canceling all his previous plans, raring to go up to the world stage once more. However, the competition is fierce, and Russia’s rising star, Yuri Plisetski, is relentlessly determined to defeat Yuuri and win back Victor’s tutelage.
#12. Hunter X Hunter
In the world of Hunter Hunter (the X is mute), people who are willing to risk everything to get a job done can apply to become a Professional Hunter, a job that grants access to virtually anywhere in the world, and comes with lots of other great benefits.
Upon learning that his father was never at home because of this great and amazing job, Gon Freecs, the hero of our story, became completely determined to follow in his footsteps and meet him in person. After Gon proves his strength to his legal guardian, Mito (Her father´s cousin), she allows him to go and take the exam for becoming a Pro Hunter.
On his way there, Gon meets two other characters who also desire the license: Leorio and Kurapika.
Later on, during the exam itself, Gon meets Killua, a child his age, who comes from a family of assassins. They become very close friends quickly.
Among other characters, Hisoka is one who stands out. Strange-looking and with very dubious morality, he takes it on himself to eliminate people taking the exam at random, claiming that if he managed to kill them, they weren’t meant to be Pro Hunters.
Many of the arcs of Hunter Hunter are vastly different, but the most remarkable one by far is the Spiders arc.
Previously in the story, we discover Kurapika wished to become a Pro Hunter to gain access to information and abilities that would help him exact his revenge against the Spiders, a group of mercenaries/assassins that completely annihilated Kurapika’s clan when he was younger. This clan has a special genetic trait: Their eyes become glowing red when they experience deep anger and they stay glowing if the person dies during this state.
A fantastic thriller with surreal elements and powers, a very likable cast with honest bonds despite their very different backgrounds and objectives, Hunter Hunter has been adapted twice as an anime, and both versions are worth watching. The story is very well achieved in many aspects, from the action, adventure, to comedy. A must watch for everyone out there who can handle things becoming a bit dark at times.
#11. Neon Genesis Evangelion
A legendary Mecha, Neon Genesis Evangelion is just as renowned as other classics like Akiira or Spirited Away. Many people will say that the plot is complex and convoluted at times, but everyone agrees that it’s worth watching, regardless of their subjective opinion on the story and themes. Packed with drama, angst, and with lots of religious symbolism and strife for survival at all costs, this dark story is indeed not suited for just everyone. But let’s see what the story is about.
It’s 2015 and the Earth is on the verge of destruction, threatened by the villainous Angels. The NERV organization, led by Gendo Ikari, is the only hope for survival. Together with her friends Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi, they search for pilots that are compatible with the Evangelion, which are enormous machines that can stop the Angels.
The chosen pilot for the Eva Unit-01 is none other than Gendo’s own son, Shinji, a 14-year-old boy who hasn’t seen his father in years. Once he’s chosen for this task, his life is irreversibly changed as he’s forcefully taken to fight for the fate of mankind.
The story is full of psychological drama, which can be largely attributed to author Hideaki Anno’s depression while writing it. The budget also posed a problem. Although with mixed reviews, a movie called The End of Evangelion was made, true to what the author had planned for the ending of the story.
The series’ mix of psychoanalysis, religious symbolism, and genre deconstruction proved extremely influential on mature anime in the late ’90s onward. In 2006, the Japanese Media Arts Festival ranked it as the most popular anime of all time.
#10. Death Note
Did you ever feel that the world would be better if there weren’t any criminals? What if you had the ability to make that happen? This is the case of star student Light Yagami when he finds a special notebook. This notebook has the ability to kill people 40 seconds after you write down their name while visualizing their face.
But things are not that simple. As it happens, the ongoing, mysterious deaths of notorious criminals don’t go unnoticed by local authorities. And when this student is requested by his father, the chief police officer, to help with the investigations on these strange cases along with an extremely clever detective, it gets harder and harder to hide the fact that he is the one behind all these murders.
Not to mention that this very special notebook belongs to a death god, and he’s constantly following your steps, as he needs to bring the notebook back with him as soon as you’re… done.
A dark, intelligent thriller, with a great dose of mystery and paranormal storytelling, this anime will make you rethink what you would do if you had the chance to play God.
After three dark stories in a row, maybe we should move onto something nicer, friendlier… You might be wondering: Is there any anime I can watch with my kids? Is there anything for very young children, or people who simply enjoy cute and simple things? Well, of course there is! Right this way, please!
#9. Hamtaro
If you are looking for something suitable for all ages, with a soft, warm and cute story, then you’ve come to the right place. This is the story of Hamtaro, a small and cute hamster, who was recently adopted by 5th grader Laura (Hiroko Haruna). They enjoy each other’s company a lot, but once Laura has to go to school, Hamtaro’s curiosity gets the best of him and he escapes his cage to get to know his surroundings better. Soon, he discovers that there are lots of hamsters in the neighborhood to befriend!
This group of hamster explorers calls themselves the Ham-Hams, and there’s nowhere they won’t go. The Ham-Hams embark on crazy adventures all around the city while their owners are away, and when they don’t feel like exploring, they have a little hideout to gather together while their humans are busy with school, work, and life. Hamtaro meets a huge cast of different personalities, gets himself into—and out of—some pretty tight spots, and even helps Laura and her friends out more than once.
104 out of almost 300 episodes of Hamtaro were translated and broadcast on Cartoon Network in the US and Fox Kids in Europe. The series received the Tokyo Anime Award in 2002.
But I hear you say: Yes, I love animals, and yes, they ARE adorable, but this is just too under my age! Aren’t there anime with cute animals with a more dynamic story? Something more suited for young adults? Why, yes, there are!! You know what to do: slide next!
#8. Aggretsuko!
Produced by the extremely popular company Sanrio, the creators of Hello Kitty, among many other mascots, this is the story of young adult Retsuko, a red panda who tries her hardest to go through her life-sucking job every day, and has a very special trick up her sleeve to vent when her stress is at its peak.
Whether it’s the sexist remarks from her boss or the pressure she receives from her condescending coworkers, things that may hit too close to home for many of us, Retsuko will not allow her job to break her. But when it’s time to check out and go home, sometimes she finds herself inclined to make a little detour to her favorite karaoke… And scream her stress out.
Aggressive Death Metal karaoke has become a sort of ritual for her to let out the steam, but it’s still a secret she’s extremely embarrassed to have people know about. And as things escalate in the office and as she has to deal with her fellow co-workers, the yearning to go into Aggretsuko mode just becomes stronger than her.
Will she manage to keep her secret? A story that becomes noticeably more relatable where there is some knowledge of the social customs of employees in Japan, and the etiquette and expectations they are required to follow, which tend to be much stricter than the ones Western viewers might be used to. Even so, it’s completely understandable and relatable once you get into this show!
#7. Card Captor Sakura
CLAMP, A very famous group of four artists (eleven at their beginning, but dwindling over time), they have been creating many popular mangas for over 30 years. Some of their works are Clover, Chobits, Tsubasa, xxxHolic, and of course, the most popular one, and the one we´ll talk about here: Card Captor Sakura. One of the most celebrated Magical Girls story, almost as well known as Sailor Moon.
The story is about a 10-year-old student named Sakura Inomonoto, who one day comes across a book that contains a mysterious deck of cards. Once he opens it, the cards are blown by a magical gust of wind and are scattered across the land. But all of a sudden, the guardian of the cards, Kerberos, the Beast of the Seal, awakens from a long slumber.
Kero (Short for Kerberos) explains to Sakura that the cards she released are the Clow Cards, created by the sorcerer Clow Reed, and now she must make amends and gather them back again. This is no easy task, as every single card has particular magical abilities, and many of them are tricksters, which is why Clow Reed sealed them in a book in the first place.
Now, Sakura is on a race against time, as any of these cards on itself could pose a great risk to the world. Kero gives her the title of “Cardcaptor” and grants her the Sealed Key, which becomes a staff that will help her on her quest and to capture the cards as she finds them.
Now, Sakura will have to balance her new secret duty with her daily life, family, and school, all while she takes flight on her magical adventures as Sakura the Cardcaptor. And things might get more complicated just as a strange boy appears, claiming to be a descendant of Clow Reed. Cardcaptor Sakura was such a hit, that it won the Animage Grand Prix award for Best Anime in 1999.
#6. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Another Magical Girl anime, this one comes with a dark twist to it. Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are regular middle school girls with regular lives, but all that changes when they encounter Kyubey, a cat-like magical creature, and Homura Akemi, the new transfer student.
Kyubey makes them a very tempting offer: He will grant any of their wishes and in exchange, they will each become a magical girl, gaining enough power to make their dreams come true. However, Homura Akemi, a magical girl herself, urges them not to accept the offer… Because as you see, normally when someone offers you something that it’s just too good to be true, it comes with a price.
A story of hope, despair, and friendship, Madoka deals with the difficulties of being a magical girl and the price one has to pay to make a dream come true. Because of the story´s darker atmosphere, it attracted more male viewers than what is usual for this kind of story.
Madoka won several awards in Japan and has received widespread critical acclaim, with critics praising the writing, visuals and soundtrack of the series, as well as its approach to the magical girl subgenre.
#5. Naruto
Moments prior to Naruto’s birth, a huge demon known as the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Hidden Leaf Village, wreaking havoc. In order to put an end to the fox’s rampage, the leader of the village, the Fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life and sealed the monstrous beast inside the newborn Naruto.
While everyone in the village was saved by Naruto being the living jail of this creature, many are wary of him because of the fear the monster could break loose if he fails to control it over time. However, instead of approaching and nurturing the young boy, they shun him and keep their kids away from him. Because of this, Naruto grew up lonely and doing everything to get the attention of people, even if that meant doing graffiti all around town, even in the historical monument that celebrates the previous Hogake.
Finally, he managed to prove himself to his teacher Iruka, who allowed him to take the test to become a Ninja, which is Naruto´s first step to achieving his lifelong dream of becoming Hokage, which would make him not only the leader of the village but also the strongest one out there.
On the day of the test, he meets Sasuke, his rival, and Sakura, his love interest. He is also assigned Kakashi as his teacher, who doesn’t leave a very good impression on any of his pupils. Despite the rough start, they embark on tons of adventures, proving over and over how strong and reliable they really are. Until Naruto is suddenly approached by a group of criminals who wear black robes with red clouds: The Akatsuki.
These criminals commit all kinds of atrocities, but their main goal is to capture Naruto and every other person who has a tailed beast inside them. It happens to be that Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi, is one of them.
Sasuke’s life goal is to kill his brother Itachi, as he single-handedly murdered their entire clan, for reasons yet unknown to Sasuke.
The first anime, simply called Naruto, covers the first part of this story, ending on Sasuke escaping their village in order to get stronger under Orochimaru, a very dangerous man who used to be in Akatsuki, and is responsible for the death of the Third Hokage. On this very last arc Naruto tries his hardest to chase down Sasuke and convince him to stay with them because they don’t want Orochimaru to corrupt him.
In Naruto Shippuuden (Hurricane Chronicles in English), the continuation of the story, Naruto returns to his village after making a two-and-a-half-year trip with his master, Jiraiya, in order to become stronger to protect himself from Akatsuki, and bring Sasuke back by the means necessary.
A warning must be made that the story of Naruto has a lot of important characters and many plots of equal importance that should be addressed, but the article would become extremely long for everything to be covered fairly. But this is a story about self-growth and friendship, even with those who you´d never expect to be able to befriend.
Naruto received numerous awards during its airing, including the “Best Full-Length Animation Program Award” in the Third UStv Awards and the 38th “Best Animated Show” in IGN’s Top 100 Animated Series.
#4. Mob Psycho 100
Shigeo Kageyama, known as “Mob” for his unremarkable appearance and presence, was born with psychic powers, which makes him an Esper.
As a child, he would do simple tricks like levitating small objects, mostly to impress his romantic interest. But his potential was much, MUCH bigger. At one point, when he and his brother were being bullied and attacked, he was overcome with feelings and lost himself. By the time he regained consciousness he had not only knocked down the attackers, but also his brother Ritsu. Filled with regret, he started repressing his powers as much as he could, until he became blank and emotionless.
At least until he found a man, a Rising Star in the psychic world, Reigen Arataka. Little Mob went with him and asked for his help to learn how to control his powers. As it happens, Reigen is a con-man with exactly zero psychic powers. So when he saw this child was the real deal, he put him under his wing and started taking cases that required actual Esper abilities to be solved.
All this time, Reigen never considered spirits and such to be the real thing, so he would always fool customers with handy tricks, ranging from table salt to massages, and from photoshop edits to “de-possess” pictures. But as Mob starts joining his cases, Reigen sees that spirits, psychic powers, and paranormal beings are very very real.
Things get dark when a group known as Scar starts taking children under captivity with Esper abilities of any kind. And they mistake Mob’s little brother, Ritsu, for himself, as Ritsu had previously joined a club to bring out psychic abilities, being secretly jealous of his brother’s powers.
Now it’s up to Mob to rescue his brother Ritsu and the other kids, all the while struggling to keep the lid on his overflowing inner power, which tries to escape as the battles take more and more of a physical and mental strain on him. The progression toward Mob’s explosion is rising and attempting to stop it is futile.
Created by the same man behind One Punch Man, Mob Psycho is a moving story about kindness, and the lengths Mob will go to avoid at all costs breaking his number one rule: “Never use your powers against people.”
#3. Lupin the 3rd
The story of Lupin the 3rd has been adapted multiple times over the years. Many different takes have been made over the original story: while some adaptations are darker, some are more inclined to comedy. A few give special focus to certain characters, but the plot remains the same no matter which version you want to go for, regardless of the order.
Created by an author nicknamed as Monkey Punch, International man of mystery and master thief extraordinaire, Lupin III comes from a long line of white-glove bandits, all committed to stealing from the rich and giving to themselves. Fortunately, Lupin tends to avoid robbing society’s virtuous and, instead, targets some pretty shady characters. Lupin III is a gentleman thief and announces his intentions to steal valuable objects by sending a calling card to the owners of the desired items.
Of course, he partners with some pretty shady characters as well: Daisuke Jigen is an ex-mafia hitman who carries himself with a somber demeanor, his trademark black fedora tilted forward to hide his eyes.
Fujiko Mine is the object of Lupin’s affections, but, since she is a thief herself, the duo’s romance more than occasionally clashes with their competition for big scores. In fact, she frequently times things just right to sneak at the exact moment Lupin collects his hard-earned reward, only to run with it on her motorcycle.
Hayao Miyazaki, the incredibly famous creator behind Studio Ghibli’s films like Spirited Away, Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle, and the like, was in charge of co-directing several episodes of the first series of Lupin, and the very successful movie The Castle of Cagliostro.
#2. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
“In order for something to be obtained, something of equal value must be lost.”
When young brothers Edward and Alphonse lose their mother to the plague, they decide to read through their father’s alchemy books to bring her back to life. Their attempt backfired terribly, with Edward losing a leg, and Alphonse his entire body.
In order not to lose Alphonse as well, Edward quickly affixed his brother’s soul to an empty armor, giving up an arm in the process. As soon as the military found out about the incident, Colonel Roy Mustang showed up to their host home (An automail shop run by old woman Pinako and her granddaughter Winry).
After severely scolding Edward for breaking the laws of alchemy (as it’s forbidden to perform alchemy on humans or to make gold), he also urges them to recover and join the military as State Alchemist, as seeing how capable they are of performing the art despite the backfire.
With the rank of State Alchemist, they are allowed to access to classified data that might help them find a way to get their bodies back. However, holding such rank also involves participating in military activities. Edward accepts, and Pinako and Winry give him automail, which are prosthetic limbs made of metal alloys.
After a couple of years of training and recovery, Edward and Alphonse embark on the adventure to get their bodies back, with one lead: The infamously legendary Philosopher Stone, a material that would allow them to perform any sort of alchemy without following the law of equivalent exchange. Alchemy without risks, in other words.
As always, things aren’t as easy as they look. First and foremost, there are little to no leads to this ancient relic, which is disheartening enough… But as they further travel and investigate, and leads start to appear, little by little, Ed and Al slowly realize that maybe this legendary stone is something that should not be found.
With strange humanoid Homunculi hot on their trail, a serial killer assassinating State Alchemists left and right in broad daylight, and many other trials and tribulations that haunt their path, Edward and Alphonse must ask themselves if what they are doing will make them human again… or take away their humanity.
Fullmetal Alchemist has two anime adaptations. With the manga still ongoing, the anime had to make a different turn that does not match the expectations of the author and the fans.nThe anime that has been reviewed in this article, and followed the canon created by the author at 100%, is known as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
This anime was and still is extremely popular for its ability to satisfactorily touch many subjects and genres, being able to merge comedy and tragedy to perfection. Another remarkable point is that Hiromu Arakawa, the author, is a female mangaka, which at the time was a rarity for the “shonen” manga, which is mostly aimed at young boys. Luckily, the amount of female mangakas behind shonen works is increasing by the day, and we should be thankful to Arakawa’s efforts for making this possible
#1. One Piece
When the World Government captured the most infamous pirates of them all, Gold Roger, and displayed his public execution, they expected to dissuade all pirates our there (current and potential).
But Roger had other things in mind, and these were his last words: “You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I gathered together in one place. Now you’ll just have to find it!”. As soon as they heard those words, the crowd went wild. His last words before his death revealed the existence of the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece. Everyone sailed out to the open sea in search of it, marking the start of The Great Age of Pirates.
As the years pass by, we meet Luffy, a 7-year-old boy who enjoys the pirate tales of Red Hair Shanks, his hero and role model. Luffy wants to become a pirate more than anything, just like him, but Shanks tells him he’s too young for that.
Shanks had brought a treasure from one of his trips with him: A Devil Fruit. These fruits have supernatural powers, but eating them makes people unable to swim again, as the gods of the sea reject the devil inside the fruit. Before he realized it, Luffy ate the fruit and acquired the ability it contained. Now, Luffy is a rubber boy, able to bounce and stretch.
After a small incident at the village, Luffy is kidnapped by a bandit and Shanks runs to his rescue. Unfortunately, Luffy falls into the water, and as he is now unable to swim, Shanks jumps into the water to save him, losing an arm in the process due to the sudden attack of a sea monster. Luffy is devastated by this, and to stop his crying, Shanks gives him his beloved Straw Hat. He tells Luffy he’ll lend him this hat, saying he can give it back when he becomes a great pirate.
Ten years later, Luffy, now 17 years old, finally embarks on his quest. His troubles happen immediately as he is sucked by a whirlpool just two seconds after sailing.
Luffy’s first goal is to find new crewmates, Zoro the swordsman being the first one. Luffy rescues him from a naval base, having his first confrontation with the marines. From here on we’ll see that many of the marines are outright corrupt or merciless, while many of the pirates are just good-natured, happy-go-lucky adventurers.
Luffy continues looking for members, recruiting the navigator Nami, an expert in weather; Usopp, a fantastic sharpshooter, albeit extremely coward; Sanji, an excellent cook who is too fond of the ladies; Chopper, a reindeer that ate a Devil Fruit that gave him human intellect and skills; Robin, a very talented archaeologist that can sprout extra limbs anywhere; Franky, a brilliant shipwright; and Brook, a literal walking skeleton, whose Devil Fruit granted him a second life after death. Every single one of these characters arcs is great on itself, and explaining any of them would give away many spoilers.
One Piece is a very long story, with almost impeccable attention to detail. There is a noticeable lack of plot holes, which tend to be usual or even rampant in other series. Every character has a purpose and every clue can be a red herring.
The series started in 1997 and it’s been going strong ever since, breaking records with every single new release. A fan favorite of many, and with good reason. This is a long, ongoing story worth watching!!