Top 10 Anime
Requested by tman, and not a bad idea if I say so myself as well. One of the joys of watching anime is that at times, you run into series that really blow you away. Inspired by Wakaranai, these are the ten anime that I consider best.
Some series who barely didn’t make this list: Paranoia Agent, Hi no Tori, Haibane Renmei, Les Miserables, Toward the Terra and Mushishi.
10: Fantastic Children
Fantastic children probably has one of the best plot twists ever, but that’s not the only great part of this anime. Its narrative style, great characters and deep plot made this an anime I won’t forget anytime soon.
9: Shion no Ou
At first, I didn’t have that much hope for a series that was about a game I knew nothing of (Shougi), but Shion no Ou came and totally proved me wrong. With an amazing cast of characters and a terrific plot to back them up, Shion no Ou quickly dominated all the other shows in the season it aired in with its quality
8: Revolutionary Girl Utena
Ah, Utena. You’re probably one of the strangest, most eccentric anime out there, but also one of the best. Its first half never failed to entertain me, while especially the final episodes starting from episode 30 were insanely good. For the first and probably only time, recycled scenes actually helped to improve an anime, giving it a ritualistic feeling, which turned out perfectly.
7: The Third: Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo
I consider The Third as one of the best action-series, due to its incredibly versatile character of Honoka. She really is one of my favourite characters so far, and this show never failed to entertain me. It’s also one of the few shows with an actually great ending, which is a very rare thing in anime.
6: Bokura no
It may have turned down a lot of fans from the manga, but nonetheless I personally adored Bokura no. When it started, it got to work with one of the most promising premises I’ve seen, and it has definitely lived up to these expectations. The huge cast of characters has proven to be amazing as they move through the tragedy-filled story, without ever degrading into a pointless emo-fest.
5: .Hack//Sign
.Hack//Sign has a considerable sentimental value for me, as it was the first anime I managed to see from fansubs, and I still consider it as one of the best anime ever. Okay, it’s slow, but because it was so slow, it made sure to take its time to develop its characters, only to feature a brilliant second half, full of thought-provoking character-development. It really utilized some of the best aspects of MMORPGs.
4: Simoun
Ah, Simoun. This series has been an awesome character-study, featuring some of the saddest but also grandest scenes I’ve seen. Everything seemed to fit. It’s a true gem that doesn’t deserve its negligence.
3: Visions of Escaflowne
Up till episode twelve, I just thought this as a normal series. But then with the arrival of episode thirteen, Visions of Escaflowne stole my heart, with one of the most intense scenes I had ever seen. To make things even better, starting from that point, the quality of this anime never even once declined, making Escaflowne a truly memorable story.
2: Noein
At the end of the first episode, I knew that this series was going to be something special, but I never knew that it would turn out this awesome. Noein has been an amazing ride, featuring some of the best character-developments ever.
1: Mahou Shoujotai
I don’t think it comes as a surprise to see this one at the #1. Everyone has probably one series which stands miles above the others. If you haven’t yet seen such a series: keep searching, as it’s out there somewhere. For me, Mahou Shoujotai captivated me like no other, heck, it’s one of the reasons I started blogging in the first place. It’s got one of the best stories and settings I’ve ever seen, the themes are awesome, and it seems like every single episode featured a new plot twist. Add some thought-provoking themes, excellent storytelling, and I’m hooked.
I’ll continue updating this list as I finish anime who are good enough to take up a spot. Obviously, anime which I haven’t seen completely are left out of it, as you’ll never know when they might turn bad or disappointing.
Now that that’s said, I’d love to everyone else’s favourite series. Don’t be afraid to drop a comment. :)
(Last Updated on 3-5-2008)
aaaah… cool psgels, heres my list
(1). Cowboy Bebop & Wolf’s Rain -tie-
(2). Berserk
(3). RahXephon
(4). Planet ES
(5). Eureka SEVEN
(6). Gankutsuou
(7). Vision of Escaflowne
(8). Twelve Kingdoms
(9). Black Lagoon I/II
(10).Samurai Champloo
i’ll give commentary later… i have class in about 15 mins
Comment by tman — April 18, 2007 @ 21:25
Interesting list. .Hack/Sign, Escaflowne, Simoun and Utena are certainly choices I’d agree with. Haven’t seen enough Noein or Magical Girl Squad Alice to make a decision, but both are rather nice. (Do they share a creator? There were similarities…)
My favorite recent TV series (as opposed to movies or OAV series) would be:
10. Saikano
9. Revolutionary Girl Utena
8. Gundam Seed
7. Vision of Escaflowne
6. Noir
5. Maison Ikkoku
4. Elfin Lied
3. Nana
2. Serial Experiments Lain.
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion.
If you want to add in OAV series, Bubblegum Crisis, Tenchi Muyo (OAV series), and El Hazard (OAV series) might displace some contenders.
Comment by DPulver — April 18, 2007 @ 22:15
Your comment filter said my comment was filled with spam, and I had written commentary and everything :(
Anyway I really liked your list, most fave anime lists I see are filled with Naruto, Bleach, and Inuyasha.
Here’s my list:
10. Wolf’s Rain- Story is confusing as heck but I still loved the characters and couldn’t help but get a little emotionally connected, plus Yoko Kanno’s music was excellent.
09. Witch Hunter Robin- Great mood, great music, great characters, and great story made me enjoy this series all the way through.
08. 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother- most touching anime series I’ve ever seen, really made me want to cry. A little boy goes in search of his missing mother across Latin America and he goes to go through so many difficulties for other people you can’t help but cry!
07. Brother, Dear Brother- Some good yuri drama with some great intensity and a look into the minds of fragile/twisted young teenage girls, I really liked how dark and serious this show was.
06. Revolutionary Girl Utena- I pretty mcuh loved it for all the reasons you said.
05. Red Garden- You’ve blogged this series, you know how great it was!
04. Angel Heart- beginning was sorta meh with some decent action and suspense but once we get into the part of the story when the killer starts becoming human, the story gets really touching.
03. Arjuna- extreme environmentalism was annoying but the characters were all great and the music was incredible.
02. Kaleido Star- this shoujo was awesome, it featured great drama, nice comedy, excellent animated circus performances, and the best female lead of any series I’ve seen.
01. Koi Kaze- this is probably the most realistic series I’ve ever seen and I really feel how the characters are tormented by their incest. Although I don’t like what they do still I liked the characters and enjoyed seeing them go through their struggle and staying strong-willed.
Comment by Christopher — April 18, 2007 @ 22:55
That’s an interesting list. it’s not typical like many of the top 10 lists I’ve seen in the past.
Here’s mine, though my list tends to fluctuate based on my mood:
1. The Melody of Oblivion
2. Gundam Seed
3. Fafner
4. Slayers
5. Black Cat
6. Peach Girl
7. G-Gundam
8. To Heart
9. Cowboy Bebop
10.El Hazard Wanderers
Comment by TL-chan — April 18, 2007 @ 23:06
Christopher: ah, that cursed spaminator… It does a fine job of keeping the spam out, but sometimes it’s a bit too enthusiastic. Luckily I managed to restore your original post, sorry for inconveniences. ^^;
Anyway, about your list, I must say that the only ones I’ve seen were Utena and Red Garden. These other series are definitely looking interesting. :)
Dpulver: not that I know of, Mahou Shoujotai was produced by Studio 4C, while Noein came from Media Factory and Lantis, among others.
Comment by psgels — April 18, 2007 @ 23:18
It’s quite weird to see that I loved some of the titles of your list (Noein, Visions of Escaflowne, Paranoia Agent), and others that disapointed me (Hack Sign, I’m not as impressed as you on Mahou shoujoutai). And even if I don’t have the same taste as you, I keep enjoying reading your blog. Here is my list:
10)2 hilarious titles: School Rumble, and Hare+Guu
9)Samurai Champloo
8)Mushishi
7)Noein
6)Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid
5)Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien
4)Full Metal Alchemist
3)Cowboy Bebop
2)Gankustusou
1)Last Exile
Comment by Immelman — April 19, 2007 @ 0:26
As you said, there’s got to be a #1 series for each person. I was lucky enough to find mine, it’s Haibane Renmei. It starts as a slice-of-life series in an unusual setting but turns into a deep, thought-provoking drama with two greatly developed main characters.
I love the series I listed below as well, but in a way they’re just no match.
2. Mai-HiME… Yeah, I know, the ending, the fanservice and so on. But I still really enjoyed it for some reason, even if I couldn’t exactly tell why.
3. Simoun. Unique. I wish it could have got more attention.
4. Battle Athletes Victory : a futuristic sports-anime with an annoying whiny main character, but the others are really interesting, especially the two friends who support her despite her being so weak-willed (they get my respect just for that). It also has a great balance of drama and comedy.
5. Azumanga Daioh : I love slice-of-life comedies, but this one is definitely my favourite. There’s not even one weak episode and it manages to be both hilarious and heartwarming.
6. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s : Nanoha stands out not for its plot but for its characters (well, in 13 episodes it would have been hard to develop both as much). By the way, I was worried about the third season, but now I can say I like Subaru and Teana. Maybe not as much as the “old” team, but Nanoha & Co. are still here, so it’s fine to me.
7-8. Top wo Nerae ! Gunbuster/Top wo Nerae 2 ! Die Buster : the first OVA series is excellent. The second series has many flaws, but I can’t judge the two separately. The final scene of Die Buster was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
And now I need two more shows… Maybe Chicchana Yuki Tsukai Sugar (great mahou shoujo, you might want to try it if you haven’t seen it) and Kino no Tabi (the first novel is waiting for me on my shelf).
Comment by Petrouch — April 19, 2007 @ 0:36
1. Kare Kano - minus the last episode … hands down the most fun 23 episdos ever made ….
2. Evangelion - rei rei rei
3. Turn A Gundam - Ugliest Gundam designed series turns out to be the best.
4. Rorouni Kenshin - fun watch
5. Crest of the Stars Trilogy -
Comment by Rednights — April 19, 2007 @ 4:25
Don’t know if I can really rank them, but here are what I’d probably consider my 10 favorites of all time, as of this moment:
- PopoloCrois: I still say Pietoro and Narcia are the greatest fictional couple of all time, and this show just plain warms my heart every time I see it.
- Planetes: Has what may be one of the best endings of any anime I’ve ever seen, one of the most believable worlds, and some of the most intense and realistic character development I’ve ever encountered in a work of fiction. By the end, I KNEW these people, and honestly cared about them!
- Ashita no Nadja: I have no idea why this series isn’t more well-known, as the only possible things a person could DISlike about it would be its extreme girliness, and its melodrama. Everything else is damn near perfect. This show is just plain amazing.
- Mahoujin Guruguru: Another gem that’s inexplicably under the radar, Mahoujin Guruguru is quite possibly the single best parody of console RPGs that has EVER existed. But amazingly, it’s not just a FUNNY show, it’s also a GENUINELY GOOD show, with really lovable characters, creative and original story arcs, and just a whole lot of fun. No RPG fan should ever go without seeing this show.
- Kodocha: What is there to say about Kodocha except that it’s 102 episodes long, yet NEVER GETS BORING? This really may be the perfect anime, as it’s got something for just about everyone. Simply astounding.
- Paranoia Agent: Satoshi Kon is a brilliant writer and director. There’s really little else that needs to be said. This show is just… mesmerizing.
- Millennium Actress: See above. (: This is probably my single favorite movie of all time, animated or otherwise. I’ve never been so absolutely blown away by a work of fiction before. Everything about Millennium Actress, from the visuals to the soundtrack to the characters to the story to the pacing… EVERYTHING… is perfect. This is simply an amazing piece of work.
- Air TV: This may seem like the “odd man out” on this list, but I find Air to have a truly unique brilliance to it. This is a show that depicts a truly REAL magic: the kind of magic that can’t be explained, and can’t be fully understood on a conscious level, but if you kinda “zone out” and let your subconscious work on making the connections, it all somehow makes perfect sense. Air also has one of the most unexpected, dare I say POSTMODERN plot twists I’ve ever seen in an anime series. It’s an amazing show, but it always seems to either get far less credit than it should, or get the right amount of credit from the wrong people, for the wrong reasons. (:
- This is cheating, but… three-way tie between the anime works of Katsura Masakazu, including Video Girl Ai, I’’s Pure, and DNA2. I really can’t pick a favorite among them, and I don’t think all three deserve individual spots in my top ten list, but at LEAST one of them does, as this guy obviously really understands romance from a man’s perspective. As a single male, every one of his works leaves me feeling lonely, but INCREDIBLY moved, usually to tears. (Well, DNA2 less so, but that show makes up for it with nonstop comedy!) Katsura is definitely some form of genius. Probably a very lonely genius, but a genius nonetheless. (:
And finally…
… … … I don’t know! There are a lot of anime that could potentially fill in this 10th spot, and I know if I pick one, I’ll think of a better choice later. So I’m going to stop at 9 (or 11, depending on how you look at it). (:
-Tom
Comment by Wyrdwad — April 19, 2007 @ 6:20
@wydward, i couldnt agree with you more about planet ES
Planet ES is a truly amazing and magnificent anime. As a matter of fact i can honestly say that this anime knocked me on my ass. I have heard so much about this anime, but the concept of garbage men in space just never appealed to me.
Can you believe i had this on my computer for 2 months without watching it because i just didnt feel the urge or motivated to. Then couple of days ago, i was just like wut the hell, i’ll try it. And can you believe that ui watched the entire series, all 26 episodes in a row that saturday.
Not since Cowboy Bebop, Wolf’s Rain and Berserk has an anime just shattered me. And how glorious it was. I was overwhelmed with exhileration, joy, anger, sadness, contemplation so many emotions. I wish i could meet the production team and shake their hands for this masterpiece.
The animation is perfect in every single way. No hyper-realism in emotional expressions and no exagerrations. Just plain reastic art of perfection. The Space scenes are just breath taking.
The sound is also realistic because they take into account the concept of a vacuum unlike star wars. The music was just incredible and blended perfectly with every scene.
This anime is about the characters and the concept of space and the future itself. Believe me when i say you can honestly relate to each and every character, because you either experienced their emotions or no someone like them. These characters grow and u live their lives… their joy, fears and pain.
The Value of this anime is not only treasurable but it also has a great rewatchablity concept. like i said i watched every single episode in a row. from 5pm to 2 am.
The story is the greatest part of this anime. words cannot describe its greatness… JUst absolutely perfect in every way. You will laugh, you will awe, you will thrill, and you will cry.
Give this anime a chance… open your mind, Not only is this masterpiece intellectual, its also funny, touching, exhilerating, breath taking, heart breaking, entertaining and fun.
Comment by tman — April 19, 2007 @ 8:53
(series)
1. neon genesis evangelion
2. ghost in the shell: stand alone complex
3. monster
4. noir
5. escaflowne
6. lain
7. great teacher onizuka
8. love hina
9. record of lodoss war
10. elfen lied(although this might just be because of the op)
i’m honestly surprised at the lack of evangelion
Comment by asdf — April 19, 2007 @ 9:21
These are my favorites. Not very many of them though.
1. Simoun
2. Cyborg 009
3. Yami to boshi to hon no tabibto
4. G-Gundam
5. SDGF (forgot what it stands for)
Comment by Cathy — April 20, 2007 @ 2:57
1) Fruits Basket. I loved the amazing characters, the drama and the humour.
2) Noein. Great drama. I loved it so much.
3) Tsubasa Chronicle (I don’t know why, but this anime has me always hooked with its stupidity:))
4) Simoun
5) The Third
6) The Law of Ueki. That’s one anime to remember.
7) Fantastic Children. It was so confusing in the beginning but I’m so glad that I’ve seen it.
8) XXXHolic. Great one.
9) Tales of Phantasia. Episode two was awesome.
10) Samurai Champloo.
Here is my list.
Comment by TimelessDreams — April 20, 2007 @ 19:13
i’m into the thinking anime lol… Most of these are psychological/action shows, with the exception of ghost hunt (mystery/shoujo)
1.monster
2.gankusuou
3.full metal alchemist
4.noien
5.red garden
6.musishi
7.ghost hunt
8.jigoku shoujo
9.wolf’s rain
10.black lagoon
Comment by XDXD — April 21, 2007 @ 8:15
hi!
i agree with you on noein,utena,and the third,they were awesome.
Ok,now here is my list,but i don’t know if i can make it to 10 :) :
1.Mai-Hime:A criminally underrated show.Well,maybe not underrated,but everyone seems to have forgotten about it. You get the comedy,the story,and above all,believable characters and character developpement.Oh,and music (Yuki Kajiura rocks!!!) Ok,now the ending may not have been the best,but at least it was an ending.
2.RahXephon:Usually,i don’t like anime with mechas in it.RahXephon however,has a great story,great music,and great characters. I feel people as doing it a great disservice by even comparing it to Evangelion (which,IMO,sucks BTW).
3.Noir: One of the first animes i watched,and it still holds up to today.
4.Rurouni Kenshin:What can i say? This anime just rocks.
5.The Third: Yes,i’m a sucker for character developpement.Yes,Ikus may have been a bit boring,but Honoka and Paife more than made up for this.
6.Saiyuki (The first series):A shonen series with nearly excellent character developpement.
Anything else? Sadly,the sequels were frankly quite sucking.
7.FMP!Fumoffu: The funniest anime i’ve seen.This anime just knew how to get its characters into sticky situations,and make laughs of it.
8.Hunter x Hunter:Another shonen that doesn’t go the conventional way.But,for the sake of it,stop at the first ova.The 2nd and 3rd ova are frankly very sub-par.
9.Fushigi Yuugi:Yes,Miaka and Tamahome were really boring with their lovey-dovey.But it made up for it with the other characters,namely Tasuki,Nuriko,and Chichiri.
10.Night Head Genesis:A story that doesn’t show you bunnies or invade you with cute,this mystery series shows that animes aren’t just about love and whatsoever,and paints a darker view of the world,with successs.
Comment by phoenix — April 21, 2007 @ 13:34
Nice taste you have, phoenix, as these are mostly series that are considered flawed by others. I agree with you on Night Head Genesis, by the way. It’s a brilliant mystery-series, with a few flaws perhaps.
And regarding Mai-Hime (another great series, by the way), I think the reason nobody talks about it anymore is because its sequel, Mai Otome, which rather sucked in comparison.
Comment by psgels — April 21, 2007 @ 16:00
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
2. Spirited Away
3. Deathnote
4. Escaflowne
5. Ghost in the Shell
6. NANA (it’s a really awesome josei!)
7. Gundam Wing
8. Haibane Renmei
9. Higurahsi no Naku Koro ni
10. Ayashi no Ceres
Comment by MM — April 21, 2007 @ 16:24
10.Mezzo DSA
9.FLCL
8.Rahxephon
7.Welcome To The NHK!
6.Eureka 7
5.Lain
4.Samurai 7
3.Azumanga Daioh
2.Noein
1.Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex
Comment by Palstela — April 22, 2007 @ 2:06
I completely failed to mention R.O.D. the TV, somehow, despite absolutely *adoring* that show. That will be my 10th anime, I guess. (:
And tman: Yeah, Planetes definitely is all you say, and more. Absolutely outstanding anime, destined to remain in my top 5 from now until the end of time, no matter how many other great shows may come along in the meantime. (: Like I tell everyone, you should really check out some of the others on my list, particularly Ashita no Nadja. I just can’t over how bloody EXCELLENT that show is, and yet NO ONE seems to know about it, save for the lucky people who get to watch it on TV in South America and Italy. (:
-Tom
Comment by Wyrdwad — April 22, 2007 @ 6:08
thx psgels!!
and yes,sadly,the greatness that is mai-hime has been forgotten because of the suckiness that is mai-otome. I mean,like really,it only took the PREVIEW of episode 2 to convince me that i had to jump to episode 16 (where the plot picks up) in order to not drown under half a dozen episodes of fanservice. and i didn’t really feel that i skipped 15 episodes. Mai-Otome was truly forgettable.
Comment by phoenix — April 23, 2007 @ 0:47
ugh! holy!
i forgot to include Utena!
It’s been so long that i watched it (in fact,i watched it before all the other anime in my list) that i almost forgot it.if i had to include it,it would be at 9th place,in place of fushigi yuugi.(nhg is still 10)
Comment by phoenix — April 23, 2007 @ 9:14
1.Cowboy Bebop
2.Vision of Escaflowne
3.Fullmetal Alchemist
4.FLCL
5.Samurai Champloo
6.Eureka Seven
7.Akira
8.Samurai 7
9.Yu Yu Hakusho
10.Ghost in the Shell:SAC
.
Comment by atomisk07 — April 23, 2007 @ 21:02
everybody loves a good list :)
10 - Samurai Champloo
9 - Haibane Renmei
8 - Genshiken
7 - Ergo Proxy
6 - Welcome to the NHK!
5 - Kamichu
4 - Mushishi
3 - Planetes
2 - Ghost in the Shell: SAC
1 - MindGame
Hard to cut it down to size!
Comment by autotwilo — April 24, 2007 @ 2:19
There’s so many good animes…but these will be my top 10:
1. Ippo: Great boxing actions and comedy. I’m a girl and I actually like this boxing anime. It’s awesome. The story is captivating and Ippo’s journey to become a great boxer is uplifting and funny. At first I didn’t think this anime will be good because the art was kind of “old school.” But the story line is so good that I got hooked. The story teaches you to work hard towards your dream. And I also liked how it’s realism because it had to use boxing techniques in the characters. It’s such a great anime…more people show watch it.
2. Escaflowne: This is the first anime I saw as a kid and it’s what got me into anime. Escaflowne has a great story line and the English dub is awesome. Usually I hate English dub in animes, but this one was a success.
3. I’m surprise you didn’t include Mushishi in your top ten list. I thought you love this anime. Well, I do…each episode has its own unique story and it makes me feel unusual inside, but it has me thinking maybe mushis do exist. Maybe they are a replacement of what we think are spirits in this world. Even though some parts were slow, I still love this anime. The ideas behind it is great and the music is also awesome. It’s just like “Spirited Away,” which I also love.
4. Eureka Seven: It was so much better than I expected. I love the story line and how Eureka, a half human half Coralian girl learned to become human. It’s also funny in some parts.
5. Angel Heart: I like the theme behind this anime. It’s an emotional anime about a girl’s ability to develop emotions and to become human. Even though it’s not a complete anime yet, it’s been good so far. I do hope that it continues to be good.
6. Koi Kaze: I read someone’s top 10 list and this was listed as his #1. I do like this anime. I went back and rewatched it several times. I just wished it was longer. The music was great in the moments when the emotions between the characters were climaxing. It’s also very realistic and even though the theme of incest love between brother and sister is sick, I do like that they are falling in love. The creators did a great job that it gets you hooked onto this anime and then you don’t feel so negative about the characters’ incest love.
7. Nana/Paradis Kiss: I enjoyed Ai Yazawa’s animes. The creator is female and I liked that. Most anime creators are male. Well, I’m into drama/love story and these animes delivered it.
8. Blood+: I wished there was more episodes to this. I found some really good songs in this anime, especially Chitose Hajime’s song and Angelina Aki.
9. Death Note: Even though it’s not completed, I like the theme.
10. Otogi Zoushi: The first half was awesome; the second half was okay. I just wished this anime was longer.
Comment by Headachebaby — April 25, 2007 @ 19:22
Headachebaby: apologies for the strange behavior of my spaminator. For some reason, it seems to dislike this post a lot. I managed to restore it, thankfully.
Anyway, about Mushishi, I think it’s probably very close to being number 11 on my list. These other ten had a bit bigger impact on me. The anime is brilliant, though. Like you said, there’s so many god anime.
Comment by psgels — April 25, 2007 @ 19:40
I’m surprised that I was the only one to mention “Hajime no Ippo” as one of my favorite animes. I’m not sure if it received great or even good recognition since it was made in the early 90s. The art work is good and even though special effects wasn’t introduced at the time, the creators have done a great job with the intense fight parts. It’s a great anime if you haven’t checked it out. Am I advoacting for viewers to see it? Yes…please take some time to and soon you’ll love it. I certainly have and it turned out SOOO much better than I expected. It’s an action/drama/love story. If you want to see great, more realistic fighting, than watch Ippo. It’s a story about a boy who is a victim of bully. It wasn’t until he discovered boxing that he changed and realized that he has potentials. He also found a path to what he wanted to do after high school. Besides, this anime is about boxing so it has to cover realistic ideals. You get to learn about boxing techniques and see the various harsh trainings that Ippo have to go through. Besides, Ippo has to train over a period of time to gain the skills to get good. Hey, that’s realistic! Unlike some animes, the main character is surprisely blessed with some great skills that he/she wasn’t aware of and they don’t break any sweats…that’s really unrealistic. Well, take some time to check out Ippo and you’ll see his great accomplished COMBO moves. The fightings are intense that it has me on the edge of my seat and rooting for Ippo to win. :)
Another anime I highly recommend is “Koi Kaze.” I guess it doesn’t have much recognition too. Well, it’s about incest love between a brother and sister, so if you’re totally against incest, then stay away. Even if you don’t like the idea (I don’t either), I would say have an open mind because the realism in this anime will blow you away. It’s the realism in the emotions of the characters and the wonderful music that makes this anime good. The music is done very well in certain scenes where the emotions are intensed and heightened. I certainly love the brother’s agony to stop his attractions for his sister, but in the end, he cannot denied that he loves her. The realism draws you into the anime and it is done so well. The dialogues are also great (in terms of it being realistic). Most love animes I seen don’t convey realistic dialogues, which are so annoying that at times, I feel like whacking myself. It’s a short 12 episode anime so it won’t take much of your time to watch it. I certainly didn’t like the incest love, but the creators did such a great job that in the end, I actually want them to continue loving each other even if society deems it to be taboo.
So, have an open mind and check these animes out even if they don’t seem like your genres of good animes. :)
Comment by headachebaby — April 26, 2007 @ 17:45
1. COWBOY BEBOP (sessions & film);
2. ghost in the shell SAC(series & SSS Ova ) ;
3. Samurai Champloo ;
4. Samurai 7 ;
5. Wolf’s Rain ;
6. Basilisk ;
7. Gankutsuou (Count Monte Christo) ;
8. Jin-roh ;
9. Gungrave ;
10. HEATGUY J ;
————————-and that’s it ……..
Comment by Spike — April 28, 2007 @ 17:28
omg nobody mentioned hajime no ippo b4? that anime is great, even for ppl who dont enjoy sport animes, i think they’d enjoy hajime no ippo, it was just THAT good, one of my top picks for sure
Comment by ltzmuah — May 1, 2007 @ 3:42
I can’t really number my animes, so I’ll just number 10 anime i enjoyed alot.
Ergo Proxy
Bleach
Naruto
Hajime no Ippo
Full Metal Panic series
Berserk(actually manga was WAY better)
Fate Stay Night
Noien
KIBA
Gundam SEED
Great Teacher Onizuka
Hikaru no Go
Kimi Ga Nozumi Eien
Eureka Seven
Well, It was more than 10, but a good list for people go to and watch, it contains a little bit of each genre, so if you haven’t seen it, WATCH IT!
Comment by ltzmuah — May 1, 2007 @ 3:48
1. FMP Fumoffu
2. GTO
3. RahXephon
4. Scrapped Princess
5. Pale Cocoon
6. Death Note
7. Fate Stay Night
8. Jungle Wa Itsumo Hale Nochi Guu
9. Kenshin
10. Lucky Star
Comment by deltazechs — May 3, 2007 @ 8:22
First off, i am going to say that no movie, no tv show, no book, no form of entertainment in this world, has touched me as this anime has. Wolf’s Rain is plain and simple the greatest anime i have ever seen.
It all started my spring semester of my freshman year of college when i got back from the library. I was sooo tired yet i could not sleep. My room mate was knocked out and i figured i would watch some television till i fell asleep. Lo and Behold, i was watching Adult swim and then something caught my eye. I saw a white wolf that suddenly became a man within conversation. And then i was hooked.
After i watched one episode i was entranced by the mystery and the story. I did not know what episode i watched, i didnt even know what the name of the show was, yet i was hooked. I didnt really understand about Anime then. All i knew was that Dragon Ball Z was the shit. But then i did some research and i found out the show was called wolf’s Rain, and i started on the second episode.
I would look forward to this anime every saturday unaware that it had been around for a while and that i could have gotten it through other means. But every week, i looked forward to each and every episode. Remember the show is 30 episodes and every week i looked forward to an episode since my freshman year spring. I was done by my sophomore year.
So why does this anime mean so much to me?? Because this anime touched me in ways i could not explain. I learnt so much about life, blossoming love, courage, beauty, tragedy and so much more. The story is supremely original on every level and the characters truly become ur friends. People you love and when they laugh u laugh and when they hurt… you weep. Because they mean so much to you.
The story is about wolves trying to find paradise. What is paradise?? what is it like?? how did man fall from grace? These are the questions u as urself when watching this masterpiece.
The animation is perfect. just perfect.
The soundtrack of this anime is probably the one cd i have had on repeat the most. The music is simply astonishing. I have made love with 3 girls to this soundtrack. Not only is the music powerful, but when u hear it, u cant help but remember what the characters were feeling and experiencing at that moment.
This anime stays with you. It touches you at the very core of ur being, if u are willing to search for paradise with them. If u r an anime critic and ur are looking for flaws or u r paying too much attention, u cannot enjoy this anime because wolfs rain is not something you watch. It is something you experiece. it is not entertainment. It is a world to travel to where you meet Kiba, Hige, Tsume, Toboe and Blue. You’ll get to know them, love them, laugh and cry with them. And i cried very hard. And though you will say good bye, their howls will stay with you for a long time.
Comment by tman — May 3, 2007 @ 10:55
#1 Fruits Basket
#2 Black Cat
#3 Bleach
#4 Naruto
#5 Elven Lied
#6 Wolf Rain
#7 D.N.Angel
#8 Final Fantasy
#9 Full Metal Alchemist
#10 Tsubasa Chronicles
Comment by Tamir — May 7, 2007 @ 4:59
#10: CLAMP SCHOOL DETECTIVES
-this anime is sooo cute! kinda weird..but there are really good episodes.. i think its very cool too. =]
#9: GTO
-i think this anime is so cool. Onizuka is amazing throughout the show! i love to watch this. and i think anyone who hasnt seen it [that is in the right age] will love it! ;b
#8: AYASHI NO CERES
-very cool plot. you’ll be haunted by its beauty.
#7: WILD STRIKER
-so cool! very admiring! i use to hate soccer..but when i saw this, i started liking it sooooo much.
#6: SLAM DUNK
-sooo coool! i love this!! rukawa is soo cute!
#5: MAGIC KNIGHTS REYEARTH
-i just love this anime soo much! i love the plot.. it made me cry a few times too. =]
#4: FUSHIGI YUUGI
-this is just awesome. i saw all the episodes, OVAs, and movies… its just something that will truely touch ur heart. and i like how it makes you trust on true love. ;b
#3: TSUBASA CHRONICLES
-i love this! very creative of CLAMP to do.
#2: CARDCAPTOR SAKURA
-i love the couple syaoran and sakura! the whole journey of this anime is just cool and amazing! the 2 movies of this just completes it.. =]
#1: (tie) GENSOMADEN SAIYUKI and RUROUNI KENSHIN
-i just love both of these animes! like love it from the bottom of my heart! (very deep huh)
well..thats my list.
IF YOU HAVNT SEEN ANY OF THESE, PLEASE WATCH. I LOVE ALL OF THESE ANIMES FOR A REASON.
>_
Comment by natalie_rae — May 22, 2007 @ 5:46
nyc list hah,,hhaha,,well,,,heres mine,,
10.AiR gEaR
9.tHe Law of uEKi
8.GTO
7.CASe cLosEd
6.dEatH notE
5.geNsoMaDen sAiyUki
4.sAmuRai 7
3.rUroUni kensHin
2.nArUto
1.bLeacH
haha,,,,,well thats life,,
Comment by ichigo — May 23, 2007 @ 14:46
this is hard to do, my favorites are all based on how much they affected me…..
1. Naruto-I’ve cried so much over any anime, ova, or Hollywood blockbuster than the first 100 or so episodes of Naruto.
2. Bleach-still the coolest anime, a visual delite. More bishies and all different
3. Aishiteru ze Baby-it’s sweet.
4. Hikaru no go-pure fun.
5. Yakitate Japan-pure fun 2
6. PoT-dbz style tennis
7. DBZ-The original, one and only show that got me hooked on anime. I’m fmale, I should have been watching Sailor Moon, but Vegita stole my heart. He wasnit the strongest but he was the coolest saiyan then.
6.Ouran High School Host Club-the most fun from begining to end. Take a clique , turn it on it’s head, then meet it around a corner.
7. Sukisyo-bl great story, characters, and animation.
8. Tenshi na Konamaiki/ FMP/School Rumble-loved all three.
9. GANTZ-first gory anime, gettingready to watch for 3r time to see if I missed anything else.
Is it true it’s not over?
Let’s kick reason to the curb!
10. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann-honorable mention as it is the ony mecha anime I’ve watched and it keeps getting better and better, and it’s only episode 8.
Thanks for your Bokura no blogs, I’m on dependent them with no subs.
Comment by audrey2 — May 24, 2007 @ 0:36
audrey2 - vegeta rocks ^_-
Anyways, since everyone is writing their own top10 list or list of anime’s they like then i feel like i should do the same. But i wont put them in any order, just let them float around :D
Full Metal Alchemist
Wolf’s Rain
Dragonball (they’re all good)
Basilisk
Gungrave
Samurai Champloo
Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
Death Note
Eureka Seven
Hellsing
Also, anyone that has Elven Lied in their list has no idea what their talking about, if i could id demand back the time i wasted watching all the episodes, probably asking: why did you watch it then? …i was expecting something to happen, something to make me understand why people like it so much… But nothing came, first episode was ok and i thought it might have potential…But holy crap ò.Ó
Comment by Zato-Sama — May 24, 2007 @ 4:10
Zato-Sama: ah, no I see why you requested that Elfen Lied review. :P
Anyway, I think it’s a matter of tastes here. Personally, I loved Elfen Lied because the characters really grabbed me, and the ending was one of the best I’ve seen. But yeah, if you can’t seem to connect with the characters, I do imagine that it can become quite dull.
Comment by psgels — May 24, 2007 @ 7:55
psgels, Yeah i understand what your saying but the 2 characters that took Nyuu in were really boring, very unrealistic and cant see anyone acting the way they were acting in real. The anime itself wasnt realistic with girls having those kind of powers of course but i coudltn really “feel” myself into the anime with those 2 characters, niyuu in the first episode (i think) when you first see here naked with a big helmet on killing off guards with ease made me think it had potential. Innocent looking little girl, hidden identity under the helmet, facility with guards scared, gore and so on. Made me think, this might be something. But it wasnt :P
Ofc everyone has their own taste like you said ;)
Comment by Zato-Sama — May 24, 2007 @ 13:23
um.. i guess i’m kinda late in replying..but here’s my list:
kenshin
jungle wa itsumo hare nochi guu
ouran koukou host club
full metal alchemist
samurai champloo
paradise kiss
samurai 7
Comment by Junko — May 30, 2007 @ 6:33
Not having seen Mahou Shoujo Tai, The Third, or Simoun, my Top 10, in no particular order, are:
Kimi Ga Nozumu Eien - I came across it without knowing the plot or type of game it was based off of, and although it does have ‘adult’ scenes, it is still an emotional rollercoaster about choices having to be made between love and friendship. It is definitely something worth watching, if only to see an interesting slice of life. I especially loved how weak the characters were, making it more realistic when they had to make decisions (sometimes the wrong one), and then deal with the repercussions for their actions. It’s a welcome change from the eternally optimistic and unbelievably strong lead characters animes usually portray.
Noein - Getting over the animation was the first step, but the plot and detail was so amazing and interesting that I couldn’t stop.
Scrapped Princess - I came across this as a fluke, but it was most likely one of the most interesting animes I’ve seen in a while. I wasn’t impressed with the first episode, thinking it would be your regular, predictable, run-the-mill fantasy genre, but I was sorely mistaken. It was wonderful - the plot unfolded at a great pace, and the way they added twists made me twitch for the next episode. When I was coming up to the end of the series I couldn’t help but wish it was longer.
Fushigi Yugi - I loved the story, the characters (ok, Miaka/Tamahome are still rather annoying), and the world that was created. It still is very memorable to me. I can’t help but love it, from beginning to end. This is one of those few series that I know I can watch over and over and I’ll never get tired of it.
Full Moon o Sagashite - This was adorable. While I loved the story and and advancement of the plot and character development, I couldn’t help but feel sad in a way with the way the story unfolds. I also couldn’t help but feel that while this is a relatively unmentioned and underrated anime, the manga must be much better, because for one, it doesn’t end.
Fruits Basket - It’s great. Moving, adorable characters that I feel in love with… the only complaint I have is that they should have made more episodes. At least the manga was thorough enough.
Revolutionary Girl Utena - Nuff said.
Ruroni Kenshin OVA - While the series itself didn’t appeal to me, the OVA was phenomenal. If anyone ever asks me for a rec I’ll usually offer this one first - short, somewhat historic, and contains action, love, samurais, and the weakness of human emotion.
Blood+ - The ending, IMO, was weak - but the entire series leading up to it was fantastic, and it is also another anime I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Hana Yori Dango - Once I got over the animation style, the story pulled me in. For someone like myself, whose attention usually stems from fantasy or magical characters doing something out of the ordinary, this ’slice of life’ anime had everything I wanted: comedy, drama, love, angst.
Honorable mentions:
Mai-HiME
Wolf’s Rain
Cowboy Bebop
Noir
Samurai Champloo
Manga I really wish they’d make into anime:
Hana-Kimi
Comment by tika — June 1, 2007 @ 22:03
tika: Full Moon wo Sagashite indeed has had a wonderful final quarter. I always thought that it was one of the more well-known shoujo-series.
And regarding to Fruits Basket, I agree with you about its flaw. If there ever was a series in need of a second season, it’d be .Hack//Roots and Fruits Basket. I’ve heard some amazing things about the parts of the manga which didn’t get animated, and the ending itself indeed was rather rushed and incomplete.
Comment by psgels — June 1, 2007 @ 22:24
here’s my list
1.Welcome to the NHK
2. note
3. REC
4. Samurai Champloo
5. Noir
6. Cowboy Bebop
7. Paranoia Agent
8. Gundam MS 08th Team
9. Tenchi in Toyko
10. Outlaw Star
Comment by blue heaven — June 5, 2007 @ 21:20
My favs ^^
1. Sailor moon + Ouran High School Host Club- just amazing.
2. NANA. another. it’s deep and funny.
3. Gakuen Alice.
4.Howl’s Moving Castle- first watched it in russian subs, loved that so much got it in english :D
5. Saiunkoku Monogatari
6. path of being a lady
7. fruit basket
8. suzuyima haruhi- obvious reasons
9.la corda d’oro
10.condors heros
Comment by yrose — June 11, 2007 @ 21:26
1. Full Metal Alchemist (I would definitely say this is the best I’ve ever seen so far, the originality of the story, the way you get used to characters and the whole things was just well thought….only bad thing is that it was short)
2. Naruto (This anime if you really look closely you can notice that it gives a lot of messages on sentimental stuff like what happens to naruto and the way he tries to succeed and be approved by others…many people could feel this way….plus the way all the character are used in the story is amazing since theres so many!
3. Yakitate Japan (I would never have thought it would’ve been this good)
4. Bleach (the story seems a little dumb at first but it starts getting better and more ineresting every next episode…I would definitely recommend this.
5. Death Note (This anime would be my favorite in the way things are done in this story…I cant belive the writer how he thought of the ideas he puts in the story and how well thought they are….like the problems that the main character has and all the things that happend is just incredible.
6. Dragon Ball Z- (grew up with this anime I would say this story is not that deep as some other anime is just really well made theres tons and tons of character and they are all used very well in many situations evil becoming good and good becoming evil…friendships and yes a lot of actions which is why it was so entertaining.
7. Samurai Champloo- (I thought this anime was actually really good…but what dissapointed me was that they gave really good personalities to the characters but later on didnt know how to continue and expand the story to different paths (like naruto) they coul’ve easily expand the story since they had really rich personalities in those characters but it just ended in a bad way with only one journey instead of making it a lot of journeys.
8. Cowboy Bebop- This anime I liked but to be honest dont remember by detail the best or the worst things…the characters where decent plus the story was ok…although not to entertaining as the ones I mentioned earlier.
9. Gintama- (This anime is kind of funny and good but the story always stays in the same spot same place…eventhough I believe the characters could do a lot since they are really good ones…it would be great to start getting more action and showing gintamas powers or action….whatever that it will make it entertaining.
Comment by Galectic — June 13, 2007 @ 11:44
wow… interesting list indeed. here my top-ten
1. Gungrave
2. Samurai 7
3. Samurai Champloo
4. Wolf Rain
5. Cowboy Bebop
6. Basilisk
7. Hellsing
8. Ghost in the Shell
9. Tokyo Tribe 2
10. Gantz
well i more like anime with fighting + sad ending..but of course i still watching funny anime genre like yakitate… to hard to make top ten list with all of kinds genre.
Comment by axzaqava — June 13, 2007 @ 16:28
1. Naruto
2. Baki
3. Hajime No Ippo
4. Full Metal Alchemist
5. One Piece
6. GTO
7. Bleach
8. Samurai X
9. Initial D
10. Crayon Shin Chan
Comment by Brie D Man — June 14, 2007 @ 9:26
Some of yall had some good ones and made my top 10 a difficult but here goes anywayz
1.Escaflowne
2.Cowboy Bebop
3.Trigun
4.Samurai Champloo
5.Fullmetal Alchemist
6.Macross Plus
7.G-Gundam
8.Read or Die
9.Noir
10.Ergo Proxy (I loved Pino)
Comment by CO — June 21, 2007 @ 21:03
Ypu shoukd also try watchin Mamoru-kun and Kage Kara Mamoru .These are Hilarious but at the SaME TIME A SERIOUS LOVE STORY WITH GREAT ACTION SCENES.
Comment by jack — June 26, 2007 @ 15:49
Granted - am limited in my scope but I’d put my ratings at this:
1. Beck
2. Death Note
3. Trigun
3. Full Metal Panic Fumoffu!
4. Full Metal Alchemist
5. Cowboy Bebop
6. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
7. Samurai CHamploo
8. Bleach
9. Last Exile
10. Wolf’s Rain
Comment by Chandler — June 30, 2007 @ 4:51
I tend to go for the more mature-themed, thought-provoking anime series, so my list may be a bit biased:
10. Read or Die OVA
9. Samurai X - Trust/Betrayal
8. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
7. Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate
6. Gankutsuou
5. Planetes
4. Cowboy Bebop
3. Kino’s Journey
2. Elfen Lied
1. Haibane Renmei
Comment by Rhesian — July 2, 2007 @ 3:42
Been watching anime for 14 years now, was 15 when i started ‘guess my age’ lol. My top ten list looks like this:
10. Patlabor
9. Slam Dunk
8. One Piece
7. City Hunter
6. Tenchi Muyo GXP
5. Claymore
4. Space Adventure Cobra
3. GTO
2. Detective Conan
1. Lupin III
Comment by Andy — July 12, 2007 @ 0:26
10-FLCL
9-Black Lagoon
8-Neon Genesis Evangelion
7-Fruits Basket
6-Last Exile
5-Haibane Renmei
4-Cowboy Bebop
3-Death Note
2-Full Metal Alchemist
1-Welcome To The NHK
I’ve only been watching anime for two years, but have viewed more than 50 series. These are the ones that will stay with me for the laughs, irritations and good memories. I’m sure my list will change as long as i continue watching anime, but this list has had a great influence on my life and my expectations of this great medium.
Comment by Josh — July 20, 2007 @ 19:21
I like to watch anime whenever i have some spare time and from the series that I have watched so far, here are my favorites.
1 Trigun
2 Fullmatal Alchemist
3 Cowboy Bebop
4 X (movie)
5 Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children
(movie)
6 Ninja Scrolls (movie)
7 Dragon Ball Z
8 Trinity Blood
9 Bleach
10 Neon Genesis Evengelion
Comment by Matt — July 21, 2007 @ 2:14
1. Elfen Lied
2. Fushigi Yugi
3. Blood + - It’s Bloody. I loved it.
4. Claymore!
5. Evangelion
6. Fruit Basket
7. Tokyo Mew Mew - It’s cute
Comment by Tibby — July 27, 2007 @ 9:33
on my livejournal a group of my friends and i made our lists not too long ago. I’m happy to say i had paranoia agent and .hack//sign in my top 10 as well =).
To briefly summarize my list (i wont repost all my excrutianingly long details.(this is a mix of manga and anime))
10. Furuba
9. Paranoia Agent
8. .Hack//Sign & Liminality
7. Majutsushi Orphen
6. Nana
5. HareGuu
4. FLCL
3. King of Bandits Jing
2. Kino no Tabi
1. Digimon (ah nostalgic purposes)
haha although now, Bokurano is fighting for a place, we’ll see if it does end up in my top 10 after the ending, although i still like the manga better.
Comment by Azil — August 1, 2007 @ 22:18
1.cowboy bebop
2.ghost in the shell/SAC
3.berserk
4.outlaw star
5.dbz
if you have one of these you should have them all on your list they are all interchangeable.
Comment by jason — August 2, 2007 @ 19:19
Huh…never heard of any of em
This is Mine:
NARUTO SHIPPUUDEN
NARUTO
PRINCE OF TENNIS
DRAGON BALL Z/GT
YU YU HAKUSHO
BLEACH
INUYASHA
OURAN HOST CLUB
GHOST HUNT
DEATH NOTE
Comment by Mira — August 5, 2007 @ 21:12
01. Chrno Crusade - The storyline and action was just awesome!
02. hellsing - Alucard, one of the most amazing anime characters created.
03. Tenshi no Konamaiki - Very hilarious! I thought the drawings were kind of strange at first, but its a great anime tho.
04. Eyeshield 21 - this anime makes football interesting!
05. Death Note - It was a good, serious, anime.
06. Blood + - I loved Haji’s cello music!
07. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - I thought it was a shoujo anime at first, the character’s are so deceiving!
08. Ai no Kusabi - one of THE best yaois i’ve seen. ever.
09. Bleach - its good. lol.
10. Simoun - intense, great anime!
Comment by eccentrrick — August 6, 2007 @ 9:03
wow..ive seen so many good animes..i dont think i can really rank them..well heres some off the top of my head..
bleach - wow..what can i say…it gets better and better..but few of the episodes are stupid..like nothing to do with the story, but its a very good series..
naruto - i like this because its actiona and comedy..i like these types of action animes..
ghost hunt - this anime is excellent!good drawings and very exciting!!
zombie loan - this anime is good!
KIBA - i liked this a lot!very coola at the end.
wolf’s rain - really good action and so sad at the end..
gakuen alice - hilarious anime..
school rumble - this was a very funny anime!!
saiungoku monogatari - makes you want to do good in life and try hard..good drawings too!!
blood + - wow..this anime was really good!!!
death note - loved it!!makes you wonder what happens next!!
kamisama kazoku - funny and good!
peach girl - very confusing love triangle but its good!
lovely complex - good comedy romance anime!!i love this!!
full metal panic - a really good action comedy anime!!its really funny too!!
full metal alchemist - stroy line is good and love the series!!
kekkaishi - i love this anime!!its hilarious and very good technique ish anime!!
d-gray man - this is a very good series!funny and good action!!
samurai champloo - this anime was really good and its full of action!!but its also very funny!!
wow…and so many many more!!but these are all the ones in my head so far!!i love them all!!
Comment by Der Xiong — August 8, 2007 @ 3:21
ok ya um I like anime with some comedy and action so … here’s my list!
#1.Naruto
#2.Fullmetal Alchemist
#3.Yu Yu Hakusho
#4.Bleach
#5.Trigun
#6.Inuyasha
#7.Zatch Bell
#8.Rurouni Kenshin - Reminiscence
#9.Samaurai Champloo
#10.Samaurai X - Swords of Betrayal
Comment by Falconsight — August 9, 2007 @ 15:55
Ya um adding one more realy realy good anime show….
#11.Chobits
Comment by Falconsight — August 9, 2007 @ 15:58
My top 10
Busou Renkin
Code Geass
E7
Elfen Lied
Ergo Proxy
Full Metal Panic!?
Ghost in the Shell
Gundam Seed+Destiny
Midori Days
Shakugan no Shana
I’m really surprised Shana was not mentioned once… b/c it really got my attention/stands out.. even after all the anime i’ve seen… =) Black Lagoon would also be on the list if the series ended (As in something happens with Revy/Rock)~ Deathnote would’ve been on this list, if the series ended when L died~~
Comment by hei — August 10, 2007 @ 7:12
10.higurashi no naku koro ni
9.ouran high school host club(wouldve been way higher if tamaki and haruhi had done more than hugging in the end)
8.he is my master
7.ergo proxy
6.full metal alchemist
5.master mosquiton OVA
4.genshiken
3.gungrave
2.sailor moon(i cried when it ended)
1.mushishi
Comment by Berkles — August 12, 2007 @ 3:37
1. Utawarerumono
2. Kanon
3/4. Higurahsi no Naku Koro ni (Kai)
5. The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
6. Fate / Stay Night
7. Saikano
8. Air TV
9. Death Note (kinda odd one out eh :$)
10. Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien
That’s right, no shonen. Animes with 50+ episodes are just terrible, with little no no plot *cough* naruto *cough* bleach *cough*
Comment by Eruruu — August 16, 2007 @ 0:11
Wow, I’ve been reading all of these comments and it makes me realize just how many amazing anime shows there are! I just started watching anime, my friend got me into it, actually….so I’ve only finished a couple of them. The ones I have finished would be:
*Jigoku Shoujo
*Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori
*Ouran High School Host Club
*Elfen Lied
I don’t really know how to classify good anime form bad, because I haven’t seen hardly any, but I DO know that I now crave it. I’ve stopped watching tv now, and instead download anime off my computer to watch. Anime makes the tv shows here seem pointless, pathetic, and boring, I think. It’s so addicting…even my sister loved OHSHC, just because it was really good-humored and fun to watch. Jigoku Shoujo was pretty slow in the first season, but towards the middle I thought that the plotline was really great, same with Futakomori. I loved watching that series. Elfen Lied was a bit too gory, and I wish more would have happened in it, but overall, I think it was a very good anime.
But yeah, that’s just what I think, and like I said, I just started watching anime.
Comment by kailyn — August 21, 2007 @ 4:34
Most of the animes listed above, i have never seen. I mostly prefer action/fighting over romance and comedy in animation of course.
Heres my most fantastic action anime list:-
-Bleach (Its damn too good)
-Death Note (really really really addicting, the plot is THE BEST i have ever seen.)
-Black Lagoon (short series but amazing)
-Naruto (I prefer the manga more)
-Hunter X Hunter (fun to watch at ease)
-Get Backers (pretty intresting)
-Inuyasha (one of my favourites, but due to many animes, i dunt know which rank to give it..)
-Samurai X (well made anime, fightning scenes are good, but could be better)
-Basilisk (bascially a war with two ninja clans, if u want action this isnt a bad choice)
-Berserk (BAD ending..but good choreography)
-Trinity Blood (cant think of anything to say about this one)
-Black Cat (could have been better..the way it ended disappointed me, black cats continuation would have been better)
Comment by HotShot — August 21, 2007 @ 7:07
Wow. Quite a nice top 10 you’ve got there, you’re making me thinking about watching them, especially Mahou Shoujotai which you seem to adore.
A question about Noein : I don’t study quantum physics before this year, so should I wait or watch it now ? I’m afraid to not get anything about the storyline since I probably won’t understand a thing before the ends of the coming school year. ^^;
My top 10 ?
Please, don’t laugh. I know I have bizarre tastes.
1. X : I dunno. Everything seemed to fit so well, and it’s basically a melting-pot of my favorite genres, which are Action, Drama and Romance. Numerous, very well-developed characters, incredible storyline (and I was expecting something stupid and michaeistic, with the eternal final fight between “The Good” and “The Bad”)… Even though I prefer the manga, I think that this is was THE anime that I will never forget and that will never quit his first place in my top 10.
2. Monster : The story. The so varied, well developed characters, all linked to the same guy, the story’s “villain”, a psychopath/sociopath young man name Johann. Naoki Urasawa is probably the best mangaka ever, his storylines are just perfect, well though, well developed, full of intense moments, of mysteries, of suspense, of drama, of blood…
3. Cowboy Bebop : Simply epic. Some animes have good stories and great characters, others just shine with their perfect animation and unforgettable OST ; Cowboy Bebop is the best of both worlds.
Just kinda sad that Watanabe came up with Samurai Champloo, which I did not like as much as everyone else who has seen it. It lacked the Cowboy Bebop spirit, the drama. But it was hella funny, granted…
4. Kanon : What surprised me is that for ocne, the main hero isn’t in love with all the girls and all the girls aren’t tall babes with enormous breasts who are all in love with the hero. Here, we have situations where the hero is somehow the key to solve the girls’s very complex problems, he becomes more liked their friend, maybe their confident or their savior… rather than their sex-thirsty lover.
5. Wolf’s Rain : Seems you didn’t like this series, psgels. This anime is more like a living myth, a mythology, more exactly, its originality just makes it the best anime Bones has worked on ’til today.
6. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni : Probably the best fantasy/mystery anime ever. How it manages to keep the mystery and to reveal only the essential at the perfect moment is probably what hooked and will continue to hook many viewers.
7. Neon Genesis Evangelion : The characters and the storyline, again. The characters are all sick, and it is such a pleasure to follow them evolving in this post-apocalyptic world. The storyline, while seeming to be a stupid fight against the humanity’s future destroyers, turns to be one of the most complex ever seen in anime, very philosophical, dramatic and astonishing sometimes.
Too bad they’re making movies to sell among the Gundam Seed-fan-teenagers who wore diapers when the original anime aired…
8. Death Note : Well, yeah, did not like it as much as everyone, but easily one of my favorite. Here, as in Ohba and Obata previous work, Hikaru no Go, the one essential thing you need to beat the opponent is your head.Characters plotting against each other to overthrow themselves, it is such a feaking pleasure to follow it.
9. PlanetES : Space mature drama, how could I miss that ?
First half are stand-alones that tell us more about the so interesting (somehow kinda “stupid”) characters and this tomorrow’s world which is actually not pretty different from ours ; second half is more linear, our to protagonists will stop looking at each other and Hachimaki signs for a mission in Jupiter where they’ll get Helium 3 ; the fact is that the rich countires will eat it all and the Third-World will still starve, therefore, this world’s political personnalities will clash in a beautiful and quite dramatic way.
Guys, do NOT miss this.
10. Last Exile : Its animation is what strikes first. Probably the darn best animation seen in an anime, great combination of 2D and 3D, and the ships are all animated in a magnificent way. Storyline actually interested me starting episode 3, and among the 26 episodes, the enemy changes many times, the real f***ers of the story them reveal themselves and clash with the two manipulated countries who will eventually ally themselves against those who make them live only to enjoy watching them killing themselves.
Oh, impressing psychological relationships between the characters. All of them are quite interesting (OK, some of them started pretty plain (Alex, Sophia), but they soon take importance and become… just so cool !), but what’s more astonishing is the constantly evolving relationships between them.
I hate Gonzo, granted (they have good animation and sound, but their storylines always start well but turn into a piece of trash), but this time, I was pleased, and I just hope that they do things as well as this time in their future animes.
Comment by Windspirit — August 25, 2007 @ 3:47
Heh, don’t worry about bizarre tastes. I have them myself. :P
About Noein: you’ll probably be unable to follow one half of a minor episode, so you should just go ahead and ckeck it out. I’ve seen lots of people who knew absolutely nothing about quantum physics and still enjoyed it. :)
Comment by psgels — August 25, 2007 @ 9:28
And I’m still hearing everywhere that this series is purely quantum physics everywhere, all the events are explained by quantum physics, etc.
Thanks for enlighting me. ^^
Comment by Windspirit — August 25, 2007 @ 14:27
here is my fuking list Americans Gays
1- Gundam ( all the series )
2- Dragon ball , z , gt ( all the series )
3- Blue Gender
4- Heroic Age
5- Samurai x (cool )
6- Naruto ( not the lame and gay episodes )
7- Fate/stay night
8- Bleach ( greate serie )
9- Eureka Seven ( Nice )
10- Inuyasha
Comment by Puerto Rican Boy — August 26, 2007 @ 3:03
1. Twelve Kingdoms
I’d seen many animes before I saw this one. Mostly they were general favorites like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Evangelion, Escaflowne, Ranma 1/2, etc. I’d agree with everyone that these were awesome animes (though I now DESPISE Ranma 1/2), but, if posed the question, I couldn’t have given any reason why. But when I saw Twelve Kingdoms, I was left almost in shock. It had a great story/stories, but many other animes have that. What blew me away was how well the plot progressed. I think that the plot for that anime is the deepest and most well-told of any anime I’ve ever seen. It was like having a hearty home-cooked meal after living off of microwave dinners and pizza. Though this is probably due in part to Twelve Kingdoms being based on a book series instead of manga and the 40 minute episodes. Be warned though: production of it got cut after episode 45, so it’s incomplete with a lot of loose ends.
2. Beck - Mongolian Chop Squad
I’d searched a long time until I’d found another anime I liked as much as Twelve Kingdoms. Then I found Beck. Though the episodes are only the standard 20 minute length, I still got the same feeling that I got from Twelve Kingdoms; by the end of an episode I’d thought I’d already watched 2. But I’ve probably got a big bias when it comes to Beck as it strikes a chord with my own life. I’d recommend watching the English dub as the major songs are written in English. Yes the Japanese voice actors are better than the English ones, but the English music is so much better (even rarer, the dubbers can actually sing at an acceptable level!)
3. Infinite Ryvius
Ok, this one is definitely not for the kiddies. Not because of nudity or gore, of which there is none of the former, and barely any of the latter. It’s mature for much the same reason Faust or Dante are considered adult reading. Infinite Ryvius can be pretty much likened to a Lord of the Flies in Space. Even so, the end left me with a rather warm ‘n fuzzy feeling inside.
4. Azumanga Daioh
There’s really only one reason for this, and that’s characters. All I have to say is that this anime has some great characters. Which I guess it would need to have for it to work when all or most of its plots are intra-episode, which was a nice change of pace.
Edge-Teetering 5: FLCL
6 episodes. 23 magnitudes of crazy.
Honorable Mention: Excel Saga
Not what I would consider to be a “good” anime, you’ll still find me recommending it to everyone, if not just for pure WTF? factor. It’s the only anime I actually own. I’d highly recommend watching the dub rather than the sub, though. Unless you’re pretty fluent in Japanese, you’re going to miss out on a good chunk of humor. Its the difference between reading Mitch Hedburg and hearing Mitch Hedburg. And if you’re watching it on DVD, you can turn on the popups which will fill you in on jokes and pop culture refrences that just don’t translate.
Comment by Caedn — August 26, 2007 @ 18:45
Fullmetal Alchemist
Death note
Elfen Lied
PlanetES
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Higurashi no naku koro ni
Comment by VaL — August 27, 2007 @ 19:38
1. Fate Stay Night
2. Tsubasa Chronicles
3. PlanetES
4. Elfen Lied
5. Full metal panic
6. Black Lagoon I/II
7. Code Geass
8. Gundam Seed
9. Rurouni Kenshin(OVA’s)
10. Hellsing Ultimate
Comment by Rutix — August 29, 2007 @ 18:23
1.FMA
2.Bleach
3.Blood +
4.OUran high school host club
5.Fruits basket
6.Death note
7.Wolf’s rain
8.
9.
10.DN angel >
Comment by Dianne — August 29, 2007 @ 20:41
Thee is so much good anime out there and so little time to see. So here it goes:
1. Simoun
2.Daphne in the Brilliant Blue
3.ROD THE TV
4. NANA
5.Maria Sama Ga Miteru
6.Ouran High School Host Club
7. XXX-Holic
8.The Third
9.Black Lagoon
10.Claymore
I have to say that all of these are great to watch. Special mention goes to Simoun, it was just so fanastic on so many levels, from the soundtrack to the storyline. It was darn near perfect…REALLY. Also if you haven’t seen Daphne in the Brillliant Blue, you are missing a treat,it has so many funny moments…Claymore which is new is probaly going to be in my top five if not the top three has reallly become my favorite this season. So I will wait and see.
Comment by Ace21 — August 30, 2007 @ 3:31
I’m surprised that some of the animes didn’t appear more, but here is my top 10
1. Ouran High School Host Club
2. Death Note
3. Gundam Seed+Destiny
4. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
5. Ah! My Goddess
6. Claymore
7. Naruto
8. Bleach
9. Prince of Tennis
10.One Piece
Need to get my weekly filling of these anime or….
Comment by etherinmeria — August 30, 2007 @ 5:33
Sugoi! Most of the series mentioned above are those that I’ve never heard of. I’d definitely try watching them.
Mine’s:
1. Ouran High School Host Club
2. Death Note
3. Fullmetal Alchemist
4. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal
5. Prince of Tennis
I can’t add another five since it has been a long time since I stopped watching anime and watched again. I started watching again January 2007 from stopping last 2000. So I guess, I’ll just mention those that I’ve watched and liked, but cannot decide whether they should be included on my top ten:
1. Bleach
2. Honey and Clover
3. Rurouni Kenshin
4. Air Gear
5. Yuyu Hakusho
6. Flame of Recca
Comment by sweetburntlips — August 31, 2007 @ 7:39
Here. 10 is absolutely not enough. Actually I’d add 10 more, but…
01 - 5 Centimeters per Second
02 - Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade
03 - Berserk
04 - Planetes
05 - Voices of a Distant Star
06 - Beyond the Clouds, The Promised Place
07 - Wonderful Days
08 - The Little Girl Who Conquered Time
09 - On Your Mark
10 - Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
11 - Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex
12 - She and Her Cat
13 - Guardian of the Sacred Spirit
14 - Pale Cocoon
15 - Millennium Actress
16 - Welcome to the NHK
17 - His and Her Circumstances
18 - Neon Genesis Evangelion
19 - Battle Fairy Yukikaze
20 - Ninja Scroll
Comment by v0id — August 31, 2007 @ 17:35
Well hers My top 5:
1.)Naruto,
It is as you said above all others by many miles, I love it, it is an very awesome show especially in the later ep, I highly recommend giving it an shot
2.)FMA,
3.)DBZ, (not GT)
I dont realy have an 4-10 but I am going to try some of the shows above and broaden my horizon
Comment by Studuptot — September 1, 2007 @ 10:18
YOU ALL HAVE BAD CHOICES
1. zombie loan
2. murder princess
3. lovely complex
4. ouran high school host club
5. black blood brothers
6. the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya
7. monster princess
8. NANA
9. kanazuki no miko
10. el cazador le burja
11. kyoshiro no towa to sora
Comment by my 10 best — September 3, 2007 @ 11:00
my favorites are:
1.Samurai Champloo
2.XxxHolic
3.D.N.Angel
4.Ghost in the shell
5.paranoia agent
6.crayon shin chan
7.spirited away
8.castle in the sky
9.grave of the fireflies
10.prince of tennis
Comment by kimdelearth — September 3, 2007 @ 19:59
that’s a really unusual list, it’s cool to see such high opinions of anime that aren’t the “mainstream” choice.
my top ten areeee:
1. cowboy bebop: i have yet to see an anime i enjoy, respect, and love as much as this one. it is the only series that i consider the perfect mesh of drama, comedy, and action. i’m still searching for one to top it.
2. wolf’s rain: with all the formulaic anime out there, all it took was a summary of this show to go out and see it. so. fucking. amazing.
3. the girl who leapt through time: i rarely find anime i enjoy anymore, but after seeing this movie, i was blown away by how fulfilled i felt. i sincerely recommend it to anyone, even for people who aren’t fans of the genre.
4. vision of escaflowne: i’ve become really nitpicky as i got older, but in general, this anime had it all. a really enjoyable watch, for all the reasons you mentioned before.
5. princess mononoke: this movie is a classic. it is genius. it never stops being good, no matter how many times you see it.
i can’t think of five more animes i respect and love enough to put them on a list. i’m superrrr picky. but i can easily make a list of some animes i consider wayyy overrated.
1. kare kano: okay, granted. i eventually stopped trying to watch shows like this one once i realized i don’t like slice-of-life animes (just mangas) and i don’t like comedies (most anime comedies are way too slapstick and immature). but it was just sooo highly recommended. why? just…. WHY?! so boring.
2. evangelion: okay, so i see why some people love it… but i don’t. i just don’t feel the love. i was bored, i hated the characters. gainax just doesn’t do it for me apparently.
3. voices of a distant star: it’s definitely a style that requires appreciation, and i LIKED it. but nothing about this movie stood out to me besides the visuals. and it’s okay when you see it once, not so bad. but then i tried to watch his other films. and i felt like i was running through the same half hour flick over and over and over…
4. FLCL: i tried the anime. i tried the manga. both times, i got confused, got bored, and tried to gouge my eyes out. i really do hate gainax.
Comment by cassie — September 4, 2007 @ 7:56
i must say i like your choices! quite eye openers , i personally have not heard of the top 3. I stumbled onto this blog while looking for an English translation of Dennou Coil and must say i truly enjoy reading them :)
I don’t really have a top ten list, but here are some of my favourites:
FLCL - far from being a random story about a boy reaching puberty, it has parallels with Japanese culture and outlook. see http://animeboards.com/archive/index.php/t-31252.html for a very interesting post on FLCL symbolism.
Now and Then, Here and There - very sobering anime for me. I really liked watching stuff like that.
Cowboy Bebop
Please Save My Earth
Samurai Champloo
Futakoi Alternative - draggy but ultimately satisfying
The Place Promised In Our Early Days
Wolf’s Rain
Beck
well … quite melancholy i would say. i might have to check out Paranoia Agent to perk me up a little :P
Comment by yitjuan — September 4, 2007 @ 17:55
always hard to put together a top 10, first 4 or 5 are pretty much easy but the rest changes that often with each new series i watch.
1- Full metal Panic series
the original series and TSR rock with the combination of witty/sarcastic type humour and action (though TSR is more action). and FUMOFFU is the funniest anime out there
2- Samurai Champloo
best samurai anime out there, fight scenes are brilliant, also has a great story
3- Death Note
death note is just awesome with the way the story is put together
4- Eureka SEVEN
one of the best mecha animes out there
5- Last Exile
last exile is excellent, great story and animation (typical of gonzo)
6- Elfen Lied
loved the characters and the way the story was told
7- Tenchi Muyo Series (OVAs, Universe, GXP, ryo-ohki OVAs, )
first anime i really watched. still watch. great fun anime.
8- One Piece
pirates are so cool
9- Naruto Series
the naruto series are awesome (apart from the fillers) prefer the manga though
10- Bleach
pretty much the same reasons as naruto thought the anime is better than the manga
Notable Mentions:
Afro Samurai
Cowboy Bebop
Trigun
Ghost In The Shell (Series, Movies, OVA)
Gundam SEED series
Beck mongolian chop squad
Tenjou Tenge
quite surprised of the lack of the full metal panic! series in peoples lists.
Evangelion is overated. one of the worst endings in an anime (movies included),though i didnt mind the first 3/4 of the series. sorta died down at the end, leaving me disappointed
Comment by razor — September 11, 2007 @ 15:20
gosh i never heard of most of these japanimations
here is what i like!
BLEACH- IT IS SO GOOD I CANT STOP WATCHING
NARUTO- SAME AS BLEACH BUT WITH NINJAS XD
INUYAHSA- OMFG THE CAT DEMON GUY IS SOOOOOO CUTE
DBZ- WOW BEST ACTION ANIME EVER
thats all the anime i ever watched >
Comment by weboofgt — September 14, 2007 @ 5:56
ok here’s my top 20 ( i guess 10 is just not enough )
1)Claymore
2)FMP the entire series
3)Terra he
4)Fate/Stay night
5)Seto no hanayome
6)Hayate no Gotoku
7)Zero no Tsukaima - Futatsuki no kishi
8)Kaibutsu Oujo
9)Devil May Cry
10)Basilisk
11)Doujin Works
12)Da Capo Season 1 and 2
13)One piece
14)Bleach
15)Gundam Seed/Destiny
16)Kiba
17)Ah my goddess
18)Shuffle
19)Mahou Sensei Negima
20)Darker than black
Comment by my top 10 — September 17, 2007 @ 13:37
Oh… forgot to add something just in case… There are also other series that i watched and which i liked very much and of course wanted to put them in… just that there isn’t enough places…lolx
Comment by my top 10 — September 17, 2007 @ 13:38
most of u guys did not metion all the good ones
1. death note
2. naruto
3. bleach
4. samurai champloo
5 gundam seed
6. samurai x
7. witch hunter robin
8. dragon ball z
9. case closed
10.wolf’s rain
Comment by shinigami — September 21, 2007 @ 3:57
First I wanted to thank you for your blog, I enjoy reading it. ^^ Right now I’m reading on Dennou Coil and Baccano! because I’m following those series. Also, thanks for putting The Third on your list, I’m enjoying it so far. :P
1.)The Twelve Kingdoms
What can I say, I just love this anime. I happened upon it recently… well, not really… I avoided it for a long time because I thought it looked stupid. ;) The whole concept of a school kid getting spirited off to a mysterious place where they have to fight just annoyed me. That may have been just me looking at the picture, though. So, I avoided this series until about a month ago when I got bored. The story took me by surprise. The first episode seemed to follow the criteria I just set up, but then it became so much more than that. Then, amazingly, the first story ended. It’s the stories after that make this number 1 for me.
2.)Crest of the Stars Series
If I hadn’t watched the Twelve Kingdoms, this would have been my number 1 anime. Even now the Twelve Kingdoms only barely beats it. This was the series that showed me what anime could be. That it could be used to tell an amazing story, while developing amazing characters.
3.)Full Metal Panic! Series
This is a series I certainly couldn’t leave out. Another very unique world, but this one is so close to our own. This is just like my other top anime so far in that it just keeps getting better and better.
4.)Last Exile
This contains what is probably my favorite anime ending. It’s a beautiful series that pulls me in every time I’ve watched it. I still cry at the end, I just can’t help myself.
5.)Rurouni Kenshin
This was the anime that got me into anime. I was surfing channels, a lot like tman earlier, when I happened upon it on Cartoon Network. After the first episode I made sure to watch it at every showing, even if I had to tape it. After one episode very early in the series, I freaked out, got online and ordered the box sets. The first arrived before the next episode aired on TV. ;) So, yeah, I love the characters, I love the setting. I love the first OVA, although I could never get into the second.
6.)Mushishi
Each episode of this anime was so unique and well done. All stories in themselves. Usually anime with no overlying plot line bother me. That’s the reason I never could get into Kino. Mushishi’s different. The stories have emotional value and they don’t always end or begin as you’d expect.
7.)Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo
Yeah, this is the only movie on my list. It’s wonderful, well thought out and like so many on my list, made be cry. For me it’s the time travel tale of anime. It easily has as good a story as any time travel novel I’ve ever read, with the Anubis Gates as my only exception.
8.)Fantastic Children
This is another anime I put off seeing. I heard it was good, it came up for me all the time on that anime recommendations site, but I ignored all that. This one I got around to watching during finals last year. Once again the problem was that I had run out of anime. It started out sort of slow and was fun to pass the time with, then the plot thickened and it thickened and blew me away.
9.)Gundam SEED
By Gundam SEED, I also mean Gundam SEED Destiny. I love this anime. The characters, the fights, yeah, I just love it.
10.)Shakugan no Shana
This anime got me into uploading, lol. The first downloaded anime (in avi form) that I cared about enough to upload on YouTube one episode at a time. Yeah, that was back when if you got a full episode down to 100 mb it was fine to upload. I don’t do that anymore, since I got banned and now YouTube deletes all my uploads. So, back to Shana. Fantastic. Another of those different animes that is pulled off so well. The second series will begin in October, let’s hope it will be as good as the first!
Comment by Rennui — September 27, 2007 @ 0:17
FullMetal Alchemist
DeathNote
Scrapped Princess
Howl’s Moving Castle
Comment by meh — September 29, 2007 @ 23:46
my top 10:-
1.Monster
2.Mushishi
3.12 Kingdoms
4.Honey and Clover
5.Infinite Ryvius
6.Now and Then,Here and There
7.Neon Genesis Evangelion/Seikai Trilogy
8.GTO/Ergo Proxy
9.Full Metal Panic:The Second Raid
10.Zipang
Comment by avradeep — October 3, 2007 @ 10:00
I had forgotten to mention these 2 also,Ghsot in the Shell Standalone Complex:both first and second gig,superb and Gundam Seed:one of the best mecha series out there.Also regarding Full Metal Panic:Fumoffu would take the cake for being one of the best comedy series I have seen after GTO.
Comment by avradeep — October 3, 2007 @ 10:17
and FLCL,the best OVA and parody anime I have seen with an awesome OST by The Pillows.A nice coming of age anime
Comment by avradeep — October 3, 2007 @ 10:25
Actually there are quite a few animes that I like-top 10 is too small i guess-I liked Koi Kaze,Higurashi no Nako koro ni,Hunter X Hunter,Jin Roh,Spirited Away,Pale Cocoon,Beyond the Clouds,The Promised Place,Hoshi no Koe
Comment by avradeep — October 3, 2007 @ 10:32
personally, for me, i like
1. Saiunkoku monogatari(this is one of the only animes that i find very meaningful^^)
2. Gakuen Alice
3. Ouran High School Host Club
4. Ayashi no ceres
5. Scrapped princess(this is nice too!)
6. strawberry panic!
7. paradise kiss
8. Howl’s moving castle
Comment by Aki-kumiko — October 7, 2007 @ 12:12
I can’t wait to get started on your list. Can you also make a list of anime that’s not in the top 10, but you consider really good?
Comment by Pegah — October 7, 2007 @ 17:53
Yea I agree with several. 12 kingdoms was the finest piece of anime/writing. Ive seen. It was more than girl meets guy who is alien who tells her shes a princess. It had real pathos and shows us how people can grow and change. (The Japanese are big for taking people and putting them through the grinder to make them better human beings).
2. FLCL because it’s simply histerical. Ive watched it 7 times and laughed through all the episodes.
3. Kenshin OVA’s because its a beautiful story with the tragic but bittersweet ending so many good writers enjoy.
4. Wolfs Rain. Birth Death Rebirth. Story as old as mankind. great story and well told.
5. Claymore because it again is a story of love.
6. Gunslinger girl. I hate it but I love it. I am sorry they made it but the beauty of the art, the bittersweet nature of the plot and the sterile and morally decrepit nature of the state made it a great anime, but one I only watched once. Besides who doesnt like the 9th or the delgados. :)
7. Mahou Shoujotai Thank you for this suggestion. It was all that you said it was.
8. Noein: beautiful and haunting. Fate driven epic.
9.Black Lagoon, I loved it. Funny, and tragic and superb.
10.Blood+ What can I say I love cello! and it had this mystic sense of time borrowed and urgency. Great anime..
This isnt all that I love about anime but I think that the Media has transformed into one of the best story telling methods their are.!
Comment by graymouser — October 7, 2007 @ 20:14
I have a question for you, psgels. I see that this entry is now 6 months old : did your top 10 actually change during these six months ?
Comment by Windspirit — October 9, 2007 @ 0:29
Pegah: Just click on the review-index in the side-bar. ;)
Windspirit: yup, it did, but I’ve decided to wait one month after finishing a series, mostly to avoid any bias as much as possible.
Comment by psgels — October 9, 2007 @ 7:30
I like your blog!
ummm……….
In no particular order I would include Moshishi, Monster, Death Note, Noein, Elfin Lied, Wolf’s Rain, NANA, Hellsing, Haibane Renmei, Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, GTO and a few more too. Of course Bleach is on there also.
I still have so much more anime to watch though. yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Comment by dave — October 12, 2007 @ 9:00
my two favorites are
death note and bleach
Comment by adelos — October 20, 2007 @ 20:56
i doubt that anyone would scroll down far enough to read this, but in my opinion, BLEACH is one of the best animes out there, the way that every detail is important and comes into play makes this anime extremly awesome. i have to say that this anime is pure awesomeness.
my other favorite anime is definetly yu yu hakusho. there are no ways to accuretly describe this anime except awesome.
please e-mail me your opinions on these animes or any other animes at iwinatlife@yahoo.com
Comment by trey — October 23, 2007 @ 4:07
i’ve noticed that no one has mentioned a great series.
Shura no toki.
its a great martial arts series best martial arts seens i ve ever seen in an anime. based on hand to hand combat. It has nice graphics as well as good story line. some one should check it out.
Comment by Yokimura — October 24, 2007 @ 6:02
hmmm, some good choices, so ill go for it
10: 12 Kingdoms, a good piece of writing, but slightly marred by episodes that take forever to go anywhere………
09: Gunbuster 1 : One of the few series that really got to me….
08: Full Metal Panic First and Second Raid: A great ongoing story, with good humour/action combo
07: Blue Gender, really liked this, mainly due to me trying to imagine it as starship troopers, just with more bugs, guns and mecha… story isn’t the best, but still enjoyed it
06: Cowboy Bebop: what more can i say??
05: Elfen Lied: A great series, dark, grim but with a well written story, well animated and produced.
04: Claymore, a good story and who doesnt like big swords and demons?
03: Teggen topa Gurren Laggan: A series combining all the best bits of mecha anime with a great plot.
02: Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the best series ive seen, a good story, coming of age series…with mecha
01: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, one of the few series that made me walk away and think about the content, rather than let the story just wash over me, well scripted and i heartily recomend that you watch it..now, stop reading and go ewatch it…..or better, read it!!
well there you have my selection, tommorow ‘ll proprably change my mind on some of the choices i have made, as my likes and dislikes chance almost daily…..keeps life interesting!! Also, if there are any aliens, time travelers or epser’s out there contact me :P
(im not serious, so dont)
Comment by Old Man — October 24, 2007 @ 23:30
i won’t write them in a particular order since all these 10 anime series were the best i saw so far and i still cannot chose one as my top favorite:
*Mushishi
*Death Note
*Monster
*Cowboy Bebop
*Hunter x Hunter
*Honey and Clover
*Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen
*Great Teacher Onizuka
*Ghost in the Shell
*Full Metal Panic
Comment by Archer — October 25, 2007 @ 13:14
top 10 in no order
Naruto
Gundam Seed
Samurai X/ Rurouni Kenshin
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Deathnote
Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex
Cowboy Bebop
Fate Stay Night
Black Cat
Full Metal Alchemist
Comment by jim — October 26, 2007 @ 4:39
# 6~10 (alphabetic order)
Azumanga Daioh
Byousoku 5 Centimeters (movie)
Mushishi
Serial Experiments Lain
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
# 2~5 (alphabetic order)
Millennium Actress (movie)
Nausicaä of The Valley Of The Wind (movie)
Princess Mononoke (movie)
Spirited Away (movie)
#1
Haibane Renmei
Only several months ago, I don’t think there will be any series that stands out in my top list and become #1. But after I saw Haibane Renmei, I was stunned. This is THE series I can put it #1 without hesitation.
# unknown (I really don’t know)
Grave of the Fireflies (movie)
A great movie. However, I can’t persuade myself to like it, but neither can I forget it. I always like the series that give me strong feeling and this is the only exception so far. Definitely not a good choice for those who don’t like depressing sad story.
Comment by svld — October 26, 2007 @ 17:05
Here is my top ten:
10) Azumanga Daioh!
9) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
8) Slayers Next
7) Revolutionary Girl Utena
6) Noein – to your other self
5) Paranoia Agent
4) FLCL
3) Fullmetal Alchemist
2) Visions of Escaflowne
1) Neon Genesis Evangelion
Comment by Dk86 — October 28, 2007 @ 1:07
Wow! 6 of the shows you have listed, I have never seen! I guess I have a lot of stuff to catch up on. Thanks for the list. After I get around to watching all of those that I’ve missed (as well as others I’ve got waiting), maybe I’ll make my own top 10….or maybe top 15 ;)
Comment by BrikHaus — October 28, 2007 @ 19:33
Ok and here is my list
Initial D (all stages)
Gantz
Berserk
Monster
Claymore
Devil may Cry
Perfect Blue
Trinity Blood
Cowboy bebop
Blood +
well this my first choise:)
Comment by Marko — October 29, 2007 @ 20:43
After reading through all of the recommendations, I’ve been convinced to pick up Simoun when it comes out in a week or so, as well as to pick up Planet ES, which I had been debating about. Anyways, to my top ten…
1. Princess Tutu - I can’t believe that no one’s mentioned this series yet. The first episode had me wondering if I was really going to watch this series, with its vaguely over-the-top Nutcracker music. And then I fell in love somewhere around episode five. A fantastic soundtrack, amazing use of western ballet, and two of my favorite characters of all time (Rue & Fakia)
2. Haibane Renmei - The only thing that comes close to Tutu. Another wonderful soundtrack, although a completely different feel. Every time I watch this show, I’m drawn in by its enchanting, captivating story and environment.
3. Nodame Cantabile - Yes, like Princess Tutu, another soundtrack composed primarily of pre-existing pieces. But beyond that (and the accurate animation of instruments), it’s a funny, sweet show with wonderful characters. The underplayed (or underlying?) romance aspect of it is just perfect, too.
4. Escaflowne - A true classic. I’m not sure what all can be said that hasn’t been already; this was, though, the first anime that ever “sucked me in” to the point that I watched a large chunk of the episodes in one sitting.
5. Crest of the Stars Series - Ah, what a sci-fi show. I’m usually not a fan of science fiction, because it so often lacks a unique plot or strong characters, but this one just blew me away. Slow, deliberate pacing was united with fantastic characters for a great show.
6. Cardcaptor Sakura - I always hesitate before putting this on any list, because I know that it’s no longer one of the top ten “best” shows that I’ve watched. But it’s definitely one of my very favorites. Always an enjoyable watch.
7. Last Exile - Oh, how I want to rate this series higher. For all of its fantastic appearance and high level of enjoyment, this series fell a little short to be ranked higher because it lacked true emotional depth (except for one moment near the end that choked me up badly). Still, definitely one of my favorites.
8. Asatte no Houkou - say what you will, but I really enjoyed this one. Granted, the second half fell off in comparison to the first, but it was still a great show. Unlike some other reviews I’ve read, I thought the ending was very fitting.
Well, I suppose that’s only eight–and that’s because not only am I getting to the point where I can no longer sort the shows out numerically, but I have a feeling that Baccano! and Mushishi are going to take over the two remaining spots once I’m finished with them, anyways. Honorable mentions to Aria, Geass, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Place Promised–all of which I thought about but ultimately couldn’t pick. The first three are the only ones with rankings set in stone, too; the rest are so closely tied that they could be in a different order tomorrow.
Comment by Erin — November 4, 2007 @ 15:21
i’m a new anime fan.i want to watch a lot of animes.this wud b my top10 anime:
10.Night Head Genesis
9.Devil May cry
8.Black Lagoon
7.Full Metal Alchemist
6.Trigun
5.Get backers
4.Fate stay night
3.Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu/Claymore(dint like the last 2 chapters bcoz its different from the manga)
2.Naruto(xcept the filler n shippuden is kinda slow)
1.Bleach(xcept the filler)
Comment by the ghost who walks — November 7, 2007 @ 19:36
Ok, so i have seen quite a bit of anime, and i happen to love almost all i have seen. There were a few exceptions, as all fans would say.
My list of top anime is actually very difficult to narrow, so i won’t, i will just list some of the anime i have seen completely, but i am unable to rank them.
Bleach
Death Note
Gundam Wing
G-Gundam
Blood+
Blue Gender
Tenjou Tenge
DNAngel
Evengelion
Chrono Crusade
Air Gear
.Hack//Sign
Tenchi in Tokyo
Big O
so far, that is all i can think of off the top of my head, but all of those were great anime series to me
Comment by Justin — November 19, 2007 @ 5:02
i like anime becaose it is nonefiction and i can lernjapanese!
right now I almost know 2 languages russian and enghlish my language is russian.
Comment by Anya — November 22, 2007 @ 21:03
Well, since everyone made a list, i’ve decided to create one as well. As of now, i only have 6 animes that i have deemed worthy of my list. Here they are:
1. Death Note - if you know me (i’m assuming you don’t, of course) you know that i’m an avid anime watcher. NOTHING has captured my attention as strongly as Death Note. Why? Well, because of many reasons. Very rarely is an anime popular if it requires you to have an intellect in order to view it. When people watch anime, they don’t want to think about it. They just want to WATCH IT lazily. this is why many anime producers avoid this when making their anime. I’m very happy that the producers of death note decided to diverge from the norm to make Death Note. Even though Death Note forces you to pause an episode(this occurs VERY rarely) and process what just happened, you will soon catch up to the pace of the story and watch as Light and L fight it out to the death (there, something to look forward to). The combination of an epic score, an intellectual storyline, and even some aspects of ethics make this anime a joy to behold. THANK YOU DEATH NOTE!!
2. Naruto/Naruto Shippuden - There is no surprise that naruto is #2 on my top five list. People with a soft spot for animes with emotional values should definitely watch this. Trust me, you can’t help but to pity these people and what they go through everyday (keep in mind that they are about 12). The score does nothing but inhance the emotions that well up within. Aside from sentiments, action is definitely not a weak point here. I mean, come one. Ninjas fighting other ninjas with supernatural abilities; what’s better than that? My only complaints are two-fold: fillers and the progression of shippuden. some fillers are enjoyable at best. keep this in mind. Other wise, this is a great anime. Watch it. You’ll be happy you did.
3. Bleach: Pure action and satisfaction! You know that feeling of satisfaction when you get a new ability as Samus (either on the GBA or the Wii) and you can’t wait to use it? Well, when a character gets a new ability in Bleach, you can’t wait to see them tear a hollow or *SPOILER* arrancar *END SPOILER* to pieces with it. The basis of Bleach is a concept known as “Pwning Hierarchy.” Basically, this means that characters are always saying “You think you can beat me with that Bankai?” or “You’re Weak…” This is satisfaction for the eyes and ears… WATCH IT or *SPOILER* Aizen-sama *END SPOILER* will be angry at you…
4. Noein - Wow. This is also a very good deviant from the norms of anime. Intellectual and visually pleasing at the same time. There are very prominent themes of betrayal and love in this anime, mind you. The score is awesome and the presentation for the opening credits is very appropriate. It is very common that you will be pausing the anime every-so-often in order to get that little bit of information on quantum mechanics. That’s right, i said Quantum mechanics. Once you understand everything or even if you don’t, this anime is amazing from beginning to end. Watch it…
5. .Hack//Sign & .Hack//Roots - Just amazing. this anime will definitely not displease you. Watch it and be amazed. my only complaint is the slow progression of the story. If you watch it all the way through to the end, though, you will be satisfied.
6. Elfen Lied - this is the first Mature anime that i’ve watched. Please do not take the Mature rating as “Oh, don’t worry. There’s only a little bit of blood and sex. It’s no reason for me to miss it.” I disagree on everything except for the missing it part. ALOT OF BLOOD AND DEFINITELY ALOT OF NUDITY. This anime is VERY sentimental and might even make you cry. Please try to ignore the nudity. The story is actually very tragic.
Anyways, i haven’t watch Wolf Rain, Neon Genesis, 12 Kingdoms, crest of the stars, or full metal alchemist. i might end up revising my list, hehe.
Comment by animewatcher — November 24, 2007 @ 7:40
The plural of “anime” is not “animes”. Sorry, just saw so many comments like that I had to mention something.
Anyway, I’ve gotten a few good ideas from this that I would like to download. Too bad alot of these are licensed, it makes finding torrents alot harder.
Comment by Yui — November 25, 2007 @ 8:43
Yui: you don’t have to download all anime, you know. there are plenty of sites that have anime streaming. go to veoh.com, or if forced, youtube. but there are other ones too. just type in anime streaming in google and you’ll find plenty more sources.
Comment by Pegah — December 2, 2007 @ 16:33
in the order that they came to mind:
naruto/shippuuden
mushishi
bokurano
the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya
ouron high school host club (oh, the prettyness!)
full metal alchemist
samurai champloo
Howl’s moving castle
sprited away
HIkaru no go
that’s my top, i suppose-tho theres probably a bunch i forgot about.
princess tutu (was also good, but not enough for my top ten.)
Comment by Pegah — December 2, 2007 @ 16:58
FULL METAL ALCHEMIST IS THE BEST YOU PEOPLE
Comment by Edward Elric — December 9, 2007 @ 4:35
1: One piece
2: Death note
3: Naruto (it may be burning passion but it’s burning passion at it’s best)
4: Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
5: Trigun
6: Cowboy Bebop
7: Beck
8: GTO
9: Nodame Cantabile
10: Ouran High School Host Club
Comment by Kaos_nyrb — December 9, 2007 @ 20:20
You all stated some good ones, I’ll hand you that. However, some are not Anime. Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle are both American made, thereby not considered Anime. Only 1 of you stated the great one which layed the standard for Anime, Akira. Here is a couple others you all missed. Biohunter, Wicked City, Devil Hunter Yoko, and Golgo 13.
Welcome to the big time.
Comment by meiliken — December 9, 2007 @ 21:03
Err… Meiliken: where did you get the idea that Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke are American made? They’ve been directed by one of the biggest legends in anime: Hayao Miyazaki. Everything about them is Japanese…
Comment by psgels — December 9, 2007 @ 21:23
What a cool list! Of course, some of my favorites haven’t made the list (XD) but I’ll be sure to check out a few of yours. Most all of them look really sweet! :D
(Here’s my own list.)
5) Ouran High School Host Club
I’ve never loved wacky characters so much. It’s such a fun anime to watch.
4)Card Captor Sakura
When I was little, I really loved this. I had to watch the dubbed version, because I couldn’t find the original Japanese (neither did I know there was an original Japanese, I was very small), but I loved it none the less.
3) Azumanga Daioh
Oh, how I love Azumanga. I’m such a wimp ) I didn’t know it was going to be so sad. I really didn’t. Everything about AIR was wonderful, the music, the characters, the story, the artwork… Just fabulous. At the end, well… I could barely stop crying. Just beautiful.
I would highly recommend AIR to anyone. It’s darn good, to put it bluntly. Don’t watch if you’re not the kind of person who likes crying, though. XD
Comment by Clammie — December 9, 2007 @ 22:26
D: My comment cut short! XD Well, 2 was Howl’s Moving Castle, and the comment in the middle of Azumanga Daioh was for AIR TV. Definitely my number 1. (:D)
Comment by Clammie — December 9, 2007 @ 22:29
In no particular order
Welcome to the NHK - Very interesting about all the ways people can fuck up in life.
FLCL - Crazy fun awesome.
Paranoia agent - loved it
Magical Shopping arcade abenobashi
Comment by m0nkeysensei — December 9, 2007 @ 22:34
How could you leave a few animes that are obviously awesome out?
The first being Evangelion, which is the best anime ever.
Second is the more recent Code Geass. Third is Death Note. Admit it, all of us could identify at least a little with the Kira.
Comment by Jeremy Low — December 9, 2007 @ 23:35
My favorites, no particular order.
Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist, Gankutsuo, Hellsing, Bleach.
Comment by Laddie — December 10, 2007 @ 2:46
1) Full metal alchemist
2) Azumanga Daioh
3) Death Note
4) Dragon Ball (not Z or GT)
5) Welcome to the NHK
6) Eureka Seven
7) Ergo Proxy
8) Serial Experiments Lain
9) BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad
10) The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Comment by Terry — December 10, 2007 @ 2:51
It’s a shame, I live in the UK, we get *4* TV channels - none of them ever show anime, so I never get exposure to any of these stories.
We get Akira about once every decade or so, but that’s as far as it goes.
It was a revelation holidaying in Canada recently to find that there was a TV channel devoted to these programmes - or certainl