What makes an anime great? Is it the storyline? The characters? Worlds? Music? According to Simon Richmond, author of The Rough Guide to Anime: Japan's Finest from Ghibli to Gankutsuo, a great anime is one that will stand the test of time. In his top 50 must-see anime, Richmond lists just that. Among them are Katsuhiro Otomo’s groundbreaking 1988 cult classic Akira, Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy—the first ever anime TV series with a sequential plot, and Mamoru Oshii’s still amazing Ghost in the Shell (1995), among others.
During the time period between The Rough Guide’s publish date and today, however, a number of other productions have reached must-see status. So here’s what we’ll do: the first list will contain Richmond’s 50 must-see anime (release or run dates included). The second will consist of 50 top-rated anime from multiple online sources. Some of the series and films on the list were released after 2005/2006. Keep in mind that the number of awesome anime, from yesterday and today, is endless. If we didn’t include one of your favorites, it’s only because we can’t list them all here! Here you go.
Simon Richmond’s 50 Must-See Anime
- Akira (1988)
- Astro Boy (1963-1966) (1980-1981) (2003-2004)
- Barefoot Gen (1983)
- Castle in the Sky (1986)
- Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)
- 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)
- Fullmetal Alchemist (2003-2004)
- Gankutsuo (2004-2005)
- Ghost in the Shell (1995)
- Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
- Gunbuster (1988)
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
- Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999)
- Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
- Kimba the White Lion (1965)
- Little Horse Prince (1968)
- Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostra (1979)
- Macross (1982-1983)
- Metropolis (2001)
- Millennium Actress (2001)
- Mind Game (2004)
- Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-1980)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)
- Night on the Galactic Road (1985)
- Ninja Scroll (1993)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Panda and the Magic Serpent (1958)
- Paprika (2006)
- Paranoia Agent (2004)
- Patlabor (1988-1989)
- Perfect Blue (1997)
- Porco Rosso (1992)
- Princess Mononoke (1997)
- Puss n’ Boots (1969)
- Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)
- Samurai Champloo (2004-2005)
- Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal (1999)
- Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
- Space Battleship Yamata (1974-1975)
- Steamboy (2004)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- Taro the Dragon (1979)
- Tekkon Kinkreet (2006)
- Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
- Urisei Yatsura (1981-1986)
- Whisper of the Heart (1995)
- Wings of Honneamise (1987)
50 Top-rated Anime on the Web
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Death Note
- Cowboy Bebop
- Spirited Away
- (The) Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
- Princess Mononoke
- Elfen Lied
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
- Bleach
- FLCL
- Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
- Naruto
- Samurai Champloo
- Trigun
- Gurren Lagann
- Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal
- Full Metal Panic!
- Howl's Moving Castle
- Ouran High School Host Club
- Clannad
- Fruits Basket
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
- Chobits
- Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu
- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
- Akira
- Rurouni Kenshin
- 5 Centimeters Per Second
- (The) Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
- Ghost in the Shell
- Hellsing
- Azumanga Daioh
- Clannad After Story
- Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
- Mushi-Shi
- Darker than Black
- Fate/stay night
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- Claymore
- Inuyasha
- Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
- Blood+
- Toradora!
- Black Lagoon
- Castle in the Sky
- Steins Gate
- Angel Beats!
Sources
AnimeNewsNetwork.com. Anime News Network, 1998-2017. Web. 30 May 2017.
Egan, Toussaint, and Jason DeMarco. "The 100 Best Anime Movies of All Time." Pastemagazine.com. Paste Media Group, 03 Jan. 2017. Web. 30 May 2017.
HQ, SBS PopAsia. "The 100 Best Anime of All Time (according to NHK)." SBS.com.au. SBS, 04 May 2017. Web. 30 May 2017.
Karuhi. "Top 100 Anime You Should Watch Before You Die." IGN.com. IGN Entertainment Games, 31 Dec. 2012. Web. 30 May 2017.
Richmond, Simon. The Rough Guide to Anime: Japan's Finest from Ghibli to Gankutsuo. 1st ed. London: Rough Guides, 2009. Print.
"The Best Anime Series of All Time." Ranker. Ranker, 2017. Web. 30 May 2017.