Top Ten Anime Everyone Needs to Watch

Anime is a divisive medium, to be sure. Many claim that the style is a bit too weird and out-there, while others are die-hard fans of the animation style. However, anime is not exactly a genre, but instead more a loose definition of a style of animation. Specifically, it’s a highly-stylized, colorful animation style that originated in Japan. Most hardcore fans will tell you that only Japanese-produced shows count as anime, while other countries can produce anime-style shows. Whatever the case, these are the top ten anime that everyone needs to watch!

Top Ten Anime Everyone Needs to Watch

One Piece

Photo Credit: Otaku Kart

The first entry on our list is one of the longest-running adventure shows in the history of anime. Starting its original run in 1999 and still running to this day, One Piece enjoys enduring popularity. Why, you may ask? Well, in short, it’s excellent. While there are hundreds of hours of animation to watch through, you’ll enjoy every minute of it. Luffy’s quest to become the Pirate King and find the legendary One-Piece treasure is as enjoyable as anime gets.

Dragon Ball Z

Photo Credit: Comic Book

Largely credited as the show that introduced the West to action anime, Dragon Ball Z is a milestone achievement. This series was created by the legendary Akira Toriyama, known for his work on Chrono Trigger and the original Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z is more about the intense fight sequences and over-the-top action than Dragon Balls. Notable for being an early anime to deal with the death of major characters, this one has stood the test of time.

Gurren Lagann

Photo Credit: MyAnimeList.net

This show will have you fist-pumping and shouting every episode. Following the adventures of a young miner named Simon as he travels to the surface, this show has it all. Simon’s older brother-figure Kamina teaches him to be brave and to believe in himself, even against terrible odds. The show’s flashy, colorful fight scenes and plentiful giant mechs make it highly entertaining. However, it’s the show’s huge heart and inspiring message that make it so memorable.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Photo Credit: The Vault

Inscrutable, heavy, and laden with religious symbolism, NGE is an odd beast. One of the finest anime ever created, this show is highly divisive due to its inconclusive ending. The show’s intense animation, over-the-top fights and brutal narrative make it a very unique ride. Something of a coming-of-age tale, the show follows Shinji as he attempts to repel Lovecraftian horrors by piloting a giant mech. It’s weird, heart-breaking and very symbolic. Set aside a weekend and give it a spin.

Samurai Champloo

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Highly-stylized, aurally excellent and expertly choreographed, Samurai Champloo is the final word of samurai anime. If you love swordplay and hip-hop, this is the anime for you. No other anime before or since has captured the unique soul of this gem. Bouncing easily between its Edo-period setting and modern sensibilities, this show would be dizzying if it wasn’t so deft. The nimbleness with which the show handles its themes and characters is only matched by the dazzling sword combat.

Attack on Titan

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Brutal, shocking and dark, this is one fantasy show that doesn’t believe in “happily ever after.” Set in a world where humanity is on its last legs, a series of tall walls is all that stands between us and extinction. A race of unstoppable giants called Titans consumes humans by the handful outside the walls, and there’s little to be done about it. The show is renowned for its sleek animations, believable characters, and shocking amounts of major character deaths. Not for the faint of heart, Attack on Titan is one of the very finest fantasy anime out there.

One Punch Man

Photo Credit: Geek Tyrant
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could defeat any foe with one punch? That’s the premise of this absurd superhero comedy, a deconstruction of Shonen anime. A surprisingly deep meditation on the purpose of conflict and the importance of the struggle, One Punch Man is a highly-addictive watch. You’ll find yourself cheering, whooping and laughing as Saitama hilariously navigates the ridiculous anime world he lives in. Evil monologues are cut short, absurd powers are swept aside and dramatic tension evaporates thanks to Saitama’s power. Really, where’s the tension if you can defeat everyone with a single punch?

My Hero Academia

Photo Credit: Polygon
As for a superhero anime that plays the trope straight, there’s the excellent and touching My Hero Academia. Full of inspiring heroics, daring fight sequences and likable heroes, this is the best new anime out there. The show follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a super-powered world. However, he’s endlessly brave and full of drive to become a hero anyway. Everything changes when he inherits a mysterious power from his favorite superhero, though! If you’re looking for a modern show with amazing animation and a big heart, look no further!

Cowboy Bebop

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Easily one of the best sci-fi anime in history, Cowboy Bebop shows just how broad of a spectrum anime covers. With an engrossing sci-fi narrative that can pull in even non-anime fans and animation that puts Disney to shame, Bebop is a tour de force. Choreographed fights meet a peerless soundtrack for a romp that makes your adrenaline rush. If you’ve got even a passing interest in anime or sci-fi, you owe it to yourself to check this show out.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Photo Credit: Kitsu

Fullmetal Alchemist is the clear winner by a very long margin. As excellent as the other entries on this list are, they’re excellent by anime standards. FMA: Brotherhood, however, is one of the finest tales ever put on television. It’s really in a league of its own, managing to be a pithy, fun action anime while holding serious philosophy close to its heart.

The show follows the adventures of Ed and Al Elric as the duo practice alchemy, governed by the Law of Equivalent Exchange. For everything you get out of an alchemical equation, you have to put something of equal value in. The boys find this out the hard way when, as children, they attempt to revive their deceased mother via alchemy. The resulting ritual causes Ed to lose an arm and a leg, and Al is completely destroyed in the process. Thinking fast, Ed saves him from death by binding his brother’s soul to a suit of armor.

The story that follows is sweeping, epic and genuinely moving. A thoughtful expression of sin, virtue and the quest for immortality, the show handles its themes with deft many other television shows never touch. This is a must-watch for fans of storytelling in general, even if they have no love for anime or cartoons.