It’s hard to know what to say when someone like Akira Toriyama passes away. Toriyama was a living legend whose work and creativity changed the industry forever. His contributions to the anime and video game fields were revolutionary. His manga and their anime adaptation created a blueprint for modern Shonen and Comedy series that is still closely followed to this day, while also being one of a kind. His artwork and style also permeated the Dragon Quest series (one of the first major Role-Playing Game series in Japan aimed at Japanese audiences) and many other video games. His influence on video games can still be felt even after his passing in the upcoming Sand Land and Dragon Ball Sparkling Zero video games.
His friendship and work also influenced and was influenced by creators far and wide. He befriended so many important creators including Hisashi Eguchi, Rumiko Takashi, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Eiichiro Oda, Yusuke Murata and Masashi Kishimoto (just to name a few). His influence was even felt in unexpected areas and people such as martial arts and comedy actor Jackie Chan, Dreamworks director Pierre Perifel, Steven Universe Producer Ian Jones-Quartey, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki. Despite the large differences in style Araki was so deeply interested in Toriyama’s work and structure that he analyzed it closely in his book Manga in Theory and Practice; examining in detail why Dragon Ball was such a successful series.
While I could continue at length to share about how important Toriyama’s was to so many other people, I want to focus this tribute on the effect Toriyama’s work had on me and many others of my generation. I first experienced Toriyama’s stories while helping my father go through comics in his closet. There I found an issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump that featured an early Dragon Ball story. While it was in Japanese and I was probably too young to grasp it, it was fascinating to me. It wasn’t long until I sought out Dragon Ball at my local library (Mansfield Public Library) and at local bookstores.
Despite being a “boys,” adventure title and having some raunchy elements I didn’t fully understand, Dragon Ball still greatly appealed to me. Its sense of fun and adventure, with Goku’s innocent enthusiasm and Bulma’s more worldly knowledge immediately stood out to me. Dragon Ball was a journey into Toriyama’s world of creativity and fun; a world that fascinated me. This also drove me to seek out his other major series, Dr. Slump, a manga filled with all sorts of humor, fun, and wacky parodies.
Much to my delight I also found that my local video store stocked VHS copies of Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies and the Dragon Ball TV series. For some context, this was at a time long before Dragon Ball aired on TV, and was especially surprising considering the availability of anime within rural Connecticut. I rented these tapes (along with Sherlock Hound, Tut Boy King, and Godzilla films) a lot and they became a core part of my viewing experience and in me developing an interest in anime.
Moving forward a few years, as a teenager Dragon Ball Z was a staple of my television viewing experience. While I was in Junior High DBZ was one of the flagship shows of Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. This block featured shows aimed at teenagers and included many important anime and animated series. I would often come home from school in the afternoon and put on Toonami so that I could see Dragon Ball Z and the other series airing. While I always preferred the original Dragon Ball to the violence found in this later incarnation, DBZ still holds a special place in my heart. DBZ was a show that I would (and will continue to) talk excitedly with my friends about; a shared world we would explore together. Years after seeing it on TV I still can recall many key moments from the show, have seen many of the series movies, collected the cards, played many of the Dragon Ball video games, and even followed the new Dragon Ball Super sequel show.
After Toriyama’s passing I was initially concerned that I wouldn’t have enough personal thoughts on his works to warrant a tribute. As I reflected more and more on my memories and experiences while writing this piece though, I quickly came to realize just how interictal Toriyama was to my anime and manga experience. His works, especially Dragon Ball, pushed me to seek out not only more of his comics, but also to explore all sorts of anime and manga. While I have had many influential experiences that made me the fan and scholar I am today, Toriyama played a huge role in opening my eyes to the world of manga and anime, and remains a vital part of my reading experience. To this day works such as MangaOTheater, continue to entertain and fascinate me, and I probably will continue to be a fan of Toriyama’s works for the rest of my life. Despite all that Akira Toriyama has done I realize upon reflection that it is this love and fascination for anime and manga that he shared with the world that may be his biggest legacy.
Death on the Nile: This year has been the year of Poirot for me. 2023 saw me read a variety of the Poirot novels, see the new Branagh films, and watch the television series starring David Suchet. Of all the many excellent books I have read in the series thus far, I feel that Death on the Nile is my personal favourite.
Death on the Nile has Poirot travelling on a steam boat down the Nile river along with a number of eccentric and suspicious characters including: Linnet Doyle a newly married heiress, her husband Simon who is described as a simple but handsome man, and Jacqueline de Bellefort, Linnet’s former friend who was previously engaged to Simon, as well as a number of other eccentric and suspicious figures. Things are complicated by Jacqueline who is seeking out revenge on Linnet for stealing her fiance, and has been following her and her husband around the world while carrying two deadly pistols. Things go from bad to worse though when mysterious murders start happening aboard the vessel.
Death on the Nile carries with it all of Christie’s signature story elements. It involves a complicated murder that Poirot must solve, multiple suspicious characters who aren’t what they seem, a classy restrained style, a travelogue featuring historical settings, and even a bit of humour and pathos. Both the mystery and its payoff are cleverly done providing clues to the reader while also not being obvious. Poriot is also in great form uncovering hidden truths and secrets, and piecing them together to give a clear picture of the murder and the various people aboard the ship.
While I would highly recommend reading a lot of Poirot novels, if you only plan on reading one or are just starting then this would be the one I would recommend.
Comet in Moominland: Comet in Moominland is a brilliant children’s book. Filled with whimsy, creative ideas, and a bit of surrealism it is an offbeat story that immediately grabbed my attention as an excellent read.
Comet in Moominland stars Moomin troll and his pal Sniff as they seek to discover the mystery of a comet which is heading towards their home. On their way to learn more about the comet they meet a variety of strange characters including Moomin’s friend the wanderer Snufkin, the Snork Maiden a colour changing creature resembling Moomin, her serious brother the Snork, the Hemulens obsessive creatures more interested in their hobbies than anything else going on around them, and Mr.Muskrat a self proclaimed philosopher.
Reading through this story was a blast, and like any good book each chapter had me wanting to read on and find out what happens next. While the main narrative is never forgotten often the story would go on unexpected odd and enjoyable detours. This was complemented well by the adorably strange and obsessive cast who often would get into trouble or strange situations. Even though the cast is terrified of the comet, many of the characters take time to search for treasure, go to shops to look for curios, go to dances, and enjoy themselves.
Despite being the first and only Moomin book I have read, I can already tell that the world featured in the series is filled with delightful wonder and that I will be revisiting it frequently in 2024.
Best manga of the year:
A Bride’s Story: A Bride’s Story is the best manga I had the pleasure of reading this year. As an avid manga reader who has read tons of manga, including many incredible titles I do not make this statement lightly. A Bride’s Tale stands out as one of my all time personal favourite manga series, because each element is so masterfully employed. The plot, characters, and art are all top notch and work together to create an incredible reading experience.
A Bride’s Story takes place in Central Asia during the 19th century and follows Amira, a young bride who comes from a nomadic family in the mountains. It follows her experiences joining a local village and her relationship with her much younger husband Karluk. This series also covers the experiences of those in the town, especially the women and girls living there, and Henry Smith, an English anthropologist studying the community.
A Bride’s Story more than lives up to its interesting premise. Its story moves between themes of drama, romance, comedy, and action with ease. What really stands out though about the story are the characters and the historical designs it uses. A Bride’s Story is effective because it balances Karluk and Amira’s relationship and story with the stories of other character’s. Each character is given their time to shine and is given an interesting and sometimes complex personality. Each character plays a role in the story and community they live in which adds to their intrigue. This depth of character allows them to stand out as unique.
Another major part of this manga is the setting and cultural aspects. Mori makes great pains to ensure that the geography, food, culture, events, and clothing is not only historically accurate with the period, but also a prominent part of the story. Nothing about the setting of this series is incidental. Unlike most manga, the setting is just as important if not more so than any other element.
Mori’s art also stands out as outstanding. Her style is not only reflective of the setting and story, but also stands out in its own right as beautiful and detailed. Aspects missing from other manga series such as backgrounds, perspective, cultural details, anatomy and fashion, and varied panelling are all on full display in A Bride’s Story. Mori also clearly draws from cinematic technique with her use of movement, bringing life to a Bride’s Story and reminded me of the techniques used to convey action by other great manga artists like Tezuka and Urusawa.
I could go on and on praising this series, but ultimately what it comes down to is that A Bride’s Story is a masterpiece. It is well deserving of its many and multi-national awards, and I feel it was the best manga I read this year!
Showa: A History: It is hard for me to emphasise just how monumental this series is. Showa is a masterpiece that covers the personal and the historical, and brings them together in an accessible way to talk frankly about a difficult period of Japanese history.
In these books Mizuki chronicles the history of Japan during World War II while also adding in his own experiences growing up, and being drafted during the war. Why this book works so well is its honesty about the period (something rarely found in Japanese depictions of the war) and its emphasis on contrasts. Mizuki gives an honest depiction of his personal and family experiences growing up during war time, and his personal thoughts on Japan and its involvement in World War II. This is monumental because talking about the war and Japan’s issues during it is still something that is highly discouraged within the country.
Contrast is another impressive element that Mizuki uses both in his art and storytelling. Mizuki switches seamlessly between a realistic artstyle and one more resembling his work in Kitaro. He also includes his character Rat Man as the narrator, despite the narration often having a serious tone. He likes to move from historical events into his own personal story and back and vice versa, blending each in order to create content and a cohesive narrative. Doing this is no easy task, and shows just how versatile and invested Mizuki is.
Showa: A history is one of those special types of series that seem nearly perfect because they are clearly a product of the creators personal passion, interests, and experiences.
Horror manga:
Mao: Mao is an excellent series that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I find it really strange that it still hasn’t gotten an anime adaptation and has been so overlooked in the Western market, despite its similarities to Takahashi’s other works.
Mao features Nanoka, a middle schooler who finds a gate that takes her back to the 1920’s where she meets the powerful and aloof exorcist Mao, and his assistant Otoya. She soon discovers that her parent’s mysterious death, her recent superhuman abilities, and Mao’s curse are all connected to each other. It turns out that both have been cursed by a powerful cat demon, and they both gradually learn about each other and exorcists from Mao’s past.
One of the reasons why Mao’s lack of popularity puzzles me is the recent influx of translated Takahashi material. While Mao was being published in the United States, the Urusei Yatsura’s manga, the original anime including the movies and the OVA, and the new anime series have all been released, and have been popular and successful. Also Takahashi’s collection of newer short stories Came the Mirror was also released recently and received positive attention.
On top of that, Mao’s tone and plot involving demon slaying is very similar to Inuyasha, one of her most popular series in the United States. Like Inuyasha Mao also combines shonen action with supernatural horror blending the two together. It also contains top notch art which is expressive and reflects the tonal mood, and that highlights the contrast between time periods effectively. You would think all these factors would make this series popular or at least a minor cult hit. For some reason though this hasn’t been the case, and I rarely see Mao mentioned by anyone. This is a shame as I have really enjoyed this series and feel it deserves praise.
If you are a fan of Takahashi’s other works you really owe it to yourself to read this hidden gem of a series.
GeGeGe no Kitarō The Great Tanuki War: Shigeru Mizuki is one of those authors like Osamu Tezuka or Rumiko Takahashi that you can count on to always have interesting and weird stories. The Great Tanuki War is probably the weirdest manga I have read this year, but is well worth reading.
The Great Tanuki War finds Japan faced with a crisis as 800 Tanuki (Racoon Dog) warriors emerge angered by the creation of a dam. It turns out though that they also have ulterior motives, and want to claim Japan for their own with the use of a giant moon like egg. This distressing move gets the attention of Kitaro a half yokai (a Japanese supernatural entity) half human boy who is trying to bring peace among the two groups, who decides along with eyeball father and the turncoat coward Ratman to help the humans save Japan, despite the country’s ungrateful prime minister.
The Great Tanuki War is a one of a kind story filled with strange references to Japanese mythology. Its entire premise is based upon the stories of Tanuki who use their bellies as drums and live underground, and the giant spirits they employ to conquer Japan. The artstyle for this story also draws strongly from traditional Japanese Yokai art effectively creating a sense of strangeness to it. What is most strange, however, is the storyline. In it Kitaro uses a number of his strange powers, has his father act as his eye, and is reincarnated after being melted. The story’s conflict between the Tanuki and Japanese people is equally strange and interesting, and contains a lot of political satire regarding the government and its ineffective response. If you like weird stories or stories focused on Japanese mythology then this and other Kitaro stories should be at the top of your reading list!
Shonen:
Demon Slayer: As someone who has been reading manga for years it is often hard to impress me. Despite my Oldtaku crankiness I did try to give some of the newer big shonen series a try. While many that I read this year failed to impress me, I did surprisingly really enjoy Justu Kaisen and my pick for this category, Demon Slayer. While Demon Slayer does follow some of the hallmarks of the shonen genre it stands out thanks to its setting and execution, and was an enjoyable read.
Demon Slayer stars Tanjiro Kamado, a boy living in Japan during the Taishō Period (1912-1926). He returns home one day to find his family slaughtered by a powerful demon, and his surviving sister transforms into a demon herself. This experience drives Tanjiro to seek vengeance against the demon responsible, and to become a demon slayer. This series follows his training and quest to help his sister return to being a human, and help others who have suffered at the hands of demons.
Despite having a power system, and journey involving friendship and training Demon Slayer sets itself apart from other Shonen manga thanks to its protagonists and constant sense of danger. Tanjiro is not depicted as the typical plucky and bit naive or dense heroes, but rather as a caring voice of reason for his friends and as someone who cares deeply even for the demons he slays. His strength comes from his personal conviction and determination to help others. His friends likewise are unusual including the cowardly Zenitsu Agatsuma who fights best while asleep or knocked out, and Inosuke Hashibira a wild and brash boy raised by boars. These characters fall outside of the usual Shonen style of character design, as do many of the other Demon Slayers, especially the strong Hashira leaders of the Slayers.
Another aspect that makes Demon Slayer different from most shonen series is the stakes it presents. Characters in Demon Slayer often get hurt or even die including major characters. Despite their powerful breathing techniques and magic swords, slayer’s are often depicted at a disadvantage from the power, immortality, and healing powers that demon’s possess. Slayer’s often rely on demons’ weakness to sunlight or the removal of their heads in order to win battles, often at great cost.
Despite many characters only being given limited story time they make a big impression. Character deaths including the deaths of demons are often depicted as bitter and tragic, and have a major impact on Tanjiro and other characters. This differs strongly from most shonen stories where the heroes winning a battle is almost always seen as triumphant and assured by the end.
The difference this manga has from a typical shonen makes it more appealing and easier for me as a reader to invest in its characters and story. While far from perfect Demon Slayer weaves an interesting tale with unique elements that make it stand out from most shonen manga.
Comedy:
Doraemon: One of the few titles that I have had to read online, Doraemon is strangely absent in the United States. Despite its immense popularity in Japan there has never been a physical English translated manga release in the States. This is a real shame as Doraemon is absolutely worthy of its reputation as a great manga for kids.
Doraemon stars Nobita, a kid who is kind, but also lazy, poor at school, and bad at sports. One day he is approached by his relative from the future who sends him Doraemon, an earless cat robot designed to help Nobita avoid a tragic fate through the use of gadgets brought from the future. In many stories Nobita’s experiences with Doraemon’s devices often backfires as he often becomes arrogant or lazy, or has a friend or family member accidentally stumble upon the device leading to chaos and trouble by the end of each short story.
Despite its age Doraemon is still a delight to read. Fujiko Fujio, the pen name of each of Doraemon’s two creators, brings countless imagination to each vignette along with a small amount of snappy cynicism that feels similar to that found in Peanuts. Each story is fast paced and fun, and often involves weird devices such as time machines, flying propeller hats, and lips that only lie. While the characters are stock they work well together, and it is fun to see how they will react in specific situations. I also like how characters are not always good or bad with the lead sometimes acting poorly, and the series having some stories that make you feel sorry for the antagonists.
I love Doraemon, and really wish that it would be translated into English in a physical form. If it was you can be sure I would be one of the first to pre-order it and suggest friends do the same.
Shojo:
Princess Knight: While I didn’t read a whole lot of Shojo this year (2023), Princess Knight is not only one of the most memorable Shojo manga works I did get to read, but also left a strong impression on me. Osamu Tezuka’s seminal Shojo series, Princess Knight, helped to define the genre and changed it forever.
Princess Knight is a fairy tale featuring Sapphire, a princess who is accidentally given the heart of a brave prince and a beautiful princess at birth by the peppy angel Tink. Opposing her is the wicked Duke Duralumin and his evil henchman Lord Nylon. Duralumin wants to use the kingdom’s misogynistic law to put his own childish son Plastic in charge. On top of that she also has to face a witch and a goddess of love who both want to take away Saphire’s love interest Prince Franz.
Princess Knight is a remarkable story that weaves together themes of action, romance, identity, and feminism together with Tezuka’s own eccentricities to create a truly revolutionary story. Because of Princess Knight many women working in the Shojo genre were able to publish works highlighting their own experiences and feminist themes. Princess Knight stands on its own though as a unique and fantastical story filled with all sorts of fun twists and turns, constantly refusing to sit still and coming up with new surprises. Some highlights of the story for me included the women’s revolt at the castle, an anaemia ridden Sapphire entering into a knight’s contest, and the witch’s daughter Hectate being disinterested in marrying a prince or getting a princess’s heart despite her mother’s objections, and helping Franz to escape. Princess Knight is a really interesting manga that combines all sorts of interesting themes and scenes with Tezuka’s caricaturist art style to create one of the most memorable Shojo experiences.
Drama:
Emma: It was really hard for me to decide if I was going to pick Emma or A Bride’s Tale to be my manga of the year. While I eventually went with A Bride’s Tale due to its interesting setting, Emma is also very much worth reading. It has a lot of the elements you would expect from Mori such as excellent artwork, a focus on maids and historical culture, and engaging characters and story.
Emma focuses on Emma, a Victorian maid, and her relationship with William Jones, a wealthy high end merchant. Despite their class differences the two fall in love, and have to contend with the struggles of the British social class system. They are helped and hindered by a variety of people including William’s best friend and gaudy Indian prince Hakim, Williams disapproving father and approving siblings, and Eleanor Willaim’s an arranged aristocratic finance for William.
Mori’s passion and interests once again shine through in this story. Mori’s love for maids, Victorian fashion, detailed artwork, and romance are all highlighted in this title. Emma clearly also draws inspiration from Victorian class dramas and romance stories, especially those of Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters. Her work also stands alone though as distinctly impressive. Emma is an excellent series and well worth reading, especially if you are a fan of Austen and/or romance stories.
Seinen:
Furari: If you have never read a Jiro Taniguchi manga before, reading this manga will probably surprise you. Whether that surprise would be a good one or not though would largely depend on your interest in slow, relaxing, reflective, and philosophical stories. While most manga do not emphasise these elements, if you enjoy them then this manga will be a treat.
Furari features the story of a man similar to the historical figure Inō Tadataka, a famous middle aged mapmaker who lived in 19th century Edo (Tokyo). Most of the Furari consists of his daily life within the city and his meditations on his work and the world.
Like many of Taniguchi’s works Furari is more about self reflection and character study than it is about a major conflict and issues to resolve. It is also a more abstract work that reflects upon the beauty and structure of the world, rather than having a complex storyline. The book often seems to travel from place to place like its lead, and focuses on his experiences and feelings just as much as what is occurring around him. This type of story-telling suits Taniguchi’s realistic and detailed style, giving it a feel that is rarely explored in other works. While very different from most other manga I am very thankful that I got a chance to read this book this year, and am waiting with baited breath to read Taniguchi’s next translated book (The Solitary Gourmet) in 2024.
Science Fiction:
Memories of Emanon: Emenom is not what many people probably think of when they think of Science Fiction. It doesn’t feature space, and isn’t really about the future or scientific discovery. Emanon is instead more of a thought experiment questioning the nature of existence and the world around us.
Emanon follows the experiences of a young looking woman who in reality is a being that has existed and evolved since the earth’s inception, and remembers all of her experiences in detail. Unlike most people she does not ever forget things, and every time she gives birth her memory is transferred into a new body. The series follows her wanderings with stories about her experiences and the experiences of people who have met with her.
Emanon is a fascinating work because it manages to tackle an interesting and complex concept, while also feeling down to earth. Emanon tries to interact like other people, and is cautious about telling her story. She isn’t someone who acts substantially different from the average person, and Emanon’s story is more interested in her feelings and exploration than a grand narrative about her exploits. At the same time though as a reader you do get a real sense of the weight that her memories cause her, and her personal struggles with being unable to forget things and having to carry billions of years worth of memories. This is reflected in her offhand remarks about past experiences, her wandering loneliness, and her refusal to take a proper name (Emanon is no name spelled backwards). These contrasts work well making her seem more realistic, while also reflecting the sort of thought experiments Science Fiction is known for.
The artwork in this series is beautiful to look at, especially the watercolour images. Its style is on the more realistic side, but isn’t so realistic that it feels stiff or out of place. The art does a great job of representing the experiences and memories Emanon has. It also does an excellent job making her look unique, giving her a lanky body and freckles; while also avoiding making her seem over the top. This balance within the art helps to enhance the already unusual story, and makes Memories of Emanon one of the most unusual and interesting Science Fiction comics I have read this year.
This isolation has been difficult on a lot of people. Luckily for us anime fans it can also be a great opportunity to catch up on our favourite anime series and on watching historically important anime. There have been a ton of anime series throughout the years that have reflected and changed the industry drastically, and that are well worth watching for anyone interested in the history of anime. While there are far more series in each era that definite it then I could put on this list I wanted to narrow it down to 10 series per era that had the greatest impact on the industry, and that are important to have at least watched a bit of to understand anime’s history. These series aren’t necessarily what I feel are the best series of each era, but they are what define the era and the industry during that period. This is by no means an exhaustive list either as many important and famous shows such as Working, Wandering Son, Azumanga Dioh, Death Note, Cat’s Eye, Sword Art Online, Death Parade, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Gigantor, Card Captor Sakura, Cutie Honey, Getter Robo, Tatami Galaxy, Speed Racer, Astro Boy, the Macross series, and many more will not be on the list.
70-80’s
The 70’s and 80’s are an era that is often daunting to define. For many less vintage oriented fans this era often can come off as dated and difficult to watch. This is an era though that helped develop many of the practices that ended up becoming staples of newer series and was the era that brought many incredible series that are continuing to this today. Anime in this decade was often dominated by shows with a more straight forward feel and a lot of genre works, but this period helped to developed more new types of shows than any other era and laid the groundwork for the industry. Capturing the essential shows for this ground-breaking era and dealing with its contradictions was hard to do but I think this list is a good starting point for understanding vintage anime.
1. Space Captain Harlock: It could be argued that Leji Matsumoto did more for the anime industry than any other creator. While Tezuka and Studio Mushi made anime possible, it was the stories and concepts of Matsumoto that really helped to shape the direction of industry. As a weaver of dreams Matsumoto was the king of space operas, injecting a sense of direction and philosophy into anime. Matsumoto’s first major adaption was Space Battleship Yamato a show about humans escaping a post-apocalyptic earth using an old-World War 2 battleship; a series where he was brought in to give the series direction. Matsumoto’s most iconic series and his first personal project of the era though was Space Caption Harlock, a series about the piratical hero Harlock who fights along with his eccentric crew to protect the earth from an invading alien race; despite being seen as an outlaws by the Earth’s irresponsible government. Space Captain Harlock helped spur the Space Opera boom of the 80’s, and Harlock become a staple of all of Matsumoto’s adaptions and had a huge influence on creation of more complex characters and stories.
2. Lupin the 3rd: It’s hard to image an anime industry without Lupin the 3rd. Started as a stylized and extremely raunchy manga series in the 60’s by Monkey Punch it is strange to think that this series would later be adapted into an anime series, and then a major movie with the help of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. As to be expected Lupin was changed considerably by these adaptions and was developed into the much more family friendly character he is often portrayed as today. In these newer adaptions Lupin and his two companions (the incredible gun man Jigen and a master samurai swordsman Goemon) along with the double crossing Feme Fatale Fujiko try to pull off some of the world’s greatest heists while being pursued by their nemesis Inspector Zenigata. Lupin the 3rd’s adaption quickly became one of the most popular and important series of the 70’s and 80’s and helped to inspire the phantom thief genre of anime. It also spawned countless other movies and anime series, and continues to receive new works to this day.
3. Mr. Ajjiko: Since this show has appeared so many times on my blog’s I’ll withhold from talking too much about it. For those who haven’t read my blogs though, Mr. Ajjiko is about a childhood prodigy who draws the attention of Japan’s greatest cooking group, and works hard to improve his cooking in order to help his community and protect his father’s restaurant and legacy. So why is this show so important? Mr. Ajjiko made cooking contest and Shonen shows such as Food Wars possible. Another aspect that makes Ajjiko so important is how much it is representative of Shonen style shows of these eras. Ajjiko has an innocent and over the top boy’s adventure feel that influenced many similar productions of the 80’s such as Dragon Ball. Not only is this a great show, but it is also a wonderful representation of great early shonen and early cooking contest-based shows.
4. Mobile Suit Gundam: While the super mech revolution and Macross has had a huge impact on the mech genre, without a doubt the series that impacted the mech genre the most was the original Mobile Suit Gundam. Instead of portraying an alien menace, Gundam was all about humans at war with one another. Gundam is a battle of wills with the outgunned earth federation turning to the young civilian turned pilot Amaro with a new and powerful prototype giant robot to battle against the seasoned ace Char part of the powerful Zeon Empire who also his own secret agenda of revenge. This show also focuses on military strategy and war helping to lay the groundwork for mech shows and the many Gundam series that would follow. Without Mobile Suit Gundam the mech genre would look incredibly different and would not be nearly as big or popular as it is today.
5. Ashita no Joe: Sports anime got their start in very big way in the early 70’s with Ashita no Joe. This series is the tale of a troubled young man named Joe and his down on his luck coach who finds him on the streets. Together these misfits work to fix each other’s struggles through the pursuit of boxing. Ashita no Joe set the bar high for sports series by including drama inside and outside of the ring as both men struggle to find their place in the world. It created a template that most sports anime still seems to follow of an underdog for whom sports is not only a passion or contest, but a way of life and means of dealing with life’s struggles.
6. Bubble Gum Crisis: On the other end of the Sci-fi spectrum from the space opera was the gritty and urban cyberpunk genre. While there are many representative films of this style like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, Bubble Gum Crisis is probably the best example of a Cyberpunk series in this era. This series is all about of a group of women in power suits teaming up to battle the corrupt and powerful company Geon who is responsible for building terminator like type robots that often go rouge. This series is great and contains plenty of 80’s style to it with bikes, hair metal, battling against evil yuppies, and urban policing all being central themes. Bubble Gum Crisis showed that the cyberpunk genre could be utilized in a series format, and often reflected the social issue and attitudes of the era.
7. City Hunter: Seinen anime owes so much to City Hunter. City Hunter stars the womanizing P.I. Ryo and his young adult partner Kaori who hates his womanizing, and often smashes him with a comically large hammer. City Hunter feels a lot like the action movies and buddy comedies the 80’s with all sorts of gun play, car chases, and plenty of back and forth comedy between Ryo and Kaori. This series set the bar high for action series and remains popular to this day. Not only has this series recently received a new movie adaption (as of writing this list), but it is even reflected in Chris Brown’s single Zero which uses images that are at the very least greatly influenced by City Hunters aesthetic.
8. Doremon: While many fans in the United States are unaware of Doremon, in Japan Doremon is an iconic figure. Doremon is an earless cat robot from the future who tries to help the pathetic and trouble bound kid Nobita Nobi. Nobita and the kids from his neighbourhood often end up in trouble though because of one of Doremon’s inventive inventions from the future. The earless cat is a huge figure in Japan (similar to Mickey Mouse in popularity), and it is no surprise that even in the 70’s they produced an anime series, and then another series was started directly after the first ended. Even more surprising though is Doremon’s second series was one of the longest lasting series being aired until 2005 with 1787 episodes and 30 specials. On top of that there are currently 65 feature films, and a third series still airing that currently has 16 seasons and 596 episodes. Despite being mostly ignored in the United States, children’s shows like Doremon and Anpanman have defined the experiences of Japanese Families for years and continue to air around fifty years after their debut.
9. Urusei Yatsura: It’s impossible to talk about 80’s anime and comedy, and not talk about Urusei Yatura. The series is about the womanizing pervert Ataru Moroboshi who accidentally “proposes,” to the floating alien oni like princess Lum. This show is all about slap stick with weird things constantly happening, and Ataru trying to court multiple women only to be beat up and/or shocked by the women around him. Not only is the series funny and have a plethora of great and strange characters, but the plots were also imaginative and included references to Japanese mythology, aliens, and supernatural stories. Takahashi’s first major anime adaption was a smash success in Japan. In the United States this series also was popular during its debut and was an early series that American fans took interest in.
10. The Rose of Versailles: Riyoko Ikeda’s classic series Rose of Versailles is another series that has ingrained itself into Japan’s culture. The series revolves around Lady Oscar a girl raised as a boy and assigned to guard Marie Antoinette in pre-revolutionary France. What follows is a series all about of love, drama, identity, and tensions between the monarchy and people of France. The top selling shojo manga of all time and an early pioneer of LGBTQIA+ content, the Rose of Versaille has influenced and been adapted into many formats. Especially famous is the All Women’s Takarazuka Revue adaption of the story, and the anime series whose historical value should not be ignored.
90’s
The 90’s were a huge period of growth and change for the industry. A lot this growth could be attributed to the major recession in Japan that saw many animation studios close. Because of this economic downturn budgets were often more limited in anime, and studios were often forced to rely on innovation to be successful. This resulted in many big risks some that changed entire anime genres forever. The 90’s also saw anime begin to be become much more popular in the United States, and a move towards a more competitive industry.
1. Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Bebop is a masterpiece that combined the space opera genre with a greater degree of the urban realism found in cyberpunk. Like many of the shows that struggled within the 90’s, Cowboy Bebop at first seemed to continually go in and out of production due to lack of merchandise attached to it. Despite initially being in development hell Bebop soon proved that it could stand alone with its diverse stories, deep world building, incredible animation, and amazing music. The story of a group of eccentric down on their luck space bounty hunters who all have deep and complex stories of their own, Cowboy Bebop changed what an anime could be. While the series is often episodic with vastly different types of episodes, it still has an important overarching plot. Cowboy Bebop not only was a hit in Japan though, in the United States many fans (including myself) first viewed this show on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block and it remained a staple of Adult Swim years after its initial release. Bebop also is renown in the United States for its incredible English dub, which remains one of the best English dubs of all time and raised the bar for what a dub’s quality should reflect.
2. Ranma ½: Ranma ½ largely continued where Urusei Yatsura left off. Immensely popular Ranma brought more unusual and deep characters while retaining the seemingly limitless imagination and the slapstick found in its predecessor. Ranma focuses on a father and son martial artists who end up accidently falling into cursed springs. As a result, Ranma transforms into a girl when splashed with cold water, while their father becomes a panda. Despite this curse Ranma’s father drags Ranma to old training partner and friend’s dojo (along with his troublesome past), and then arranges a marriage between Ranma and the youngest daughter Akane in a union which both object to. This series was also one of the first huge hits in the United States where it was an iconic early anime series, and became essential anime viewing during the early 90’s.
3. Sailor Moon: The magical girl genre wouldn’t be the same without Sailor Moon. In the 1980’s most magical girl shows often featured idols, magical princesses, or good witches helping those around them with social problems. While Sailor Moon drew from this it also took inspiration from an unusual source, Super Sentai shows. Like Sentai shows Sailor Moon featured colour coded costumes, battling monsters, and plenty of posing. Sailor Moon also was one of the first major magical girl shows to openly feature serious representations of LGTQIA+ characters. Sailor Moon’s combination of these elements changed magical girl shows forever, with most shows following it such as Precure and Madoka Magika featuring magical combat. Sailor moon had a huge impact on Western television as well by showing that a series “aimed at girls,” could be complex, and just as successful as shows “marketed for boys.” Despite a liberally changed initial dub and censorship in the United States, many people look back with a strong nostalgia to seeing Sailor Moon on T.V. This soon led to a re-release of the uncensored anime and manga so that fans new and old could finally see the series as it was meant to be shown.
4. Yu Yu Hakusho: Yu Yu Hakusho is a classic Shonen series, as well as a series that subverts of classic Shonen tropes. After “saving a boy,” and accidently being killed Yusuke Urameshi ends up getting recruited as a spirit detective, forming a team with other demons and spirits as well as his dopey but well-meaning rival. Yu Yu Hakusho has a lot of things that were staples of the Shonen genre such as tournament arcs, intense training, super powers that level up as the characters grows stronger, and a team of male heroes bonded by friendship, however it also had many elements that caused it to stand out for the average shonen. Yusuke is a smart mouthed delinquent with a similarly behaved single mother, rather than the average peppy and determined good guy and the show eventually ends up having more complex villains then the average monstrous and evil villains found in other series.
5. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Neon Genesis Evangelion was not at all like the mech series before it. The story of a shy teen boy forced to protect the world against overwhelming odds by his cold and distant father, Neon Genesis struck a very different tone then a series like Mobile Suit Gundam did. This show is just as much about the trauma and pain Shinji goes through as it is about the world continuing to inch closer and closer to destruction from a giant alien menace. Neon Genesis Evangelion has a much darker and more adult tone that reflected its creator Anno’s own vision by including themes reflecting his own depression and personal struggles. While budget problems caused the ending of the series to be a strange let down, this issue was quickly resolved with the End of Evangelion film which turned the strangeness and conflict up to 11.
6. Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Ball Z created the framework for shonen shows that followed it. In this follow up to Dragon Ball the hero Goku discovers that he is an alien, and that a plethora of aliens want to conquer or destroy a woefully unprepared earth. It becomes up to Goku and his musclebound friends to protect the earth through countless battles and training. While it was a challenge to determine whether the original Dragon Ball or this should be included on my list, I went with the sequel show for two big reasons. First while Dragon Ball’s later episodes feature more of the fighting and set up tone that was used in Dragon Ball Z; the sequel then built upon this formula and was much more based in the type of action typically found in Shonen style shows. Most importantly though Dragon Ball Z was a huge hit outside of Japan and was a wildly popular show that helped propel Cartoon Networks Toonami Block which featured many anime shows airing on a mainstream network. Many older anime fans would tune in to watch this show weekly, and fondly remember Dragon Ball Z as the show that got them into anime.
7. Initial D: Initial D is a strange, but important precursor to the changes of the 2000’s era, while still remaining its own unique show. Initial D is all about street racing. If that wasn’t strange enough it was one of the first series to use a massive amount of CG effectively and featured tons of pumping Eurobeat music to add to the racing thrills. Like no show before or since Initial D quickly developed a cult fandom in the United States especially among those who enjoyed its originality and how different the series was from others. While Initial D is now much more obscure, it still has a dedicated cult fan base, and opened up the possibilities and imagination of anime viewers and creators.
8. Revolutionary Girl Utena: One of the strangest and most ground-breaking series of the 90’s was Revolutionary Girl Utena. Utena’s surrealism, stylization, and LGBTQIA+ themes set it apart as a landmark anime of its era. Revolutionary Girl Utena stars Utena a high schooler who transfers into a private academy, and is determined to dress and act like the prince she met as a child. Utena quickly becomes roped into duelling contests taking place in an upside-down castle with a mysterious connection to an apocalypse, and she ends up linked with Rose Bride the docile Anthy who is the “prize,” of the contest. While in the United States this series didn’t begin to receive much notice until after it’s re-release, in Japan this series had a huge impact on the concepts of shifting tonality and atypical plots, the use of symbolism, LGBTQIA+ representation, and on how to employ surrealistic imagery.
9. Serial Experiments Lain: Lain is one of if not the strangest anime series ever created. The series is “about,” Lain’s connections to her computer and a cyberworld. Lain prides itself on being confusing and predicting many accurate trends about the future of computing such as internet usage. Most impressive though is the series use of philosophy while still being open to lots interpretations. While most series pride themselves on clear narratives, Serial Experiments Lain offered a completely different possibility and proved that a show that offers more questions than answers could still be of high quality.
10. Pokémon: What could be Pokémon’s most enduring legacy and strangest aspect is how little most people in the United States realized it is an anime series. The infamous 4Kid’s entertainment did its best to scrub away the more Japanese aspects of the show, and it seems for many viewers this either didn’t matter or that they didn’t notice that this show was originally designed in Japan. Pokémon may be the anime series though with the most mainstream viewership (while I wasn’t able to find hard numbers this clearly seemed to be the case based on my research). Pokémon is a series I and many other kids grew up with in especially in the 90’s, and was a cross over hit thanks to its video game series and other media. The Pokémon anime involves Ash a boy adventuring with his electric mouse while trying to capture and befriend other monsters, and train them to become great fighters and to battle the of evil of Team Rocket. Pokémon was everywhere in the 90’s and remains a memorable series with tons of fans to this day.
00’s
The 2000’s were an era of contrasts within anime. The era started with huge sales, only for there to be a brutal crash within the industry both in Japan and the United States. The development of computer technology offered a cheaper and more efficient method of production that also allowed for shows to do things that were never possible before. It was also criticized however as a form of short cut which in part stagnated the creativity of many shows along with the trend of reduced budgets and leading to more adaptions from other media rather than original content. The era also saw the reduction of shows produced, pay cuts for anime producers, and an end to the production of new series above 13-episode, but was spelled major evolutions for anime such as online simulcasting and streaming of content, and the unionization of the industry.
1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Alchemist marked a major turning point in the United States anime industry. One of the first mega hits for licenser Funimation, Alchemist helped kick start the company as an industry leader. Alchemist also did well on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, helping introduce the show to many Western fans. Alchemist’s success can be tied to the series characters and plot, involving two young boy geniuses who try to revive their mother using Alchemy. Both fail however, causing the driven older brother Edward to lose a hand and foot while his gentler brother’s Al’s body disappears leaving his soul is attached to a set of armour. This drives Edward to search for the legendary philosopher’s stone so that he can return his brothers’ soul to his body while battling super powered beings based off the Seven Deadly sins. Both the imagination of this show and its creator’s insistence that the animators come up with original concepts for its first adaption helped to make this an essential series of the era.
2. Ouran Highschool Host Club: A ground-breaking comedy, Ouran Highschool Host club both broke boundaries as well as established a template for future reverse harem comedies. Ouran stars Haruhi a genderqueer character with a scholarship to a school of the super-rich and elite. After breaking a vase belonging to the eccentric male host club (a club designed to entertain mostly female clients) Haruhi is forced to join them to pay their debts. This series pushed boundaries in Japan, while it was one of the first and most famous reserve harem comedies in the United States.
3. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimiya: While Haruhi was popular in the United States, in Japan it was a mega hit. Based on an award winning and bestselling light novel series, a hit anime series quickly followed. The series follows Kyon a sardonic realist and Highschooler who ends up dragged into the S.O.S. Brigade paranormal research club by the eccentric Haruhi Suzimiya, a girl interested all things weird. Soon the club drags in several other “high schoolers,” who all are secretly not what they seem drawn to the great power surrounding the obviously Haruhi. Haruhi embraced and deconstructed the era’s Moe trends with the designs emphasizing cute characters often featuring cute and light themes. It offers a plot that at first seems light-hearted and ordinary, but actually offers supernatural themes and actions. This series became iconic in Japan spawning fan involvement, and even helped to create idols out of the voice actors of the anime.
4. Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex: Stand Alone Complex is the gold standard for cyberpunk anime series. Adapted loosely from the original manga and the hit cyberpunk movie classic; Stand Alone Complex helped to revitalize the franchise and proved that in the right hands it was possible to adapt Ghost in the Shell to the small screen without losing a beat. Stand Alone Complex takes place in a cybernetic future and follows Major Motoko Kusanagi and her co-workers in Section 9 an anti-crime and terrorism unit. While the series continues to focus on philosophical issues, it places a greater emphasize on action while allowing its overarching story to be both thought provoking and exciting. Stand Alone Complex set the bar high for cyberpunk anime and adaptions and was also a major staple of Cartoon Networks Adult Swim line up for many years in the United States.
5. Mushishi: Mushishi is not a typical anime series. While many series have over arcing stories, an energetic feel, and/or lots of action Mushishi has none of these things. Mushishi concerns itself more about emotions, atmosphere, and a relaxing pace. Mushishi is about the travels of Ginko a man who helps balance the world of humans with the supernatural beings the Mushi. There are very few series like Mushishi, and its unique aspect won it both praise from its cult fanbase and from the anime industry. While Mushishi isn’t for everyone, it is a pillar of the industry and a series that is important to be at least aware of.
6. Inuyasha: Inuyasha is incredibly important both in the United States and Japan. Inuyasha is about middle schooler Kagome’s travel down a well to the feudal past, where she meets the half dog demon Inuyasha and various friends. After accidentally shattering a powerful scared jewel with an arrow, she and her friends must search the world to restore the jewel while battling the evil mastermind Naraku who also seeks the power of the jewel for his nefarious plan. Inuyasha was an extremely long running series that blended all sort of elements into a shonen structure. For many anime fans in the United States Inuyasha was an anime gateway, with many viewers having seen it during its Adult Swim run. Iconic among fans both in Japan and the United States Inuyasha was another series by Rumiko Takahashi to create an important impact on the era, and recently (as of writing this) spawned a well-received sequel.
7. The big three: It’s impossible to talk about the 2000’s without talking about the three big Shonen series that changed the industry forever, especially in the case of One piece. One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto created an action centred Shonen template that has become the standard for many shonen series following them. Each series stars the growth of teens and children into epic heroes and are known for their long length and huge casts. While Naruto could be argued as the most popular of the three and the successor to Dragon Ball Z in the States, in Japan its popularity has still paled to the One Piece which remains one of the top selling series in Japan of all time. All of these series though are international mega hits, and it’s important to recognize the huge influence they had on fans and the industry.
8. Air: Air is a series that encapsulates Kyoto Animation early shows. While Kyoto Animation was founded in 1981 by former employees of the first major tv animation studio Mushi production (Osamu Tezuka’s first studio), Kyoto anime did not start animating television shows until Full Metal Panic Fumoffu in 2003. It wasn’t until 2005 though that Kyoto animation really started to make a name for itself with the original adaption of Air. While Air is rough around the edges it had a profound impact on the industry and helped establish Kyoto Animation as a major company. Air is based on a visual novel about a puppeteer who ends up in a beach side town meeting several girls including Misuzu, childish a teen with a mysterious disease. This series laid the groundwork for many other anime visual and light novel adaptions, many of which also included the concept of a tragedy and/or female protagonist with an unexplained disease. While Kyoto anime and other companies would go on to develop many more well received adaptions these adaptions and Kyoto animation important status wouldn’t have existed without the influences and concepts presented within Air.
9. Higurashi When They Cry: Higurashi is quite different from other visual novel adaptions. While many other visual novel based works stress romance and relationships; Higurashi embraced cyclical winding, stories based around shocking horror. Higurashi is all about a small town plagued by a violent curse. In each story this curse quickly leads its initially light-hearted story behind for a dark tone filled with violence, possession, and death. Higurashi is known for using its audience exceptions against them transforming its cute Moe characters into horrifying monsters in each story, only to seemingly have the world reset and the horror start again. Higurashi also hides what is going on preferring to semi explain things later, and to keep the audience on their toes. Whenever anime fans think of horror in the United States often Higurashi is one of the first and most fondly remembered show, and its dark shock-based story helped to push the boundaries of what horror anime could include.
10. Hajime no Ippo: Hajime no Ippo is a great example of how a manga classic can be adapted into an anime series. Hajime no Ipo is about a shy, wimpy, but strong and naturally talented high schooler Ippo who ends up training and fighting as a professional boxer. Much of the series consist of stories of Ippo training with his gym-mates for the next big challenge, and covers stories fleshing out his opponents. Hajime no Ipo is very representative of both the year of its creation (1989), as well as the direct adaptions of the 2000’s era which worked hard to recreate series directly. Hajime no Ipo is also a great example of an epic sized and popular sports series proving that it wasn’t just traditional shonen series that received more than around 13 episode runs in the 2000’s, despite the industries strong shift in that direction. While not known very well by most American fans, in Japan this series proved to be highly successful thanks to its writers boxing background as well as the mixture of comedy and drama, and spawned many sequels, video games, and films.
10’s
Though it is hard to talk about the most recent era of anime (as of writing this in 2021) this decade developed many trends that have had a major influence on the industry today. This era saw a boom in new studios, but also was an era of difficulty for major studios such as Kyoto animation, Gainax, Gonzo, and even Studio Ghibli. During this decade creators became more important in shaping companies, and many major creators even ended up creating their own animation studios. Streaming and streaming rights became a major concern especially in the United States in the 10’s. It was also a time with major changes in the industry such as Studio Ghibli’s film rights going to G-Kids, the failure of Viz’s NeoAlley streaming service, and Funimation moving towards separating most of its library from Crunchyroll. Other trends included computers continuing to have more and more use in shows including CG animation, anime fandom re-emerging as a niche in the United States, the decline of television in the United States leading to channels like Cartoon Network no longer leading anime trends within the States, and an increased awareness and push for accountability in both the United States and Japan of content and content creators.
1. Attack on Titan: A mega sized hit Attack on Titan combined shonen action with horror themes. Attack on Titan is all about the remnants of humanity waging war with terrifying people eating giants. It is up Erin a young man who hates the Titans for the brutal murder of his family, and his friends in the military to save the remaining humans and defeat the overwhelming onslaught of the titans. After the manga was a massive hit internationally it wasn’t surprising that a popular anime series soon followed. Declared in Japan a, “once-in-a-decade hit,” Titan won multiple major awards, and was one of the top selling series of the decade particularly in 2013 where it was the top selling anime series. In the United States it was also an award-winning mega hit, and was an important part of 2010’s anime fandom in the States.
2. Fate Zero: Fate Zero is a prequel to Fate Stay Night focusing on a war between various mages who summon famous historical figures to fight for them. The anime is filled with action as each mage and historical servant battle it out for a chance at a wish from the Holy Grail. What really allowed this series to stand out was not only the battles, but the motivation and characterization of each mage involved in the war. This series soon led to serval other series being adapted from the Fate visual novel and game franchises, and made the series well known in both Japan and the United States despite coming after the first series Fate Stay Night. Type Moon’s franchise continues to this day to be a massive hit and has even spawned the extremely popular mobile game Fate Grand Order.
3. Haikyuu!!: Haikyuu!! In many ways is a return to form for sports anime. Its focuses on boys finding teamwork, friendship, and learning to work together through volleyball, and was highly successful in Japan and the States. While it mirrors many established sports themes that are typically found in the Shonen genre, it does so in a way that feels fresh. The appeal of this series can be traced through its strong writing, themes, and characterization. Haikyuu!! Is a series that has also been able to bridge the gap in audience between men and women, and non-sports fans and volleyball players. This has made Haikyuu!! appealing on an international level, and one of the rare sports series to be popular within the United States.
4. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series is a key example of how older works such as Fruits Basket and Banana Fish were successfully adapted throughout this era, and why other adaptions like the Junji Ito Collection failed to be effective. The JoJo anime series follows the manga’s epic and strange 80’s all-out style shonen stories based on generations of overtly manly heroes battling the forces of evil along with their manly allies. JoJo’s anime manages to recreate and capture Araki’s original muscular and odd character designs, and the exaggerated posing while still feeling fluid and new. The anime also did a great job of adapting the original manga’s strange storylines, while updating them enough that it would better fit modern sensibilities. A major hit in Japan and United States where it was licensed by Warner Brothers the series currently has been adapted up to its 4th iteration. While there are major debates on which part of the series should be animated next the series will probably eventually continue regardless of what part is selected for the next anime adaption.
5. Land of the Lustrous: Land of the Lustrous is a great example of a sleeper hit. While it garnered some fans during its initially streaming, this series quickly became more of a cult classic. This strange series is about a world where the gem people along with a powerful Buddhist monk must defend themselves from the Hindu statue like waring moon people who travel on flying clouds. The series focuses on a young troublemaking gem who is trying to find their place in the world. This show has an incredibly original feel to it and found a real niche because of its original ideas. It is a real shame that this series has been so overlooked since it had incredible characters, and a fascinating plot that I would love to see brought to its conclusion. What is most sad though about its lack of popularity is how much this series proved the potentially of a fully CG animated show.
While a few shows have had success in CG, many anime series in CG such as the most recent adaption of Berserk and CG Ghost in the Shell series have been a messed (and not the good kind). Not only did Land prove that CG could be just as good as traditional forms of animation, but it proved that some shows could actually use it in a way that enhances the show’s themes and style. Land of Lustrous made incredible use of CG that felt natural, wasn’t disjointed or cheap looking, and didn’t distract or detract from the viewing experience. While not a major hit like some other shows on this list this series is a prime example of the best CG anime has to offer, and a model that future CG shows should aspire to.
6. One Punch Man: One Punch Man is the anthesis of modern super-hero shows. It stars an apathetic bald hero who is too powerful and can solve any issues easily with a single punch. This power then causes him to become bored and apathetic about being a hero. One Punch Man is all about subverting expectations. Instead of the drawn-out fights, massive continuities, and an attempt at grim realism this series is all about comedic timing and gags. While its second series which changed studios is not nearly as highly regarded as the first this show made a big splash because it both celebrates and mocks traditional super-hero works and Shonen plots. This made it especially appealing to comics fans looking for a work that didn’t take the genre so seriously and offered a humorous alternative to works like Hero Man, Tiger and Bunny, and My Hero Academia, as well as Western superhero movies and comics.
7. My Hero Academia: My Hero Academia represents the next mega hit of the Shonen action genre. The popular series My Hero Academia combines its Shonen roots with the superhero genre drawing on both to create an new exciting mashup. The story stars Izuku Midoriya a boy born without powers into a world of heroes. Despite his initial lack of powers, he dreams of being a hero, and eventually unexpectedly meets his idol All Might the strongest hero in the world who offers to help him become a hero. A hit worldwide this series helped to revitalize the immense interest in shonen series. Along with other series such as Dragon Ball Super, and Black Clover Academia has helped to maintain the major popularity of the shonen genre and expand upon its successes. My Hero Academia stands out as new and exciting creating a major fandom in the United States where its superhero plot is palatable and fits in well, while in Japan it’s use of Western superheroes is fairly unique and has reflected the recent interest in the genre.
8. My Love Story!!: My Love Story!! Is a series that both honours and subverts romance series traits. My Love Story focuses on the Takeo Gōda a large and not traditionally handsome high schooler who is a little thick, but extremely kind-hearted. After saving the equally sweet girl Rinko Yamato on a train from a groper she ends up falling for him, but he frequently is unsure of what to do about this romance as no girl has ever loved him before and he has some trouble understanding emotional cues. To better understand things Takeo often seeks help from his handsome but aloof friend despite him being far from a romantic person. My Love Story is representative of themes of looking past someone’s physical appearance when determining love, and instead looking to their character. This series is very sweet and comedic making it very watchable and earning it high praise including several awards in Japan. These themes have also resonated well in the United States where the series was listed on Myanimelist’s top Shojo series of All-Time list.
9. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The surprise hit of the decade Madoka Magica subverted and changed the possibilities of themes within magical girl shows. Madoka Magica is all about Madoka a kind girl who ends up finding out that magical girls are real after she is saved by one while also running into injured strange and cute creature. She also receives many ominous warnings about magical girls, and this strange creature from her new mysterious classmate Homura. This mascot like creature offers to grant Madoka any wish in return for her to become a magical girl and to fight against witches, but things quickly prove to not be all they seem. This series was lauded for its use of surreal imagery, powerful music by Yuki Kajiura, and exciting animation. It also has helped many non-magical girl fans enjoy the genre, and paved the way for many more dark magical girl shows to follow such as Magical Girl Raising Project and Magical Girl Site.
10. Kill La Kill: While there are a number Studio Trigger and pre-Studio Trigger Gainax shows I could have pointed to as influential such as Gurren Lagoon, Panty and Stocking, Darling in the Franxx, and Little Witch Academia; I feel that Kill La Kill is most representative of the stylize approach to animation and storytelling Trigger is known for. Kill La Kill is about Ryuko Matoi a high schooler transferring to Honnouji Academy to find her father’s killer, and to challenge the school’s student council president and her henchmen. When Ryuko encounters a sentient uniform she soon discovers that it can give her a massive power boost, and that it can help her in her battle to discover her father’s killer in return for her blood and modesty. Kill La Kill has a wild and off the wall style that is similar to many of Trigger’s other series. Its highly stylized animation and story favours actions, sexual elements, and comedy over complex plotting or consistently staying on model. This new and energetic style has drawn from older creators such as Go Nagai and readapts their style for modern audiences. While Kill La Kill and Trigger has been highly success in Japan, in the United States their work has also become a highly regarded and Kill La Kill has proven a smash hit because of how different it is from works by other studios and how representative it is of Triggers unusual style.
Secret House of Anime 