10 Best Anime of All Time (2020)
1. Death Note
Death Note is number one on our list based on many reasons. Firstly, it has been voted the number one anime series of all time by Japanese fans. It is also ranked as the number 1 most popular anime series on the MyanimeList website.
Death Note is rather dark, and its protagonist isn’t a stereotypical good guy like in many other series. The film goes to places where other anime series haven’t dared, and this is what makes it absolutely enthralling.
The Shinigami is a god of death able to kill any person as long as he is able to see the victim’s face and write their name down in the Death Note notebook.
Ryuk, who is bored by living the god of death lifestyle, leaves one of these notebooks in human reals to see how humans use it.
The prodigal high school student Light Yagami finds the Death Note and begins testing it by writing the name of a criminal in it. The criminal dies immediately, and Light realizes how devastating the power of the notebook in his hands really is.
Light decides to clear out the world from criminals with the help of the notebook, and people begin worshiping him. The police, though, realize that there is a serial killer targeting criminals and try to apprehend him with the help of an eccentric detective named L.
The original manga series was published from 2003 to 2006 and includes 12 volumes and 108 chapters.
The anime series developed by Madhouse was composed of 37 episodes directed by Tetsuro Araki. These were broadcasted in Japan from October 2006 to June 2007. In 2006 a light novel based on the series was also released, followed by a series of Nintendo video games and three live-action films, a TV drama, and mini-series in Japan as well as a US film shown on Netflix in August 2017.
The series became so popular that there was even a Broadway musical written and composed based on it.
If you want to see and experience the absolute best in the world of anime, Death Note is definitely a series which you should watch first and foremost. You will be amazed by the experience which awaits you with this very dark and fascinating series.
2. Attack on Titan
The series is about a young man called Eren Jaeger who vows to destroy all the giant humanoid Titans on earth after they destroy his hometown and kill his mother.
The imagery, the incredible storyline, and the atmosphere of this TV series is what makes it so unique and why it is loved by most anime fans.
The captivating storyline and the entire production of the anime series have made it as popular as the longest-running anime series, even though the original Attack on Titans has only 25 episodes.
It is based on an award-winning manga by Hajime Isayama. This series follows the adventures and the fight against the Titans by Eren Shingeki no Kyojin, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert, who all do everything possible to keep the three walls surrounding the remaining humans on the planet from the horrible Titan attacks.
There are three different military branches that are also engaged in protecting humans. The soldiers use special grappling systems referred to as Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, which they use to jump on trees, walls, and buildings in order to attack the Titans.
The original series aired in 2013, and a spin-off light novel and manga series have been created as a result of the success of the anime series. The second season aired in 2017, and there is a third one scheduled for July 2018.
In 2018, the Attack on Titan manga had sold 74 million printed copies, which has made it one of the best-selling manga series in history.
So, if you want to see some inspiring, well-paced, beautifully drawn action anime, make sure you get to see the Attack of the Titans series. We are positive that you will be so enthralled by them that you will most likely binge-watch the entire series at once!
3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
If you think anime is for kids only, you may want to think again. If you are an adult but want to explore the wonderful world of anime, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a great place to start.
Unlike the first Fullmetal Alchemist, which was only partially based on the manga series by Hiromu Arakawa, this series was made after the manga series was completed and followed the original plotline closely.
It includes 65 engaging episodes, which will keep you interested and craving or more.
The series is written by Hiroshi Onogi and directed by Yasuhiro Irie and premiered in 2009 and ran until 2010.
It was subtitled in English almost immediately following its release, which made it very popular among non-Japanese viewers as well.
We already told you the story of the two disfigured brothers Edward and Alphonse who go on a quest for improving their alchemic training to resurrect their dead mother and also to restore their physical bodies to their full and healthy form. Edward loses a leg and sacrifices his arm to preserve the soul of his brother during an alchemic experiment for resurrection goes wrong. Alphonse is turned into body armor, and Edward wears his brothers’ soul on him as he travels to the capital along with his other brothers to become a Fullmetal Alchemist at the State Military. She proceeds to search for the Philosopher Stone, which is supposed to give him immense alchemic powers. On the way, he discovers some deep conspiracies of the government along with details about his father’s past.
With the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, you will never be bored and feel the need to fast forward a scene. Every minute of this brilliant anime series is spectacular and is worth your attention and time.
4. Naruto Shippūden
Naruto has become a huge franchise ever since the first Naruto series was released back in the years. Since then, numerous comics, films, games and series and related products have been made and sold to the growing army of Naruto fans.
Naruto Shippuden explores the life and adventures of Naruto Uzumaki, who is a young, hyperactive, and loud ninja looking to become the strongest ninja in the village (Hokage). The series starts more than two years after Naruto left Konohagakure to go through intense training. The Akatsu, which is the organization of the elite ninjas, is planning on overtaking the shinobi world. Even though he is older, Naruto has not changed too much, except that his confidence has grown. He goes through each fight with all his heart and soul still in pursuit of the Hokage title.
It includes a whopping 500 episodes which were aired from 2007 to 2017, and the Naruto fans have been relentlessly following their favorite series and their favorite anime hero through the years. The Naruto Shippuden, unlike the original Naruto series, is aimed at a more mature audience. The animation and the music are outstanding, and there are some scenes in the series which will make you want to watch them over and over again.
If you are new to manga and anime, Naruto Shippuden is definitely a great place to start!
5. Naruto
The sequel – Naruto: Shippuden aired from 2009 to 2011 and consisted of a whopping 500 episodes. The story doesn’t end there as the story continues with Boruto Uzumaki, who is Naruto’s son in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
Apart from the series, Naruto fans can watch one of the 11 movies and 11 original video animations, as well as video games, light novels, and trading cards based on the characters and storyline from Naruto.
The Naruto series has won numerous awards and is still a captivating anime to watch with its mixture of adventure, action, martial arts, comedy, and Shounen in each 23-minute episode of the original series.
So, make sure that you watch this story about growing up, which is filled with adventure, fun, drama, and everything you would expect from an anime series that has such a strong following.
6. Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z or DBZ is definitely one of the most popular anime series around the world. It is a sequel to the original Dragon Ball series and adapts the following chapters of the manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.
The story starts with Gokuu, who is living peacefully with his wife and son five years after winning the martial arts tournament. The arrival of Raditz, who claims that he is Gokuu’s long-lost brother, changes all of this. He tells Goku that he is a warrior from a now-extinct race from another planet. Gokuu was sent to earth as a baby in order to conquer and destroy our planet, but after suffering from a head injury lost his memory and became a good-natured person fighting to protect the weak.
After this revelation, Gokuu and his friends are faced with numerous attacks from extraterrestrial enemies.
The characters have grown and matured since the prequel Dragon Ball series, which is truly fun to observe if you are a fan of the series.
The Dragon Ball Z series aired from 1989 to 1996 and included 261 episodes. Due to the huge popularity of the series in the US and in Japan, 17 movies and a total of 148 video games based on Dragon Ball have been released.
There are two sequel series, including Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.
Watching the Dragon Ball Z series is definitely a must for any anime enthusiast, of course, after you watch the original Dragon Ball series, which you will find ranking even higher on our list.
7. Fairy Tail
This beautiful long-running anime series makes it to the top 10 list because it combines great animation, interesting characters, and an arc-like structure of the series.
Some may find that Fairy Tale gets repetitive at some point, but for true fans of shounen anime – this is a heaven-sent series.
Lucy Heartfilia has a dream of becoming a powerful full-fledged wizard, which is why she is searching for celestial keys. During her pursuit, she meets Natsu Dragneel and Happy, who are looking for the dragon Igneel – Natsu’s foster father.
Natsu is a wizard and a member of Fairy Tale and saves Lucy during an attempt for abduction. He offers her to join them.
Somewhere along the way, the group meets magic swordsman Erza Scarlet and the ice wizard Gray Fullbuster who join them on their quest.
Together they battle the evil and end up in countless adventures, which makes this series so much fun to watch.
The series aired from 2009 to 2013, and during that period, won a number of anime awards, including the best Japanese Anime Award in the 19th Anime and Manga Grand Prix in 2012. It was based on the popular manga series of the same name written by Hiro Mashima.
A second series premiered in Japan from 2014 to 2016, and a third series is expected to be released in the fall of 2018, so make sure you are ready for the new series and take the time to watch and enjoy these fantastic 175 episodes of the first Fairy Tale series.
8. Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online a.k.a. S.A.O. has a huge fan base. It is a beautifully drawn animation series with incredible music and sound. The fans of massively multiplayer online games (MMO) will love this anime series.
The plot involves several gamers who, in 2022, are part of the worldwide gamers for the launch of Sword Art Online MMORPG game, which connects players into a virtual reality world with the help of special Nerve Gear helmets.
Kirito is one of these eager gamers who is one of the first to log into the game and quickly becomes close friends with Klein, who is a newbie warrior.
The gamers use their thought s to control their avatars in the virtual world of Ainca, where they get access to various medieval weapons and meet gruesome monsters and fight bosses.
The gamers though pretty soon realize that they are unable to log out of the game and that they are being held by the creator of the game until they are able to complete all levels of the game. The worse part of this situation is that if you die in the game, you actually die in real life too.
So, you can imagine the excitement and adventure which this anime series provides. Its 25 episodes aired in 2012, and are based on the light novels by Reki Kawahara. The books have also become very popular around the world, and some anime fans even prefer them because of the proper pacing and writing, which is lacking in certain parts of the series.
People who love MMO games and anime will definitely have a treat with the Sword Art Online series!
9. One Piece
Our favorite hero Luffy has taught us that if you really want to accomplish something, you need to put your entire heart and soul into it even if it costs your life. This is what makes One Piece such an inspirational and loved anime series.
Luffy is a good-natured and adventurous pirate in search of the great mystical treasure called “One Piece.” He is part of the Grand Age of Pirates, who are all pursuing the dream of becoming the first to find the treasure and be proclaimed the title of “Pirate King.”
The series follows the adventures of Monkey D.Luffy, who is just 17 years old but overcomes numerous amazing adventures, unveils dark mysteries and battles various enemies on his way to the coveted prize and title.
The series produced by Toei Animation premiered on October 20, 1999, on Fuji Television, and since then, over 800 episodes have been aired on multiple networks around the world.
There were several crossover episodes with Toriko in 2011, and another with Dragon Ball Z in 2013.
In Jun 2004, 4Kids Entertainment purchased the rights for distributing One Piece in North America. A special “Pirate Rap” theme song was specially composed for the American audience, and the English version of the series premiered in September 2004 on Fox, and later on Cartoon network.
The airing stopped at episode 143, as well as the home video release, due to the fact that 4Kids realized that it wasn’t appropriate for their target audience. Since then, the entertainment company implemented much more serious guidelines and checks to all anime series it went on to purchase.
The uncut series began airing on Toonami’s late-night block and continued until One piece was finally removed in March 2017.
In 2013 the dubbed DVD boxed set was released in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Latin America, the UK, and New Zealand by Manga Entertainment.
On February 12, 2013, it was announced that Manga Entertainment would start releasing the Funimation dub of One Piece in the United Kingdom in a DVD box set format.[81] Crunchyroll began simulcasting the series on November 2, 2013, for the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.[82]
By October 2017, after 430 million copies of the series were sold, One Piece became the top-selling anime series in history.
The estimated production cost of each of the episodes is about $88,750, and the series still has a strong following among anime fans around the world.
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