78 thoughts on “200 (+) Anime Worth Taking With Us Into the Next Decade”
Tag whore! But seriously, a list of 200 anime, doesn’t this defeat the purpose of the “best of lists” and just create a “Hall of OK” instead of a “Hall of Fame”?
No, because it’s an ‘anime canon’ – everything in this list is someone’s favorite show of the decade, all pulled from favorites lists, so everything here should be considered top of the line or at least close to top of the line.
Anyway, this post started when I couldn’t quite make a top 50, and then couldn’t quite make a top 100, and then said fuck it I’ll do ’em all!
Eh, decent list but I find it humorous when you state right off the bat that there is no “insignificant Gundam anime” It’s called SD Gundam Force and it was down right atrocious.
So you’re saying I covered all of the stuff you would have suggested? lol. Well, don’t feel bad about it, you’ve seen a lot of older shows which a lot of today’s fans haven’t, so it’s not like you’re behind or anything.
ok oi… I’m gonna add a “few” to the list here bare with me lol >.> (they’ll probably need editing as i kinda suck at writing short little blurbs like this that aren’t from my perspective…)
Vandread (13 eps.) (+ The Second Stage (13 eps) + 2 recap movies) (Comedy, Sci Fi, Mecha) – Boys VS girls in space! A war is being fought between the 2 sides but they eventually learn that there is a greater threat out there other than their different genders. An alien race who wants to wipe out both sides. So now they must band together to fight this new threat.
Tytania (26 eps.) (Sci Fi, Space Opera, Political, Outer Space) – An updated version of Legend of the Galactic Heroes one might say. This anime has all the elements of that but adds new animation and a whole new world to conquer. Wanted by Tytania, Fan Hulic flees from one planet to another because he simply won a battle against a duke of Tytania. Any Space Opera fan will drool over this show.
Junjou Romantica (12 eps.) (yaoi, Drama, Romance) – This anime stands out among all the other yaoi titles out there by actually having a interesting plot and having a lot of “tender” situations without going overboard and turning into a hentai. It had a sequel series calledJunjou Romantica 2 (12 eps.) but doesn’t live up to the expectations left by season one.
Antique Bakery (12 eps.) (Drama, yaoi) – This anime is simply charming about a man who suddenly quits his high paying job and opens a bakery. He hires very interesting staff that have some of the most fun interactions I’ve seen. He has a hidden past that slowly gets relieved throughout the anime. The food aspect of the show is very engaging as it’ll make you want to have a bite of whatever the special pastry is because they look so delicious.
Ristorante Paradiso (11 eps.) (Slice of Life, Romance, Food) – Slice of Life at it’s BEST. It’s more adult feeling and focuses on the interactions between Nicoletta, a 21 year old girl, and everyone that works at a local restaurant called Casetta dell’orso. The animation gives off a warm feeling that mixes well with the drama added from the story.
Alien Nine (4 OVA eps.)(sci-fi, drama, action) – Little girls are made to wear alien hats and fight off bad aliens that try to attack the school. Sounds weird yes but it’s an interesting little ova that will make you think.
Doujin Work (12 10 min. eps.) (Comedy, Otaku Culture) – Najimi Osana just wants to make lots of money. So learning that a childhood friend makes good money by making doujin’s she is determined to do so herself.
Himitsu: The Revelation (25 eps.) (Mystery, Sci Fi, Drama, Science, Psychological, Detectives, Suspense) – This show is what I like to think as CSI of the future. They now have the technology to take the brain of a victim and look at the memories locked away inside making it possible for them to solve the case quickly. Episodic episodes within a very complex drama.
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia (Movie) (sports, drama) – ‘Vuelta’ bicycle race that takes place all around Spain, and Nasu is determined to win it. Personal drama, team drama, this movie has everything you could want even if it mainly takes place while he rides his bike in this race towards the finish line.
Oseam (movie) (drama, tragedy) – A touching story about two orphans that get taken care of by a monk. One day one of them decide to go with the monk up into the mountains to a temple during the winter. Korean made.
Diamond Daydreams (12 eps.) (Drama, Romance) – Diamond dust: when the moisture in the air freezes on a chilly day, the air seems to sparkle and shimmer. It is said that to see the diamond dust in its glory means that lovers will stay together forever, friendships will flourish, and dreams will be realized. Follow the tales of 6 people that somehow get effected by this magical tale of diamond dust.
Love Hina (24 eps.) (+ Love Hina Again 3 eps. + 3 specials) (Harem, Fanservice, Romance, Comedy) – One of the most if not the most popular romance harems out there. Love Hina follows Keitaro Urashima who’s ultimate goal is to attend Tokyo University because of a promise he made to a childhood girl that he can not remember the name of and hopes to meet her there again.
AWESOME!!! Some of these were ones I knew someone would add (Love Hina, Vandread, Antique Bakery) so I’m glad to have them! I added effects, edited the genre tags in places, and some spelling errors. The descriptions seem fine, though I haven’t seen most of the shows – Alien Nine I will edit once I watch it since I just bought it and all~
This is perhaps the most insane post I’ve ever seen. Several of those shows I always thought of having aired forever ago but then again to me 8 or 10 years ago is a long time. :P Now I wonder how long it would take to watch all these…
I skimmed the list, will read in bits and pieces. I did search for a few specific titles, and if I can think of my favorites to add I will.
Twin Spica (20 eps) (Sci-Fi, Drama, Slice-of-Life) – Is about a group of friends who want to become astronauts. The main focus is the characters and their path to reaching their dreams. The pacing can be really slow and the animation isn’t that good, but you’ll get a touching, heartfelt, and heart-wrenching experience. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki [alias Go Sakamoto] (Here is Greenwood, Kimagure Orange Road[episode director for the tv, director for ova and movie], Maison Ikkoku[episode director for tv, director for movie], Ocean Waves, Porphy no Nagai Tabi, Princess Nine, Ranma 1/2 season 1, Shinigami no Ballad, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou ~Quiet Country Cafe~, Zettai Shounen)
Awesome! I added some effects to your comment, too. I’m kind of surprised I forgot Twin Spica, probably because it wasn’t on any of the top 50 of the decade lists. Such an under-appreciated show.
Wow, that’s a really impressive list (just curious, how long did it take to complete this post?) I’ve seen a bunch of those titles but not nearly all of them. Now I know that even if they stop making new anime, I have a life-time’s worth to catch up on.
Post took about 2 weeks of on-and-off writing to complete, though most was done in about 2 days of about 5 hours on non-stop writing, then in hours of editing and picture-finding. I’m glad to see you’ll use the list~
There are a few others that i could add to if i could be arsed. I think seizon from this season definitely belong. kokoro library. kanon 2002 should be included with 2006 (probably the only one of a kind in anime this decade). kara no kyoukai needs to be update up there (not all of them are 50 minutes fwiw). For “Diebuster” you should also add the films. Rebuild of Eva is definitely worth mentioning (episode 2 ZOMG). Strange Dawn. Air Master. Onegai Teacher/Twins. Tsukihime (first doujin-based anime)! there are probably more.
Seitokai no Ichizon was one I definitely figured someone would add, as for kokoro toshokan i wasn’t sure because I’ve read mostly negative things about it. I plan to watch it anyway, so maybe I’ll add it myself when I see it. I was surprised that I forgot Rebuild, but I haven’t seen it. Never heard of Strange Dawn. Will let someone else add Air Master and Onegai Sensei – Tsukihime is up there, you must have missed it.
As for Kanon 2006 I will add it and update the KnK entry.
This has got to be one of, if not the, greatest blog posts I have ever seen. Ignoring my only recent forays into the world of blogging. >.> With all of my favorites making it onto the list–Air, FLCL, Bakemonogatari, Maria Holic, Kanokon, etc.–I’m also really proud of myself. For some reason, seeing those up there reaffirms their greatness in their mind. A blog post this well done, well thought out…I can’t imagine the amount of time you put into this. Makes me happy to entertain the thought that I might some day do something as epic as this. xD And as much as this sounds suck-upish, I really am just blown away by this post.
And here I go, asking another question that’s sure to entice a long winded response. My plan to get myself up-and-running has more or less come down to spending the short remainder of 2010 watching anime that are recommended to me.
I want to watch as many series as I can that are essentially what this post about–anime released over the past few years that have had a major impact on the otaku community, and are considered classic or just plain amazing works of art. I’ve been looking at ones released mostly in the past 3 or so years, maybe a little longer if they’re that important, just to better understand exactly what kind of an art form anime is today. I know I really should watch the lower end of the spectrum as well, but unless there are any anime I really should watch BECAUSE they’re so horrible, I think I’ll stick with this…
So, because simply looking through this post doesn’t really make it clear to me what I NEED to watch, I’ll make a request for suggestions and then return to my hole to cower in fear at your rage towards having to do more work. xD
:D I like you. A Lot. I think you are going to do amazing work~
Here’s a list of the most important shows of the last 3 years, followed by what I personally consider the best that aren’t as influential. Ordered by their ascending order from the list.
Most Important: (* means EXTREMELY important)
Toradora (highly popular romance that broke the encroaching norms of light-novel-based romance stories)
ef ~a tale of memories~ (utlra-dramatic romance from SHAFT that helped them get huge in the late 2007-area)
Lucky Star * (Enormous 2007 comedy aimed unabashedly at otaku and succeeding as much as imaginable. One of the Kyoto Animation Musts.)
Higurashi series * (Very big visual novel adaption with many famous characters)
Mahou Shuojo Lyrical Nanoha series (began in 2004 continued to 2007 with sequels) * (The take-off otaku-aimed magical girl story. I personally can only tolerate the second season, myself. It’s not really all that worth watching because the same influence it had is seen in other shows)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann * (HUGE, EPIC Gainax show from 2007 that brought manly back)
Hidamari Sketch (A very popular slice of life comedy that was part of SHAFT’s growing popularity in 2007)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya * (The biggest show of the decade for otaku, a runaway insane hit)
NHK ni Youkoso! (A show that explored hikkikomori when no one else would touch it)
The Sky Crawlers (The latest from all-star director Mamoru Oshii)
Maria-sama ga Miteru (began a few years ago, continued into 2009) (The biggest yuri show ever, helped bring yuri into the light)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (another largely popular SHAFT comedy that helped them get huge and be able to produce things like Bakemonogatari)
Darker Than Black series (Tensei Okamura’s 2007 dark urban fantasy that spawned a very popular 2009 sequel)
Spice and Wolf * (Big show that combined ‘moe’ with great writing and had one of the most successful characters of the past few years)
Genshiken (The ultimate exploration of what it means to be an otaku in this decade)
Ichigo Mashimaro (Another popular moe show, very integral in learning how to learn how moe works and how tongue-in-cheek it usually is)
Kara no Kyoukai * (Based on the first novel by Type-Moon, who is the biggest visual novel company this side of Key. Also one of the most unique productions ever.)
5 Centimeters Per Second (Amazing and hugely acclaimed third film from Makoto Shinkai)
Code Geass * (The LOLOMGWTGBBQ wild and crazy show that blew everyone’s mind)
Strike Witches (Another popular moe show good for observing trends)
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (Popular movie that put Mamoru Hosada on everyone’s map.)
Aria series (Instant-classic slice-of-life anime that is almost universally loved)
Hayate the Combat Butler (Very popular parody comedy series)
Minami-ke (Very popular and hilarious comedy series)
Clannad * (One of the big Kyoto Animation shows, and probably the most popular and huge of the Key adaptions)
To Aru Majutsu no Index (though sequel To Aru Kagaku no Railgun is way better) (A popular light novel adaption)
Shugo Chara! (One of the biggest shoujo anime of the past fw years, only really recommended if you are into mahou shoujo)
Kanon 2006 * (Another essential Kyoto AnimationxKey show)
Bakemonogatari (but I know you’ve seen this~)
Death Note * (One of the biggest shows in the US as well as Japan, a runaway success of suspense)
Shakugan no Shana (another big light novel adaption and the one that made Rie Kugimiya a huge success. Only really worth watching for trend observation)
Summer Wars (The new and getting huge Mamoru Hosada film)
Paprika (The most recent from genius director Satoshi Kon)
Monster (Hugely acclaimed psychological thriller adapted from a manga by mastermind Naoki Urusawa)
Eden of the East (The big-budget popular hit of 2009)
K-On! * (Another essential Kyoto Animation show and the perfection of the moe aesthetic that perpetuates 2009)
Saki (Another largely popular 2009 moe anime)
Amazing shows from the past 3 years that aren’t as influential (* = recommended for broad appeal):
Gintama *
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight *
Simoun *
Baccano! *
Casshern Sins
Kure-nai *
Bamboo Blade *
Blue Drop
Mushi-shi *
Ouran High School Host club *
Detroit Metal City *
Soul Eater
Kaiji *
Akagi
Dennou Coil *
Sword of the Stranger *
Hatenkou Yuugi
Seirei no Moribito *
Potemayo *
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel
Hitohira
Nodame Cantabile *
Touka Gettan
Birdy the Mighty Decode
Kuuchuu Buranko *
Sketchbook *
Mouryou no Hako
Amatsuki
Sengoku Basara *
Kaiba
Aoi Hana *
Sasameki Koto
Tokyo MAgnitude 8.0 *
Aoi Bungaku Series
Ga-Rei -Zero-
GA ~Geijutsuka Art Design Class~
Taishou Yakuu Musume
Mononoke *
Moyashimon *
Macross Frontier *
Gundam 00
If it seems like a lot, it’s because there is – later years have had more and more anime coming out, meaning higher hit rates. 2006 and 2007 in particular were HUGE years for great releases. You shouldn’t try to rush through this, you don’t want to watch all the shows above, and if you do, it’ll take you at least a year – the things in the Influential list with stars on the m are the things ou really have to watch and just sprinkle bits of everything else on as toppings.
I don’t want to pressure you, but I really hope you use this list – I’ve given hundreds of recommendations in my day, and only so many have been listened to – I’ve given away a lot of mid-length lists to people who promptly forgot about the damn things. If you’re gunna do this, then you gotta do it, man!
O.O Seven hours. Midnight to seven in the morning. More and more Toradora. I don’t know how she did it, but after eight episodes, Taiga has already offset Chiziru as my favorite anime character of all time. T_T
I just felt it’s necessary to thank everyone who’s ever recommended this anime to me.
Also, just a status update on that list: Through anime I’ve already seen and a few just introduced to me, I’ve chopped the main list down from 37 to about 30 already (Counting a general need to go back and skim through Lucky Star and Haruhi as half an anime a piece, that is.). The secondary list is still somewhere around 35. >.> But I’m going through with it, no worries. It’s not even difficult, to tell you the truth; I’m the slightest bit worried how much I’ll be able to get three in this next week, but I’ve enjoyed every bit of it so far. The only problem is that my friends keep showing me other anime as well that I really wanna watch. >.>
:D by all means, take your time and watch what you want – anime is a very mood thing so you gotta go with the flow. It’s okay to mix your must-watch with some side stuff – I know I always do~
That’s a monster of a list and I’m surprised I actually have stuff to add.
Tide-Line Blue (12 eps) (+ OVA) (Adventure, Drama, Action, Post-apocalyptic) – In the future a catastrophe led to 90% of the world being flooded. Fourteen years later the world seems to be rebuilding and countries band together to form the New United Nations until Gould, a submarine captain, declares war on the New UN. In the middle of this we have the teenage protagonists: Keel, the grandson of the UN secretary general; Isla, a teenage mother; and Teen, Keels twin brother raised by Gould.
Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor (25 eps) (+ Right of Left (51 min)) (Drama, Mecha, Sci-fi) – One of the post-Eva children are forced to fight mysterious monster creatures. It has a good cast of characters and it does a decent job of fucking them up and fucking them over. Plus it has some of my favorite mecha designs ever.
Yami no Matsuei (13 eps) (Drama, Mystery, BL, Supernatural) – Follows two Shinigami, Tsuzuki and Hisoka, as they investigate various mysteries related to people who should have died not dying. Most of these mysteries are somehow related Dr. Muraki Kazutaka, the sociopathic serial killer with a strange obsession with Tsuzuki who also tortured and killed Hisoka. Fun times.
Gravitation (13 eps) (+ OVA) (Comedy, Romance, BL) – The anime that got a whole generation of fangirls into BL and yaoi. It’s full of overwhelming cuteness and and melodrama. Gensoumaden Saiyuuki (50 eps) (+Movie +Reload (25 eps) + Reload Gunlock (26 eps) + OVA (3 eps)) (Action, Adventure, Fantasy) – Saiyuki is very loosely based on “Journey to the West”. It’s a good mix of action, comedy, and tragic pasts.
Rideback (12 eps) (action, Mecha, Sci-fi) – First, a “Fuck you!” to all the haters. This was one of my favourites of 2009 simply because I loved Rin and the idea of motorcycles + ballet is awesome. It’s only real fault is that it was too short for the pace that had been set up in the middle of the series.
I’m not sure if the “Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea” manages to evade your ban as it’s not a direct sequel so much as a complete re-imagining of the original, but if it does it should be on the list.
WIN! Thanks a ton! I had a feeling someone would add Saiyuki and I forgot about Gravitation. Impressively, I’ve never even heard of Yami no Matsuei or Tide-Line Blue – good to see lesser-known stuff getting it’s due~
As for Escaflowne movie, you can add it if you want, I didn’t like it so I shouldn’t write the description.
ALthough I’m not a fan of “200+ someone’s favorite shows = 200+ top tier anime”, you are free to look at some titles below that are favourites of mine as well as many others i’m sure.
Millenium Actress
Jin-Roh
Tekkon Kinkreet
Utena the Movie
Genius Party
Atama Yama
Inaka Yasha
Dead Leaves
Hundred Stories
Ergo Proxy
Edo Rocket
(k-anime, if you count them like psgels)
Mari Iyagi
Oseam
Aachi wa Ssipak
excluded ultra obscure works like Iblard Jikan and Mezame no Hakobune. Never going to be popular enough to be remembered in next decade.
Millennium Actress is up there, and yes I believe Jin-Roh is from 96.
You’ve got a very good list of arthouse shows up there that I do like many of. Anyway, definitely write about them if you want, I think that for me personally arthouse things are typically stuff I watch once and then dont’ rewatch uless it’s something truly amazing that I love, which is why I didn’t write about too many. Also, I think ‘Inaka yasha’ is meant to be ‘Inaka Isha’ ?
Hundred Stories I would add if I’d seen it, and Edo Rocket I don’t know much about. ERgo Proxy I left out because I hate it but anyone else is welcome to add it. I’m not rushing you, but by all means, don’t just list~ Add~! ADD~!
Well, I am going to do something slightly expected, but frankly, if you’re going to include shows like K-On and Kanamemo (shows I’d like to forget ever existed forever), then I think that you NEED to include:
InuYasha (167 eps) (+ The Final Act (26 episodes) + 4 Movies) (Action, Romance, Adventure, Drama, Comedy) – A story about a normal girl (Kagome) who lives in a shrine (but is otherwise normal), and one day falls down a well to find that she has somehow traveled back in time to feudal Japan. She meets Inuyasha, breaks a sacred shard called the Shikon Jewel, and with the help of Inuyasha and others, she begins a journey to collect the shard, and destroy Naraku, a demon who is pretty much bad news to everyone, and wants the shard for himself. This first aired on Oct 16, 2000 (although the manga was earlier), and spanned 167 episodes. The series brought 4 movies and several games. I feel like InuYasha was one of the more popular anime during the early 2000’s. On a more personal note, this anime was the core anime that really got me to start trying out other anime besides Dragonball Z. Without InuYasha, I would most likely not have watched much anime outside of Dragonball Z.
There’s a few other anime, like Ergo Proxy, but I’m not going to name all of them. This post is probably one of the most amazing things I’ve seen (on a blog). I can’t even make a 200 anime of the decade, because I haven’t even seen that much in my lifetime (I just started watching anime right before this decade began….like….1999).
I honestly thought Inuyasha started in the 90s~ I have no problem with you adding it, plenty still consider it an all-time favorite. As for all your others, well starting with Ergo Proxy I left it out with great purpose. I know a lot of people love it, but I refuse to write anything nice about it.
That’s because you suck! I can’t defend Tytania because I couldn’t finish that snooze-fest, but Rideback was awesome no matter what you say. I know some people expected a lot more from political plot, but I think dismissing the entire show for that leads to missing some of the awesome parts of the show. Plus, Rin was possibly the most relatable female anime protagonists I have seen in really longtime, which to me is special.
If we’re voting off uninteresting shows of 2009, I’d honestly say that K-ON! should be the first thing to go.
I think the problem with Rideback is that the original manga is pretty long and constantly changes, and it’s not easy to convert to anime.
I know endless K-On! fans, including my little brother and myself, so I know it stays~ I didn’t include Rideback because I didn’t hear enough positive things about it, but if someone adds it as a favorite, I can’t debate that.
I don’t get your list at first but then I saw Clannad ranked lower than True Tears so all is well. After that I saw shows like Red Garden and Earth Maiden Arjuna in higher spot before BAM! you give Gintama the first spot! Only then did I get how awesome this list is.
But here are some anime that should be in the list.Sorry I’m short for time so I wouldn’t be able to do it in your format
Bleach
Genshiken
Hatsukoi Limited
Kyou no Go no Ni
Ookiku Furikabutte
Genshiken is up there. The others I mostly haven’t seen so you have to add them yourself whenever you find the time. If you don’t ever add them, though, I may add Kyou no Go no Ni under Kodomo no Jikan.
One of my personal favorites: Onegai Sensei (12 episodes + 1 OVA) (+ Onegai Twins (12 episodes + 1 OVA)) (Romantic comedy, Sci-fi) – set on a (actually real) town surrounding a lake, Onegai Sensei is a romantic comedy about a high school boy who is actually older than he looks due to a disease and his new teacher who is, on the other hand, an alien; that due to a misunderstanding they end up getting married. The story follows them as they coup with suddenly having to live together and how the two start to fall in love. It’s a rather standard story that works well as an entry level anime. The sequel, Onegai Twins is set in the same town and same high school, but introduces new main characters: a boy and two girls, all orphans who are brought together by a picture of a couple of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl; both girls believe themselves to be the girl in the picture and so the tree decide to live together until they figure out which one is the real sister, but things get complicated as they start falling in love. The sequel isn’t as good as the original but it is nevertheless entertaining.
My head hurts too, so much to take in :) But I see a great many shows on there that I’ve watched and loved.
Saiunkoku Monogatari was so much more than a reverse harem. Usually in those shows the girl is a complete twit who is constantly needing the surrounding bishies to help her.
But in SaiMo the heroine Shuurei,is hardworking, intelligent and full of heart, always putting others before herself. If anything you’re almost dying to see more romance since she tends to brush off the attentions of her main suitor in favor of furthering her career. It was really nice to see a show like that produce such a strong female lead.
Which was actually probably what I really loved about Kaleido Star, Sora’s never give up, never surrender attitude. Well except for that episode when she ran back to Japan XD
Oh and Champloo, oh how I wish they’d made more of that. It was so inventive and the way they managed to blend so many elements and have they work so well was amazing.
Okay I have to stop, I could rave on about all my fave shows on that list.
Oh have you ever checked out Peacemaker Kurogane? I’ve rewatched that many a time, but then I’m a sucker for Samurai’s.
I don’t know, I think that the idea of a “canon” is not a listing of everything anyone liked but rather a list of unassailable classics; e.g. the “Western canon” was Chaucer, Plato, Shakespeare, Milton etc. I don’t think we’ll really know the 2000-2009 anime canon for some time yet — it be those shows that like Eva, Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura, or even Sailor Moon never really pass out of memory and prove influential far into the future.
The thing is, there is no such thing as a ‘classic’ anime, and through the years things we select as classics have created a massive backdraft of great shows no one remembers. After watching a bunch of 90s anime, I can tell you that my ‘best shows of the 90s’ are much different than would would ordinarily be considered the canonical shows, and so if we are going to move into the next decade, I want us to carry along ALL of the greats, and not just those that some select group considered worthy – because fuck that select group, I DISAGREE WITH THEM!
That’s a good goal. I think that’s what happened to the idea of the literary canon already, more or less. It’s more like curation or excavation, not a canon — acknowledging that certain people will want to champion their own threads through the material.
Good lord, this is outrageous. One vote for Seto no Hanayome though. That show definitely belongs on this list. IMO, it is THE harem anime, that harem animes should aspire to be.
I applaud your effort towards this list and agree with pretty much every title except for Amatsuki, that series was so boring for me :P Besides that, awesome list!
Not that I’m all that familiar with you or your blog, but as a yuri-fanboy I think you must have seen Kannazuki no Miko, right? This is indeed a great list that has many of the titles I like and recognize but as I’ve only recently discovered and fallen in love with the masterpiece that is Kannazuki no Miko I thought I just had to mention it.
I’ll write up a summary since not many others seem to be really bothering to: Kannazuki no Miko (12 eps.) (Mecha, Action, Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Yuri) – A simultaneous adaption of a manga by Kaishaku (Steel Angel Kurumi, UFO Princess Valkyrie, Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto), Kannazuki no Miko is a departure from their older works in that it is a dark and dramatic fantasy. Kannazuki brings forth an eclectic mixture of mecha action and deep yuri romance to tell a dramatic story of fated lovers. Although the fantasy action and plot ultimately function as a background upon which the central romance plays out, it is at the same time well fleshed out by one of the most respectable male protagonists generally found in shounen anime, and further bolstered by an incredible soundtrack by Mina Kubota, which lends the whole series an epic, movie like feel you almost cannot find in longer series. Furthermore, the rising climax which encompasses the last quarter of the series is an artistic triumph whose emotional force rivals the dramatic best of any melodrama. All in all Kannazuki no Miko is a tour de force of dramatic storytelling that consistently grips you through its action-packed beginning to finally deliver one of the most beautiful romantic conclusions (yuri or otherwise–though that it is yuri makes it all that more noteworthy) ever made.
…lol maybe my extreme praise for this show is too much to some people. I’ve seen a lot of criticism from people who were either too fixated on shoujo-ai to appreciate the epic mecha, too shallowly blinded by ‘yuri rape!!1!one’ to appreciate the plot or the characters, or people who couldn’t even accept yuri at all. But it truly is a masterpiece in my opinion. I think all it really takes to be able to appreciate all its diverse elements is to see that Souma is a decent and admirable person, but that Chikane is destined to be with Himeko.
I utterly hate Kannazuki no Miko but I knew someone else would add it. Thanks for the help~ I probably should actually finish the show, but it’s not high on my to-do list.
ummmo idk if you already added this or not but Elfen Lied is a wonderful anime it does contain bucket amounts of nudity yet not in a vulgar way this anime is an all time favorite of mine and i’d hate to see it go uncredited it is only 13 episodes long but it still made mew cry maybe im just a sucker though Xp but if you havent already you should check it out.
p.s. way to include kannazuki no miko i respect you lots!
I knew this would come up at some point. First of all, One Piece started in 1997 which is the only reason it’s not on the list – however, one of the movies is. Secondly, Naruto and Bleach are both far superior as manga, and I would not consider either anime adaption to be worth watching.
Got to say, The list is looking very good.
I would like to throw in two suggestions though
Naruto shippuden first of all, I mean it may not be perfect but i do believe it is one of the best action orientated animes of the past decade….when it eventually gets around to the action.
Also Kaze no stigma is a great series. It has a very generic plot but the characters are very endearing.
No offense, but I’d like you to watch Sword of the Stranger, Canaan, Karas, Baccano, Ga-Rei Zero, Mnemosyne, Claymore, Soul Eater, Hajime no Ippo, Darker Than Black, Birdy the Mighty Decode, Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl 2, Hellsing Ultimate, and Mai-HiME, and then tell me if you still think Naruto Shippuden is one of the best actio nanime of the decade. I’m sorry, but it gets outclassed in pretty much every way.
If you want to add it, you can. I haven’t seen it and I’ve heard bad things about the OVA, but if it was one of your fvorites, feel free to write about it.
have you watched Otogi Zoshi? it’s really good (well for me.. )
I was planning to rewatch what I have missed these years in anime and woah that’s alot of “good” anime I should try.
Am shocked that Code Geass was only 50 something and there’s no full metal alchemist
well this list is helpful to me since I need alot of catching up to do
You’re opinion of Claymore makes me sad. It’d definitely one of the best anime I’ve ever seen (though, admittedly, I don’t watch a ton- I’m working on that) and was engrossing enough to get me into the manga which is awesome. If you read it, you’d see that the plot is not “laughably generic.” One of the reasons I really respect Claymore is because it’s an intense action anime with nearly all female leads that doesn’t resort to sex or giant tits of any kind.
On another note, Black Lagoon is absolutely fucking insane. I honestly don’t know what the writers were thinking half when creating many of the show’s characters.
The plot is pretty damn generic, man. It’s about an organization that fights demons – there are at least 100 shounen anime with that plot. That’s not a condemnation, though, which should be obvious since it’s on the list at all. And personally, I see nothing wrong with resorting to tits and sex, but I also know of plenty of female-centric action anime that don’t rely on them. But in any case, I do enjoy Claymore a lot.
My Sword Is Unbelievably Dull 
Tag whore! But seriously, a list of 200 anime, doesn’t this defeat the purpose of the “best of lists” and just create a “Hall of OK” instead of a “Hall of Fame”?
No, because it’s an ‘anime canon’ – everything in this list is someone’s favorite show of the decade, all pulled from favorites lists, so everything here should be considered top of the line or at least close to top of the line.
Anyway, this post started when I couldn’t quite make a top 50, and then couldn’t quite make a top 100, and then said fuck it I’ll do ’em all!
Eh, decent list but I find it humorous when you state right off the bat that there is no “insignificant Gundam anime” It’s called SD Gundam Force and it was down right atrocious.
I liked SD Gundam force, but that fact probably has something to do with having two younger brothers who were very into it.
My head hurt
As Jack Black would say: “Take it to the head, bitch!”
Trust me I tried to contribute to this… I’m defeated
So you’re saying I covered all of the stuff you would have suggested? lol. Well, don’t feel bad about it, you’ve seen a lot of older shows which a lot of today’s fans haven’t, so it’s not like you’re behind or anything.
wow wonderful! I’ll have to think for a bit if you missed anything :P
If I did PLEASE add it!
ok oi… I’m gonna add a “few” to the list here bare with me lol >.> (they’ll probably need editing as i kinda suck at writing short little blurbs like this that aren’t from my perspective…)
Vandread (13 eps.) (+ The Second Stage (13 eps) + 2 recap movies) (Comedy, Sci Fi, Mecha) – Boys VS girls in space! A war is being fought between the 2 sides but they eventually learn that there is a greater threat out there other than their different genders. An alien race who wants to wipe out both sides. So now they must band together to fight this new threat.
Tytania (26 eps.) (Sci Fi, Space Opera, Political, Outer Space) – An updated version of Legend of the Galactic Heroes one might say. This anime has all the elements of that but adds new animation and a whole new world to conquer. Wanted by Tytania, Fan Hulic flees from one planet to another because he simply won a battle against a duke of Tytania. Any Space Opera fan will drool over this show.
Junjou Romantica (12 eps.) (yaoi, Drama, Romance) – This anime stands out among all the other yaoi titles out there by actually having a interesting plot and having a lot of “tender” situations without going overboard and turning into a hentai. It had a sequel series called Junjou Romantica 2 (12 eps.) but doesn’t live up to the expectations left by season one.
Antique Bakery (12 eps.) (Drama, yaoi) – This anime is simply charming about a man who suddenly quits his high paying job and opens a bakery. He hires very interesting staff that have some of the most fun interactions I’ve seen. He has a hidden past that slowly gets relieved throughout the anime. The food aspect of the show is very engaging as it’ll make you want to have a bite of whatever the special pastry is because they look so delicious.
Ristorante Paradiso (11 eps.) (Slice of Life, Romance, Food) – Slice of Life at it’s BEST. It’s more adult feeling and focuses on the interactions between Nicoletta, a 21 year old girl, and everyone that works at a local restaurant called Casetta dell’orso. The animation gives off a warm feeling that mixes well with the drama added from the story.
Alien Nine (4 OVA eps.)(sci-fi, drama, action) – Little girls are made to wear alien hats and fight off bad aliens that try to attack the school. Sounds weird yes but it’s an interesting little ova that will make you think.
Doujin Work (12 10 min. eps.) (Comedy, Otaku Culture) – Najimi Osana just wants to make lots of money. So learning that a childhood friend makes good money by making doujin’s she is determined to do so herself.
Himitsu: The Revelation (25 eps.) (Mystery, Sci Fi, Drama, Science, Psychological, Detectives, Suspense) – This show is what I like to think as CSI of the future. They now have the technology to take the brain of a victim and look at the memories locked away inside making it possible for them to solve the case quickly. Episodic episodes within a very complex drama.
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia (Movie) (sports, drama) – ‘Vuelta’ bicycle race that takes place all around Spain, and Nasu is determined to win it. Personal drama, team drama, this movie has everything you could want even if it mainly takes place while he rides his bike in this race towards the finish line.
Oseam (movie) (drama, tragedy) – A touching story about two orphans that get taken care of by a monk. One day one of them decide to go with the monk up into the mountains to a temple during the winter. Korean made.
Diamond Daydreams (12 eps.) (Drama, Romance) – Diamond dust: when the moisture in the air freezes on a chilly day, the air seems to sparkle and shimmer. It is said that to see the diamond dust in its glory means that lovers will stay together forever, friendships will flourish, and dreams will be realized. Follow the tales of 6 people that somehow get effected by this magical tale of diamond dust.
Love Hina (24 eps.) (+ Love Hina Again 3 eps. + 3 specials) (Harem, Fanservice, Romance, Comedy) – One of the most if not the most popular romance harems out there. Love Hina follows Keitaro Urashima who’s ultimate goal is to attend Tokyo University because of a promise he made to a childhood girl that he can not remember the name of and hopes to meet her there again.
AWESOME!!! Some of these were ones I knew someone would add (Love Hina, Vandread, Antique Bakery) so I’m glad to have them! I added effects, edited the genre tags in places, and some spelling errors. The descriptions seem fine, though I haven’t seen most of the shows – Alien Nine I will edit once I watch it since I just bought it and all~
yeah i figured there were gonna be a lot of mistakes in there XD glad you like :D
This is perhaps the most insane post I’ve ever seen. Several of those shows I always thought of having aired forever ago but then again to me 8 or 10 years ago is a long time. :P Now I wonder how long it would take to watch all these…
Hopefully it takes less than a decade XD
I skimmed the list, will read in bits and pieces. I did search for a few specific titles, and if I can think of my favorites to add I will.
Twin Spica (20 eps) (Sci-Fi, Drama, Slice-of-Life) – Is about a group of friends who want to become astronauts. The main focus is the characters and their path to reaching their dreams. The pacing can be really slow and the animation isn’t that good, but you’ll get a touching, heartfelt, and heart-wrenching experience. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki [alias Go Sakamoto] (Here is Greenwood, Kimagure Orange Road[episode director for the tv, director for ova and movie], Maison Ikkoku[episode director for tv, director for movie], Ocean Waves, Porphy no Nagai Tabi, Princess Nine, Ranma 1/2 season 1, Shinigami no Ballad, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou ~Quiet Country Cafe~, Zettai Shounen)
Awesome! I added some effects to your comment, too. I’m kind of surprised I forgot Twin Spica, probably because it wasn’t on any of the top 50 of the decade lists. Such an under-appreciated show.
Wow, what an insanely awesome post! You’ve given me plenty of things to add to my anime slush pile…I’ll be busy for awhile! Keep up the great work!
Wow, that’s a really impressive list (just curious, how long did it take to complete this post?) I’ve seen a bunch of those titles but not nearly all of them. Now I know that even if they stop making new anime, I have a life-time’s worth to catch up on.
Post took about 2 weeks of on-and-off writing to complete, though most was done in about 2 days of about 5 hours on non-stop writing, then in hours of editing and picture-finding. I’m glad to see you’ll use the list~
There are a few others that i could add to if i could be arsed. I think seizon from this season definitely belong. kokoro library. kanon 2002 should be included with 2006 (probably the only one of a kind in anime this decade). kara no kyoukai needs to be update up there (not all of them are 50 minutes fwiw). For “Diebuster” you should also add the films. Rebuild of Eva is definitely worth mentioning (episode 2 ZOMG). Strange Dawn. Air Master. Onegai Teacher/Twins. Tsukihime (first doujin-based anime)! there are probably more.
yeah. gj tho.
Seitokai no Ichizon was one I definitely figured someone would add, as for kokoro toshokan i wasn’t sure because I’ve read mostly negative things about it. I plan to watch it anyway, so maybe I’ll add it myself when I see it. I was surprised that I forgot Rebuild, but I haven’t seen it. Never heard of Strange Dawn. Will let someone else add Air Master and Onegai Sensei – Tsukihime is up there, you must have missed it.
As for Kanon 2006 I will add it and update the KnK entry.
i thought psgels listed strange dawn in his list. anyways.
You have Haibane Renmei on there but no Serial Experiments Lain?
Considering how Lain aired in 1998 I don’t think it would make a whole lot of sense….
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Egad…marvelous post. NOW FOR NEW YEARS 200 ANIME MARATHON OH SHIT HEAD EXPLOSION
This is…I just…are you God?
This has got to be one of, if not the, greatest blog posts I have ever seen. Ignoring my only recent forays into the world of blogging. >.> With all of my favorites making it onto the list–Air, FLCL, Bakemonogatari, Maria Holic, Kanokon, etc.–I’m also really proud of myself. For some reason, seeing those up there reaffirms their greatness in their mind. A blog post this well done, well thought out…I can’t imagine the amount of time you put into this. Makes me happy to entertain the thought that I might some day do something as epic as this. xD And as much as this sounds suck-upish, I really am just blown away by this post.
And here I go, asking another question that’s sure to entice a long winded response. My plan to get myself up-and-running has more or less come down to spending the short remainder of 2010 watching anime that are recommended to me.
I want to watch as many series as I can that are essentially what this post about–anime released over the past few years that have had a major impact on the otaku community, and are considered classic or just plain amazing works of art. I’ve been looking at ones released mostly in the past 3 or so years, maybe a little longer if they’re that important, just to better understand exactly what kind of an art form anime is today. I know I really should watch the lower end of the spectrum as well, but unless there are any anime I really should watch BECAUSE they’re so horrible, I think I’ll stick with this…
So, because simply looking through this post doesn’t really make it clear to me what I NEED to watch, I’ll make a request for suggestions and then return to my hole to cower in fear at your rage towards having to do more work. xD
:D I like you. A Lot. I think you are going to do amazing work~
Here’s a list of the most important shows of the last 3 years, followed by what I personally consider the best that aren’t as influential. Ordered by their ascending order from the list.
Most Important: (* means EXTREMELY important)
Toradora (highly popular romance that broke the encroaching norms of light-novel-based romance stories)
ef ~a tale of memories~ (utlra-dramatic romance from SHAFT that helped them get huge in the late 2007-area)
Lucky Star * (Enormous 2007 comedy aimed unabashedly at otaku and succeeding as much as imaginable. One of the Kyoto Animation Musts.)
Higurashi series * (Very big visual novel adaption with many famous characters)
Mahou Shuojo Lyrical Nanoha series (began in 2004 continued to 2007 with sequels) * (The take-off otaku-aimed magical girl story. I personally can only tolerate the second season, myself. It’s not really all that worth watching because the same influence it had is seen in other shows)
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann * (HUGE, EPIC Gainax show from 2007 that brought manly back)
Hidamari Sketch (A very popular slice of life comedy that was part of SHAFT’s growing popularity in 2007)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya * (The biggest show of the decade for otaku, a runaway insane hit)
NHK ni Youkoso! (A show that explored hikkikomori when no one else would touch it)
The Sky Crawlers (The latest from all-star director Mamoru Oshii)
Maria-sama ga Miteru (began a few years ago, continued into 2009) (The biggest yuri show ever, helped bring yuri into the light)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (another largely popular SHAFT comedy that helped them get huge and be able to produce things like Bakemonogatari)
Darker Than Black series (Tensei Okamura’s 2007 dark urban fantasy that spawned a very popular 2009 sequel)
Spice and Wolf * (Big show that combined ‘moe’ with great writing and had one of the most successful characters of the past few years)
Genshiken (The ultimate exploration of what it means to be an otaku in this decade)
Ichigo Mashimaro (Another popular moe show, very integral in learning how to learn how moe works and how tongue-in-cheek it usually is)
Kara no Kyoukai * (Based on the first novel by Type-Moon, who is the biggest visual novel company this side of Key. Also one of the most unique productions ever.)
5 Centimeters Per Second (Amazing and hugely acclaimed third film from Makoto Shinkai)
Code Geass * (The LOLOMGWTGBBQ wild and crazy show that blew everyone’s mind)
Strike Witches (Another popular moe show good for observing trends)
Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (Popular movie that put Mamoru Hosada on everyone’s map.)
Aria series (Instant-classic slice-of-life anime that is almost universally loved)
Hayate the Combat Butler (Very popular parody comedy series)
Minami-ke (Very popular and hilarious comedy series)
Clannad * (One of the big Kyoto Animation shows, and probably the most popular and huge of the Key adaptions)
To Aru Majutsu no Index (though sequel To Aru Kagaku no Railgun is way better) (A popular light novel adaption)
Shugo Chara! (One of the biggest shoujo anime of the past fw years, only really recommended if you are into mahou shoujo)
Kanon 2006 * (Another essential Kyoto AnimationxKey show)
Bakemonogatari (but I know you’ve seen this~)
Death Note * (One of the biggest shows in the US as well as Japan, a runaway success of suspense)
Shakugan no Shana (another big light novel adaption and the one that made Rie Kugimiya a huge success. Only really worth watching for trend observation)
Summer Wars (The new and getting huge Mamoru Hosada film)
Paprika (The most recent from genius director Satoshi Kon)
Monster (Hugely acclaimed psychological thriller adapted from a manga by mastermind Naoki Urusawa)
Eden of the East (The big-budget popular hit of 2009)
K-On! * (Another essential Kyoto Animation show and the perfection of the moe aesthetic that perpetuates 2009)
Saki (Another largely popular 2009 moe anime)
Amazing shows from the past 3 years that aren’t as influential (* = recommended for broad appeal):
Gintama *
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight *
Simoun *
Baccano! *
Casshern Sins
Kure-nai *
Bamboo Blade *
Blue Drop
Mushi-shi *
Ouran High School Host club *
Detroit Metal City *
Soul Eater
Kaiji *
Akagi
Dennou Coil *
Sword of the Stranger *
Hatenkou Yuugi
Seirei no Moribito *
Potemayo *
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro
Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel
Hitohira
Nodame Cantabile *
Touka Gettan
Birdy the Mighty Decode
Kuuchuu Buranko *
Sketchbook *
Mouryou no Hako
Amatsuki
Sengoku Basara *
Kaiba
Aoi Hana *
Sasameki Koto
Tokyo MAgnitude 8.0 *
Aoi Bungaku Series
Ga-Rei -Zero-
GA ~Geijutsuka Art Design Class~
Taishou Yakuu Musume
Mononoke *
Moyashimon *
Macross Frontier *
Gundam 00
If it seems like a lot, it’s because there is – later years have had more and more anime coming out, meaning higher hit rates. 2006 and 2007 in particular were HUGE years for great releases. You shouldn’t try to rush through this, you don’t want to watch all the shows above, and if you do, it’ll take you at least a year – the things in the Influential list with stars on the m are the things ou really have to watch and just sprinkle bits of everything else on as toppings.
I don’t want to pressure you, but I really hope you use this list – I’ve given hundreds of recommendations in my day, and only so many have been listened to – I’ve given away a lot of mid-length lists to people who promptly forgot about the damn things. If you’re gunna do this, then you gotta do it, man!
O.O Seven hours. Midnight to seven in the morning. More and more Toradora. I don’t know how she did it, but after eight episodes, Taiga has already offset Chiziru as my favorite anime character of all time. T_T
I just felt it’s necessary to thank everyone who’s ever recommended this anime to me.
THANK. YOU.
Also, just a status update on that list: Through anime I’ve already seen and a few just introduced to me, I’ve chopped the main list down from 37 to about 30 already (Counting a general need to go back and skim through Lucky Star and Haruhi as half an anime a piece, that is.). The secondary list is still somewhere around 35. >.> But I’m going through with it, no worries. It’s not even difficult, to tell you the truth; I’m the slightest bit worried how much I’ll be able to get three in this next week, but I’ve enjoyed every bit of it so far. The only problem is that my friends keep showing me other anime as well that I really wanna watch. >.>
:D by all means, take your time and watch what you want – anime is a very mood thing so you gotta go with the flow. It’s okay to mix your must-watch with some side stuff – I know I always do~
That’s a monster of a list and I’m surprised I actually have stuff to add.
Tide-Line Blue (12 eps) (+ OVA) (Adventure, Drama, Action, Post-apocalyptic) – In the future a catastrophe led to 90% of the world being flooded. Fourteen years later the world seems to be rebuilding and countries band together to form the New United Nations until Gould, a submarine captain, declares war on the New UN. In the middle of this we have the teenage protagonists: Keel, the grandson of the UN secretary general; Isla, a teenage mother; and Teen, Keels twin brother raised by Gould.
Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor (25 eps) (+ Right of Left (51 min)) (Drama, Mecha, Sci-fi) – One of the post-Eva children are forced to fight mysterious monster creatures. It has a good cast of characters and it does a decent job of fucking them up and fucking them over. Plus it has some of my favorite mecha designs ever.
Yami no Matsuei (13 eps) (Drama, Mystery, BL, Supernatural) – Follows two Shinigami, Tsuzuki and Hisoka, as they investigate various mysteries related to people who should have died not dying. Most of these mysteries are somehow related Dr. Muraki Kazutaka, the sociopathic serial killer with a strange obsession with Tsuzuki who also tortured and killed Hisoka. Fun times.
Gravitation (13 eps) (+ OVA) (Comedy, Romance, BL) – The anime that got a whole generation of fangirls into BL and yaoi. It’s full of overwhelming cuteness and and melodrama.
Gensoumaden Saiyuuki (50 eps) (+Movie +Reload (25 eps) + Reload Gunlock (26 eps) + OVA (3 eps)) (Action, Adventure, Fantasy) – Saiyuki is very loosely based on “Journey to the West”. It’s a good mix of action, comedy, and tragic pasts.
Rideback (12 eps) (action, Mecha, Sci-fi) – First, a “Fuck you!” to all the haters. This was one of my favourites of 2009 simply because I loved Rin and the idea of motorcycles + ballet is awesome. It’s only real fault is that it was too short for the pace that had been set up in the middle of the series.
I’m not sure if the “Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea” manages to evade your ban as it’s not a direct sequel so much as a complete re-imagining of the original, but if it does it should be on the list.
WIN! Thanks a ton! I had a feeling someone would add Saiyuki and I forgot about Gravitation. Impressively, I’ve never even heard of Yami no Matsuei or Tide-Line Blue – good to see lesser-known stuff getting it’s due~
As for Escaflowne movie, you can add it if you want, I didn’t like it so I shouldn’t write the description.
ALthough I’m not a fan of “200+ someone’s favorite shows = 200+ top tier anime”, you are free to look at some titles below that are favourites of mine as well as many others i’m sure.
Millenium Actress
Jin-Roh
Tekkon Kinkreet
Utena the Movie
Genius Party
Atama Yama
Inaka Yasha
Dead Leaves
Hundred Stories
Ergo Proxy
Edo Rocket
(k-anime, if you count them like psgels)
Mari Iyagi
Oseam
Aachi wa Ssipak
excluded ultra obscure works like Iblard Jikan and Mezame no Hakobune. Never going to be popular enough to be remembered in next decade.
Mm jin roh I think is before 2000 actually
Millennium Actress is up there, and yes I believe Jin-Roh is from 96.
You’ve got a very good list of arthouse shows up there that I do like many of. Anyway, definitely write about them if you want, I think that for me personally arthouse things are typically stuff I watch once and then dont’ rewatch uless it’s something truly amazing that I love, which is why I didn’t write about too many. Also, I think ‘Inaka yasha’ is meant to be ‘Inaka Isha’ ?
Hundred Stories I would add if I’d seen it, and Edo Rocket I don’t know much about. ERgo Proxy I left out because I hate it but anyone else is welcome to add it. I’m not rushing you, but by all means, don’t just list~ Add~! ADD~!
Well, I am going to do something slightly expected, but frankly, if you’re going to include shows like K-On and Kanamemo (shows I’d like to forget ever existed forever), then I think that you NEED to include:
InuYasha (167 eps) (+ The Final Act (26 episodes) + 4 Movies) (Action, Romance, Adventure, Drama, Comedy) – A story about a normal girl (Kagome) who lives in a shrine (but is otherwise normal), and one day falls down a well to find that she has somehow traveled back in time to feudal Japan. She meets Inuyasha, breaks a sacred shard called the Shikon Jewel, and with the help of Inuyasha and others, she begins a journey to collect the shard, and destroy Naraku, a demon who is pretty much bad news to everyone, and wants the shard for himself. This first aired on Oct 16, 2000 (although the manga was earlier), and spanned 167 episodes. The series brought 4 movies and several games. I feel like InuYasha was one of the more popular anime during the early 2000’s. On a more personal note, this anime was the core anime that really got me to start trying out other anime besides Dragonball Z. Without InuYasha, I would most likely not have watched much anime outside of Dragonball Z.
There’s a few other anime, like Ergo Proxy, but I’m not going to name all of them. This post is probably one of the most amazing things I’ve seen (on a blog). I can’t even make a 200 anime of the decade, because I haven’t even seen that much in my lifetime (I just started watching anime right before this decade began….like….1999).
Here’s to many more decades.
I honestly thought Inuyasha started in the 90s~ I have no problem with you adding it, plenty still consider it an all-time favorite. As for all your others, well starting with Ergo Proxy I left it out with great purpose. I know a lot of people love it, but I refuse to write anything nice about it.
wow. btw, this ain’t showing up in google reader for some reason. maybe it overheats the system or something!!
I was wondering about that myself – I subscribe to my own feed precisely for reasons like this, so I was hoping someone else would just share it.
I vote against Rideback and Tytania. Both are uninteresting shows.
Duly noted – It’s probably good to have some counterpoints from other readers~
That’s because you suck! I can’t defend Tytania because I couldn’t finish that snooze-fest, but Rideback was awesome no matter what you say. I know some people expected a lot more from political plot, but I think dismissing the entire show for that leads to missing some of the awesome parts of the show. Plus, Rin was possibly the most relatable female anime protagonists I have seen in really longtime, which to me is special.
If we’re voting off uninteresting shows of 2009, I’d honestly say that K-ON! should be the first thing to go.
I think the problem with Rideback is that the original manga is pretty long and constantly changes, and it’s not easy to convert to anime.
I know endless K-On! fans, including my little brother and myself, so I know it stays~ I didn’t include Rideback because I didn’t hear enough positive things about it, but if someone adds it as a favorite, I can’t debate that.
+1
I don’t get your list at first but then I saw Clannad ranked lower than True Tears so all is well. After that I saw shows like Red Garden and Earth Maiden Arjuna in higher spot before BAM! you give Gintama the first spot! Only then did I get how awesome this list is.
But here are some anime that should be in the list.Sorry I’m short for time so I wouldn’t be able to do it in your format
Bleach
Genshiken
Hatsukoi Limited
Kyou no Go no Ni
Ookiku Furikabutte
Genshiken is up there. The others I mostly haven’t seen so you have to add them yourself whenever you find the time. If you don’t ever add them, though, I may add Kyou no Go no Ni under Kodomo no Jikan.
One of my personal favorites:
Onegai Sensei (12 episodes + 1 OVA) (+ Onegai Twins (12 episodes + 1 OVA)) (Romantic comedy, Sci-fi) – set on a (actually real) town surrounding a lake, Onegai Sensei is a romantic comedy about a high school boy who is actually older than he looks due to a disease and his new teacher who is, on the other hand, an alien; that due to a misunderstanding they end up getting married. The story follows them as they coup with suddenly having to live together and how the two start to fall in love. It’s a rather standard story that works well as an entry level anime. The sequel, Onegai Twins is set in the same town and same high school, but introduces new main characters: a boy and two girls, all orphans who are brought together by a picture of a couple of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl; both girls believe themselves to be the girl in the picture and so the tree decide to live together until they figure out which one is the real sister, but things get complicated as they start falling in love. The sequel isn’t as good as the original but it is nevertheless entertaining.
:D Glad someone added since I had the feeling it deserved to be there~
My head hurts too, so much to take in :) But I see a great many shows on there that I’ve watched and loved.
Saiunkoku Monogatari was so much more than a reverse harem. Usually in those shows the girl is a complete twit who is constantly needing the surrounding bishies to help her.
But in SaiMo the heroine Shuurei,is hardworking, intelligent and full of heart, always putting others before herself. If anything you’re almost dying to see more romance since she tends to brush off the attentions of her main suitor in favor of furthering her career. It was really nice to see a show like that produce such a strong female lead.
Which was actually probably what I really loved about Kaleido Star, Sora’s never give up, never surrender attitude. Well except for that episode when she ran back to Japan XD
Oh and Champloo, oh how I wish they’d made more of that. It was so inventive and the way they managed to blend so many elements and have they work so well was amazing.
Okay I have to stop, I could rave on about all my fave shows on that list.
Oh have you ever checked out Peacemaker Kurogane? I’ve rewatched that many a time, but then I’m a sucker for Samurai’s.
I don’t know, I think that the idea of a “canon” is not a listing of everything anyone liked but rather a list of unassailable classics; e.g. the “Western canon” was Chaucer, Plato, Shakespeare, Milton etc. I don’t think we’ll really know the 2000-2009 anime canon for some time yet — it be those shows that like Eva, Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura, or even Sailor Moon never really pass out of memory and prove influential far into the future.
The thing is, there is no such thing as a ‘classic’ anime, and through the years things we select as classics have created a massive backdraft of great shows no one remembers. After watching a bunch of 90s anime, I can tell you that my ‘best shows of the 90s’ are much different than would would ordinarily be considered the canonical shows, and so if we are going to move into the next decade, I want us to carry along ALL of the greats, and not just those that some select group considered worthy – because fuck that select group, I DISAGREE WITH THEM!
That’s a good goal. I think that’s what happened to the idea of the literary canon already, more or less. It’s more like curation or excavation, not a canon — acknowledging that certain people will want to champion their own threads through the material.
Good lord, this is outrageous. One vote for Seto no Hanayome though. That show definitely belongs on this list. IMO, it is THE harem anime, that harem animes should aspire to be.
I was leaving it to someone else to add since I know nothing about it myself but know a lot of people like it.
Whoa . . . 200+! I cannot ever recollect them =_= I haven’t finished most of what I’ve watched even.
But this makes a nice recommendation list. Thanks xD
I applaud your effort towards this list and agree with pretty much every title except for Amatsuki, that series was so boring for me :P Besides that, awesome list!
Not that I’m all that familiar with you or your blog, but as a yuri-fanboy I think you must have seen Kannazuki no Miko, right? This is indeed a great list that has many of the titles I like and recognize but as I’ve only recently discovered and fallen in love with the masterpiece that is Kannazuki no Miko I thought I just had to mention it.
I’ll write up a summary since not many others seem to be really bothering to:
Kannazuki no Miko (12 eps.) (Mecha, Action, Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Yuri) – A simultaneous adaption of a manga by Kaishaku (Steel Angel Kurumi, UFO Princess Valkyrie, Magical Nyan Nyan Taruto), Kannazuki no Miko is a departure from their older works in that it is a dark and dramatic fantasy. Kannazuki brings forth an eclectic mixture of mecha action and deep yuri romance to tell a dramatic story of fated lovers. Although the fantasy action and plot ultimately function as a background upon which the central romance plays out, it is at the same time well fleshed out by one of the most respectable male protagonists generally found in shounen anime, and further bolstered by an incredible soundtrack by Mina Kubota, which lends the whole series an epic, movie like feel you almost cannot find in longer series. Furthermore, the rising climax which encompasses the last quarter of the series is an artistic triumph whose emotional force rivals the dramatic best of any melodrama. All in all Kannazuki no Miko is a tour de force of dramatic storytelling that consistently grips you through its action-packed beginning to finally deliver one of the most beautiful romantic conclusions (yuri or otherwise–though that it is yuri makes it all that more noteworthy) ever made.
…lol maybe my extreme praise for this show is too much to some people. I’ve seen a lot of criticism from people who were either too fixated on shoujo-ai to appreciate the epic mecha, too shallowly blinded by ‘yuri rape!!1!one’ to appreciate the plot or the characters, or people who couldn’t even accept yuri at all. But it truly is a masterpiece in my opinion. I think all it really takes to be able to appreciate all its diverse elements is to see that Souma is a decent and admirable person, but that Chikane is destined to be with Himeko.
I utterly hate Kannazuki no Miko but I knew someone else would add it. Thanks for the help~ I probably should actually finish the show, but it’s not high on my to-do list.
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ummmo idk if you already added this or not but Elfen Lied is a wonderful anime it does contain bucket amounts of nudity yet not in a vulgar way this anime is an all time favorite of mine and i’d hate to see it go uncredited it is only 13 episodes long but it still made mew cry maybe im just a sucker though Xp but if you havent already you should check it out.
p.s. way to include kannazuki no miko i respect you lots!
Thanks for the comment! Elfen Lied is actually on the list, though at 118.
evangelion, berserk,trigun, chobits?? where those at?? yu yu hakusho??
Chobits is on the list, and Evangelion, Berserk, Trigun, and Yu Yu Hakusho all aired in the 90s. Please do research.
Im shocked!! No Naruto, Bleach or One Piece, the top 3 most popular anime in the world for like the past 5 or so years
I knew this would come up at some point. First of all, One Piece started in 1997 which is the only reason it’s not on the list – however, one of the movies is. Secondly, Naruto and Bleach are both far superior as manga, and I would not consider either anime adaption to be worth watching.
Got to say, The list is looking very good.
I would like to throw in two suggestions though
Naruto shippuden first of all, I mean it may not be perfect but i do believe it is one of the best action orientated animes of the past decade….when it eventually gets around to the action.
Also Kaze no stigma is a great series. It has a very generic plot but the characters are very endearing.
No offense, but I’d like you to watch Sword of the Stranger, Canaan, Karas, Baccano, Ga-Rei Zero, Mnemosyne, Claymore, Soul Eater, Hajime no Ippo, Darker Than Black, Birdy the Mighty Decode, Jubei-chan the Ninja Girl 2, Hellsing Ultimate, and Mai-HiME, and then tell me if you still think Naruto Shippuden is one of the best actio nanime of the decade. I’m sorry, but it gets outclassed in pretty much every way.
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What about Tales of Symphonia?
If you want to add it, you can. I haven’t seen it and I’ve heard bad things about the OVA, but if it was one of your fvorites, feel free to write about it.
have you watched Otogi Zoshi? it’s really good (well for me.. )
I was planning to rewatch what I have missed these years in anime and woah that’s alot of “good” anime I should try.
Am shocked that Code Geass was only 50 something and there’s no full metal alchemist
well this list is helpful to me since I need alot of catching up to do
Very nice list thanks a lot.
You’re opinion of Claymore makes me sad. It’d definitely one of the best anime I’ve ever seen (though, admittedly, I don’t watch a ton- I’m working on that) and was engrossing enough to get me into the manga which is awesome. If you read it, you’d see that the plot is not “laughably generic.” One of the reasons I really respect Claymore is because it’s an intense action anime with nearly all female leads that doesn’t resort to sex or giant tits of any kind.
On another note, Black Lagoon is absolutely fucking insane. I honestly don’t know what the writers were thinking half when creating many of the show’s characters.
The plot is pretty damn generic, man. It’s about an organization that fights demons – there are at least 100 shounen anime with that plot. That’s not a condemnation, though, which should be obvious since it’s on the list at all. And personally, I see nothing wrong with resorting to tits and sex, but I also know of plenty of female-centric action anime that don’t rely on them. But in any case, I do enjoy Claymore a lot.
Black Lagoon is beast.
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Has this been deleted on purpose? I know I’m 5+ years late, but is there a reason this is no longer here?