best anime titles
not all anime is for everyone. Some only like old school format, some like new school format. Some people just can't see past the animation aspect and want to lump it in with Disney, Don Bluth, and Nickelodeon. Some are family and child oriented, but majority are for teens, young adults, and adults. Don't believe me? check out this list!
List activity
12K views
• 17 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
43 titles
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.great voice cast with Billy Bob Thornton, Claire Dains, Billy Cudrup, Gillian Anderson to name a few. A moving story about how nature is losing the war with technology and mankind, the death of old tutonic gods and spirits, and the last ditch effort to beat back the waves of oncoming change and advancement while still trying to somehow appease what is left of the gods and spirits.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsYûsaku YaraToshiko FujitaIchirô NagaiWhile protecting a signatory to a peace treaty between their peoples, a male human and a female demon discover that their mutual attraction may be the key to unifying their worlds.with enough gratuitous nudity to put Sharon Stone to shame, the dark otherwordly plot and premise of a world inhabited by demons that teeter on an ancient pact and treaty. The black guard and interesting creature designs are unique
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsHideyuki HoriHiromi TsuruKiyoshi KobayashiA young swordsman and the daughter of a political Messiah enter a ravaged Shinjuku, Tokyo, to stop the man who killed the former's father from opening a portal to a world of demons.also known as "Demon City Shinjuku" this anime is based off of a popluar table top game from Japan. I love how the hero wields a wooden Bokken as his weapon as opposed to a traditional sword. I like the demons they confront and the ultimate evil that is Rebbi Rah.
- CreatorLynn OkamotoStarsSanae KobayashiChihiro SuzukiMamiko NotoTwo university students come across a seemingly harmless girl named Lucy, unaware that she's actually a mutant serial killer with a split personality.a deeply moving and touching tv series, it focuses on compassion to ones enemies, forgiving past crimes, finding a balance between ultimate killing machine and humble innocent amnesiac. With deep characters, rich plot twists, and stunning animation, the ultra violent sequences of psychic assaults and battles is gripping as foes get heads twisted off, limbs pulled and snapped, plenty of blood and gore happens in just the first 9 minutes of the series. Loved it and i'm sure you'll love it too.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsKôichi YamaderaEmi ShinoharaTakeshi AonoA vagabond swordsman is aided by a kunoichi and a spy in battling a demonic clan of killers - led by a ghost from his past - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.this movie reminds me a lot of samurai showdown with all the different characters with different features and attributes. I love the action and battle sequences, spot on english dubbing, and not overusing samurai cliches' i.e. fight in bamboo forest against blind samurai.
- CreatorShôji GatôStarsTomokazu SekiSatsuki YukinoJason DouglasSousuke Sagara, a member of a covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.fun series with interesting military factoids peppered in. Hilarious, refreshing, suspensful, you learn to care about each character and their conflicts.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsChieko BaishôTakuya KimuraTatsuya GashûinWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.another crowd pleaser, i loved the visuals in this masterpiece of magic and sorcery. Christian Bale does an exceptional job doing Howl's voice. A heartwarming movie, if you liked spirited away, princess mononoke, and kiki delivery service, you'll love this one.
- StarsNick ShakoourMelissa HutchisonMark AtherlayA teenage boy and girl struggle to stay in love when the girl's body is transformed into Japan's ultimate weapon.this one is a 50/50 with me. It has some deep story telling, really melancholy sort of setting where love seems forbidden. Plenty of twists and heart wrenching moments, confessions of love on deathbeds, crushes dying in ones arms sort of thing. The story pacing is rather slow and i think they try too hard to make the characters lovable and cute. Even so, when tragedy strikes, it hits hard.
- DirectorKenji KamiyamaHiroyuki OkiuraStarsMichael DobsonYoshikazu FujikiSumi MutohA traumatized member of an elite para-military police force falls for the sister of a female terrorist courier who died in front of him on duty.a dark drama, i found this one intriguing in it's setting in a dystopic future that looks as if nazi Germany prevailed. Playing slightly on the theme of little red riding hood, it follows a young woman who is a terrorist who befriends and falls for a soldier of the cerberus unit, an elite heavy shock troop unit that combats the terrorist cell.
- DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.all hail this movie, the grand daddy of all anime feature films. It jump started an anime revolution in art style, special visual effects, and physically accurate animation and action sequences i.e when a biker falls off of his bike, he falls in front of it, lands on his back, and gets his arm run over and crushed by his own front tire. A long film, but an amazing story and visually pleasing. must see!
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.although not one of my faves, still needs to be on this list to give Masume Shirow some credit as well as the interesting animation style used here. The anime does no justice for the large volume manga collection, but does touch on some key moments. if anyting watch to get a taste of Masume Shirow's art style, story concepts, and views on government, technological advancements, and the line between man, machine, and program. Are our thoughts, memories, and ideals our own? or are they just some implanted or suggested thought and concept commanded by a machine?
- DirectorToyoo AshidaStarsKaneto ShiozawaMichie TomizawaSeizô KatôWhen Doris Lang is chosen as the next bride for the vampire Count Magnus Lee, she will hire a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D in an attempt to escape her ill-gotten fate.classic horror gothic tale of a Dhampire named D, who hunts vampires and other creatures of the night. set in a world where humans are constantly having to protect themselves from the dark forces around them, D is hired to help a farmgirl and her family during their dark hours of need. cool, violent, and intiguing.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsAndrew PhilpotJohn Rafter LeePamela AdlonA legendary dhampir competes with a motley family of bounty hunters to return a young woman, who has been seemingly abducted by a vampire, to her family.this was a long awaited sequel to the first one, 15 long years to be exact. So the animation style is in the new school format as opposed to the old school one. D has been changed a little in appearance, from a tall brooding and imposing man, to a soft featured, pale, and ghostly physique. As before, he's calm, collective, and just as hated for being a half blood. With a new cast of interesting characters with cool weapons and fighting styles, along with new beasts and monsters to fight, this much anticipated sequel does not disappoint.
- DirectorAtsuko FukushimaHiroyuki KitakuboHiroyuki KitazumeStarsKôji MoritsuguYayoi MakiKeiko HanagataA collection of short stories, made by different animators with "robot" as the working title.a mingling of old school and new school animation and concepts, this is a collection of seperate short stories and films about robots. Some are sad, some are humorous, some eerie, all entertaining.
- DirectorKôji MorimotoTensai OkamuraKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMarc SwintRobbie DaymondFrank TodaroAn animated science fiction anthology from the visionary anime director, Katsuhiro Otomo.another collection of assorted short films, this movie has an assortment of different art styles, concepts, and story types. tragedy, comedy.
- DirectorSatoshi KonStarsJunko IwaoRica MatsumotoShinpachi TsujiA pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.a film noir like atmosphere with brain numbing and gut twisting turns. this movie plays out alot like black swan, method, swim fan, and any other crazy stalker murder film
- StarsAya HisakawaStacie Lynn RennaMegumi TanoA monster hunter goes after a beast that could be her brother.i loved the concept of bounty hunters and their unique weapons, transport, and codes. also, the Zeiram is an awesome bio weapon!
- CreatorChiaki KonakaStarsHiroko KasaharaYasunori MasutaniRyûsei NakaoIn the year 2046, a cop and his female android partner called Armitage, part of the latest android line known as "class III" models that look, act and feel human, investigate illegal manufacture of class III androids on colonized Mars.this OVA series came out before the two feature films with Juliette Lewis and Keifer sutherland. With less plot holes, better story paneling, voice acting, i recommend this way before the Poly matrix edition and the Dual matrix follow up. This series plays a lot like I robot and Blade runner
- StarsJ. Michael TatumBrina PalenciaMichael C. PizzutoCiel Phantomhive takes care of the many unsettling events in Victorian England. Aided by Sebastian Michaelis, his loyal butler with seemingly inhuman abilities. But is there more to this black-clad butler than meets the eye?this is a fun series, although it does have some undertones of pedophilia and "man-child" relations, the story setting in Victorian England, with a child inheriting a family fortune and making a pact with a demon named Sebastion to be his butler and to follow his every command until the day the boy dies and gives his soul in exchange for the services rendered. The series starts out pretty cheery until much later in teh series, when you learn more about each characters dark past and who they were before coming to work on the Phantomhive estate. With plenty of occult references, and historical ones as well, i enjoyed this series immensley and would recommend it simply for the finale where SEbastian goes full hell demon to fight a fallen deranged angel.
- CreatorRumiko TakahashiStarsKappei YamaguchiRichard Ian CoxSarah HauserA teenage girl periodically travels back in time to feudal Japan to help a young half-demon recover the shards of a jewel of great power.before any of you jokers make any cracks on this series, give it a chance, it's quite good. Nevermind the school girl bs, the action, characters, animation, themes, and battles are what drew me in. The english dubbing is spot on and clean and fit the characters they voice. I'm not too much of a fan of Rumiko's work, but this and the Mermaid saga are my faves by her.
- CreatorShôji KawamoriStarsKirby MorrowKelly SheridanBrian DrummondHitomi is a girl with psychic abilities who gets transported to the magical world of Gaea. She and her friends find themselves under attack from the evil Zaibach empire, and the Guymelf Escaflowne provides the key to it all.okay really really long series here, like the thickness of a phone book big! i've always been a fan of the concept of average person falls into a mystical portal that takes them to a land far off and not of this world. Adventure, subtle romance, war, and hope are great themes in this series.
- DirectorHiroyuki KitakuboStarsYûki KudôSaemi NakamuraJoe RomersaSaya is a Japanese vampire slayer whose next mission is in a high school on a US military base in 1960s Japan, where she poses as a student. She uses a katana/samurai sword to kill vampires.Saya has become one of my fave anime characters just becasue she's teh last of the orignal line of vampires. you pity her, for she is treated like trash, nothing more than a tool for the government to slay chiropterans, the official name of the specific breed Saya hunts.
I wish they had made a tv series on this based before she got amnesia and did BLood +, but they have a single volume graphic novel that takes place between the movie and the tv series that is a good filler and side note story. - DirectorShôgo FuruyaSatoshi KonStarsTôru EmoriYoshiaki UmegakiAya OkamotoOn Christmas Eve, three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo discover a newborn baby among the trash and set out to find its parents.heart warming, funny, sweet, and probably the last "feel Good" anime that i've seen.
- DirectorHiroyuki KitakuboShirow MasamuneStarsYû MizushimaIchirô NagaiShinji OgawaA freelance reporter discovers that two killer androids are running loose and have a little girl for a kill target.another of Masume Shirow's works adapted into an anime. i liked the designs, the combat, and the artwork that is a trademark of his. THe only flaw i found with this was how short the movie was, 45 minutes!
- StarsTakeshi KusaoYumi TômaKappei YamaguchiA group of medieval adventurers must participate in a war against dark forces in the land of Lodoss.50/50 on this, cool for the fantasy genre and how they incorporate every cliche fantasy character like elf, dark elf, knight, thiff, white mage, cleric, black mage, dwarf. Prettymuch a very long tv series that plays like a D and D game.
- DirectorTetsuya NomuraTakeshi NozueStarsTakahiro SakuraiAyumi ItoShôtarô MorikuboAn ex-mercenary is forced out of isolation when three mysterious men kidnap and brainwash the city's children afflicted with the Geostigma disease.this isn't techincally an anime, but the character designs even though CGI are very reminiscent of anime hair styles, clothes, and weapons. I waited 8 years for this movie to be made and i loved it thoroughly.
- StarsToshio FurukawaChiharu KataishiSteve BulenEmu Hino, a 29-year-old virgin, witnesses a mob hit and fears that the killer will now find her and kill her. Indeed, he sets out to do so; he's Yo Hinomura, a talented potter and artist who's been conscripted against his will to be the prime hitman for the 108 Dragons, a gang within the Chinese Mafia, who are determined to push aside Tokyo's local crime lords. He breaks into her house, and she asks that he make love to her before he kills her; she connects to his inner self, and he becomes her protector. Now he must defend her against the local crime gang, who have connections with corrupt Tokyo police. Will Yo and Emu make it out alive, and will the 108 Dragons triumph?a popular manga series by Go Nagai, i found this series a little too over the top for my tastes but still enjoyable. More than enough nudity, sex, and violence, it's like james bond meets Leon the Professional, meets Desperado, meets Cry baby.
- CreatorKentaro MiuraStarsMarc DiraisonNobutoshi CannaCarrie KeranenGuts, a wandering mercenary, joins the Band of the Hawk after being defeated in a duel by Griffith, the group's leader and founder. Together, they dominate every battle, but something menacing lurks in the shadows.based on the hit manga series and with two video games under it's belt, this tv series is not for the faint of heart. Who doesn't like a dude with a large sword, killer instinct, and a berserker rage to boot? the ending has lacking and leaves one guessing, since the series loops itself together, the beginning is the end and the end is teh beginning sort of thing.
- DirectorYoshikazu YasuhikoStarsKatsuhide UekusaYûko MizutaniEriko HaraTwo thriving colonies, Ishtar and Aphrodia, exist on the planet Venus in the year 2089. War breaks out, and Ishtar invades Aphrodia, sweeping its residents, including motorcycle rider Hiro and his teammates, into the chaos of the conflict.this was the very first anime film that i had ever seen when i was 11 years old back in 1993. It drew me in with how rich the characters were, how deeply they cared for each other, the subtle tragic romance, the imposing war, and the triumphant ending, it played out like an intergalactic red dawn, only with bikers.
- StarsVic MignognaBrina PalenciaAlexis TiptonThe world of tomorrow is an arid wasteland. Humans must live in domed cities to escape the threat of mutant Contaminoid monsters.this series reminded me alot of Final Fantasy VIII with the different academies and their combat training. cute, violent, funny.
- CreatorKohta HiranoStarsJôji NakataYoshiko SakakibaraFumiko OrikasaA British taskforce, lead by the daughter of the vampire hunter Prof. Van Helsing, battles the supernatural with the aid of two vampires.another enjoyable vampire series but with darker notes and without sparkly glitter
- CreatorGô NagaiStarsShow HayamiAlan MarriottYû MizushimaDevilman faces the tortoise demon Jinmen and birdwoman Shiranu.Another Go Nagai creation, this series if you can call it that, is based off of the manga and a tv series followed. This movie though, very violent, almost harboring on sadistic with what Amon and Shirenu do to each other, makes me cringe. Either way, found this one far more enjoyable than volume one, which is rife with homoerotic references. Either make them gay or don't, either way, stop making characters sexuality inconspicuous!
- StarsDaisuke NamikawaEmi ShinoharaSeizô KatôThe series starts off at a tournament where a one armed samurai faces a blind one and quickly flashes back to reveal the history between the two fighters.this one can be slow at times with the character and story development as well as figuring out who the hell is who when everyone is wearing similar white gi's and hahkamas and top knots.
Either way, it delves into swordsmanship and what makes a good swordsman as well as teacher and pupil. The fighting is pretty violent, with plenty of slashing, breaking, and beatings, all culminating into a duel to the death between the famed one armed swordsman and the enigmatic blind samurai - CreatorRyôsuke TakahashiStarsLaura BaileyEric ValeHouko KuwashimaYuji Kaido was diagnosed with a serious disease and since there was no cure for the unknown illness, he was cryogenically frozen.a rather long tv series, once Yuji gets a backbone and stops being a sissy, the series takes a darker turn. If you can withstand Yuji's constant moaning and bitching about everything, you got yourselves a suspensful anime that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat
- StarsTakeshi KusaoYûko MizutaniHideyuki TanakaSho and his friend Tetsurou stumble upon an odd alien artifact while walking through the woods. Then, the alien artifact breaks free of its metallic bonds and enters Sho's body, turning him into the Guyver. With this new power, Sho must do battle with the evil Chronos corporation and their genetically enhanced Zoanoids, who seek to get the Guyver back into their labs. No one close to Sho is safe from Chronos. He must fight.this is a strange series set up in the fact that this series had only 15 minute episodes and you could buy 10 bucks per 15 minute VHS. You could later purchase VHS with two episodes for 20 a pop. Either way, this was one of my fave series next to the OVA movie and those horrid rubber suited live action adaptions. Either way, once Sho gets a pair, he fights back and even when he is killed or brain dead, the Guyver goes on auto pilot and fights for him. I can't even mention how many times dude dies in the series and each death is violent and bloody and is always in front of his friends and love interest. THe real bummer is when the series ends, it ends with a cliff hangef of the Guyver and Guyver unit 3 heading to Chronos to fight the Zoanoid army. Like with Berserk, you gotta read the comic book series to find out what happens. Too bad both the series and comic adaptions are out of print and production.
- StarsTakashi KondôKeiji FujiwaraMisato FukuenTrain Heartnet is a famous assassin known as Black Cat. He works for Chronos, an organization that secretly controls the world.You'll see a lot of parrels between this tv series and Final Fantasy VII. Dude is a quiet cold hearted loner of an elite fighting unit, has a large unbreakable magnum revolver. Dude meets outgoing sweet charming young lady who teaches him to open up and be caring. Dudes protege' and partner finds out, thinks girl is stealing dude away from him and makes him weak, so he murders said girl before dude had chance to save her. She dies in his arms and dude and protege become bitter enemies. Basically it's like Cloud Strife meets Aerith Gainsborough and Sephiroth kills her. There's more than just that too, but it's still a great series.
- StarsTaliesin JaffeEric ValeGreg AyresKoyuki thinks life is a drag-until he meets Ryusuke, a local guitar hero with a bad reputation. The two misfits start a band and set out to save rock n' roll. If the guys can stay true to their vision, the whole world awaits.this is another really great series about an introverted high school boy who comes out of his shell to learn how to play guitar and eventually join a band of colorful characters. With endless music and pop culture references, music artist album and song cameos, this series i liked a lot for the orignal music the band plays, to how each band member is modeled after an actual musician by their looks, style, or musical taste. I love the songs too, and i think you'll find yourself drawn to this series too if not for the music and comedy, than for the coming of age themes as well.
- StarsTôru FuruyaEric ValeYûko MinaguchiThe world is falling apart and Casshern is to blame. He is said to have killed a robot named "Luna" and by doing so unleashed a plague referred to as "ruin".Dark, both tone, mood, and animation. If anyone has ever seen the OVA made back in the early 90's called "Casshan: robot hunter" you'll be very shocked and maybe even disappointed with this follow up series. All that was good is now dead, and the girl he saved in the first feature is now murdered by his hand. Without her, the world plummets into darkness, all robots are breaking down and falling apart, and they mercilessly hunt and kill humans. Casshern goes from humankinds saviour, to all of anythings destroyer, only he doesn't remember much of anything and searches for answers.
- CreatorHideaki AnnoStarsMegumi OgataMegumi HayashibaraKotono MitsuishiA teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.Evangelion can be a little complex and confusing with all the technical and religious terms and references. But the dynamics between the characters is amazing! The battles are intense and suspenseful, the drama is deep and thoughtful as well. A long series, but very moving. But be warned, the movies are a whole new kind of beast.
- DirectorHideaki AnnoKazuya TsurumakiStarsMegumi OgataMegumi HayashibaraYûko MiyamuraConcurrent theatrical ending of the TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995).i find it humorous that this was the series creators big FU to his fanbase for all the pressure, death threats, and mental breakdowns they caused him. The series was so popular that a movie was demanded and when production fell behind and talks of no movie being completed came up, fans of the series sent him death threats, hate mail. Poor guy had enough, so he gave them a movie, one that is still up in the air as being brilliant or a large middle finger. This is believed since he made some of the most loved characters in the series into either spineless cowards, or sick perverts. Oh and just about EVERYONE DIES...yeah after years and years of building up these characters demographics and biographies and what not, the creator just up and has them gunned down, impaled, strangled, crushed, you get the picture.
- CreatorAaron McGruderStarsRegina KingJohn WitherspoonGary Anthony WilliamsBrothers Huey and Riley Freeman experience a culture clash when they leave Chicago to move in with their grandfather in the suburbs.okay i know a few of you out there are going say "But wait, that's not an anime series!". well can you not give a show credit for using Japanese animation styles and shading? Can you blame them for wanting to take a comic strip series and give it more vibrant coloring and life? haha anyway, i love this series for it's controversial issue tackling, humor, guest star voices, over the top visulations, and it's political and ethical standpoints.
- StarsYuka NanriHidenobu KiuchiLaura BaileyThe Storyline section on the main page contains the phrase "the country of Europe." This implies that the Social Welfare Agency is a sort of EU function, but it is part of Italian government.really cool concept! Terminally ill girls are given the treatment and cure they need, in exchange for their services as assassins. even though it's a bit too cutesy in some scenes, i think it does well in showing the boundaries between being compassionate and sympathetic and apathetic and cold.
- StarsLaura BaileyNana MizukiKôsuke ToriumiThe year is 1614 AD. Two warring ninja clans, each supporting a son of Hidetada Tokugawa as the next shogun, send ten representatives each to fight to the death for the possession Tokugawa government for the winning clan for the next thousand years.It's like Ninja scroll meets romeo and juliet meets hamlet.
Love the plot and characters, how each one has a different skill and fighting style. At times i felt the battles and plots were one sided, but that gets disproved later in the series. Two warring clans being brought together by the marriage of the young lord and lady of the head of the clans. Like i said, some really bad ass abilities in this one, stare and meet the gaze of your enemies, they go berserk, butcher each other and themselves until none are left but pieces..hell yea.