Top 20 Anime Of The Century (So Far)

A true gem of the sports genre that quite frankly deserves way more attention than its gotten, considering it delivered a true underdog story interwoven with incredible fights, a whole host of endearing fighters, and such an overwhelming love for boxing its almost palpable. Witnessing the meek and kind-hearted Ippo go from victim to champion makes for quite the hero’s journey, one helmed by the question of “what does it truly mean to be strong?” Whether you’re here to see Ippo flatten his opponents or the endless training montages, this series is a feast that quite frankly should have gotten a fourth season by now!

There have been plenty of flawed, lovable anime lads who won fans over by taking on a particular ball game in the competitive field, but these crows took things to the next level! Thanks to its gorgeous animation and the fact they managed to turn something like volleyball into a breath-taking spectacle, Karasuno High’s Volley Ball Club spiked their way into our hearts. Watching Hinata and Kageyama push themselves to become better athletes, that final show down with Shiratorizawa, all of it will leave you awaiting the next serve with bated breath.

#18: “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” (2006-09)

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Did the Endless Eight nearly drive us to the brink? Yes. Do we regret a second of watching the SOS Brigade engage in all manner of misadventures with the threat of reality shattering at every turn? Not a chance. There’s something so charming about watching a cynical bastard like Kyon get dragged around by the eternally optimistic force of nature that is Haruhi Suzumiya, who just happens to unknowingly hold the ability to twist time and space on a whim. Throw in time-travellers, data minds, and other anomalies and you have a recipe for a damn good time. Just not if you’re Kyon.

#17: “My Hero Academia” (2016-)

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It’s the juggernaut that continues to deconstruct while paying homage to the clichés that make superheroes so beloved. Set in a world where the majority of the population are imbued with otherworldly abilities, it falls to the once Quirkless Midoriya to rise up to the challenge as the world’s next greatest hero. Between the hijinks of Class 1-A, commentary on hero society as a whole, the clashes with the League of Villains as well as the beautifully woven character development, there’s a reason why each new season of this show continues to be a seasonal event. Plus Ultra!

There have been many who have tried to twist and subvert the magical girl genre, and while there have been a few valiant attempts, none have come close to measuring up to the hauntingly beautiful tale conjured up by the master of broken feels Gen Urobutchi. While a chance encounter with an adorable wish-maker sounds like the chance the shy Madoka and her friends have been looking for, they soon learn that there are consequences for living out a fantasy life, and that even the purest of intentions can be corrupted. It’s a true game-changer, one that isn’t afraid to shatter any and all preconceptions, no matter how much misery it brings our colourful heroines.

Something of a cultural phenomenon that managed to shake up the anime scene with its potent drama, bittersweet characterisation, and skilful narrative accessibility to the ancient art of Rakugo storytelling, we can’t do enough justice as to just how unique, fulfilling and wonderfully recognised this series is. After a former yakuza serves his time, he sets out into the world in order to become a Rakugo performer, now under the strained tutelage of a rather unwilling master practitioner. Fuelled by the conflict both on and off stage, this one truly is something special.

How does one even quantify this show? A half vampire going around saving the ladies in his life from supernatural oddities, accompanied by a stunning animation landscape, fourth wall breaks, striking visual metaphors and enough sexual awkwardness to make anyone’s high school experience seem tame by comparison. There’s something here for everyone, since Araragi seems to get into as many blistering battles as he does encounter top-tier ladies. This show is truly one of a kind and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Turns out debt can be scarier than the most horrific creatures to crawl out of the anime cesspool. Gliding through life as a hopeless loser, our man Kaiji finds himself in the unfortunate position of accruing an astronomical amount of debt, and in order to escape financial hell…he’s going to have to risk his life. With numerous and dangerous gambling gauntlets to overcome, watching Kaiji use his wits to claw his way out of the direst straits isn’t only exhilarating, but also makes us feel much, much better about our own life choices! Stay away from pachinko machines.

#12 “One-Punch Man” (2015-19)

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Say what you will about the rather lacklustre reception of season two, the strongest hero’s original outing was pretty much hype incarnate. Focusing on the antics of a caped crusader with the strength to decimate any villain with but a single swipe of his fist, this series managed to balance crazy action sequences, absurd hilarity, as well as the tricky tightrope that is maintaining tension in spite of the fact we all know there’s nothing in the cosmos that can stop Saitama and his doomsday knuckle-sandwich. Take every anime convention you think you know and prepare for it to get smashed to pieces with just one punch!

#11 “Fate/Zero” (2011-12)

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The Urobutcher strikes again, only this time he’s taken the already savage nature of the Fate-verse and somehow managed to push it to the very apex of dark and depressing. Taking place during the Fourth Holy Grail War, this prequel once again illustrates the many fantastical battles between various human masters and their servants summoned from ages past. While the fight scenes are a true spectacle thanks to UFOtable’s god-tier animation, Zero’s relentless exploration into the worst that mankind has to offer will undoubtedly stain your soul by the end. Why must you make us suffer with your genius Urobuchi?!

#10: “Monster” (2004-05)

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You don’t know evil until you’ve met Johan Liebert. After a surgeon chooses to save the life of a young boy over that of a political figure, not only does he find his career in jeopardy…but he may have unwittingly unleashed a genius psychopath onto the world, one not even the remnants of Nazi Party can control, who can also easily convince you to slaughter your loved ones with just a casual conversation. Yep, that’s Johan for you. Along with Dr Tenma, this series thrusts us into a deadly game between these two polar opposites, as Johan’s continuous atrocities further push what is ultimately a decent man to consider crossing the unforgivable line of murder.

As far as sci-fi epics go, few have ever come close to matching this show’s calibre, wit and world-building. Upon the realization that he can send texts back to the past via a microwave, Okabe and his gaggle of colleagues, misfits and legendary best girl Kurisu think they’ve cracked the greatest scientific discovery of all time. And they have. And now they’re going to pay for it. Whether its mysterious corporations gunning for their lives or trying to find a way to beat death through time-jumps, the way the narratives spirals, contorts and ultimately resolves easily earned it the mantle of one of modern anime’s greatest.

#8: “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” (2012-19)

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From Phantom Blood to Golden Wind, from Jonathan’s diamond chin all the way to Giorno’s accompanying piano, JoJo-mania has managed to infiltrate every corner of the anime scene in the mere blink of an eye, and we couldn’t be happier. With each series chronicling the tragedies and triumphs of the Joestar bloodline, every iteration has brought its own unique flare, settling, and fabulous dress-sense. Whether you’re all about Joseph and his outlandish sense of comic timing, Jotaro and his penchant for punches or Josuke and his divine hair-do, there’s truly a JoJo experience out there for everyone.

You have shows that go out of there way to blend comedy and action, and then you have Gintama, which somehow managed to excel and layer the two together so seamlessly it became a beast all its own. Parodying everything under the sun, outrageous slapstick, never shying away from taking a stab at other anime, all the while giving us a gaggle of crazy samurai, aliens and other misfits who never fail to get themselves into trouble. And yet, it still succeeds in pulling off conflicts, emotional twists and intriguing narratives that put most other series out to pasture. Gintoki is just that good.

#6: “Attack on Titan” (2013-)

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What started off as a brutal and uncompromising dark fantasy has since propelled itself to legendary status, all thanks to its medley of visceral action, fascinating premise, and gradual narrative maturity. With humanity close to extinction due to the endless hunger of giant cannibalistic creatures known as Titans, it falls to a small corp to slay the beasts and slowly reclaim mankind’s grip on the world…at least until they discover that there’s just as much danger behind the walls. After all, humans that are willing to take their sacrilegious secrets to the grave are deadlier than any Titan. Look, once you see Levi strut his stuff, you’re going to be hooked either way!

#5: “Death Note” (2006-07)

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The shining star of anime’s occult thriller scene, the battle of wits between the wannabe God of the New World and the eccentric detective was a masterclass in storytelling, giving us a psychological game of chess where every move potentially equalled death. After gaining the titular Death Note and discovering he can kill whoever he wishes by just writing down their name, ace student Light Yagami decides to purge the rotten world of those he views as evil, only to have his future utopia threatened by the mysterious L. The mental warfare, the ingenious twists, the shades of grey surrounding each character, this property truly raised the bar for the medium.

#4: “Code Geass” (2006-08)

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How far would you go in order to free an oppressed people from a tyrannical rule? Even if said tyrants were your own family? Well, if you’re Lelouch vi Britannia, you inherit a mind controlling pair of peepers, start a revolution, and give us one of the best sci-fi series of the modern age. While Lelouch’s crusade to free the Japanese masses from the elitist empire he once called home is enthralling, it’s moral ambiguity and how the war for freedom creates more monsters than heroes that truly pushes the series above its peers.

It might come across as your average, light-hearted shounen at first glance, but as any fan knows, Gon’s goal to become a Hunter and find his father is utterly exceptional in just about everything it does. The character progression of its leads, the intricacies of the Power System, the way it approaches each story arc and flips every convention on its head, the scale of the fights, how each villain is the furthest thing from generic, and perhaps most importantly – how it managed to elevate Gon punching a humanoid cat’s face to the anime equivalent of a Renaissance painting. Honestly, our biggest complaint is we may never see a sequel series even if we wait another decade!

You don’t know the meaning of bombastic until you’ve witnessed the unfiltered tour de force that is this series, one that not only gave us some of the most badass scenes ever, but also introduced the world to the man, the myth, the shirtless legend himself; Kamina. As the fleeting human resistance struggles against the armadas of the Beastmen race, hope arrives in the form of the timid digger Simon, who along with some of the most ludicrously awesome mecha you’ve ever seen, slowly starts to turn the tide for humanity’s survival. Just who the hell do you think they are? Before we reveal our number one pick of the century so far, here are a few very worth honourable mentions! “March Comes in Like a Lion” (2016-18) “Naruto” Series (2007-) “Baccano!” (2007) “Bleach” (2004-12) “Mob Psycho 100” (2016-19)

#1: “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

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From its characters, to its philosophy, all the way to it’s blinding fight scenes, the Elric brothers’ quest to reclaim their bodies is downright mesmerizing. It’s honestly a struggle to pick out one thing this series fails at, as it not only faithfully adapts Hiromu Arakawa’s work to a tee, but utterly excels in balancing its intricate fantasy battles with some seriously heavy subjects. Religion, militarism, genocide, family, sacrifice, and revenge all permeate the series from the get-go, so rest assured, while it knows when to bring the smiles thanks to its iconic and flawed cast of alchemists, it also isn’t afraid to delve into the darkest aspects of the human experience.