Top 10 Anime Reboots

Focusing on the battle-hardened duo of a teen and the spirit of a monstrous tiger-demon, the original OVA had that classic 90s look to it and fairly decent production quality. The premise was simple enough, with both human and spirit having to team up in order to fight against other, far eviler spirits invading the human realm. So what did the remake do better? It took the actions scenes all the way to eleven, that’s what! Just take a gander at Ushio and Tora’s clash with Hakumen if you don’t believe us!

Yes, this reimagining may not have the iconic dove suits, not hold the moniker of Science Ninja Team, but it does have some pretty slick CGI effects…not to mention one of the cutest (if underrated) female protagonists in modern anime. In order to defeat an enigmatic alien threat and save her city from destruction, stationary-obsessed Hajime Ichinose finds herself drafted into becoming the latest member of the superhero group known as Gatchaman, complete with the most neon-pink power armour you could imagine. It may not have the enduring legacy of Ken and company, but it still made its mark.

#8: “Sailor Moon Crystal” (2014-16)

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Abandoning all of the filler, adding way more sparkles to the mix and giving us all the Sailor Uranus and Neptune love we could want, Crystal pretty much delivered on everything in regards to what a modern retelling of Sailor Moon should look like. The original series may have introduced the magical girl genre’s most endearing icon, but this latest outing nonetheless served as a much needed celebration, complete with all the visual and pacing improvements a fan of the Sailor Senshi could ever want.

#7: “Mr Osomatsu” (2015-18)

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The Matsuno Brothers are all grown up, which means its time to say goodbye to the innocence and bring on the vulgarity. Now a bunch of filthy NEETs known for causing all kinds of trouble, trying to lose their collective v-cards and making all manner of fourth wall breaks, the likes of Osomatsu and the rest have somehow managed to win us over once again. Albeit, now through the medium of cringe-worthy humour and the worst examples of brotherly love ever found in anime. There are no lows that these boys won’t sink, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The original Hellsing certainly had no shortage of bullets and bloodshed. However, it was gravelly lacking in the Nazi Vampire department. Thankfully, this OVA series corrected it by giving us Alucard at his most ravenous, along with the anime introduction of his greatest foe; the chillingly poetic Major. If you like bloodsuckers armed to the teeth and unafraid of embracing the taboo, then this gritty interpretation of Hellsing has you covered.

Like a bat out of hell, the revival of Go Nagai’s iconic character gripped us by the throat and never let go. Taking the devastatingly dark narrative of the original while splashing it with somewhat trippy visuals, Devilman’s endless battles against the invading demon hordes was given new life, and as a result promptly depressed the crap out of everyone watching by exposing them to just how messed up humanity can be when they’re become consumed by fear and paranoia. It’s by far the best rendition of the character’s legacy to date, just expect your soul to die while watching.

The Fate franchise has so many entries under its belt that it only stands to reason that some of them would turn out to be duds. One just happened to be Unlimited Blade Works – no, not the exquisitely animated fight-fest that took the darkness of Fate/Zero and planted it squarely in the shounen genre. Before that, we had the movie version, which felt more like a rushed and bloated amalgamation than an actual adaptation of the visual novel. Thankfully this series managed to correct the problem and now stands as one of the franchise’s flagships titles.

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

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There’s a reason why JoJo fever is still running rampant, and it’s due to the recent restoration of the Joestar lineage to its former glory. From Phantom Blood all the way to Golden Wind, each iteration of JoJo has shown themselves to be unrelenting badass that never fails to entertain, even when taking on villains and subplots that are too crazy to believe. This especially rings true of Stardust Crusaders. While the original OVA certainly had pockets of brilliance, this modern take has certainly given Jotaro and Dio the time and respect they deserve.

The original may have certainly had merit, but there can be no denying that this second attempt at Gon’s brutal and bombastic adventures have exceeded all expectations. So much so that many pin this reboot as one of the best examples of a shounen anime to date. The action is frantic yet beautiful to behold, the arcs seem ridiculous upon first glance and yet contain pulse-pounding and somewhat heart-breaking storytelling, all the while portraying the leads in a much more intimate light. Admit it, nothing the original did could ever come close to that moment where Gon lost his shit against Pitou.

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

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Many still adore the 2003 series for first introducing us to the Elric brothers, as well as it’s anime-original plot, but in our book, this second attempt managed to take the characters we had come to love and took every other aspect to new heights. This was accomplished by sticking far closer to the original manga’s narrative, and in doing so provided us with an extensive fantasy filled with so much character, so many unforgettable battles and an endless amount of heart that it often soars to the top of fans’ list as the greatest anime series of all time.