My 10 favourite Anime

As well as gaming, I got into anime in the 80s, it was a more passive, but still enjoyable, pastime, compared to gaming, and it was something that I could get into and know when a viewing session was going to end, unlike some of my gaming all nighters. Now that Funimation is no more, I tend to watch my anime on Crunchyroll and HiDive, but Netflix is improving in this area and Amazon Prime have a few shows worth watching as well.

I started watching anime many years ago, back to the late 80s, starting with the classic, Akira and the truly great Grave of the Fireflies. After that, there were all the great Studio Ghibli movies, Ninja Scroll, adults only, and Paprika, which apparently influenced Christopher Nolan and was an inspiration for Inception, were all great movies and series that I enjoyed.

Making a 10 favourites list is kind of pointless, but fun, as it is likely to change from week to week, or even day to day. Not to mention that I don’t use consistent rules to measure which are my favourites, plot holes in one anime or movie have different consequences for me, depending on the type of film or anime. I also don’t think it makes any sense to compare movies with series. There are some great movies out there and some of them are amongst the best anime that I have ever seen. But, generally, I get the most enjoyment out of series, so my top 10 will focus only on series. I’m not thinking these are the best, in any way, it isn’t a scientific study, just the ones that I enjoyed the most and that I think are fairly safe to assume that anyone new to anime would enjoy, obviously depending on the type of story that you prefer. These aren’t cartoons, though, and often portray serious issues and have a fair amount of violence that Western audiences would not be used to seeing in the animated shows that they grew up with.

Personally, I prefer a show that will be a couple of seasons at least, although I’m not a great fan of shows that run to 100s of episode (Bleach is an exception for me) As with Manga, I think that somewhere between 25 – 50 episodes is perfect to tell a story and anything longer than that leads to a whole lot of filler. A few of these shows have either passed that limit or will pass that limit if the manga or Light Novel was fully adapted. It isn’t a deal breaker for me but I do prefer my stories to be on the shorter side, particularly in the anime/manga format, which take an age to release, unlike a set of novels (although Game of Thrones fans will understand the idea of a story that never reaches a conclusion)

Anyway, these are 10 of my favourites. Obviously a subjective list but I think these shows are entertaining and worth spending time on. For many, these shows are not without flaws, but I found them all to be worth watching, entertaining and easy to engage with.

Death Note

A great story, with such a simple premise, I’m sure that there are writers all over the world, kicking themselves for not coming up with such a great idea that fans all over the world could identify with. If you had the power to put someone’s name in a book, and they would die, what would you do? And how far would you go? A cat and mouse thriller, with two great leads, you can identify with both their viewpoints. Lots of twists along the way and, despite the total fantasy setting, it manages to be, for the most part, believable. There is a live version movie of this anime as well and it is well worth a watch, too.

Bleach

The tale of a boy, who is able to see ghosts, who accidentally gets caught up with the Soul Society (basically ghosts who are protecting the world of the living and sending souls to heaven or hell)

Of course, this simple beginning leads to an epic adventure, spanning the worlds of the living and the dead, with a multitude of colourful villains and a great cast of allies. Admittedly, there is an awful lot of filler in the show, many found that this put them off, although I prefer to view as character development, you can’t have epic, death defying, battles every week. I found the characters engaging, so I didn’t mind the fact that the show appeared to drag at certain points and the plot lost some of its direction at times. But with a great leading character and a great support and villains, as well disputes that were not always simply about good vs bad, I found Bleach to be a fun ride. And with the final arc, The Thousand Year Blood War, now released, I’m delighted to be back watching one of my favourite series again. I think it is worth a watch, but with over 350 episodes, there is a lot to get through for a new viewer. But that is a lot of great entertainment to catch up on if you get the chance!!

Chainsaw Man

Bleach or Chainsaw Man. Was it the right decision? Apparently, Crunchyroll had to make this choice. Well, I think the jury is out on this one. I suppose it depends on what you prefer, Chainsaw Man deals in darker humour, far more shock tactics and sudden plot twists and is a lot more explicit in its violence. It is easier for it to do this, however, as the characters are not as established as those in Bleach and so still have an air of mystery. As many of the characters don’t last as long, I suppose it can pull these 180 turns a lot easier than a more traditional show, such as Bleach. Saying all that, and having continued to read the manga, I have to say that I absolutely love Chainsaw Man. The fact that it is willing to go further than most animes are willing to go, the fact that the main characters are still relatable, despite the crazy set of circumstances they find themselves. You can still sympathise with Denji and even feel a little sad about how his life has turned out, through no fault of his own. There’s a great set of leading characters, crazy and, sometimes sympathetic, villains and a lot of mystery to be uncovered with plot twists throughout. With all the gross violence on show and Denji’s libido going into overdrive at times, Denji’s relationship with Pochita is still quite emotional, and that is quite an achievement when you consider everything else that is going on around them and how rotten some of those around them really are. Based on one season, I think it made a lot of sense to take the risk on Chainsaw Man, over Bleach. But giving up the entire Bleach catalogue, as well as the final arc? I’m not so sure. I suppose it is just unfortunate, for Crunchyroll, that Chainsaw Man appeared on the scene at the same time that the Thousand Year Blood War arc in Bleach was being released. Both are amazing and I’m glad I don’t have to make decisions like this and I’m able to just sit back and enjoy both. The Manga is far ahead of the anime and is a great read as well, up to the part of the story that the anime is covering, at least.

Akame ga Kill

This is a show that divides opinion and I can see why. If you look too deeply into it, beyond the good vs evil premise, there are plot holes, for sure, a lack of character development, or logic, at times. But I found it to be a compelling watch and something that I could ‘enjoy’ without thinking too much about it. The tale of country boy, Tatsumi, a talented swordsman, who goes to the city to make his fortune, make his village proud and serve the Empire. When he gets to the city, he finds out that Empire isn’t what he believed it to be. It’s another great group of characters that are all watchable and interesting and, for me, they carry the show and stop things from getting boring. Some of the villains leave a bit to be desired but some of them are also wrestling with their conscience and others believe that they are doing the right thing. And others are just downright unhinged. I found the show entertaining, sometimes funny, often brutal and at other times sad. The ending is somewhat bittersweet, but I have no problem with that. The fact that the manga ended 2 years after the anime means that the endings are different, although I don’t particularly think that one is better than the other. But, as a fast paced adventure, with spectacular fight scenes, great characters and some shocking moments, I found this to be a great ride from start to finish and would recommend to anyone who isn’t bothered by strong violence.

Cowboy Bebop

The tale of Spike Spiegel and his gang of bounty hunters is probably one of the most famous and popular anime ever made. Possibly the coolest anime ever made. A mixture of Western Cowboy style plot with a jazz influenced soundtrack. The characters are a bit cliched but they work in a show such as this. The majority of the episodes are simply individual episodes that do nothing to move the plot along, but they work well in adding development to the characters. And the characters fit well together. Only a few of the 26 episodes actually focus on the main plot, relating to Spike’s story and his struggle with his past. This does come to a conclusion and ends with one of the most unforgettable endings in anime. I would recommend this show to anyone and it has aged pretty well, considering that it was made in 1998. Definitely one of the best anime series ever made, and it is well worth a watch for anyone who hasn’t seen it. The recent Netflix Live Action version was not well received. I’ve not watched it yet but the reviews weren’t kind.

Berserk

Berserk is based on a manga from the late 80s. It is one of the top selling manga of all time, with sales over 50 million. This has led to a number of adaptations, anime, movies and games. I’ve played the Sega Dreamcast game and found it reasonably enjoyable without being a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Following the adventures of Guts, the Black Swordsman, it is full of drama, fantastic action, plenty of supernatural elements, lots of heartbreak and is quite brutal. It features a great cast, all with their own motivations, and never fails to keep you invested in what is going on. The first anime adaptation was in 1997, this covered Guts’ adventures with the Band of the Hawk. It didn’t contain the same level of violence displayed in the Manga and didn’t really explain the ending of this arc very well. However, it was well received, currently scoring an impressive 8.7/10 on IMDb. Three movies followed, based on the Golden Age Arc, and then a sequel series, in 2016. This series was not so well received, although I did enjoy it. Finally, in 2022, the Golden Age Arc movies were edited and a 12 episode anime series was created. With extra scenes added, and improved visuals, this series was an absolute masterpiece. It also did not cut anything from the ending, as the 1997 series did. For me, it is the best version of Berserk available and one of the best seasons of any anime ever screened. After the adventures throughout the season, the final episodes really are about as dark as any that I can recall since I began watching anime. Would recommend to anyone who doesn’t find violence a challenge and who is able to deal with an extremely dark story. Great characters and a superb villain.

RE: Zero

On a much lighter note, but not exactly a walk in the park. I would recommend RE: Zero. This started out as a Novel in 2012, has been released as a manga in 2015 and then the anime was first released in 2016. A couple of games, which I haven’t played but I own one of them, were released also. This is the tale of Natsuki Subaru, who is summoned to another world, for unknown reasons, and finds himself in a medieval style kingdom. He has no powers or special skills apart from one. When he is killed, which initially happens quite often, time is reset and he returns to a moment in time before his death. From here, he needs to work out what happened, and why, and navigate these dangers, without creating more problems in the process. This Groundhog Day style plot works really well and the various dilemmas that Subaru needs to consider, to stay alive and also to keep his new friends alive, create a fascinating plot that is truly impressive in how the author has taken into account all the possible permutations. Add to that, the fact that Subaru needs to work out why he has this power and that he is unable to tell anyone else of it. This means that he needs to act in a way that doesn’t arouse suspicion, when he often knows what is going to happen but is unable to explain how he knows this. This show has only been on for 2 seasons now, and I doubt we will ever see the entire story on screen, the Light Novel is miles ahead, so I will have to pick up the novels to get to the end of this story. But the 2 seasons we did get were hugely enjoyable and I consider this to be one of the best shows out there. Great action scenes, fantastic storyline and great characters, this show has something for everyone. It isn’t as violent as some of my other selections but some episodes aren’t really suitable for a younger audience.

Clannad/Clannad After Story

Romance, or Romcoms, really aren’t my thing. I consider them to be unrealistic most of the time and a bit silly. I will make an exception here, though. Clannad, and its sequel, Clannad After Story, is one of the highest rated anime ever made, with an IMDb rating of 8.6/10. I think what sets it apart from many Romance/Slice of Life stories is the fact that it runs through to adulthood of the main character, Tomoya. This is basically the early life story of Tomoya Okazaki, the friends he made, his love life and, later, his marriage and him being a father. The supporting cast around him are great and they get plenty of character development as well. Due to various circumstances, Tomoya is a rather cynical guy, who hates living in his home town, hates his father and doesn’t have a lot of time for people. Clannad is about how this starts to change and what happens next. There’s a lot of funny moments, supernatural elements and a whole lot of sadness! There’s not a lot more that I can say about this show, if you haven’t seen it, watch it! Despite the supernatural side of things, it feels realistic, the motivations and the opinions of the characters are something that can be related to. I consider this to be one of the must see shows out there, it really is that good.

Stein’s Gate

In any poll of the best anime series of all time, Stein’s Gate is almost inevitably going to be in the top 10. The tale of ‘mad scientist’, Rintarou Okabe, this story of time travel and alternate timelines in one of the best examples of time travel that I have ever seen, if not the best. The consequences of trying to go back to change the past are many, and sometimes changing the past creates more problems in the future, none of which can be predicted. The plot is amazing, intricate but easy to follow, the characters are memorable and the main character, Okabe, can carry this show pretty much on his own, as it is always entertaining when he is on screen. It is funny, tense, sad and dramatic at all the right moments and there really is never a dull moment. As with Re:Zero, Okabe cannot really explain why he is doing a lot of what he does, because only he has seen what the future holds. This begins to affect his mental wellbeing. Stein’s Gate is probably my favourite sci fi show of any medium. It really is one of the best shows, of any kind, out there and I would encourage anyone who hasn’t seen it to go out and find it. There are couple of games out there, too, I haven’t got round to playing them yet but they are high on my list.

Your Lie in April

As someone who claims to not be a fan of romance, I’m not sure how this came to be at the top of my anime list. And I don’t think that it will ever be outside my top 5 anime of all time. In my opinion, this show is as close to a masterpiece as it is possible to be. With a couple of exceptions, I’m not even a big fan of music anime, even less if it is Classical Music. But somehow, it must have been a slow week, I sat down and watched the first episode of this show, and I was hooked immediately. I have to say, I had a hunch about what was going to happen but this didn’t even spoil it for me. The storyline and the journey to get to the end made it watchable throughout. And even though I suspected what was coming, the last episode still caught me by surprise. It’s a story about learning to accept ourselves, being able to move on and dealing with stress. It does move into slightly cheesy territory at times and is aimed at a young audience but still works for older viewers, who remember what it was like growing up, as some of the themes are pretty dark and easier to understand when you are older, rather than when you, or your peers, are going through it. And some of these issues affect people all through their lives. It has a (very) bitersweet end but it is also about overcoming and being able to deal with these things. I even found myself totally invested in the music competitions throughout the series. The main character can be frustrating at times, but he is meant to be, he is trying to make sense of things and his reactions are understandable, considering all the things that he is going through. I highly recommend this show, particularly to anyone who wants to watch ‘something different’ but it is hard going at times and keep the tissues handy!! Some people have issues with certain plot points, but I think this is a show that’s heart is in the right place and that overrides any nitpicking that may be possible over certain conversations or incidents, which I don’t think change the message that the show is trying to get across.

There are so many more I could add to this list, ‘Chrono Crusade’ or ‘Is it wrong to try to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon?’, being two that come to mind, and some would be near the top of the list at particular times, but, at this moment, these would be my favourite 10 and most would be in my top 10 list at any time. Of the older series, I like Paranoia Agent, totally out there and definitely worth watching, again, not for kids.

I’m not over interested in technical specs, as with games, the main thing, for me, is an interesting group of characters and, more often than not, realistic and flawed characters. One of my favourites aspects of watching anime is that characters are rarely perfect, unlike in Western art forms, where good vs bad is usually more clear cut. Pretty much all of these shows have heroes who are flawed and many of them have villains who I think you can sympathise with. The majority of these fit into an action genre, but two of my favourite 3 do not and most of the others have other facets to them, rather than being pure action.

I haven’t included any movies in my list, but I would recommend, pretty much, anything by Studio Ghibli, in particular Princess Mononoke and, of course, Spirited Away. Grave of the Fireflies is an 80s anime that is absolutely fantastic but, I warn you, heartbreaking, well worth a look. Akira is doesn’t need any introduction, a classic from the late 80s. If you are into something different, Tokyo Godfathers or Paprika might be of interest. A Silent Voice is a nice Slice of Life movie that deals with bullying and looks at both sides in more detail than I have been used to seeing.

Trigun Stampede, a prequel to the previous, and also great, Trigun series from 25 years ago, is a notable recent release which turned out to be really worth watching, particularly if you like Sci Fi Western type settings. Probably the best recent show that I’ve seen lately, along with Berserk, The Golden Age Arc.

Most of these choices offer a fairly extensive list of Manga, Light Novel or, even games, in some cases, so there is plenty more material out there if you find that you are wanting more. Most of them, but not all, will have extra storyline, either more detailed or a continuation of the story. In many cases, and this is one of the main frustrations for an anime fan in the West, anime is often simply a showcase or advertisement for a manga, game or novel. And it isn’t always easy to get a translation in the West very quickly. This is improving but it still has some way to go. But all these shows stand up pretty well on their own, even if they haven’t, and may never, reach the end of the story in the anime.

Spring 2023 has had quite a strong anime season, compared to recent years and there are quite a few that I would consider to be worth a watch over this season, without necessarily being all time greats, for me.

The two that I would say stand out, over this season, have been Hell’s Paradise and My Home Hero. But there has been a strong line up over the Spring Season, Dr Stone, Demon Slayer, Golden Kamuy, Vinland Saga 2 are also great shows. The Legendary Hero is Dead, Dead Mount Death Play and Konosuba – An Explosion on This Wonderful World, The Dangers in My Heart have all be fun to watch as well. But there are so many shows out there and lots to catch up with if you are new to anime.