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Japanese animated series based on popular manga have long been an internationally loved medium in both television and film. These anime series are the best of the best, spanning decades and ever-evolving art styles.
‘Attack on Titan’ (2013-2023)
Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK | OFFICIAL TRAILER | In Theaters February 10 - YouTube
While it is one of the newer entries, “Attack on Titan” is regarded by many as the “most popular modern anime series,” said Slash Film. It follows Eren Yeager, who joins an elite military squad in a future where humanity is “hunted and consumed by giant monstrosities” called “titans” and is forced to “live in fear in walled survival communities.”
Produced by WIT Studio and MAPPA, this “dizzying adaptation” of Hajime Isayama’s post-apocalyptic dark fantasy series captivated fans for a decade. It “successfully built a broad audience” consisting not only of “diehard anime and manga fans” eager to see its “horrific imagery and action translated from page to screen” but also “newcomers to the medium.” More than its accessibility, “Attack on Titan” has been praised for its “narrative and thematic depth.” (Crunchyroll,Hulu, Netflix)
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Cult classic “Cowboy Bebop” is unique: an original series created specifically for the anime medium by Shinichiro Watanabe with Sunrise Studios, drawing on a “wide array of pop culture influences” that were as “eclectic as the series itself,” said Slash Film. The show had only a 26-episode run and a movie in 2001, but it remains one of the most celebrated series in the genre.
The series combines “echoes of filmmakers like Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa,” said Slash Film, with “stylistic movements” borrowed from the "French New Wave and Hong Kong martial arts cinema” to make a “dazzlingly jazzy space spectacle that works better than it has any right to.” (Crunchyroll, Netflix)
Some anime struggle to balance laying out “intricate world-building” with a “cast of memorable characters, iconic moments and thrilling fights,” IGN said. That’s what “makes ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ so special.”
The framing device for fans’ “entry into this sprawling world is one of sympathy,” said IGN. It is easy to understand why the Elric brothers practice forbidden alchemy to try to resurrect their mother at the cost of their physical bodies. That quest guides them through a “world of monsters, government conspiracy and divinity.” And “despite all this elegance, ‘FMA: Brotherhood’” also knows when to “lay it all bare” in “unforgettable moments” that will “leave you standing in front of your TV cheering for the Elric brothers.” (Crunchyroll,Hulu, Netflix)
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‘One Piece’ (1999-present)
One Piece | We're Just Getting Started Trailer - YouTube
Written by Eiichiro Oda, “One Piece” is the “best-selling manga series of all time,” said Collider. Die-hard fans of the anime adaptation have weathered more than 1,100 episodes since 1999.
The series follows the exploits of Luffy and his pirate crew in their search for the eponymous One Piece. For over 25 years, Toei Animation has “produced epic, sprawling adventure sagas worthy of the manga’s legendary reputation,” said SlashFilm. There’s a reason “One Piece” is “regarded as one of the ‘Big Three’ shonen anime series of the 2000s.” Alongside “Naruto” and “Bleach,” the show helped define the shonen subgenre, which is primarily marketed to young boys aged 12 to 18, creating a generation of super fans. Newcomers may find the much shorter Netflix live-action series more accessible. (Crunchyroll,Hulu, Netflix)
Sailor Moon (1992-1997)
SAILOR MOON - Part 1 - Official Anime Trailer - YouTube
The crown gem of the Magical Girl subgenre, Naoko Takeuchi’s “Sailor Moon” is one of the most “globally recognized anime series of all time,” IGN. Schoolgirl Usagi and her unexpected role as the titular Sailor Moon is a “classic for a reason.” She is a gateway anime for many girls and women.
The show’s “gorgeous animation, stunning character designs” and an “all-time great transformation sequence” make this the “granddaddy of all magical girl anime.” It helps that each of the Sailor Scouts is “as well built-out and unique as Sailor Moon,” allowing audiences to “find their own favorites” as they revisit the “hilarious, heartfelt and action-packed” series over the years. (Hulu)
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
