Entertainment
10 Most Perfect Anime of the Last 30 Years
There’s only so much anime one can take. Now a significant part of modern entertainment, the art of anime dates back to 1917 with early surviving works like Namakura Gatana. Since then, it has evolved in every possible way. Storylines have gone from episodic adventures to sprawling overarching arcs, characters have become more nuanced, and the themes have changed with the trends and societal concerns of each passing generation.
Anime wouldn’t be what it is today without its distinct art style. Inspired by the textured, hand-painted look of traditional Japanese art before evolving through computer animation and digital techniques, it’s the perfect combination of East and West. Over the last 30 years, there have been countless great anime, but only a chosen few deserve a spot in your rotation. From an underdog sports story to a ruthless yet charming murderer, here are the most perfect anime of the last 30 years, ranked.
10
‘Detective Conan’ (1996–Present)
After being forced to ingest a mysterious poison, brilliant teenage detective Shinichi Kudo (Kappei Yamaguchi) awakens in the body of a young child. Adopting the alias Conan Edogawa (Minami Takayama), he secretly continues solving baffling murder cases while searching for the shadowy organization responsible for his condition. In between going to elementary school and protecting his identity, he’s got murders, thefts, and conspiracies to solve.
Detective Conan combines the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes with the comical ingenuity of Scooby-Doo. Whether it’s an art heist or a murder on a luxury liner, every case is grounded in strong logic and reasoning. But with the perspective of a young man trapped in a boy’s body, the crime-solving gets even more creative, as Conan has the advantage of being underestimated because of his physical age.
9
‘Haikyu!!’ (2014–2020)
Inspired by the legendary volleyball player known as the “Little Giant,” undersized Shoyo Hinata (Ayumu Murase) dreams of reaching the top despite his height. After suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of prodigy Tobio Kageyama (Kaito Ishikawa), Hinata vows revenge—only to discover they’re now teammates at Karasuno High. The two must put their egos aside, especially if they’re going to compete for national glory.
Haikyu!! is about volleyball, but it’s also an anime about a bunch of underdogs who share the same vision. But before they can call themselves a team, audiences watch them go through the wringer first. It’s through playing volleyball together that they learn more about life on the court than in the classroom, transforming from boyish teens to serious athletes.
8
‘Death Note’ (2006–2007)
Sticks and stones hurt your bones, but in Death Note, pen and paper literally kill you. After chancing upon a supernatural notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written inside it, high school student Light Yagami (Mamoru Miyano) sets out to rid the world of criminals. However, his unchecked vendetta doesn’t go unnoticed by the mysterious detective L (Kappei Yamaguchi).
There’s something intriguingly blasphemous about playing a god. Light is the textbook example of “the ends justify the means,” and Death Note challenges the notion of whether true good is only possible through dictatorial means. Though the second half of the anime had a drop in quality, Death Note remains a philosophical trip about mortality.
7
‘One Piece’ (1999–Present)
There’s no stopping the adventures of One Piece. The limb-stretching Monkey D. Luffy (Mayumi Tanaka) is the last person anyone would expect to become a pirate, let alone the King of the Pirates. But for all his naivety, he makes up for it with sheer strong will and unabashed confidence that the world has yet to see.
Boasting 22 seasons and more than 1,110 episodes since its premiere, One Piece tends to lose sight of the bigger picture at times. But it’s the journey that counts. The anime also shows what good leadership is supposed to look like. Becoming the King of the Pirates isn’t about conquest, but rather the determination to overcome anything that comes your way.
6
‘Cowboy Bebop’ (1998–1999)
Beware of these space cowboys. Set in 2017, Cowboy Bebop is set in a society where humanity has colonized the solar system. Bounty hunter Spike Spiegel (Koichi Yamadera) and former cop Jet Black (Unshō Ishizuka) traverse the stars aboard the Bebop, hunting fugitives for cash. Together with the mysterious Faye Valentine (Megumi Hayashibara), eccentric hacker Edward (Aoi Tada), and intelligent corgi Ein, the crew is in for a wild ride.
Cowboy Bebop is the perfect anime alternative to the sci-fi sensation Firefly, as both blend space Western adventures with bounty hunting. The difference is that Cowboy Bebop pairs its neo-noir, jazz-inspired aesthetic with just as much substance. Every job is merely an escape from the past, whether it’s a criminal life or a lost civil war.
5
‘Vinland Saga’ (2019–2023)
After a traumatic childhood tragedy, Thorfinn (Yūto Uemura) devotes his life to killing the man responsible. To earn the right to challenge him in an honorable duel, he fights alongside the very warrior he despises. But after years of war and bloodshed, Thorfinn is forced to question both his purpose and the vengeful path he’s chosen.
If you like Vikings: Valhalla, you’ll probably enjoy Vinland Saga. While it’s a story about revenge, it’s equally a story about forgiveness. A true warrior is more than just a killer, and Thorfinn’s journey explores what that really means. For all its brutal violence, the anime delivers a powerful message about how revenge can consume and ruin a person.
4
‘Steins;Gate’ (2011–2015)
Self-proclaimed “mad scientist” Okabe Rintarou (Mamoru Miyano), a.k.a. Hououin Kyouma, accidentally discovers that his experimental microwave can send messages to the past. As he and his lab members experiment with time travel, the clandestine research organization SERN puts a target on his back. With his loved ones at risk, Okabe must travel through time before SERN takes away everything.
Steins;Gate takes time travel seriously. Instead of relying on the usual “jumping back and forth” gimmick, it takes inspiration from scientific theories like black holes and John Titor’s internet-famous claims. The anime explores the consequences of changing the past, showing that every decision comes with a price while raising big questions about tampering with the fabric of time.
3
‘Attack on Titan’ (2013–2023)
In a world where humanity survives behind enormous walls to escape man-eating Titans, Eren Yeager (Yuki Kaji) swears revenge after witnessing his mother’s brutal death. Alongside his childhood friends Mikasa (Yui Ishikawa) and Armin (Marina Inoue), he joins the elite Survey Corps to fight the monstrous giants. However, their battle comes with a personal cost, one to which Eren eventually succumbs.
During a time when Attack on Titan became the entry point for non-anime fans looking to get into the genre, it blew everyone’s minds with its larger-than-life, hyperrealistic animation. Considering the per-episode budget costs roughly $150,000, that cinematic quality makes absolute sense. But visual theatrics aside, Attack on Titan pulls the rug out from under audiences when it dares to question if the lead protagonist is as noble as audiences think he is.
After a forbidden attempt to resurrect their mother leaves Edward Elric (Romi Park) missing two limbs and Alphonse (Rie Kugimiya) trapped inside a suit of armor, the brothers set out to find the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. Their journey leads Edward to become a State Alchemist, but the search only leads them to dark conspiracies, political corruption, and nation-ending secrets.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood teaches what is arguably the most important lesson about power: in order to gain something, one must sacrifice something. But the plot twist is that the equation proves much more difficult in real life, as humanity is much more nuanced than a simple transaction. That formula only works when it is based on mutual support, which is what the two brothers learn on their journey.
1
‘Monster’ (2004–2005)
Monster starts off with gifted neurosurgeon Dr. Kenzou Tenma (Hidenobu Kiuchi), who saves a young boy instead of the town mayor. As a result, he loses everything he’s worked hard for. Nine years later, the boy resurfaces amid a string of serial murders. Hunted as a suspect, Tenma travels across Germany to stop the man whose life he once saved.
The Alfred Hitchcock-ian Monster is the worst-case scenario of good karma not paying off, resulting in one of anime’s greatest villains, Johan Liebert (Nozomu Sasaki). A walking contradiction, his chilling actions are juxtaposed by his charm and soft-spoken eloquence. That’s because he doesn’t actually kill anyone—he manipulates others into doing it for him.
Monster
- Release Date
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April 7, 2004
- Directors
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Masayuki Kojima, Morio Asaka
- Writers
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Tatsuhiko Urahata, Naoki Urasawa
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