I’m a long-time lover of anime, but my history with it has been spotty. When I was a small child, I watched anime without knowing it was from Japan. I took a break, then got back into it in high school thanks to morning cartoons and Toonami. I watched a couple things in college, and then there was a chunk of time where I didn’t watch any for like seven years of my life. When I started going to anime conventions to become a panelist during graduate school, I finally started getting back into watching shows and the occasional film, and loaded up on streaming channels. It has become one of the only things I’ll continually watch, more than movies and television. Due to being poor at the moment, I’ve unsubscribed from all streaming channels except Netflix, so I know I’m incredibly far behind (still haven’t seen Frieren or Apothecary Diaries, which very well could’ve made this list).
For now, is my top anime list. I’m sure I’ve left some out. Overall, these are some solid works that over the years, still hold up and summon deep emotions from me whenever I watch them. They are truly something to be experienced.
Darker Than Black (2007, 2009) is a magnificent science fiction/noir series with a tremendously unique premise — people exist with supernatural powers that require some sort of compulsion as payment. One person has to eat cigarette butts after they use their ability. Another has to turn boots upside down. Another sings. Another requires a kiss. There’s also like 500 other things going on at the same time, but what I shared is one of my favorite things about the series. Hei is a compelling lead, and he wears so many personalities as he works as a Contractor while on the search to find his missing sister. The first season is excellent. It ends on an ambiguous note…and then there were OVAs and a second season that just don’t live up to the magic of the first. I own all seasons and OVAs because I love Hei, Yin, and their voice actors, and I loved the initial story…so I watched them to see what else would happen to them. Just…pretend they don’t exist, unless you are a die-hard fan who is willing to overlook some glaring faults in storytelling for the sake of learning what happened to their favorite characters.
Death Parade (2018) is an emotionally wrenching series about an underworld/in-between world where the dead are summoned to be judged through playing a series of traditional, fun games (billiards, Twister, bowling, arcade, etc.). The games are played at a bar, and the bartender is the one who determines who will ascend to be reincarnated, and who will be sent to the abyss. It’s not always the winner of the game who wins a ticket to new life — the bartender (in this case, Quindecim) observes the behavior of each of the players, plus pieces of their memories, to determine the type of person they are before forming a judgement. The games can bring out the best and worst in people, so it’s always a mystery as to who will end up where. There is so much more to the story than I can even tell you — this series made me bawl my eyes out — so you just have to trust me and give it a watch.
Erased (2016) is a series about a young man who can flash back into time in little bursts to prevent things from happening…until something so big and tragic occurs that it allows him to go back years in time to correct a wrongdoing of the past – murder. I can’t help but also mention this is an emotional series. Series that bring out ALL THE FEELINGS in me are what makes them memorable, and worthy of recommendation. Anyway, this is a heartwarming show despite some very serious subject matter and disturbing elements. The entire series functions as a mystery with the time-travel element making it science fiction (although barely. The show is mostly realistic). The animation and music is gorgeous and it’s very well-acted.
Fate Zero (2011, 2012) and its sequel Fate Stay/Night: Unlimited Blade Works (2014-2015) have an irresistible premise. Heroic Spirits from history and myth are resurrected to fight on behalf of different sorcerer families in the Holy Grail War. Once the famous cup is won, it can be used to grant a single wish to the winner. The battles between Heroic Spirits (King Arthur, Gilgamesh, Cú Chulainn, and many more) are brutal. It is a kill-or-be-killed game, and the deaths and betrayals and manipulations throughout the series are compelling and devastating. Some of the sorcerers who command Heroic Spirits are children, and you want them to win because their very lives are at stake. To be honest, almost every competitor is extremely likeable, along with their Heroic Spirits, so as you watch this, you don’t want anyone to lose. But in a game this bloodthirsty, there has to be winners and losers. I love this franchise, and I always like to tell people that the Fate series is like Game of Thrones for anime fans. It’s animated by ufotable, too, so you know that you’re in for some high quality renderings and fight scenes.
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (2009-2010) is the second rendition of Hiromu Arakawa’s genre-busting, wildly popular manga. While I enjoyed the original Fullmetal Alchemist, which had slower pacing and a little more emphasis on characterization and emotion, the way the story was resolved through the final episodes and sequel movie really made me feel unsatisfied. FMA Brotherhood solves that problem. Unlike the first FMA, which was created before the manga was completed (so the animators and writers and directors had to make things up to resolve the series), Brotherhood follows the plot of the manga exactly, from beginning to end. And what an ending–one of the most satisfying conclusions in all of anime. Filled with political intrigue, family tragedy and drama, science fantasy, comedy, and a slow-burn enduring love of childhood friends, this series has everything, and that’s why it consistently hits the spot as one of the best animated series out there.
From the New World (2012, 2013) is probably in my top three anime of all time. I had never heard of this series before. I was randomly searching Crunchyroll to build up my watchlist and decided on this impulsively. I could not believe how enthralling this turned out to be. It’s post-apocalyptic and set thousands of years into the future, where human beings have telekinetic abilities and are taught to control them in school. The setting is idyllic, but there are plenty of secrets about this world that end up being very, very sinister. What starts out as a slice-of-life school story quickly evolves into a tragic mystery of epic proportions. You root for the characters, especially when they start disappearing. And there’s an unbelievable twist at the end. This series touched me deeply and made me think about love, friendship, and what makes us truly human. There is a lot of tragedy in this series, too…you can’t watch this without needing tissues on hand. An incredible sci-fi masterpiece.
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (2004) is one of the most creative adaptations (and possibly one of the more faithful) of the Alexandre Dumas classic…except set it in the future in space and uses 9 million different textured patterns to color in the character’s clothes, hair, eyes, etc. It’s a bit hallucinogenic-looking when you first see how bright and colorful and frenetically clashing everything seems, but then you get used to it, and appreciate the series for its unique beauty. I’ve cosplayed as Edmond Dantes twice now and it’s my most-beloved anime costume because of how rich the clothing pieces and fabrics are. Anyway, this version of The Count of Monte Cristo is told from Albert’s point of view, and it features a mysterious being called “The King of the Cavern” (aka Gankutsuou), who is a spiritual embodiment of Edmond’s vengeance. It literally makes Edmond inhuman, and when Edmond is about to exact his revenge, he becomes positively monstrous. Like I said, this is a really unique take on the classic that is wholly watchable. I saw this through the English dub and it was very well-acted. I also made it a personal goal to get autographs from Edmond and Albert’s VAs…missing accomplished!
Jujutsu Kaisen (2020, 2021; 2023; 2025, 2026) was a genuine surprise. You might find it hard to believe, but I’ve come to absolutely love this series. I reviewed season one on this blog, and while I enjoyed myself, I thought it was a bit strange and wasn’t sure if it was going to keep me interested in watching season two. Then I watched Jujutsu Kaisen: 0 and the second season, and bam! Totally love this now. The second season especially had me on the edge of my seat because even though the season is one giant battle (aside from the early episodes that are a flashback with Gojo and Geto), it was captivating. You think things will go one way, and then it shoots off in opposite directions. You think bad characters will die, and maybe they do, but not without taking out the good ones, too. Lots of tragedy, violence, betrayal, and incredible animation made up season two, and right now the newest iteration of the JJK series is the movie Execution, which rehashes the Shibuya arc (season two) and mixes it with an excerpt of the Culling arc (season three, coming in 2026). I want to see this very badly but I think I’ll have to wait. But it’s great knowing that familiar characters from the 0 film are back and ready to fight.
A Lull in the Sea (2013) was another pleasant surprise. This time, I just arbitrarily ordered it from Amazon Japan to build my own anime collection when I lived there, and chose it based on a brief description. I had no idea it would draw me in so completely with its tale of two worlds — the land above the sea, and the land below it. It starts out as another slice-of-life story set in a school, but the students consist of those who come from the land and the sea (there’s an explanation as to why sea children can go on shore, but I’m lazy and won’t explain it here). Anyway, there’s a unique mythology to the story with gods and maiden sacrifices to placate the ocean, and then on top of that, this is a story of budding love. There are things that surprised me in this series and I fell hard for many of the characters and their stories. Don’t sit this one out.
My Hero Academia (2016 – 2025) is a now completed (but long-running) manga with an almost equally long-running anime series that is on its final episodes as I write this. I don’t know what made me start watching it — probably impulse, as it usually goes — but I fell in love with it immediately. A loving homage to superheroes (including American heroes), MHA features a world where everyone is born with a superpower, referred to as a Quirk. Only Izuku Midoriya is born without one, until one day he acts heroically to save a fellow classmate, and Izuku’s favorite hero, All Might, bestows a special Quirk to him, now making Izuku able to enroll in the hero school known as UA. The series chronicles Izuku’s drive to become a powerful hero who can save anyone, plus school life, plus the villains uniting to end All Might and the heroes…and probably like 9,000 other things going on, too. It has a massive cast that is memorable and unique, from heroes to villians to different classes at UA High School. The series has a lot going on, and it’s much deeper than what it seems like on the surface. Plus, the show has some of the best casting around, both Japanese and English dub actors. They are incredibly talented, giving memorable performances. With this being the last season, I know I need to catch up (I’m two seasons behind)…and I keep getting spoiled thanks to social media, grr. But I will probably bawl my eyes out when it’s time to watch this series come to an end. I highly, highly recommend this one. It’s so much fun!
Noragami (2014) and its sequel Noragami Aragoto (2015) have my heart. Yato is mysterious, hilarious, childlike and tough…a great god down on his luck performing random acts of service to try to make enough money so he can get his own Shinto shrine. There’s waaaaaay more to this story, though. Noragami deals with death and regret, trauma, the thirst for life, the mythology of the gods of Japan, etc. This was sort of my introduction to Shinto, so when I did finally make it to Japan, I had heard of some of the gods whose shrines I would eventually visit–Tenjin, Benzaiten, Ebisu, etc. I even visited the Door to Yomi which was featured in season two, I think? Anyway, this is another series that brought out SO MANY EMOTIONS in me. Season one and season two both had me bawling at different times. It’s one of the very few anime series that inspired me to collect all of the manga (which is now complete at volume 27). I hope they make a season three of Noragami, but I won’t hold my breath. But it really is a fantastic series.
Princess Mononoke (1998) is my favorite Ghibli film (Howl’s Moving Castle is a close second) and I didn’t think I could make an anime list without including something from the famed, beloved studio. I watched this ages ago…I think when it premiered on HBO. I though Ashitaka was handsome and that’s pretty much what got me to watch it, without knowing much about the plot or how gorgeous this film is overall. The story is multilayered and shows a gray morality with its characters (like Lady Eboshi), who are capable of wonderful and terrible things at the same time. It’s a cry to save the environment, too. Actually, as with most anime, it’s many, many things. It is one of the lushest animations I’ve ever seen, and it was a big reason why I went to the island of Yakushima when I lived in Japan — to see the real-life Mononoke Forest at Shiratani Unsuikyo. It was so beautiful, I felt like I had a spiritual experience there. Anyway, this is a classic Ghibli film. While most recommend My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away, I think if you want more epic fare, you should check this one out.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011) will surprise you because the animation, character designs, and premise — ordinary girls who make a contract with a cute creature to become Magical Girls that help save people from witches — all suggest this will be light, fluffier fare with a happy ending. NOPE. This is a dark series. Characters die. Characters are eaten. There’s depression and jealousy and emotions that run so deep that it turns girls into monsters. The cost of becoming a magical girl is astonishing. This show cannot be underestimated in its darkness and the surprises it has up its sleeve. It is compulsively watchable. As with A Lull in the Sea, I was building up an anime collection in Japan and gave this a shot based on its description. I was completely floored once I watched it. I’ve never been into Sailor Moon or Precure or any other sort of magical girl series, so this was my introduction to it. I don’t know if I could watch those shows after seeing PMMM first.
The Summer Hikaru Died (2025 – second season forthcoming) is based off of a manga by Mokumokuren that I’ve enjoyed reading immensely. The series is ongoing, and when I found out the anime was coming to Netflix, I was overjoyed — this is the only streaming platform that survived my great purge, and it’s only because I’m on a family account. Anyway, as soon as it came out, I was glued to the TV. The animation vividly brings the characters to life — even the creepier aspects of them — and the voice acting is excellent (I’ve only seen the Japanese version, though. I plan to rewatch it with the English cast). The pacing and storytelling is thrilling and creepy, and there are clear BL vibes in both the manga and anime, where characters are clearly devoted to each other, even amidst tragedy and supernatural mayhem. This is a weird, compelling show that is also intensely creepy at times. It’s also tragic. I love it very much.
Of course, I forgot a couple shows: Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Dororo, Banana Fish, SK8 the Infinity, Tengen Toppa Guren Lagann, and Sasaki and Miyano, but this article is practically a novella, so I’ll call those my runners up for the time being (but still highly recommended).
Readers, share your recommendations in the comments!
Kristina Elyse Butke 
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