Japanese animation has become a boom industry in the western world in the last 15 years. Starting with Akira in the late 80′s, through to the huge anime conventions of today, it has gone from being solely the domain of young children, to capture the imagination of people of all ages and backgrounds. This list comprises the top ten most well written anime, the literature of anime, if you will.
A lot of anime is about schoolgirls. Schoolgirls with robots, schoolgirls with psychic powers, or just naughty schoolgirls. But Azumanga Daioh is just about schoolgirls, following them as they grow, become friends, and deal with tests, homework, and bizarre teachers. Its potent humour comes not from overblown nonsense, but from how recognizable the situations are. Anyone who has been in highschool will find something to enjoy here.
The impossibly good-natured Tohru Honda meets the mysterious Sohmas, a family with a terrible curse hanging over their heads. They turn into animals of the zodiac when hugged by a member of the opposite sex. The magic of the story is revealed alongside the emotional damage of the Sohmas’, as seen through the eyes of Tohru.
The buddy flick has long been a staple of modern cinema, but combine that with a hiphop soundtrack and some awesome samurai action, and you have a stylish and action packed series that throws historical accuracy out the window. As the waitress Fuu, the samurai Jin, and the vagrant ronin Mugen journey across feudal Japan in search of a samurai who smells of sunflowers, the viewer is treated to everything from riotous lampooning, to touching and emotional tales of love and loss.
If there was an anime that could dethrone Evangelion – a show that’s as brilliant as it is entertaining – then that show is Fullmetal Alchemist. Two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, attempt to resurrect their mother using alchemy, losing Ed’s arm and leg, and Al’s Body in the process. They are now searching for the Philosopher’s Stone to fix their bodies. Although there is plenty of comedy, Fullmetal also shows insight into the brutality of war and genocide.
The catalyst for the anime boom, Akira was a calling card for the possibility of animation as an artform. From the opening nuclear destruction of Tokyo, to the climactic battle between out of control psychic Tetsuo, and the laser wielding Kaneda, Akira is fast paced and relentless. It covers a government conspiracy and secret experiments, and as Tetsuo tries to deal with his mental anguish the possibility of an imminent second disaster. A must watch.
The Best of the Lupin the 3rd films, Castle is directed by Hayao Miyasaki of Studio Ghibli fame, and it shows. Featuring a slightly less playboyesque Lupin getting entangled with a runaway princess, and evil count, and (of course) a massive hidden treasure, Castle has all the best qualities of Miyasaki’s work and the Lupin series itself.
Ever since its 1995 debut, it has been analyzed, criticized, glorified, vilified, overrated, undervalued, and talked about in circles. On one level, it’s a giant robot show, with 14 year old Shinji Ikari being drafted into piloting the most technologically advanced fighting machine in the world, to defend it against the Angels who would destroy Mankind as they know it. Yet right in the middle, director Hidaeki Anno strips away the facade, revealing a brutal psychological drama with red herring Christian references, and at its heart a powerfully human story.
No contest, this is the coolest anime ever created by human beings. By filling it with everything that he loved, director Kazuya Tsurumaki created a universal tale of the trials of growing up, which is spectacularly bizarre and entertaining. Naota is already dealing with his older brother’s absence when he is hit on the head by self-proclaimed alien Haruka Haruhara. And that’s when the robots start bursting out of his head. Then come space pirates, arson, a giant hand, and a guy with seaweed for eyebrows. And thank to the efforts of guitar gods The Pillows, the whole thing rocks very hard indeed.
One of the least known of Hayao Miyasaki’s films, why should this rank above the likes of Spirited Away, Naussica, and Mononoke? Because it is, simply put, perfect. A long time lover of airplanes and flight, Miyasaki truly soars in this movie. The main character is Marco, and eponymous pig and former WW1 fighter pilot that became so disgusted with humanity that he literally turned into a humanoid swine. He deals with rival flying gangs, a woman he loves but can never tell, a suave American and others. Maybe Porco is the best because the gruff, disillusioned Marco is the closest character to Miyasaki that has ever appeared in his films.
There is a good reason that Bebop has made the top of the list. It’s run on the cartoon network for four straight years, despite it only being 26 episodes long. It’s more entertaining to watch eight straight times than it is to watch almost anything else. The show revolves around Spike Spiegel, a Bounty Hunter who used to work for organized crime, and together with former cop Jet Black, gambling addict and swindler Faye Valentine, computer genius Ed, and data dog Ein, he deals with killers, space truckers, mushrooms, spoiled food and his past. Add to that the music, where seemingly every genre is explored through the course of the show, and probably some that didn’t exist previously. Whether you just want to see an episode or you’re planning a marathon, Cowboy Bebop is truly have it all.
Contributor: Nejikun
and Legend of the Overfiend
Bible Black is much better
I’m not much of a fan of anime, but Akira is one that I just must see. It seems like essential viewing in general, not just for the world of anime, doesn’t it?
Nah, Akira sucks. I’ve watched a fair few from this list, and it’s the only one I absolutely can’t stand
you suck, and akira should be number 1.
Akira sucks? man you need to watch it again, it’s really good
I’m still pretty new to manga and anime. I’ve got to say, FMA is spot-on! I love the anime. All the other series are actually familiar and I must’ve stumbled upon them. I’ll try to indulge myself.
I like Bleach…
tool
yeah bleach is for retarted little kids
Enter your comment here.
Bleach started awesome. However, it went down hill really fast.
Hey, really interesting list! I must say, I was surprised not to see any of Miyazaki’s more popular works here (ie Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) but far from criticising your choice, I love that it’s given me new ones to watch rather than fulfilling expectations!
I’ve seen 3, 4, 6 and 7 and I agree with your choices for all of those. Guess I have 6 more to see!
All of these are really good. I’ve seen most of them being an Adult Swim fan.
One of my friends likes these shows, but I don’t think I could ever get into them. Of the anime that I have seen, I really could not stand the sometimes obscenely large eyes and ridiculous facial expressions. The list was informative though.
I would highly suggest Cowboy Bebop to you then. It has very little if any of the bug eyed, crazy face stuff.
There are several thing that were a little off in the articles under Samurai Champloo and Cowboy Bebop. First Samurai Champloo is historically accurate in several aspects like the setting and the maps to name a couple(there are more things that are accurate but i won’t go into detail). And in respect to Cowboy Bebop the music is mostly jazz and blues(and related genres).
Other than these particular items this is a very good list. =)
Actually there are lots, and lots of different kinds of music displayed. You are right that there is more jazz than the rest, but I would not say it is strictly jazz music. Seriously rewatch it and just enjoy the music.
Woohoo! I was wondering just yesterday if an anime list could appear on LV… and here it is! Great choices, I’ve seen most of them.
For those who liked Akira, I have to say that the movie is great and the animation is incredible. But, the manga it’s based on has quite a different storyline, and I consider the story of the manga (2,000 pages in length!) much better written and more enjoyable.
ok…let´s see..in wich category does robotech stands???
Hmmmm…. nice list… but The Vision of Escaflowne should be in the list…
Trigun was also good
The Gundam franchise has had some pretty good story lines too, especially the most recent one “MS Gundam 00″. Ghost in the Shell is pretty good too, as well as Serial Experiments Lain.
I like anime a little bit but a lot of them get on my nerves and some are hard to watch all the way through. BUT, Ghost in the Shell are so well writen I look forward to new ones and watch old episodes over and over.
It’s important to notice that most of these anime are intended for adults, and definitely not suitable for children. Violence, nudity, *****ual innuendo, straight-out *****, and intricate plots with deep character development are the norm with most of these.
So for those who think that this is stuff for kiddies, think again.
“it has gone from being solely the domain of young children”. . .to being soley the domain of adults who act like young children.
I fixed it.
Screw you!
Come on are you kidding me.If you are going to write a list please mention that this is your opinion, cause calling it the ‘Top 10 Best Written Anime’ is utter blasphemy.
You left out huge classics..
Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Perfect blue
Ninja Scrolls
Metropolis
Gundam Series
Ghost in a Shell
Elfen Lied Series
…and many more.
The only ones that deserve to be on this list is Akira and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Series like Full Metal,etc are just passing fads like that crap naruto,etc.
Cowboy Bepop…#1 really?!
I’m sorry but this is the lousiest list I have seen on listverse
Most of those are well written but Ghost in the Shell? Really?
Cowboy Bebop is kick-ass
THANK YOU! I guess I can stop reading these posts now and being *****ed off, as long as theres one otaku with half a brain.
Yea, its unfortunate One Piece was left off too…it just recently celebrated their anniversary, and sold billions of copies. Anyone who reads it probably realises how well thought out each character was…oh wells, great list none the less
Great list! Glad to see Cowboy Bebop made the top spot, it’s truly a work of art and the reason I don’t just change the channel when anime comes on. Trigun deserves at least an honorable mention, if not more. Love the site by the way.
I usually just change the channel no matter what anime show comes on.
Isn’t it a general understanding that the majority of top lists are based on the author’s personal opinion?
My knowledge of anime stops in the middle of the 1970s when I grew out of “Prince Planet”! That and “Simba the White Lion” is about as far as I went.
Nice selection Harsha. I do love the vampire moives as well:
Blood
Hellsing
Vamire Hunter D
I’d tack onto Harsha’s list stuff like:
Grave of the Fireflies
Millenium Actress
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Clannad
Paprika
Read or Die (movie)
grave of the fireflies is a must see! very touching movie!!!!!
Grave of the Fireflies made me cry so bad… It’s so fantastic!!
Getter robo!
typo in the last segment. “Cowboy Bebop is truly have it all.”
Should actually be “cowboy bebop trull has it all.”
just thought you should know jfrater.
sorry i made a typo also. i meant to say “cowboy bebop truly has it all”.
Sorry.
I’m gonna have to agree with Harsha and The-Dude, especially since you can’t leave out GitS (either the movies or Standalone Complex, First Gig). Maybe a “better” list would be a beginner’s primer on good anime, including what’s on the official list and adding The-Dude and Harsha’s suggestions, as well as: “Jin-Roh – The Wolf Brigade”
Maybe someone should do a list of great examples of anime artistry. Then I’d toss “Doomed Megalopolis”, “Tokyo Godfathers”, and “Demon City Shinjuku” into the mix.
Interesting list. I’ve never seen any anime. Would this type of literature be considered today’s comic books? I think I flipped by something that looked like this on the satellite but I didn’t stop long enough to figure out a plot.
You would think Dragonball Z would be #1
HMM..
love all of these shows, but theres sumthin huge missin here, DEATHNOTE!
I always thought anime was silly and nonsensical until I saw Akira. Awesome, awesome movie! Fullmetal Alchemist, Evangelion and Cowboy are also great movies. Haven’t seen the others…will have to check them out.
i love alot of studio giblet stuff, but Spirited away is simply my fav! i think it is sooooo beautiful and so so creepy and quite terrifying too! i cant believe it didn’t make the list, personally, i prefer it a million times more than porco rosso or whatever its called!
Akira freaks me out, the big teddy bears and cuddly toys, shish! puts the willys up me!
Trojan: Anime is the television/movie format, and Manga is the corresponding comic book style.
Youtaintedmemory: Eh…DBZ was good, but it was all action. Not incredibly well-written. Now if we going with best *drawn*…maybe.
I agree, Full Metal Alchemist probably doesn’t deserve to be up here. I’m ecstatic to see Cowboy Bebop at number 1, that has always been one of my favorites, and Samurai Champloo is the name of the game! If I’d had my way, for my own guilty pleasure I would have had Afro Samurai up here too.
i’m really glad cowboy beebop was on the top, It was one of the first series I really appreciated.
Bleach is an upcoming anime series that has a lot of good story to it.
one i believe should be on this list, is Ruroni Kenshin. Absolutely loved it.
Gundam Wing is another really good storyline. (i still needed to buy that series)
and lastely because i like ninja’s, Naruto is like a DBZ for a newer generation, once you get past the first 20ish episodes (i havent seen any of the shiputen? (spelling) but i hear good things too).
also if you like wandering samurai, Samurai Deeper Kyo was pretty good too.
To the people like Harsha and The-Dude. Chill out guys, anime is such a broad genre. No offense but there really isn’t any reason to get all bent out of shape when the man just wanted to make a list we can enjoy. Trigun and Love Hina are worth looking into gang.
The Love Hina anime took out pretty much all of what made the manga so great story-wise. Trigun was different, but I wholeheartedly agree that it was excellent.
This list looks more like “Good Anime broadcasted in US”. (not from US myself, though, so maybe wrong)
I expected Evangelion to be on the list, but I’d rather put it as influential than extraordinarily good-written.
Agree with Full Metal Alchemist being on the list, as well as Porco.
There is nothing particularily extraordinary in Fruits Basket or Azumanga Daioh, just ur average popular series.
I’d see the problem of that list becoming too one-sided, but nevertheless I miss Miyazaki pieces like Grave of the Fireflies, Omohide Poroporo, Umi ga kikoeru…
I have to disagree with this list. If it’s personal choice, that’s great, but to really review, how many ‘Young kid(s) get super powers (robot suit, special body, blah) then has wacky adventures with quirky sidekick characters while learning the travesty of the adult world’ repeats are you going to prop up?
Why not just include Pokemon?
The real classics and best anime weren’t written for 14 year olds, like most of this list. They were written in the late 70′s and 80′s, when there was no support for the genre, and they were brutal and hard adult works (no, not XXX) that were so good that they paved the way for the modern era to finance the kiddy stories that are out now. They were so good they forced the industry to change to accept them. That isn’t happening with 90% of this list.
Here’s your test: How do you define good anime?
It’s so good that it doesn’t even matter or warrant the fact that it is anime in mentioning what an amazing story it is. The fact that it is animated is only an aside to when you are discussing it’s caliber. Grave of the Fireflies is a perfect example.
Akira is the only movie that even remotely belongs on this list. I’d tell you what to look for on your own but you’ll do much better finding out for yourself.
That is, of course, just my opinion. I think if you review the list and my commentary, it has some validity.
Yes Yes and again I say Yes to Cowboy Bebop. I so got that movie in my dvd collection along with the Lupid the Third movie. Full Metal Alchemist is also a really good one. Another good anime movie is Spirited Away. But that may just be me.
I’m confused. I mean, I like this stuff and all.. but how come you switched to animated anime in the middle? I thought the list was written anime.. kinda of disappointed, to tell the truth.. I was looking for a new WRITTEN anime to read…
Cowboy Bebop is the Greatest. Faye is my Goddess.
Fooly Cooly. Second fav., But I have o say It was Not very well written. Creative, Very. But well written, I’ll need a few more marathons before I believe that. Lord Conti is the greatest minion Ever.
I’m sorry, Mr. Graves but I have to disagree. Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion are VERY well written, hence they deserve to be on the list. Some of the others can get a bit goofy and/or it’s hard to totally suspend my disbelief but I still enjoy them – for the stories.
@ jksmom119
I think you were mistaken from the start anime IS the animated version. Their literary counterpart is called Manga.
Many of these were derived from Manga Comics and made into anime.
Well i think the original Ghost In the Shell film should definitely be included here.
Harsha-
ah ha.. I just read the title wrong, my bad. Thanks!
How does Akira get on a list of best written anime? I’ve seen Akira three times and the plot barely makes sense. Akira is visually stunning, action packed, and turned a generation of anime fans on their heads in the 80s, but well written it is not. Historically significant? Yes. Cult classic? Definitely. Top ten best written anime of all time? No way.
@Crimanon: I think Fooly Cooly was very well written. There’s lots of little subtle things going on in the dialogue, and nary a second of the show is wasted. I guess it comes down to what kind of writing you like.
Anime that should have definitely made the list for their writing.
Berserk: Ends on a horrid cliffhanger, but tells an engrossing and amazing story regardless.
Baccano!: Intricately weaves several plots together, while taking the viewer on a crazy fun ride. Like Pulp Fiction meets Cowboy Bebop.
Death Note: A psychological thriller like no other that finds itself *****yzing some very morally grey areas. Highly recommended.
Gungrave: A tragic and engrossing tale of two friends who join the mafia. Like The Godfather.
Kino’s Journey: Kino travels to different countries each with their own unique cultures and rules. Sort of like Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits.
Now and Then, Here and There: Not for the faint of heart. The plot follows a young boy as he is pulled from the modern world into a hellish future. Tyrannical dictators, violent interrogations, suicides, rape, wholesale slaughter, and torture, not one horrid aspect of war is glossed over. Incredibly powerful, I still get goosebumps when I remember certain scenes years after watching.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: It’s just a blast to watch. With it’s own unique narration style, offbeat comedy, and awesome characters, there’s nothing quite like it out there. Sort of like Fooly Cooly with less insanity and more plot.
Actually, the only title I’m surprised isn’t on here is Grave of the Fireflies. It’s still anime, but it provides a completely different tone to most other animes, completely avoiding ninja sword fights and flying dragon monsters/robots etc.
I personally loved Princesss Mononoke and Spirited Away, and they are without doubt my favourite animes, but I don’t think they deserve automatic placing upon their amazing imaginativeness. Perhaps the list title could be a bit clearer, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
Although Harsha, the very fact that you didn’t resort to childish name-calling means you’re one of the nicer criticisers, so you do make valid points
Kuma: Any show where “Look at those Eyebrows” is significant to the episodes story line is bad writing. Hilarious, but bad. That same quote, when used in Seinfeld would’ve had the same effect and would’ve been taken, by me to be, again Bad Writing. FLCL, at least, knew it shouldn’t take its self seriously.
eww… this is a geek list…
I agree with Kuma.
Death Note is a fantastic series.
How does the name Cowboy Bebop relate to the show? Is that a character? Why are the characters from every show drawn the same?
Cowboy Bebop is the greatest series ever. Anyone who doesn’t like it, it nuts!!
Afro Samurai is also amazing, and not on the list. Samuel L Jackson is the voice and he is fantastic. I highly recommend it!!
I am suffering through Samurai Champloo right now. It does not hold my attention like Bebop did.
Akira is weird, and needs to be viewed on drugs to even THINK that you can understand where the writers were going with that story. It was light years ahead of its time though. It deserves to be on the list just because everything was drawn by hand without the help of computer graphics.
“How does the name Cowboy Bebop relate to the show? Is that a character? Why are the characters from every show drawn the same?”
They are bounty hunter and in the future bounty hunter are called “cowboys”
Bebop is the name of their ship
I was actually thinking of writing this list just yesterday XD
I don’t mean to be rude, but if you think those are the best, you’ve not seen much anime. The only thing I agree with on this list is Azumanga Daioh. I haven’t seen Porco Rosso or Cagliostro, so I can’t exactly give an opinion on either of them, but the rest, while most of them are good, don’t even come close to being the best.
I agree with Ghost in the Shell being an honorable mention. Great concept and great writing. As a sci-fi story alone, it stands among the best.
I like the fact you included Samurai Champloo in the list!Its plot looks shallow at first, but yes, it was actually very-well written, and it looks like the writers had fun making it as well. Animation and choreography was good too.
Anyway, I was surprised Spirited Away wasn’t here too. And Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies, though personally I didn’t like them much either. I loved Fruits Basket, but I can’t really agree that it was well-written. I’m sure there’s better-written ones out there. But I guess it’s all in a matter of opinion.
And, on a side note: this might sound a little dumb, but I’m not familiar with #10, is the cover supposed to be a joke on FF7?
huxley: I’m not saying they are bad in any way, simply that they aren’t genre defining and don’t present anything hasn’t been done better in other places. If you are talking about the structure of the writing within the works, they don’t fail in any way, but you don’t have to fail to not be included among the best. They simply aren’t the best. It’s the difference between a work that is stunning in (randomly) 3 out of 5 categories and a work that is well done in 5 out of 5. The latter is still a good work, but the work that is stunning is the genre defining pieces that set the stage for the well done to build upon later. The truly excellent writing isn’t on this list.
If you are speaking literature, then try comparing the works on this list to what would be taught in a literature class.
And you can’t cop out on the fact that it’s animated: Alan Moore’s works (take Watchman, for example) have been taught as pieces of actual literature in universities for years. It has nothing to do with the animation, unless you are using the animation as an excuse for lowering the bar.
Again, just my opinion. And Akira is very understandable. The movie only happens to be a small section of a story that spans hundreds and hundreds of pages in several books.
P.S. Harsha, you are my goddess. I read through all the comments and you are the only one who mentioned Perfect Blue! It makes me sad how overlooked that one is.
::hissy fit:: WRITTEN! WRITTEN! WRITTEN!!! Just because an anime exists doesn’t mean there was a manga created or that said manga translates well. Frankly, Hiyao Miyazaki’s work doesn’t work well as a manga- his work focuses on little details and his magic doesn’t work as well stationary.
I take that back- I re-read the opening and I don’t think he meant manga at all. My mistake.
How in the HELL can you have this list with OUT Record of Loddoss War or Samurai X?!?! Loddoss is THE anime that got me watching and interested in the fantastic world of Japanimation! It is EPIC! If never have you seen this I suggest you do so soon!! Samurai X is superb. Its the base story for Ruroni Kenshin. His back story. Trust and betrayal always makes me cry. Love, loss, love, loss, death, betrayal longing to belong but not be a cookie cutter. Truelly awesome! Some of the other people mentioned ones I would name as well like Elfin Lied, perfect blue, ninja scrolls but COME ON! ALL HAIL PARN, DEEDLIT and Kenshin!!!! PA PAN GA PARN!!! PA PAN GA DEEDLIT!!! PA PAN GA KENSHIN!!!!
I am shocked I am the only one who mentioned Afro Samurai. Has no one seen that gem?
Robin: See comment #31. You are not alone.