Even though I’ve been an anime fan for roughly ten years, I never actually made a concrete list of my favorite titles, not even a top ten list. I’ve always had a handful I would consider favorites, which would change slightly over the years, but I never put them in any order or gave it much thought. So recently, to celebrate my decade’s worth of anime fandom, I finally put together a list of my 50 favorite anime…
After completing my 100 favorite anime characters list, I wanted to do another series of posts for my 50 favorite anime titles (I thought 50 was a more appropriate amount than 100 considering the number of anime I’m familiar with). I’ve been planning this list for a few months and originally I was going to make it a series of five posts, with ten titles per post, with my explanations as to why I like those particular titles on each. However, I realized I would end up repeating myself a lot if I were to do that, as in, my reasons for liking certain anime is the same in many cases, i.e., I like the story, characters, etc,. This list is completely based on my own personal preferences, so I figured it would be kind of boring to make a long series of posts with me praising different anime for the same reasons over and over.
Instead, as you see below, I decided to list all 50 here on one post, with the top ten getting the most attention, commentary on the others if necessary, and links to any reviews I’ve written for each.
And few things about the list:
– In order for me to consider an anime for the list, if it’s less than 100 episodes, I had to have seen all of it. If it’s more than 100 episodes, I had to have seen enough of it to feel that I can properly judge it. A list of all the anime I’ve seen can be found on my MAL.
– Titles on the list are not differentiated by season or releases. So for example, when I list Shakugan no Shana, I’m counting both seasons, and for Revolutionary Girl Utena, I’m counting the TV series and the movie. I do this because in most cases, I like an anime because of it’s different parts. But if I feel it’s important for me to make a distinction, for example, if I really liked the first season of an anime but not the second, or I loved the TV series but never saw the OVA, I will make note of it.
– And unless I point it out, I’m only referring to anime on the list (TV series, movies, OVAs) and not manga, light novels, or games.
Again, this is only my list of personal favorite anime and not meant to reflect what I think are the best anime of all.
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50. Darker than Black
49. Spice and Wolf
My review here
48. K-ON!
My review here
47. Shikabane Hime
46. Blood+
45. Phantom – Requiem for the Phantom
My review here
44. Canaan
My review here
43. Itazurana Kiss
42. Gundam Seed
Notes: Just talking about Seed. I’ve never seen Destiny
41. Mushishi
My review here
40. Cowboy Bebop
39. Ouran High School Host Club
38. Ranma ½
37. Konjiki no Gash Bell!!
36. Sola
My review here
35. Macross Frontier
34. Trigun
33. Chobits
Notes: Seen some of the anime and read all the manga
32. Sailor Moon
31. Tenchi Muyo!
Notes: Only referring to the original two OVAs and the manga. Never saw the third OVA and I don’t care much for the TV series, movies, and spin-offs
30. Ichigo Mashimaro
29. Nausicaa
28. Princess Mononoke
My review here (hosted on moetron.com)
27. Clannad After Story
Notes: Just Clannad After Story, specifically the second half. I liked the first season and OVAs, but not as much
26. Revolutionary Girl Utena
25. Slayers
Notes: The first three TV series, specifically Next. Didn’t like Revolution or the movies much, haven’t watched Evolution-R
24. Shakugan no Shana
23. Digimon
Notes: The first three series, Adventure, Adventure 02, and Tamers. Frontier was okay but not as good. Didn’t like Savers
22. Air
21. Hayate no Gotoku!
20. Code Geass
19. Eureka 7
18. Fruits Basket
17. Fullmetal Alchemist
Notes: The first series and the new one, even though it’s still ongoing
16. Kemono no Souja Erin
My review here
15. Chi’s Sweet Home
14. Toradora!
My review here
13. Naruto
Notes: The pre-filler first series and Shippuuden. Never seen the movies or OVAs
12. Pokemon
Notes: Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big Pokemon fan. But the games are what I mostly love even though I diligently watch the anime too. If this was a game list, it would be #1
11. Death Note
10. Evangelion
I know it’s a generic favorite but even after all these years, I feel like I still learn something each time I watch Evangelion. One of the most impacting series in the whole of anime fandom and for my own fandom. My interpretation of the series here.
9. One Piece
Notes: Minus filler episodes and movies
One Piece is the pinnacle of everything that makes shonen anime great. One of the most epic tales with an amazing mix of action, humor, and drama, and one of the most lovable cast of characters.
8. Cardcaptor Sakura
The very first anime I ever watched in Japanese and still a favorite. It is simply the cutest, sweetest, loveliest show ever.
7. Azumanga Daioh
Unique humor and memorable characters. One of the few shows that consistently makes me laugh no matter how many times I watch it.
6. Inuyasha
Inuyasha would have been my #1 from 2003 to 2007. Even though I’m not as into it as I used to be, I still love it. A cast of extremely well-developed characters amidst a creative, complex setting. Some of my history with Inuyasha can be traced through many past blog posts.
5. Noir
Something about Noir’s style, plot, and its two main characters is so alluring to me. I know there are many other “girls with guns” series like it, but to me, none of them have the charisma and artistry that Noir does. My interpretation of the series here.
4. Wolf’s Rain
A dark yet beautiful series with an ending that has made me ponder more than any other. My interpretation of the series here.
3. Kannagi
One of my newest favorites. I loved the anime so much I read all the current manga, and for someone who’s really lazy when it comes to reading manga, I know I must really love it. Not the most unique story, but something about the characters and situations is so appealing to me. My full review here.
2. Lucky Star
Another generic favorite, but I wasn’t gonna lie to myself when I know how much I love the characters and humor in Lucky Star. Even if a show is about nothing, if it’s cleverly written and has likable characters, I could be endlessly entertained.
1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
And I end my list with another generic favorite, which those of you who know me probably guessed already. It may be generic, but my love for this series is true. My full review here. And my obsession with Haruhi can be found on many posts throughout the blog.
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I wouldn’t say this is a perfect list of my favorites – I’m still second guessing myself on the order, but I can say with a good amount of certainty that the above are currently my 50 favorite anime. It’s likely that at least some of my favorites will change in the future. After all, discovering new anime I love enough to consider a favorite is one of the best parts of the fandom.
And if you’re interested as to why I like a particular title on the list, leave a comment below =)
yay a lot of my favs are on there
my personal top is FMA (both the old and new season)
and lol at the 2 otaku favs at #1 and 2 xD
hayate no gotoku too
those are all good series
I think lucky star got #2 in the poll in 2007 (after sola)
I personally enjoy adventure type series most (definitely check out katanagatari)
by category-
comedy: Lucky Star, Hayate
romance/drama: Clannad/AS, Sola
mystery/horror: Death Note, Higurashi
Haruhi is good but I like the light novels better
and I find the Clannad VN better than anime, though I guess anime is easier to watch
romance/drama:
@ Prooof
I actually am planning to check out Katanagatari. How did you know? XD
I like the Haruhi light novels better too but mostly because there’s more material than in the anime, at least as of now.
Katanagatari should be a good series
the first ep was awesome in my opinion
its 50 minutes each and only airs once a month so that’s unique
gives em more time for better production quality I hope too.
but the characters are interesting, the fights are great. I assume they will be retrieving one sword each episode of the month so the plot will probably be pretty straightfoward though; might be some romance too.
Not bad. InuYasha is my favorite, with Welcome to the NHK as number two.
K-On!?
Kannagi….I should really think about starting it, as I’ve heard pretty much nothing but good things about it.
One thing I love about this list is that you’ve got a lot of the old school shows like Sailor Moon, Pokemon (I consider that old school), Tenchi and other stuff from like….the 90’s.
@ Glo
I haven’t seen too many 90s anime since I started getting into anime in 2000. But a bunch like Tenchi, Slayers, Eva, and of course Pokemon, have been among my favorites for many years.
Not sure what you would think of Kannagi. If you don’t mind the slow pace, it has good humor and likable characters, at least in my opinion.
As for K-ON!, I’m a hopeless KyoAni fan =P But you can see it’s pretty low on the list since I don’t like it as much as others like Haruhi and Lucky Star.
Am really thinking of adding Noir to my plan-to-watch list. You know how I don’t care for how most females are portrayed in anime (too girly, helpless, etc.) – but these two females look pretty hardcore-capable to me. ;) No. 5 is also a high rating from someone who’s watched eight zillion anime series…
@ Jan
I think you would like Noir. What’s interesting about it is that there are only four reoccurring characters in the whole series (two main and two supporting). So plenty of time is spent on developing the two main heroines as well as the gradually unfolding plot. It also has some of my favorite BGM of any anime. I have the DVDs if you’d like to borrow them. Though Noir is my favorite, there are plenty of other anime starring bad ass females rather than girly ones.
LOL, eight zillion is a big exaggeration. I really haven’t seen that many different anime considering all the titles that are out there, especially compared to fans who have been watching anime since the 90s or earlier. But I guess I have seen more of a variety than the average fan =)
You either have absolutely no taste, haven’t seen a lot of anime, or this is a troll. Your top 3 are horridly mediocre.
@ Koji Oe
I never write troll posts. I admitted that some of my favorites are generic, but I can’t help it if those are the ones I truly love. I feel like I have a good variety of genres in the 50 I’ve listed and many that a lot of other fans would consider favorites (as for how much anime I’ve seen exactly, you can check my MAL). Saying I have “absolutely no taste” was uncalled for =/ (considering we share at least one favorite, Cardcaptor Sakura, have rated others in a similar way, and you haven’t even seen a number of the titles on my list according to your MAL).
Wow, too bad some folks have to be arrogant and self-righteous with regards to a your preference of anime titles. More like an uppity troll trashing your home and slinging mud. No civility or style. Nevertheless I like your choices, though my top ten faves differ from yours, with the exception of “Kannagi” and “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.” In fact, I have you to thank for my discovery of “Kannagi.” I’ve read a blurb you’ve written about this show, and curiosity has prodded me to investigate. Thanks.
Its always good to see Wolf’s Rain getting a high spot – my favourite anime ever. One Piece is my second, so I’m glad to see that in the top 10 as well!
Most of my favourites are here, we seem to have similar tastes! :3
@The Conch Republic
Thanks for the support. I’m glad I introduced Kannagi to someone. I really hope a second season comes out ’cause the next three volumes of the manga reveal more character development and plot. Takenashi-san resuming the manga would be great, too.
@Silvy
I feel Wolf’s Rain is underrated so I’m always looking to give it more attention. Glad it’s on your favorites, as well as One Piece, though the latter gets plenty of attention =) Nice to know we have similar tastes.
I went to read the plot for Wolf’s Rain on Wikipedia and really got interested in it, so decided to put it on my to-watch list(just like Noir, Darker than Black, Blood+,Phantom-Requiem for the Phantom, Cowboy Bebop, and many more) I fell in love with InuYasha, but not as much as FMA<3!!! Eureka 7 is such an adorable series=)! The 1st anime I got very attracted to was Naruto. Sure I watched Pokemon, but I didn't think that it was as interesting. When I saw the 1st episode of K-On!, I thought of it as being too girly=(! But I shouldn't judge because I haven't seen any other episode. I didn't like the first episode of Shakugan no Shana 'cause it gave out info too early=P I watched exactly 17 episodes of ToraDora! and stopped because it got tooooooooooo annoying=(
@ Little Samurai
K-ON! may be girly but it has a huge male following, for obvious reasons XD I personally like it because I enjoy cute, slice-of-life comedy (and KyoAni!)
Shana giving out info too early? Lots of anime do more than that – I kinda like knowing what’s going on from the beginning. But it all comes together in later episodes.
And I think you’re the only person I’ve come across who’s watched over half of Toradora! and thinks it’s annoying. Most people who’ve seen it past the halfway point love it and think its gets better and better.
I reflected on the Toradora! episodes I watched and realized what I had done! I asked myself why I kept watching.
I just finished The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya but I’m confused on the order and don’t know if it really was the last episode I just watched or not. Can you help make it clear to me?
Oh and Lucky Star was awsome. Konata was my favorite, her personality is what I’d like to find in a girlfriend lol.
@ maseball
I’m assuming you watched the original 14 episode series that aired in 2006. The episodes were not shown in chronological order during their 2006 broadcast (but were in the right order for the DVD releases and 2009 rebroadcast). For the original 2006 airing, the correct order would be as follows (the number refers to the original broadcast number):
02 – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya I
03 – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya II
05 – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya III
10 – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya IV
13 – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya V
14 – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya VI
04 – The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya
07 – Mysterique Sign
06 – Lone Island Syndrome (First Part)
08 – Lone Island Syndrome (Final Part)
01 – The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00
12 – Live a Live
11 – The Day of Sagittarius
09 – Someday in the Rain
The anime is based on light novels that are still ongoing, so I’m sure there will be more episodes in the future.