“Write our best anime of all time list,” they said. “You’re a massive weeb, so it’ll be easy!” They said. Well, while I can confirm that I personally have been locked into the art form since somewhere between watching Spirited Away and ‘Bye, Bye Butterfree’ at an impressionable age, summing up the best anime series and anime films in 10, to the point entries is no less daunting.
So this humble connoisseur has attempted to select anime that inspires, with each entry offering something to chew on creatively. Whether you’re a words nerd storyteller like me, or an animator looking to hone your craft, you’re likely to find a light bulb moment below. Speaking of, if you’re on the hunt for more inspiration, then take a look at our best animation software guide. If you want to create anime-style character designs, read our Procreate tutorials for advice.
This best anime list pitches movies and shows from both sides of the millennium. Some offer a gentler introduction if you’ve never dipped a toe into this particular rabbit hole before, but many are otherwise intended for an older teen to a mature audience. Of course, some big fan favourites may be missing *cough* Dragon Ball *cough* but you can't have it all.
I've added links to how to watch my anime picks, and skip to the FAQ section for more viewing options (and some trivia). Without further ado, enjoy adding some of the best anime to your watch list.
When it comes to hand-drawn animation, you know I had to include this banger. Comprising of 100,000 drawings crafted over a seven year period, you’d be forgiven for being a little wary of this directorial debut. However, Takeshi Koike’s first feature-length effort has bags of style, featuring a high contrast look inspired by comic book legends Mike Mignola and Frank Miller.
Now, let me speed through a story synopsis: Recuperating from a rigged race gone wrong, driver “Sweet” JP finds out he’s secured his place in the most popular race in the galaxy–you guessed it, ‘Redline.’ There’s only one problem: the venue is a planet full of cyborgs who’ll hunt down anyone they spy behind the wheel. What follows is 103 minutes of inventive animation, a sweet love story, and a final act villain that has to be seen to be believed.
Pronounced “Hunter Hunter,” (you’re welcome), this series tells the story of seriously determined youngster Gon Freecss and his quest to find his father. Unfortunately, dear old Dad has ventured into a world full of dangers you wouldn’t want a child anywhere near.
Though the manga is still ongoing, I’m including the 2011 series as it tells a complete story. Besides, compared to genre-heavyweights like the swashbuckling One Piece and the eternally popular Dragon Ball Z, it tells that story in a comparatively less intimidating 148 episodes.
But be warned: while there’s darkness crowding the frame from the off, Hunter x Hunter undergoes a significant tone shift during its second half that leaves few members of its expansive cast unscathed–let alone alive.
Have you ever found yourself thinking, ‘If just one more slight inconvenience comes my way, I’m going to McFlippin’ lose it’? Now, add devastating psychic powers into the mix. So goes the tale of Mob, a mild-mannered high school student working everyday to improve himself–in between exercising spirits at his part time job and the odd, potentially world-ending psychic meltdown.
Every episode ends by revealing just how close we are to the next mental maelstrom, as if to say ‘go on, just one more episode!’ Add in a very atypical anime style (courtesy of its manga basis being penned by the creator of One Punch Man), plus endlessly inventive animation that isn’t afraid to mix media–at one point even deploying sand painting. All of that together makes this easily a must-watch.
Though this series has grown to encompass multiple anime series and films–with the 2004 sequel Innocence in particular a visual treat that blends 2D and 3D animation – I’m going to focus on the original feature from 1995 here. Why? Because even after all of this time, a small part of me still wants to be Major Motoko Kusanagi when I grow up. Joking aside, it’s a work that enthusiastically backflips into themes of post- and transhumanism, offering a whole host of big sci-fi ideas still worth chewing on three decades later.
This anime series is a grounded thriller grappling with the crushing weight of one good man’s conscience. Frustrated by how societal systems too often fail the vulnerable, talented neurosurgeon Kenzo Tenma risks his career to save a young boy’s life – and lives to regret it. As bodies start piling up, Tenma not only works to prove his innocence, but also to absolve his guilt. An absolutely gripping exercise in slow burning dread – now available to stream on Netflix!
This anime series approaches creativity with, ahem, reckless Abaddon (geddit?). A true triple threat, this 10-episode series is not only based on a manga by legendary comic book artist Go Nagai, but is also directed by Masaaki Yuasa (of Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! fame), and features gorgeous acid toned animation from Science Saru.
Depicting lashings of bloody demonic violence in a colourful hellscape, this one is definitely not for the faint of heart. If that doesn’t put you off, you’re in for a devastating arc that features one of my personal top 10 anime betrayals.
Satoshi Kon, despite his passing in 2010, remains one of my all-time favourite anime directors. Kon’s films depict characters struggling to make sense of a layered reality, with the space of a cut transporting them between fiction and reality, dreams and a waking nightmare.
Perfect Blue and Paprika do this in service of thriller elements, but Millennium Actress is instead a love letter to cinema. While that missive is primarily addressed to classic live action movies, there’s no mistake that this is a flick that unreservedly celebrates animation.
The original ‘sad teens with no choice but to get in the robot’ show, this mecha anime blends teenaged despair with cosmic horror. There are single frames of this anime that leverage religious iconography in such a way that still haunts my dreams.
The original 90’s TV series features a notoriously fractured ending that has since been addressed by the Rebuild film series, but I’d argue even missteps like that original bookend are worth the revisit–if for no other reason than to scout inspiration for how you can keep your own audience guessing.
It feels unfair to confine all of Studio Ghibli’s wonderful animation to one entry on this list–but it would’ve been equally unfair for the cinematography of one animation studio to dominate all 10 entries. It's a studio art style that has influenced video games like Vivarium as well as 3D movies like Flow.
Studio Ghibli is known for bringing fantastical worlds to fully realised, animated life, and Spirited Away remains a stellar case in point. This coming-of-age trail through the spirit world is not only one of my personal favourites, but it was also the first Japanese-language hand-drawn animation to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature back in 2001.
Surprise, it’s still good. I mean, a space western with a healthy dollop of neo noir? What more could you want! Besides its effortlessly cool visual direction, banging soundtrack, and still pretty stellar English dub even by today’s standards, Cowboy Bebop’s storytelling makes it an all-timer. Sometimes less really is more, and Cowboy Bebop trusts its audience to listen carefully to all that’s left unsaid. By the end of its 26 episode run, you best believe you’re gonna carry that weight.
The word anime is a shortened version of the Japanese word animēshon, which translates as 'animation'. Anime is a term wedded to Japanese animation and its distinctive styles, which are described as:
Kawaii: A simple and cute style, this is popular
Chibi: A simple style that reduces characters to small, chubby designs
Moe: A style of female characters shown as innocent and vulnerable
Realistic: This style focuses on detailed facial features and vibrant colours
Seinen: A style that's darker in tone and often features a young male hero
What technology is used to make anime?
Anime studios adopted digital art and 3D workflows before many western studios like Disney, and included films and series made in the 1980s such as Akira (1988) and Dragon Ball (1986). For example, free animation software OpenToonz was developed in collaboration with Studio Ghibli.
With that said, many anime are also hand-drawn, cel-animated movies and also champion traditional animation techniques, for example the movie Redline (on my list) features over 100,000 hand-drawn frames.
How can I watch anime?
There are many different places to watch anime these days, whether that's on subscription platforms or for free. These days the best places to watch anime include Netflix, AppleTV, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Funimation; but you can also see some anime for free on sites like JustWatch. Overall, Crunchyroll is considered the best place to watch anime in 2025, as it's a dedicated anime channel.
When was the first anime made?
The artist Shimokawa Oten created an animated film called Dekobo's New Picture Book - Failure of a Great Plan, which commercially released in 1917, and considered the first anime.
Who is the father of anime?
While Shimokawa Oten (above) is seen by many as the grandfather of anime, Tezuka Osamu, the creator of Astro Boy, Pluto 7 and Unico: Awakening, is often referred to as the Godfather of Manga and a reference point for most anime creators. He is seen as the father of Japanese anime.
Which anime has the largest fanbase?
That would be Naruto. It's fans are legion and the brand has moved successfully into video games and, perhaps not so successfully into live action films.
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Jess is PLAY Magazine’s games editor, and is known for championing the weird, the wonderful, and the downright janky. A fan of cult classic JRPGs and horror, her rants about Koudelka and Shadow Hearts have held many a captive audience. Outside of writing about all things PlayStation, she’s also a lifelong fan of Nintendo’s handheld consoles. Having whiled away most of her college years playing The World Ends With You on the original Nintendo DS, she’s looking forward to uncovering all of NEO’s secrets too. Beginning her career as Official PlayStation Magazine’s staff writer in 2017, she’s since written for PC Gamer, SFX, Games Master, and Games TM.
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