Anime, or Japanese serial animations, is one of the most popular art forms in the world. Millions of dedicated fans make their opinions clear on the subject across the world every day, and there are thousands of highly rated anime shows to choose from. Being such a diverse genre, anime shows cross all kinds of styles from sci-fi to fantasy to detective drama to comedies and young adult fiction - but which are the certified best across all these choices?
Well after scouring dozens of internet polls, expert opinion pieces and forum threads, the numbers are crunched and the data is in. These five shows are consistently the most highly rated anime series across the internet - and some might surprise you.
Cowboy Bepop has Unmatched Style Despite Its Age
This genre-bending classic first aired in 1998, but somehow still feels futuristic today. Mixing sci-fi space opera with Western exploration and gunslinging and a touch of neo-noir and jazz, there really is nothing like it in the world of anime or anywhere else.
The series follows a crew of bounty hunters and their ship Bepop, as they travel around the galaxy to a riotous soundtrack (and an achingly cool opening tune that is possibly the most iconic anime intro). Set in 2071 - a timeline that looks rather unlikely now just 25 years after its release - Cowboy Bepop has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and featured in the top three of every list looked at.
Death Note Only Had One Season But Still Ranks Very Highly
Death Note may only span 37 episodes, but the psychological action and thrilling pace will linger long in the memory after its finished. The series follows Light Yagami, a high school student who finds a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it.
Sadly for fans, it looks like their will be no season 2 of Death Note any time soon. Games and anime news websites are great places to catch up on this kind of news, before it filters out to mainstream media. For now the enigmatic single season show remains one of the all time anime classics, and hits the top five of almost every list.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the Benchmark of Anime Storytelling
This 64-episode historical fantasy epic has some of the most highly-rated story and character arcs of any anime. Although it only aired for one year, between 2009 and 2010, it is widely considered one of the true classics of the genre. Multiple best anime lists have Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood in the top five, although the original Fullmetal Alchemist series does not rate quite as highly.
The steampunk anime twist is highly original, and the world building is immense. The 2004 first series suffered from the common anime problem of running out manga to adapt, so it branched off into its own storyline which was not as well received by fans. Brotherhood had a complete manga arc to follow from creator Hiromu Arakawa, and faithfully adapted it for the screen - a decision that sees it now place regularly in lists of top animes of all time.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Psychological Twist on Mecha Action
The giant mecha robots of series like Gundam Wing are iconic in anime and manga, but Neon Genesis decided it would be more interesting to study the world of their pilots. As well as giant robot fights the series then follows the pilots on both sides as they struggle to understand their wins, losses and the reasons that drove them to conflict in the first place.
It draws on the philosophical and psychanalytical ideas of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, as well as mysticism and religion, offering varying perspectives on the motives that drive people to conflict. The series aired in the lates 90s and is set in 2015 (lol) in future Tokyo-3, centring around young pilot Shinji Ikari. Although only 26 episodes long, Neon Genesis Evangelion certainly packs a lot of punches, both literal and metaphysical. It has a 100% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and regularly tops best-of anime lists.
Hunter x Hunter is an Ongoing Fan Favorite with a Darker Twist
Hunter x Hunter is one of the newer series on this list, but it has quickly become a cult hit since debuting in 2011. The show follows adventuring "Hunter" Gon Freecs in a fantasy story that takes classic shōnen elements and mixes them with darker topics and more serious, philosophical questions.
It saw critical acclaim as well as wide popularity with fans, and has seen two movies made of the franchise. The original 62-episode arc ran from 1999 to 2001 and then another between 2011 to 2014, but it has seen sporadic release since. Although successful as an anime series, the manga of Hunter x Hunter is one of the most widely read of all time. It has sold some 90 million copies worldwide.
This article was written in cooperation with BAZOOM