They're the pinnacle of the anime scene. Join Ashley as we look over the best anime to come out over the last twenty three years
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 24 best anime of
00:12 each year.
00:13 For this list, we're trying something a little different.
00:16 We're going to be listing the anime that we feel were the greatest of that particular
00:20 year, starting all the way back in 2000 and working our way up to 2023.
00:27 Keep in mind, we will only be considering the first season of an anime, and you're
00:32 likely to see some disparities between this list and some of our best of year videos.
00:39 A
00:56 true knockout entry for sports anime, and one hell of a way to welcome in the new millennium,
01:02 Ippo's journey from weak-willed victim all the way to boxing champion is one of the definitive
01:08 underdog stories, complete with explosive battles, enough training sequences to get
01:13 anyone motivated, and so much heart, you don't so much live in fear of Ippo's fists, as
01:19 you do want to go out and share a drink with him.
01:27 Its later seasons would certainly deliver with the visual splendour, but even to this
01:31 day, the matches of Ippo's younger years still hit the mark.
01:54 Everyone's got their favourite season starring the digital monsters, but none went to darker
01:58 places, took more risks, and caused more nightmare fuel than this click.
02:04 You have a war between the human and digital worlds, Digimon being treated as weapons instead
02:09 of partners, digital genocide, a final boss that used the trauma of a broken little girl
02:15 to cross over to the real world, and everything that happened with Beelzemon.
02:29 Things were manic, but also kind of amazing, to the point where we're not sure if the
02:34 franchise could, or should, ever try to reach such heights again.
02:53 Every knuckle-headed ninja has a beginning, and while it was later mired in filler, no
02:58 one can deny the impact and influence this former member of the Big Three had, even well
03:04 before its Shippuden days.
03:12 The world, the lore, the jutsu, the numerous battles that still stand in the upper echelons
03:18 of what the golden age of anime has to offer, it's on display right here, and captured
03:23 the love and imagination of millions of fans alike.
03:27 It's kind of hard to forget such standout fights as Kakashi vs Zabuza, and Rock Lee
03:32 vs Gaara.
03:36 2003, Full Metal Alchemist.
03:49 Did it deviate from the source material?
03:51 Yes.
03:52 Was it still considered the apex of anime for the longest time?
03:56 Also yes.
03:57 Say what you will about Dante, the resonance of the Elric Brothers' original journey
04:02 to obtain the Philosopher's Stone and restore their bodies was monumental.
04:14 All balanced with a slew of fascinating characters, cultures, and the complex machinations of
04:20 alchemy serving as its foundation.
04:22 The fact the creators of this anime were able to build their own world off a few volumes
04:27 of the manga is incredibly impressive.
04:32 2004, Monster.
04:45 One does not simply discuss the greatest villains in anime without mentioning the sheer menace
04:51 that is Johann Liebert, who stands as the perfect reminder that there is nothing more
04:56 terrifying than a human without empathy.
05:05 After choosing to save the life of a child over a prominent political figure, Dr. Tenma
05:10 unwittingly unleashes a genius sociopath into the world.
05:14 One who won't let his insidious free end unless the good doctor breaks his oath and
05:19 pulls the trigger himself.
05:21 As warped as Johann's antics might be, they're nonetheless wholly captivating, proving that
05:26 just a spoken word can be deadlier than a bullet.
05:38 2005, Mushishi.
05:49 Saturated in a lush atmosphere, this supernatural anthology is just as relaxing as it is intriguing.
06:01 Chronicling the various exploits of the Mushi master known as Ginko, as he aids those who
06:06 have come into contact with these mysterious entities, the series isn't so much a narrative
06:11 juggernaut as it is an episodic spectacle that presented us with various creatures who
06:17 affect the human inhabitants around them in the most creative, if dangerous of ways.
06:23 Often leading to Ginko having to outsmart them before things take a lethal turn.
06:40 2006, Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion.
06:49 Where can you expect to find an expertly crafted narrative, a lead character whose
06:53 every action inches him further towards the morally grey, all with a sci-fi backdrop and
06:59 plenty of political discord to keep you invested?
07:01 Under the shadow of the man called Zero, that's where.
07:10 Fueled by his disdain for his family's legacy of destruction and prejudice, Lelouch V.
07:16 Britannia becomes the foyer of the Rebellion after being granted the mind-altering abilities
07:21 of the Geass, paving the way for revolution amongst the oppressed masses, and creating
07:27 one of anime's best anti-heroes in the process.
07:30 He is the man who makes miracles, after all.
07:37 2007, Guren Lagan - Guren Lagan of the Rebellion.
07:51 Drilling through the heavens and blowing our damn minds along the way, the sight of two
07:55 giant robots the size of whole galaxies duking it out continues to stand out in our minds
08:02 even to this day.
08:09 Well that, and Kamina's topless, unparalleled manliness as he rallies together the last
08:15 battalions of humanity to free them from the beastmen's supremacy.
08:19 The characters are anime tropes personified, and yet remain wholly endearing.
08:24 The action is so off the chain that it turned the cosmos into a battlefield.
08:28 Plus it had Yoko.
08:34 2008, Toradora - Opposites Attract?
08:51 You have no idea.
08:52 Fair warning, this is the only romcom to make the list, mainly because it's the romcom
08:57 to defy all romcoms thanks to its unorthodox duo and their rocky climb towards confessing
09:03 their true feelings, while also presenting us with plenty of laughs and some surprisingly
09:08 stellar action scenes.
09:15 For all of Ryushi's naivety and Taiga's explosive temper, the two prove to be so perfect
09:21 for each other that by the time they finally get around to kissing, you'll be openly
09:26 applauding.
09:29 2009, Four Metal Alchemist - Brotherhood
09:37 That's right, it's a double whammy.
09:48 And while you might think it is unfair that the LRICs took the top spot a second time,
09:53 can you actually argue that they don't deserve it?
09:56 For all the splendour that the original series had, Brotherhood turned out to be an entirely
10:00 different beast, perfectly adapting the manga's sublime storyline from beginning to end, and
10:06 in doing so gave us a journey that many claim places it up there as the greatest anime of
10:12 all time.
10:16 Ed and Al's brotherly bond, the battles with the homunculi, the commentary on war,
10:26 religion and philosophy, everything this series sets out to do, it nails, and by the law of
10:32 equivalent exchange, earned our eternal admiration.
10:40 2010, Dororora
10:54 It's a city filled with gangsters, killers, the world's strongest bartender and a sexy
11:00 grim reaper missing her head, and yet we'd give anything to stay.
11:09 The gaggle of school kids masquerading as main characters may not have been the most
11:13 thrilling of protagonists, but the rest of the cast are monumental.
11:17 Izaya is a somewhat crazy info broker who knows his way around a knife, Shizuo is a
11:24 monster in both his rage and the strength of his fists, and Celti is a top-tier waifu
11:30 despite lacking a cranium.
11:31 Put all of them in one spot and what do you get?
11:34 Interconnected lunacy of the best kind.
11:40 2011, Hunter x Hunter
11:55 The golden child of shounen, whose source material paved the way for many of the medium's
11:59 most beloved tropes, brought into the modern age with stunning visuals and fluidity.
12:06 You want a tight-knit group who go through major growing pains and development together?
12:11 Say hello to Gon and the Squad.
12:19 You want to see typical anime conventions, but expertly constructed and paced?
12:24 How about a tournament arc and evil organisation one after another?
12:28 You want fight scenes that transcend all others?
12:31 We kindly refer you to Netero vs Meruem.
12:34 There's just so much good content here that it pains us we'll likely never see it continued.
12:42 2012, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
12:55 By himself, Jonathan Joestar and his exploits might not have made the cut.
13:00 However, the original series also had the entirety of battle tendency attached to it.
13:05 With a memorable supportive cast, out-of-this-world scenarios and the fabulous villains, this
13:10 is a series you'll have a hard time putting down from start to finish.
13:22 And let's not forget about one of the most memorable protagonists in recent history,
13:26 Joseph Joestar.
13:27 The guy who talks so much crap, pulls Tommy Guns out of his backside and makes opponents
13:33 question their own sanity purely through bluffs.
13:36 The man just can't be topped.
13:41 2013, Attack on Titan
13:59 While everyone is in agreement that Season 3 was when this series elevated itself to
14:04 one of the best in modern memory, we can't forget the genesis of what would go on to
14:09 become one of the most popular series on the planet, hitting the mainstream harder than
14:14 when Eren watched his mother get eaten alive.
14:23 When their defences are broken by the giant cannibalistic creatures known as Titans, it
14:28 falls to the dwindling members of the Survey Corps to bite back or risk extinction.
14:34 The depth of the lore may not be present in the first season, but it did give us visceral
14:39 action that only the likes of Levi and Mikasa could deliver.
14:47 2014, Fate/Stay Night – Unlimited Blade Works
14:59 The Fateverse has numerous entries under its noble phantasm-sized belt, ranging from the
15:04 forgettable to the divine.
15:07 Coming on from the equally compelling Zero, the franchise delivered a series that was
15:12 as flashy as it was accessible, giving the Fifth Holy Grail War the attention it deserved,
15:18 with fight sequences dripping with detail and crisp animation.
15:28 For the hardcore followers, it was the rendition they had always wanted to see.
15:33 For newcomers, the intensity of the clashes between the seven heroes and their masters
15:38 easily made up for all the heavy exposition.
15:44 2015, One Punch Man
15:49 What's the secret to enthralling a whole generation of anime fans in a single season?
15:59 One guy who is a hero for fun and packs a punch so strong that everything falls before
16:04 his might.
16:05 By itself, the concept might seem pretty plain, if not for the fact Saitama and his newfound
16:10 career of saving lives and insta-killing bad guys also flips every hero cliché on its
16:17 head in favour of great slapstick and fight scenes that push the boundaries of hype.
16:28 I just have a standard punch-out with the final boss, when you can have the lead getting
16:33 catapulted into the moon before retaliating with a blow that splits the ozone layer.
16:44 2016, My Hero Academia
16:50 Speaking of superhero origins, while the later seasons would deliver on the action and emotional
17:05 maturity of characters in a big way, there's no denying that Deku's rise from humble
17:10 fanboy all the way to inheritor of one for all was flooded with charm, great introductions
17:16 to the wannabe caped crusaders of UA High, as well as fight scenes that for the first
17:21 time were pretty damn gripping.
17:29 From the embittered rivalry with Bakugo, all the way to All Might's Silver Age-inspired
17:34 brilliance, the way in which this anime both deconstructs and pays homage to the genre
17:39 certainly won over plenty of hearts.
17:48 2017, Made in Abyss
17:52 Turns out, appearances – even blindingly beautiful ones – can indeed be deceiving.
18:07 What we originally thought to be a charming adventure between an enthusiastic cave raider
18:12 and his cyborg buddy turned out to be darker, more profound and emotionally devastating
18:19 than we could have ever imagined.
18:21 Trekking into the unknown of the Great Abyss, the duo's journey to find Riko's mother
18:26 didn't only turn out to be fraught with danger, but quickly revealed our innocent
18:31 leads to have zero plot armour.
18:39 For every lush landscape, there's a haunting twist right around the corner.
18:43 It's one of the most unique concepts you're likely to see, it just doesn't hold back
18:48 with its savage storytelling.
18:54 2018, Devilman Crybaby
19:06 Merging stylised action with the legendary source material's unfiltered meditation
19:11 on the worst humanity has to offer, this reimagining of one of anime's most brutal anti-heroes
19:18 does not make for an easy watch, though it is essential.
19:27 Not only does it give Akira's character the treatment he deserves as a gentle soul
19:32 dealing with a new demonic alter-ego, it also wasn't afraid to go to some seriously messed-up
19:37 places – all without coming across as cheap or unearned in its shock value.
19:42 You'll cry, you'll lose your shit, you'll cry some more, but you'll be happy you went
19:47 through with it, even if you're left hollow by the end.
19:55 2019, Vinland Saga
20:04 It says something about a series' pedigree when it kicks things off in such a masterful
20:09 manner – and somehow continues to excel in every preceding episode.
20:13 There's no other way to say it, Torfinn's misguided quest for revenge in the time of
20:18 Vikings, war and political conspiracy is already on track to be one of the true greats in this
20:24 new era of anime.
20:32 The gory confrontations contained within the rich historical setting would usually be enough,
20:37 but that's almost in afterthought when compared to the phenomenal character development, especially
20:42 in regards to Ash Lad, whose antics had us hooked from the very beginning.
20:53 2020, Jujutsu Kaisen
20:58 Storming its way through the gate onto the shounen scene, this shining jewel in MAPPA's
21:03 crown has firmly established itself as one of the frontrunners, and it's only just
21:08 gotten started.
21:18 While the concept of a young rogue being trained in the dark arts by an institution of modern-day
21:23 sorcerers in order to stop monstrous spectres that feed on humans might sound a tad familiar,
21:30 the fantastic animation, intriguing cast of jujutsu practitioners and creative approach
21:35 to the tropes all result in an exhilarating experience.
21:46 You need to watch this for Gojo's flexes alone.
21:56 2021, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 - Thrice Upon a Time
22:08 It Exists, an actual ending to the Evangelion franchise.
22:38 Not only is it confounding that we actually got to this point, but that the final product
22:43 turned out to be pretty damn spectacular.
22:46 Serving as the conclusion to the Rebuildverse, as well as the series in general, Anno's
22:51 vision is perfectly realised here, with Shinji and the rest trying to bring an end to the
22:56 threat of the angels once and for all.
23:05 While we're sure there were many who were strung due to who actually won the Waifu War,
23:10 it's still very much the good ending fans had been waiting for.
23:14 At long last, Shinji got in the robot.
23:22 2022, Bleach - Thousand Year Blood War
23:30 This shonen juggernaut's grand return was always going to be special for long-term fans.
23:35 We just didn't expect the revival to be this flashy and this frantic.
23:50 It completely breathes new life into the series while still respecting its legacy.
23:55 There's no time wasted getting into the heart of the action, with the war between
23:59 Shinigami and the Quincy's visually articulated with superb detail.
24:13 If it keeps up this pace and makes the necessary alterations to the source material, this new
24:18 iteration could easily surpass the sum of its parts.
24:21 Either way, it's proven that Ichigo's staying power is undeniable.
24:50 If you haven't already, you should absolutely go out of your way to watch this beautiful
25:03 adaptation of one of Urasawa's best works.
25:13 As a gritty reimagining of Astro Boy, the series focuses on various murders involving
25:19 both humans and robots.
25:25 The anime isn't only a wicked smart and engaging thriller, but also raises questions
25:30 in regards to what qualifies as a life and how it coincides and contrasts with the law
25:36 of robotics.
25:38 You cannot go wrong with Tezuka and Urasawa, especially with a story this good and animated
25:44 this well.
25:50 Which year was your favourite for anime?
25:52 Let us know in those comments below.
26:07 Thanks for watching!