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They're some of the greatest the anime scene has ever produced. Join Ashley as we look over our choices for the best anime series to ever be released
Transcript
00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for what we believe to be the
00:12 greatest anime series to date.
00:17 10.
00:19 Vinland Saga
00:20 Historical action doesn't come bigger and better than this.
00:29 With a backdrop featuring the Danish invasion of England, this tale of revenge and redemption
00:34 sees a young Viking named Torfin as he learns the weight that comes with being a warrior
00:40 consumed by bloodlust.
00:49 And how time and reflection can change even the most violent of souls.
01:03 With stunning animation and one of the best character journeys of any anime in recent
01:08 memory, Torfin's tale is one that demands to be seen.
01:15 9.
01:19 Dragon Ball Franchise
01:20 If you want that classic shounen action, then you can't go wrong with watching Goku blasting
01:25 his opponents away with a Kamehameha.
01:31 A mixture of fantasy and flashy fight scenes, watching Goku take on both tournament arcs
01:36 and the greatest threats in the cosmos – sometimes both at once – will never not make for a
01:42 great time.
01:47 With the original's sense of wonder, along with Super's grandiose animation, the hype
01:52 here is non-stop.
01:53 There's a reason so many looked to the first time Goku went golden with such reverence.
02:02 8.
02:05 Neon Genesis Evangelion
02:07 Don't let the giant robots fool you.
02:16 While there are indeed plenty of mecha piloted by anime characters in impossibly tight jumpsuits,
02:22 along with all the sci-fi jargon you could expect, Evangelion is just as much a meditation
02:28 on the folly of humanity's existence as it is Shinji and his robot punching the Jesus
02:33 out of the intergalactic alien threat known as Angels.
02:41 The Eva pilots all come with their own special batch of trauma, and the more the story under
02:46 unravels, the more it seeps out until it becomes a case study in existential dread.
02:52 And yet, you'll be thankful for the ride all the same.
02:57 7.
03:00 One Piece
03:01 They don't call it the Great Pirate Era for nothing.
03:04 With dreams of finding the legendary treasure left by the Pirate King, Luffy and the Straw
03:09 Hats' exploits are among the most celebrated in the medium, and for good reason.
03:18 In between the hilarious companionship between the crew, you've got titanic battles, some
03:24 of the most creative locations ever to be conjured up, as well as moments of heartbreaking,
03:29 grounded characterisation.
03:39 That alone would be a tall order for any anime, but for one that's still at the top of its
03:44 game all these years later, it's a feat that keeps on rising to new heights.
03:55 6.
03:58 Code Geass
03:59 When it comes to anti-heroes in anime, none have made an impact quite like Lelouch V Britannia,
04:05 and his bloody crusade to overturn his home nation in the hopes of a better tomorrow for
04:09 the oppressed.
04:16 Armed with the secret identity of Zero, and the mind-altering power of the Geass, Lelouch's
04:22 story is a bittersweet one, illuminating how even those with the best of intentions can
04:27 be drawn down the darkest path.
04:35 With a killer sci-fi backdrop, watching Lelouch's machinations both fail and come to fruition
04:40 will have you, much like everyone in his life, be put under his spell.
04:50 5.
04:53 Attack on Titan
04:58 The dark fantasy modern masterpiece that astounded the world with its rich plotting, savage setting,
05:04 and so many shades of morally grey complexity, that every twist became an event.
05:10 With giant humanoids known as Titans consuming all in sight, the last of humanity is forced
05:16 to safeguard themselves behind the walls.
05:21 At least, at first.
05:22 What starts as a mission of vengeance for Eren and his fellow scouts, soon unravels
05:28 as they discover the many conspiracies, secrets, and enemies lying in wait both beyond and
05:34 behind the walls.
05:35 It's a bloody and brutal affair that will certainly stand the test of time.
05:46 4.
05:48 Hunter x Hunter
05:49 Taking every kind of trope the shonen genre has handed to us over the years, and polishing
05:53 them to an unmitigated shine, Gon's adventures as a hunter turned out to be more than a globetrotting
06:00 jaunt with his friends.
06:12 Things went dark and violent fast.
06:20 Between bouts with fellow hunters, sinister criminal organisations, not to mention the
06:25 apex horror that came from the chimera ants, there's so many hard-hitting brawls and
06:30 moments of genuine despair.
06:32 It's hard to believe this started off with a quirky kid in a fishing rod in search of
06:37 his absentee pops.
06:38 But make no mistake, the darker it gets, the more brilliant Hunter x Hunter reveals itself
06:43 to be.
06:49 3.
06:54 Daiguren Lagan
06:55 You want giant robots the size of whole galaxies going full throttle?
06:59 We got 'em.
07:05 You want the team that became Studio Trigger doing what they do best?
07:09 It's all right here.
07:15 You want an anime with countless outrageously macho moments, laced with genuine moments
07:20 of character, Team Daiguren got you covered.
07:28 Between the battle against the Beastmen and the galaxy-destroying Anti-Spiral, Kamina's
07:33 bottomless charisma and everything that is Yoko, there is so much fun to be found here.
07:39 That, by the end, you will truly believe one gaggle of humans can take on every star in
07:44 the sky with guts alone.
07:50 2.
07:53 Cowboy Bebop
07:54 There's nothing cooler in the known universe than the Space Cowboy.
07:57 That's not opinion, that's fact.
08:07 This space-faring neo-noir series sees Spike Spiegel and his fellow bounty hunters take
08:12 on everything dangerous and strange this pretty future has to offer, all in the most stylish
08:18 way possible.
08:24 Everything from the jazz-centric soundtrack to the genre shifts to the beautifully blood-soaked
08:28 fight scenes, it all layers together into a pseudo-anthology that remains as sharp as
08:34 it was back then.
08:35 No one does it quite like Spike.
08:57 4.
09:20 The sense of adventure is impeccable as the two traverse a world rife with conflict, opposing
09:26 cultures, and intriguing ideals.
09:32 The action is as creative as it is hard-hitting, with the art of alchemy at its centre.
09:38 The emotional beats, the sense of scale, the weaving narrative, Ed and Al's unbreakable
09:43 bond, the exploration of its themes, all of it is impeccably conveyed and tied together
09:49 in a saga that hardcore fans of the medium and newcomers alike will find thrilling.
10:01 Which anime will you eternally declare as the true GOAT?
10:05 Let us know in those comments below.
10:20 [Music]
10:25 (upbeat music)
10:28 (gentle music)