Anime from the 90s are considerably different from present-day, just like every other form of entertainment is. Owing to digital evolution, the beautifully hand sketched cels in anime are a thing of the past. But that doesn't deter a true anime fan from admiring the traditional hand-drawn animation. Gone are the days when a celluloid sheet with three holes was the be-all and end-all of anime aesthetics.
Sure, the technology evolved, but the writing and genre-pioneering of anime such as Neon Genesis Evolution, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball, Ghost in the Shell and countless others, remains unsurpassed. Here are 10 best-rated anime of the 90s, according to IMDb.
10 DETECTIVE CONAN (1996-) IMDb 8.4
The hugely popular anime Detective Conan bewildered it's doppelganger Conan O'Brien last year after it came to his attention. Conan accused the manga of being a rip-off saying that it released a year after he debuted on-air. Conan and the manga-protagonist have distinctive identities, such as hair. But, Conan's spoof sketch aside, Detective Conan is the longest-running anime series that started in 1996.
The plot deals with Shinichi Kudou, a high schooler with a penchant for detective works who upon following mysterious men, is caught and drugged. Whilst Shinichi survives, he is trapped in a body of a seven-year-old. Shinichi works for private detective Kogorou, solving cases from behind the scenes, hoping to reverse his prepubescence someday.
9 YU YU HAKUSHO: GHOST FILES (1992-1995) IMDb 8.4
Yu Yu Hakusho deals with the story of a 14-year old malevolent feller, Yusuke Urameshi. On a fateful day, Yusuke loses his life while saving a child from oncoming traffic on the road. His death shocks the Spirit World and himself, alike, considering his malevolence. Nevertheless, he ends up getting a do-over in life as a Spirit Detective. Aided by his henchmen, Yusuke takes the job of investigation as his chance to earn redemption in life. Truly existential for a 14-year-old, and this anime hits hard.
8 RUROUNI KENSHIN: WANDERING SAMURAI (1996-1999) IMDb 8.5
Based in the Baumatsu era, Hitokiri Battousai- an assassin suddenly disappears at the peak of the Japanese Revolution. Hitokiri, a name to reckon with, leaves behind a bad name of course.
10 years down the line, Hitokiri Battousai is alive, earning his redemption as Kenshin Himura, the wandering Samurai. His days of assassination are behind him, he now voices and acts for the underdogs. Hitokiri Battousai's idealism is continually threatened by enemies from the past and present.
7 DRAGON BALL (1995-2003) IMDb 8.5
Another iteration on the world-famous Dragon Ball franchise, this 90s show tells the story of Son Goku. The young tailed-boy is on an adventure to collect seven dragon balls. When these seven are combined, Goku can make a wish, any wish that he desires.
How so? The Eternal Dragon who lives deep in Earth's core can only be summoned by the unification of these seven balls. He possesses limitless power to be able to grant the wish. As Goku embarks on this adventurism, he makes both friends and foes along the way.
6 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (1995-1996) IMDb 8.6
Neon Genesis has evolved into a world popular franchise, branching from the 1996 Neon Genesis Evangelion. It tells the story of a teenager, Shinji Ikari who gets recruited into an elite team of pilots in an organization called NERV. Shinji's father, Gendo Ikari, heads NERV and forces his way of life upon his son too.
But of course, this a little hard to take for Shinji who runs away from the organization at first. As fate would have it, the boy truly embraces his role as an elite pilot of NERV. The purpose of this organization is to destroy Adam's fifteen children known as Angels. Adam just FYI is the first Angel of life on Earth.
5 RUROUNI KENSHIN: TRUST AND BETRAYAL (1999-) IMDb 8.6
From the era of Japan's Meiji Restoration, comes Rurouni Kenshin. The first episode of this anime is about Kenshin Himura, who comes into contact with Soujiro Hiko, the 13th successor to sword art of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū.
As Soujiro, takes Kenshin under his wing, he not only foster parents him but also teaches him sword-mastery. All is well between the two for six years, until one day they express their conflicting views on war. The teachers Soujiro bates for war but Kenshin has pacifist views.
4 BERSERK (1997-1998) IMDb 8.6
Berserk is the tale of Guts, the Black swordsman who defects 'The Band of the Hawk', a group of mercs. There are three versions to Berserk, the one from the 1990s, the second version appeared as a trilogy of films and then as a reanimated version of 2016.
Divided into 25 episodes, Berserk is the blood-thirsty tale of Guts which begins with hunting his arch-nemesis, Griffith from The Band of the Hawk. Guts, however, isn't alone in this journey, he is aided by his sword, Dragonslayer, as tall as a man.
Eventually Berserk turns into a rivalry between a mysterious entity called Godhand and Guts. Berserk challenges the ideal of free-will very often as Guts fights his predeterminations.
3 DRAGON BALL Z (1996-2003) IMDb 8.7
Dragon Ball Z deals with Goku's discovery of his roots. After he comes to know he isn't from the Earth but was only raised on it. Goku instead comes from the mythical race called Saiyans from planet Vegeta. DBZ is essentially the continuation of Goku's arc from Dragon Ball, into his adult life. Goku, two of his sons Gohan and Goten continue fighting enemies and defending the Earth, as foes Piccolo and Vegeta turn into friends.
2 WAN PISU (1999-) IMDb 8.7
Created by Eiichiro Oda, Wan Pisu (One Piece) is the adventure of a 17-year-old boy, Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew. The manga debuted on TV in 1999, fresh episodes of it come out every Sunday. To say One Piece/ Wan Pisu is world-famous is just a cruel understatement. It has branched out into movies, TV specials and OVAs apart from being the greatest piece of fiction.
The backstory to the anime is that Gol D. Roger, a now-dead Pirate King leaves behind the greatest treasure One Piece, something he reveals before his capture and death. Years later, the wonderous boy Monkey D. Luffy makes the treasure hunt as a central aspect of his pirate life, along with many exciting adventures.
1 COWBOY BEBOP (1998-1999) IMDb 8.9
The anime Cowboy Bebop, is a western noir futuristic tale, where outlaws are in control of planet-hopping spaceships. This anime took viewers straight into the wild wild west of the USA. Cowboy Bebop traces the adventures of martial artist Spike Spiegel and his henchmen of bounty hunters, Jet Black and Faye Valentine and Radical Ed. Spike and his mates switch jobs across the galaxy to hunt criminals. Each criminal, if caught alive, has a reward on his head, precisely why the ragtag team bounty hunts.
Divided into 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop is hailed as the best anime series of all time that cut across territories and established a foothold in the US.