There's so much endless creativity and fearlessness that’s present in the anime industry that it frequently feels like there’s a specific show out there for everyone. There can be certain intimidating barriers that keep people away from immersing themselves in the animation medium, but there are such unique genres and varieties of storytelling that are in play in anime.
Anime can be governed by rigid stereotypes and plenty of programs lovingly embrace tropes. That being said, there are also programs that use anime’s genre conventions to either subvert expectations or tell complicated narratives that mix together many eclectic tones, themes, and genres.
10 Excel Saga Turns Each Episode Into A Different Degree Of Genre Madness
Excel Saga accomplishes in a mere 26 episodes what most anime series do in twice that amount. At its core, the anime is one of the most hyperbolized and surreal gag series in the medium, but it emerges as far more than just a clever anime parody. There’s an innocuous narrative about world domination (but not before city domination) that runs through Excel Saga. However, every episode transforms the series into a pitch perfect lampoon of anime’s heightened genres. Excel Saga turns to mechas, magical girls, romance, slice of life, musicals, and even sports series in its fearless deconstruction of the medium.
9 Cowboy Bebop Embraces The Spontaneous Nature Of Jazz With Its Storytelling
Cowboy Bebop has become elevated to a totemic status in the anime industry and it’s considered one of the strongest titles of all time. It’s even made a mark on the non-anime crowd. Cowboy Bebop is an elegant space opera that follows a ragtag crew of bounty hunters during their scrappy efforts to survive, and heal their psychological wounds, as they travel the galaxy. Cowboy Bebop’s futuristic sci-fi world is flawless, but the anime’s iconic soundtrack, which is heavy in jazz, teases the series’ eclectic storytelling sensibilities. The largely episodic nature of Cowboy Bebop allows installments to riff on genres like westerns and horror, but with a sci-fi influence.
8 Angel Beats! Turns The Afterlife Into An Angelic Free-For-All With Endless Music
It's never a wise idea to judge an anime by its cover. The medium has become so savvy to the audience's expectations that familiar art styles or character tropes can intentionally subvert the norm. Angel Beats! is a 13-episode fantasy series that's set in a limbo-esque afterlife that puts lost souls into a structured school setting.
These unassuming students take on Angel, the ruler of the afterlife, and this cheerful fantasy world gets progressively dark. Angel Beats! leans into fantasy, action, melodrama, and there are even frequent opportunities for musical interludes due to all-girl rock band, Girls Dead Monster, that's present in the series.
7 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Fearlessly Flips Its Script And Characters
Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has built a passionate and dedicated fandom that’s endured for more than three decades and become a major part of the anime meme community. JoJo is a shonen action series at heart, but it’s one of the more unconventional and surprising takes on the genre. JoJo’s interconnecting narratives cover a changing roster of protagonists from all around the world. The beginning of JoJo is ripe with horror allusions and has a heavy focus on vampires. Diamond is Unbreakable shifts to more of a slice-of-life aesthetic, Golden Wind becomes a mob story, and Steel Ball Run looks at a cross-country horse race.
6 Another Is A Harrowing Horror Story Contained To A School Setting
Horror has become one of anime’s most popular genres to experiment with. Dark subject matter often juxtaposes with other genres in incredibly powerful ways. The raw nature of visceral horror is an extraordinary catalyst towards emotional epiphanies. Another is a moody horror and mystery hybrid that keeps the audience guessing until its finale. Koichi, a transfer student, enters a foreboding school with a dark, murderous past. The earnest friendship between Koichi and Mei is the driving force behind Another, but its school setting allows slice-of-life frivolity to occasionally invade the dread.
5 Space Dandy Celebrates The Infinite Possibilities Of The Universe
Initially, Space Dandy feels like a sillier alternate reality version of Cowboy Bebop. Both anime come from Shinichiro Watanabe and follow perpetually overwhelmed bounty hunter crews in space. Space Dandy hops around from planet to planet as Dandy and his team hunt for their next big score.
Space Dandy triumphs with how each of these planets look completely unique from each other, but it’s as if each world conforms to a totally different genre. Dandy is always game for adventure and this has filled the anime with fast-paced races, dance spectacles, zombie outbreaks, and multiverse madness.
4 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Subverts The Magical Girl Paradigm
Anime’s magical girl genre is one of the medium’s most popular styles of storytelling. There’s nothing wrong with a straightforward take on this idea, but there have been some extremely effective series that explore dark, nihilistic subject matter through the cheerful veneer of magical girl tropes. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is an effortless mix of magical girl theatrics, horror, and depressing melodrama. The special privilege to turn into a magical girl is analogous to a Faustian deal with the devil. Bodies start to fall early on and they keep on coming.
3 Erased Mixes Fantasy And Sci-Fi Mechanics Into A Gutting Murder Mystery
There is so much going on in the anime Erased and it's a testament to the series' careful juggling act that all of these disparate elements come together and feel justified by the 12-episode seriers' conclusion. Erased is a bleak murder mystery where Satoru is determined to stop the crimes of a child murderer. This alone would make for a compelling story, but Erased mixes this suspense and horror with heavy fantasy through Satoru's "Revival" ability. Satoru doesn't just try to solve this murder, but he does so in the past, in his child-aged body. This mix of Back to the Future and Zodiac steers away from the norm.
2 Lupin III’s Wild Capers Have Taken Him Across The World And Into Many Genres
The antics of infamous gentleman thief, Lupin III, have lasted for more than 50 years across various manga, anime feature films, and over 150 episodes of thrilling heists. Lupin III has persevered for so long because of the easy to replicate formula that surrounds Lupin’s criminal misadventures and elaborate detective work. Much like with James Bond, Lupin has become a cipher for larger stories that are frequently able to indulge in different genres. The basic action angle to Lupin III is usually present, but the franchise has built such a distinct voice for itself that it can experiment with romance, horror, and fantasy elements, like time travel.
1 Gintama’s Samurai Swordplay Is A Gateway For Surreal Silliness
It’s extremely rare for an anime series to produce more than 350 episodes where they’re practically all winners. Gintama is one of the silliest and most celebrated shonen series of its kind. Gintoki and the rest of the Odd Jobs crew fight to keep Edo safe from an oppressive alien invasion, but they’re even happier to slack off and sleep in. Gintama’s plot-heavy installments are emotional hybrids of action and drama, but the anime also gleefully mocks itself and other anime staples. Gintama has made offhand jokes and full-length parodies about the many genres that dominate the medium, as well as hits like Dragon Ball, Gundam, and Doraemon.