Japanese animation, or anime, has successfully created a soft corner in viewers' hearts. Spanning various genres from shonen to slice of life to Isekai, the anime genre has taken the entertainment industry by storm. Along with quality animation and gripping plots, they also have amazing, well-written characters.
Along with characters and stories, the setting is also of utmost significance. The environment has great semiotic implications. Be it London during the industrial revolution or a fictional island with walled prisoners, some of the best anime and manga are set outside Japan.
10 Victorian-Era London (Black Butler)
Black Butler is an anime adapted from a manga series written and illustrated by Yana Toboso. Set in Victorian-era London, Black Butler follows Ciel Phantomhive, Phantomhive's 12-year-old Earl, who acts as the Queen's watchdog, keeping crime in the underworld in check.
Ciel has made a contract with a demon named Sebastian Michaelis, who disguises himself as Ciel's butler, to help him get his revenge on those who tortured and murdered his parents. In exchange for his services, Sebastian will consume Ciel's soul when his end of the bargain has been met.
9 Post-World War II England (Hellsing Ultimate)
Hellsing Ultimate is an original video animation (OVA) that follows Kouta Hirano's manga, Hellsing, more closely than the original Hellsing anime. It follows the Royal Order of Protestant Knights' story initially led by Abraham Van Helsing. Set in post-World War II England, this organization's mission is to recognize and neutralize all supernatural threats to the Queen and country.
Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing inherited the leadership of the organization after her father's brutal murder, which transformed her from an innocent young girl to a deadly force.
8 Late 19th Century Britain (Moriarty The Patriot)
Based on the manga written by Ryosuke Takeuchi and illustrated by Hikaru Miyoshi, Moriarty The Patriot follows William James Moriarty's youth, Sherlock Holmes's arch-nemesis. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series, this anime is set in late 19th century England.
On a mission to reintroduce equality among the citizens of the global power that is Great Britain, Moriarty uses all the tricks he can to abolish the strict class system that is so deeply ingrained in English society and give the aristocrats a taste of their own medicine.
7 Global Conmen Take The Stage (Great Pretender)
An original animation produced in Wit Studios, Great Pretender, is a 2020 Netflix anime. This anime follows Makoto Edamura, a small-time local Japanese conman who wants to do greater things. However, when his plans to lead an honest life fail, he decides to become a conman.
When Makoto fails to con Laurent Thierry, an expert French conman, he follows him to Los Angeles, Singapore, London, and more. Along with Abigail Jones, Cynthia Moore, and Laurent, Makoto pulls cons and grapples with his moral conscience.
6 Post-Calamity Solar System (Cowboy Bebop)
Set in 2071, Cowboy Bebop follows Spike Spiegel, an exiled former hitman of the criminal Red Dragon Syndicate, and other bounty hunters working aboard the spaceship Bebop. A terrible accident with the hyperspace gateway leaves the Earth uninhabitable, forcing humans to settle on nearby planets, moons, and space rocks in the solar system.
Spike, along with Jet Black, a former Inter Solar System Police (ISSP) officer, and other members get involved in horrible mishaps that leave them broke and force them to face their pasts.
5 Real-World England With Supernatural Forces (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is an anime based on the manga written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki that follows Jonathan Joestar's linage and story. Set in real-world England with an added touch of the supernatural, this anime is critically and commercially acclaimed for its plot and characters.
Popular for its vibrant art style and visuals, this anime is a long-standing fan favorite. Although the subsequent arcs aren't restricted to an England setting. The first arc, Phantom Blood, is set in the English countryside.
4 Germany and Europe (Monster)
Adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, Monster is a 74-episode 2004 anime that enjoyed critical and commercial fame. Following Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese surgeon living in Düsseldorf, Germany, this anime is a psychological horror that keeps viewers at the edge of their seats.
Dr. Tenma's life takes a very dark turn as a consequence of a single decision. With a dangerous serial killer and a secret orphanage used as a front to program children, this anime is a thrilling masterpiece.
3 11th Century Dane-Controlled England (Vinland Saga)
Vinland Saga is a historical anime adapted from the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Makoto Yukimura. Following Thorfinn, the son of a brutally murdered ex-warrior who serves the group of mercenaries who killed his father, this anime is a story of revenge and power struggles.
Set in 11th century Dane-controlled England, this anime centers on the Vikings and a dramatization of King Cnut the Great's historical rise to power. The plot follows the characters through various arcs, eventually ending on a journey to Vinland.
2 New York City (Banana Fish)
Banana Fish is adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Akimi Yoshida. It follows 17-year-old Ash Lynx, leader of a street gang in New York City, and Eiji Okumura, a Japanese photographer's assistant. Centered on Ash finding the meaning of a dying man's last words, "banana fish," this anime also has connotations of the boys' love, or BL genre.
From fatal gunfights and emotional deaths to facing the past and moving on, this anime successfully invokes various emotions in viewers' hearts.
1 Paradise Island (Attack On Titan)
The final season of Attack On Titan is airing currently. Adapted from the manga written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama, this anime is set on Paradise Island, where humans live within three concentric, walled cities to protect themselves from huge humanoid figures called "Titans," that devour humans.
One of the highest-grossing anime of this decade, it aptly depicts the psyche of two warring sides along with the consequences of generations of hate, fear, and subordination. The plot follows the main protagonist, Eren Yaeger, who vows to kill all titans.