There are some anime out there that just scream the '90s. Some anime manage to do this by showcasing the fashion, trends, or technology of the time period. Others just were such a popular or beloved series during the decade that, in hindsight, they pretty much helped define the decade for some people.
It's important to remember that, due to the time it can take dubbing and releasing a series in the West, especially in North America, certain anime might be a lot older than fans think. For example, not only did the original Dragon Ball series come out in the 1980s in its native Japan, even Dragon Ball Z technically premiered in 1989.
10 Pokémon: It Was Everywhere In The Late '90s, Even In The West
Pokémon started its anime run in the late 1990s and was already such an international juggernaut when its English dub came out around a year after the original Japanese premiere.
Whether they devoted their lives to it or not, Pokémon was virtually unavoidable for '90s kids, with all its promotions, games, merchandise, and references in pop culture. KFC even had a promotion for the series. Everyone from South Park to Norm Macdonald poked fun at it, all before the decade was over.
9 Sailor Moon: Pluto Still Being A Planet Should Be A Dead Giveaway
In Sailor Moon, not only does much of the fashion, from Rei's pink overalls to Usagi's jean jacket, and even Minako's red bow, reflect the fashions of the time, the series' science and technology even reflect the period. Villains used schemes involving floppy disks and video rental stores. Ami's supercomputer and the communicators look obsolete compared to smartphones. And Pluto got a Sailor Scout just in time: the planet would be officially demoted to a dwarf planet the following decade.
For many fans, the series was either so popular or had so much of a cult following, it helped define the decade. In the United States, many childhood fans had fond memories of waking up early to watch it in syndication.
8 Detective Conan: At Least Some Of The Early Episodes Lend Themselves To The Decade
Granted, Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed, still lasted past the 1990s, but some of the early episodes really do help paint an aesthetic of the decade.
In one late story from the decade, a newscaster gets kidnapped and, unable to speak, has to send coded numeric calls for help to a pager with her cellphone, something that would be outdated by the proliferation of text messages. Even some recurring story elements, like Conan's skateboard, are relics of the decade.
7 Cardcaptor Sakura: Tomoyo's Camcorder Is Just The Start Of It
While children in the West would have to wait until the start of the next decade to watch its English adaptation, the original Cardcaptor Sakura came out towards the end of the 1990s, just making it part of the decade. Things like Sakura using roller skates to get around, famously seen at the start of the first episode, really highlights the fashions and trends of the decade.
Likewise, some of the technology and culture depicted in the series ties it to the 1990s, from Tomoyo using a camcorder to record everything to the setting predating the construction of the Tokyo Skytree Tower.
6 Dragon Ball Z: Even The Z Is Dated In Hindsight
Dragon Ball Z technically first aired in 1989, with its corresponding manga coming out the year before, but this hasn't stopped it from redefining what an action series was for kids around the world in the 1990s.
A few things also tie it well into the decade, like Gohan's childhood mullet or Trunks' mushroom-style bowl-cut hair. Probably the thing that dates the series the most is that "Z," the last letter of the alphabet, was added as a subtitle in the belief it would be the end of the series.
5 Corrector Yui: The Series Helps Showcase How People Of The '90s Imagined The Future
Corrector Yui came out towards the end of the decade and, rather fittingly, showcases an exaggerated take on what the future would have been like: the World Wide Web has evolved into a virtual reality called the "ComNet." In fact, the titular heroine is a magical girl in the online world.
The series also speculated on what technology would still be popular in the future; while it was correct to guess that computers would become a much bigger part of everyday life, floppy disks are still portrayed as popular.
4 Video Girl Ai: The Title Should Give Away What Dates The Series
Video rental stores were all the rage in the 1990s, something that Video Girl Ai uses as its main selling point. Dateless loser Yota Moteuchi learns of a mysterious video store that contains special videos with holographic girls. Yota brings a video girl, named Ai, into his life this way, but complications arise due to a broken VCR.
Coming out early in the decade, the series is also considered something of a gateway anime series for '90s anime and manga fans, with the OVA even getting a VHS release in North America by 1999.
3 Cowboy Bebop: One Story Involves Explaining The History Of BetaMax
Granted, Cowboy Bebop takes place in a futuristic, neo-noir setting, even borrowing bits from the 1970s, but the series came out in the late '90s. Like a lot of futuristic '90s anime, it features a lot of timely technology, like analog televisions and even Betamax cassette players, although the latter especially has to be explained.
Likewise, the anime would serve as a gateway for Western anime fans, something highlighted by it being Adult Swim's pilot anime series, although that premiere wouldn't happen until 2001.
2 Gunsmith Cats: The Series Is A Love Letter To '90s Chicago
Gunsmith Cats is not only set in '90s Chicago, the animation team even went to the real-life city to take photographs of the setting, with many things that date the series, such as the renovation of a local museum.
Even history plays a part in the series, as one of the villains, Natasha Radino, has a backstory involving the fall of the Soviet Union.
1 Tokyo Crazy Paradise: The '90s Would Still Be In Fashion By 2020, Complete With Flying Skateboards
The mid-'90s to early 2000s series, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, takes place in a sci-fi version of 2020, filled with all kinds of futuristic technology.
However, the futuristic setting does not keep the characters from dressing in a very '90s fashion, from the characters' haircuts to the occasional skinny jeans. Even the technology seems influenced by trends of the decade. There are even flying skateboards.