The '90s had some of the best anime of all time, and certainly some of the most memorable. Millennials grew up on those shows, and their relevance has carried on into today, allowing them to influence Generation Z. Unfortunately, not every series back in the '90s had fans, even if they deserved them.
Plenty of series from the '90s were considered to be mediocre at best, or terrible at worst. They garnered reputations that made fans begin to look down on them. But were any of these shows legitimately awful? Or were fans upset because they didn't live up to the expectations placed on them because of other series?
10 Victory Gundam Offers A Perspective Few Gundam Series Can
Victory Gundam
Victory Gundam was the last entry in the Universal Century for years. To this day, it remains the latest entry canonically in the timeline. After this series aired, creator Yoshiyuki Tomino moved on from the franchise.
Many fans cite Victory Gundam's more ridiculous elements and over-the-top violence as reasons the series couldn't maintain popularity. However, there's still a lot to love in Tomino's last Universal Century project. With Uso Evin as the series' youngest protagonist yet, it offers a perspective that few other Gundam series can.
9 Goldran Is More Comedic But Takes Plenty Of Chances
Goldran
Following the end of the Transformers franchise, Takara's Brave series was a key part of mecha anime in the '90s. As an annual mecha series, it experienced ups and downs over the decade. Goldran is one entry that was viewed as weaker than the others, which focused on a trio of kids who had the power to wake up the alien robots trapped on their planet known as Braves.
In the West, Goldran was viewed as weaker than the other Brave series because of its silliness and shift back to episodic storytelling. In reality, the show was willing to take a ton of chances with the series. People who don't take it seriously will discover why it had the highest ratings of any Brave series in Japan.
8 Slayers Has A Weak English Dub But Is A '90s Classic Nevertheless
Slayers
Slayers was one of the better-known fantasy anime from the '90s. The series followed Lina Inverse, a magician who focused on acquiring as much treasure as she possibly could. The franchise managed to run for multiple seasons, including a few OVAs during the '90s, since Japan loved the Slayers universe.
However, among some English-speaking audiences, Slayers gained a bit of a poor reputation for its English dub, which can make the series difficult to take seriously. Despite this, Slayers is an undeniable classic that fans of fantasy anime should check out.
7 Tenchi Muyo! Is More Than Just A Standard Harem Series
Tenchi Muyo!
Some people might remember this series as the original harem anime if they remember it at all. Unfortunately, Tenchi Muyo! has become forgotten by all but old-school anime fans. People who do recall it believe it to be just an average harem series about a "nice guy" who has a bunch of women romantically interested in him purely because he's shown them basic kindness.
Tenchi Muyo! even has one of the most popular waifus from the '90s. But the world of Tenchi Muyo! has more to offer than the usual romcom shenanigans or even the sci-fi adventures. In the end, much of Tenchi is about what it means to be part of a family.
6 The Record Of The Lodoss War Is A Fantastic D&D Adventure
The Record Of The Lodoss War
The original Record of the Lodoss War was viewed as the anime version of Lord of the Rings in the early 2000s. These days, the OVA's reputation has faded as the legend of Lord of the Rings has grown in audiences' minds. But while the series isn't quite as good as Tolkien, both Lodoss War and the television sequel Chronicles of the Heroic Knight are still worth watching.
Series writer Ryo Mizuno created a sprawling world where he could tell his own D&D-like stories with several recurring characters. The OVA has great animation even today, while the television series offers a more enjoyable fantasy universe than the endless parade of isekai anime.
5 Flame of Recca Rises Above Being A Yu Yu Hakusho Clone
Flame Of Recca
Flame of Recca made its first appearance on the airwaves in 1997, not long after Yu Yu Hakusho went off the air. It's easy to see the series and write it off as a Yu Yu Hakusho rip-off at best, a generic shonen at worst. Recca Hanabishi is as a cheeky high schooler who thinks he's a ninja until he gets pulled into a world of superpowers, mystical abilities, and actual ninja.
But while people might see a Yu Yu Hakusho clone at surface level, the series plays with a lot of the expected tropes and goes in some bold directions. It's a great shonen anime from the late '90s that every shonen fan should watch at least once, even if the manga is far better.
4 Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Has A Generic Setting But A Developed Storyline
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040
In the 2000s, Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 was the hyped-up version of the Bubblegum Crisis universe. People preferred the darker tone and more traditional cyberpunk setting. The series was even easier to acquire thanks to it being licensed by the previously popular anime dubbing company ADV Pictures.
These days, people prefer the older OVA quite a bit, thanks to its better animation and the cool '80s soundtrack. But people shouldn't be so eager to toss the television remake aside. Tokyo 2040 might be a bit more traditional, but it's also got a more fleshed-out storyline and an actual ending to the series.
3 Gundam X Was Canceled Early But Has Some Of The Best Gundam Designs
Gundam X
Gundam X was the third in a series of Alternate Universe settings for Gundam. The series came after G Gundam and Gundam Wing, which had both been major success stories in their own right. Unfortunately, Gundam X wasn't nearly as successful. The ratings tanked so terribly that the channel airing it decided to truncate the series order from a full year down to 39 episodes.
Despite the show's initial ratings, fans shouldn't let the show's reputation scare them off. Gundam X has some of the best moments of the franchise in the second half. It's also got some of the best designs in all of Gundam.
2 Macross 7 Has The Best Protagonist
Macross 7
The Macross franchise has always had trouble with its audience since they can't figure out if the series is a serious war drama or a love triangle featuring idols. The answer is both, and Macross 7 leaned deeper into that, swapping an idol with a rock star in Nekki Basara.
While Macross 7 has a bad reputation among some fans, it's largely undeserved. For one, Macross 7 explains a large amount of lore about their universe. For another, Nekki Basara might be the best male protagonist Macross has ever had, boasting a stage presence the other male leads aren't capable of.
1 Dragon Ball GT Offers Great Cosmic Adventures
Dragon Ball GT
Of course, Dragon Ball Z is the biggest gateway into anime and one of the most iconic series of all time. When the series ended in Japan, they immediately wanted a sequel, but Toriyama wasn't interested in continuing — which prompted Dragon Ball GT.
GT made some massive changes to the series, like making Goku into a child again and sidelining most of the cast in favor of Pan and Trunks. It's easy to see why fans didn't adapt well to this series, but it's still got some interesting ideas regarding the Dragon Balls and Super Saiyan transformations. Every fan should check the series out at least once.