Worldbuilding is a crucial aspect of any story that can greatly affect how much viewers will care about the story itself. Effective worldbuilding takes several aspects into consideration, including culture, people, technology, architecture, politics, and more.
The key is to suspend viewers' disbelief just enough so that they can accept what's happening without disrupting their immersion. Series that spend time establishing the nitty-gritty of their universes are frequently those that manage to capture people most: The world becomes relatable, understandable, and/or believable.
10 The Abyss' Mysteries Are Captivating (Made In Abyss)
Located in the center of the fictional town Orth, the Abyss is home to a myriad of creatures and even has its own specific rules. Riko and Reg run into several dangerous creatures while venturing into the Abyss' depths, including the likes of orb piercers and corpse-weepers. Moreover, the Abyss has its own rules of physics: diving down doesn't cause any discomfort, but attempting to climb out of the Abyss results in horrendous physical changes, depending on how deep one is. Nevertheless, much of the Abyss is visually stunning and it's not hard to see why the people of Orth are obsessed with raiding its depths and sending back anything they find.
9 The Town Of Kamisu 66 Is Hiding A Dark Past (From The New World)
Titled Shin Sekai Yori in Japanese, this world contains humans who develop powerful psychic abilities in their youth. The worldbuilding here mostly relies on the world's past, as there are dark secrets hidden behind the seemingly ubiquitous psychic powers. The visuals are also above average. From the New World's universe is painstakingly crafted with a believable backstory and semi-functional society that nearly falls apart throughout the narrative. The rich details included in this series make it very immersive, but only those with a steely resolve should pick up this unique coming-of-age anime.
8 The Planet Aqua Is Stunningly Beautiful (Aria The Animation)
Aria takes place during the 24th century in the city of Neo-Venezia on the planet Aqua, which was once the planet Mars. In Aria's universe, humans expanded into space and terraformed other planets to meet their needs. Mars was no exception to this and was completely covered with an ocean. Aria is primarily a slice-of-life anime that follows the lives of a few gondoliers, called undine, a term associated with female water spirits. Since Aqua is covered in water, the scenery in Aria is dazzling and captivating. Moreover, since this is a slice-of-life anime, viewers are free to take in and appreciate the beauty with minimal distractions.
7 Paradis Occupies A Detailed World & Society (Attack On Titan)
Attack on Titan made waves when it first released its unforgettable first season in 2013. Wit Studio's animation was bold, smooth, and captivating in that first season and it enraptured anime fans the world over. The world itself is interesting enough, but the social structures add further enrichment to the story's worldbuilding.
What Eren Yeager and his friends thought was the remnants of the entire world ended up being little more than an isolated island holding an exiled race, one which Eren is a part of, from a long-fought war. Moreover, there's a robust military structure with special equipment designed to fight Titans, adding even more immersion to Attack on Titan's world.
6 Aladdin's Travels In The Old World Are Inspired By Folk Tales (Magi: The Labyrinth Of Magic)
Inspired by the Middle Eastern folk tales found within 1001 Arabian Nights, Magi is a captivating series with rich details infused in much of its scenery and narrative. Part of the strength of Magi's world relies on the fact that most of its landscape was inspired and based on existing regions in the Old World, giving Magi's worldbuilding a touch of authority and believability. Moreover, the creator included a robust magic system based on Old World concepts, such as Rukh and Djinn. The animation is bright and charming, effectively capturing the spirit of adventure in Magi.
5 The East Blue Sea Resides In An Expansive World (One Piece)
One Piece's world is far too detailed to serve it justice here. In short, however, several geographical and social features were taken into consideration during its conception. Not only is the world separated into different seas and landmasses, but it's also got its own weather patterns, peoples and cultures, and even distinct flora and fauna. The Devil Fruits are one such detail, with there being several different types of Devil Fruits with a myriad of effects. As if that wasn't enough, we have the world's lore, centering on the legend of Gol D. Roger and the mysterious treasure he stashed in the Grand Line.
4 Kino Travels Through An Exceptionally Diverse World (Kino's Journey)
This light-novel-based series had a 13-episode anime run back in 2003, but its enthralling world earned it another 12-episode anime in 2017. Kino's Journey involves the titular protagonist, Kino, and her talking motorcycle, Hermes, on their travels through different lands. She spends no longer than three days and two nights in each location so she can keep her adventurous spirit alive.
Kino's Journey is inspired by a "radical" sense of beauty and the show frequently pits dark themes against themes of compassion. Each land Kino visits has specific rules and cultures which are explained during her stay, making this show dependent on excellent worldbuilding.
3 The Bebop's Crew Inhabits A Radically Different Yet Familiar Universe (Cowboy Bebop)
Shinichiro Watanabe imagined a detailed future in which humans were forced to leave planet Earth for life among the stars. Cowboy Bebop drips with both familiar and unfamiliar imagery, blending space travel and science fiction into a noir-esque environment with nostalgic landscapes. Each planet the Bebop crew investigates contains recognizable human environments that are infused with just enough technology to make viewers wonder how the universe got that way. Moreover, this anime is focused on its characters, who all have detailed backstories, motivations, and lessons they must learn.
2 The Sibyl System's Japan Is Painstakingly Detailed (Psycho-Pass)
Psycho-Pass is the brainchild of Gen Urobuchi, a writer who's known for creating rich and interesting worlds for his stories. The world of Psycho-Pass is a near-future cyberpunk dystopia where people are beholden to the Sibyl System, a collective AI hive mind that aims to maintain peace by categorizing people by the hue of their Psycho-Pass. The result of a cymatic scan results in a person's crime coefficient, which determines whether they are a threat to society or not. The world of Psycho-Pass even has a robust policing structure that utilizes Inspectors and Enforcers to maintain the brittle peace in its society.
1 Yuuri & Chito's World Is A Post-Apocalyptic Landscape (Girls' Last Tour)
The brilliance of Girls' Last Tour's worldbuilding lies in the fact that viewers learn about the world at the same time its main characters do. Yuuri and Chito occupy a barren world that's mostly made up of ruins and destruction. As they scavenge for food and supplies daily, they sometimes come across other survivors or hints regarding the world's past. Viewers are left to piece everything together alongside Yuuri and Chito's exploration into the unknown apocalypse that turned the world to rubble. They eventually stumble across the world's history, finally ending the immersive ride that viewers get to take alongside them.