Over the years, hundreds of manga and light novels have been adapted for television into anime series, many achieving huge success and sometimes even surpassing their source material's popularity.
Yet there are plenty of original series as well, some of which are counted among the best of all time. While many of these later had their own adaptations, they all earned their popularity when they first aired as anime on television and online streaming services.
10 Psycho-Pass Is A Blade Runner Inspired Cyberpunk Thriller
Debuting in December of 2012, Psycho-Pass is a cyberpunk thriller that takes inspiration from movies such as Blade Runner and Minority Report. Psycho-Pass received excellent reviews upon airing, and has a killer opening by Ling Tosite Sigure that shouldn't be skipped.
Psycho-Pass takes place in the near future, in a society that is heavily monitored and governed by the Sibyl System. The Sibyl System is a computer network that calculates every citizen's potential of committing a crime. Rookie Inspector Akane Tsunemori, along with the Enforcer Shinya Kogami, is tasked with arresting or 'decomposing' these people if Sibyl deems them a threat to society.
9 FLCL Is A Short But Surreal Anime Experience
FLCL, or Fooly Cooly, was an original six-episode anime released in the year 2000, and very quickly achieved cult status among anime fans. This bizarre and almost surreal series of FLCL broke plenty of conventions, which (along with the incredible soundtrack) helped it achieve its niche popularity.
FLCL starts out with a very off-the-wall premise; 12-year-old Naota Nandaba is going about his mostly normal life when he is run over by a girl riding a Vespa, who wakes him with CPR before whacking him on the head with her bass guitar. Things only get weirder from there for poor Naota, and FLCL plays out like some kind of wild fever dream.
8 Angel Beats! Is One Of The Most Poignant Anime Of All Time
Often considered one of the saddest anime of all time, Angel Beats! was written by Jun Maeda, who also worked on projects such as Kanon and Clannad. Angel Beats! was praised for its animation, humor, and musical scenes, along with the poignant story.
Like many anime, Angel Beats! takes place in a high school. However, instead of being in the real world, this one is in the after-life, where people must overcome the trauma they suffered in life before they can move on. High-schooler Yuzuru Otanashi wakes up here with no memories and meets a group of students rebelling against the Class President, Angel. They believe Angel is involved with the powers that keep them in that purgatory.
7 Kill La Kill Is A Wild Anime Ride From Start To Finish
Kill La Kill is a very surrealistic anime experience, but one that has received huge acclaim. Written by Nazuki Nakashima and directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, who also directed Gurren Lagann, Kill La Kill was praised for its comedy, over-the-top action sequences, and excellent soundtrack.
Set in a fictional Japan, in a high school where the uniforms make the students superhuman, the plot follows the revenge story of Ryuko Matoi, who is searching for her father's murderer. Armed with a giant pair of scissors that can cut through these uniforms, she embarks on a conflict with the Student Council President. Kill La Kill is both memorable and wildly entertaining.
6 Samurai Champloo Puts A Modern Twist On Classic Samurai
Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who directed the widely popular Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo takes a classic tale of Edo-period samurai and puts a fascinating hip-hop spin on it. Much like Cowboy Bebop before it, Samurai Champloo earned high praise for both its great characters and impeccable style.
Samurai Champloo tells the tale of Mugen, a wandering swordsman who cares nothing for authority, and Jin, a serious and stoic ronin with a dark past. The two are brought together by Fuu, a charming young woman who is on a quest to find a samurai who smells of sunflowers. The series plays out much like a travel story, with the main plot finally coming to play in the last few episodes.
5 Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Created One Of The Best Anti-Heroes
When it aired in 2006, Code Geass introduced viewers to one of the most popular anti-heroes in all of anime, Lelouch vi Brittania. Armed with a devastating power called Geass, which allows him to completely control anyone with whom he makes eye contact, Lelouch embarks on a quest for revenge against his own father, the ruler of the most powerful empire in the world.
While Code Geass features plenty of action with its mecha combat, it is the intrigue perpetrated by the main character that really brings the series to a higher level. Code Geass has an incredible amount of tension right up until the very end.
4 Gurren Lagann Was A Standout Of The Mecha Genre
The mecha genre is one that has seen huge popularity in both anime and manga, and Gurren Lagann is one of the best. Considering it sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is safe to say that this short series can be listed among some of the best anime of all time.
Gurren Lagann follows the story of two men, Simon and Kamina, who live in a dystopian world where people have been forced to live underground. The two discover a buried mecha, and meet a girl from the surface world, Yoko, who wields a giant rifle. Yoko shows them that life on the surface is one where the humans face constant attacks by mecha riding creatures called Beastmen. Gurren Lagann pulls no punches and features some of the best storytelling in the genre.
3 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Broke All The Genre Conventions
The magical-girl genre is one of wish fulfillment and cute, charming fun. At first glance, Madoka Magica seems to follow those same themes. It isn't long before viewers realize this assumption is widely mistaken, in what is often considered one of the best deconstructions of the genre ever to be created.
Madoka Magica revolves around Madoka Kaname, a young girl who makes a deal with a creature in order to be granted magical powers. This deal is only on the condition that she join a war against witches. It soon becomes very clear that being a magical girl isn't all it's cracked up to be, and horrific truths of the matter make Madoka Magica one of the most memorable anime of all.
2 Neon Genesis Evangelion Was An Epic Science Fiction Classic
Few, if any, anime fans are unfamiliar with Neon Genesis Evangelion, even if they haven't seen it. It is one of the most popular anime of its generation and is often considered one of, if not the best, mecha series of all time.
Created by Hideaki Anno, Neon Genesis Evangelion follows Shinji, a young man who pilots a giant mecha called an Evangelion. Neon Genesis is an epic tale of science fiction, with plenty of themes and references that create a deep, though sometimes confusing, experience. Neon Genesis was widely acclaimed, but the ending was controversial and left many viewers confused and disappointed.
1 Cowboy Bebop Is One Of The Greatest Anime Of All Time
Quite possibly one of the most beloved anime ever, Cowboy Bebop has achieved huge popularity both in Japan and internationally, even recently spawning a live-action Netflix adaptation. Highly praised for the writing, humor, action sequences, and style, Cowboy Bebop also has what some consider to be one of the best English dubs ever made.
Cowboy Bebop follows the crew of the Bebop, an eclectic group of bounty hunters each with their own mysterious past. The story plays out similar to a classic western tale, but set in space. With plenty of action and intrigue, fans were hooked right until the very end.