For younger anime fans, it can feel like a chore getting through older anime series. They just happen to look so...ancient. It's a hard request to ask someone to sit through a series that's 15 or even 20 years old when there's always a shiny new anime around the corner, like Tokyo Revengers or Jujutsu Kaisen.
But not every anime looks like it was made in black and white and colorized decades later. Some of them look brand-new even now, either because their series are still getting new entries or because the creators at the time had a distinct art style and color palette that's still relevant today.
10 Rune Soldier Louie Is A Great Fantasy Series Without Harem Elements
Studio J.C. Staff released Rune Soldier Louie in 2001. An adaptation of a light novel written by Ryo Mizuno, creator of multiple other popular fantasy anime series, Rune Soldier Louie ran for 24 episodes. The protagonist was Louie, a student at the mage's guild who excelled more in muscles than he did in spells.
Still, a group of three women took him in: Merill, Genie, and Melissa, after she discovers that Louie is the chosen hero she's meant to serve. Although they're reluctant to take him in, with Louie on their side, they're able to save their country from a major threat.
9 Gundam SEED Is One Of The Most Popular Alternate Universe Gundam Series
Sunrise brought back the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise in a major way with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED in 2002. The series not only ran for 50 episodes but also received a sequel series in SEED Destiny that ran for another 50, making it one of the most developed alternate universe Gundam timelines ever.
The series takes place in the Cosmic Era, where a young man named Kira Yamato is pulled into a war against the military organization ZAFT after he lands in one of the five Gundams that ZAFT is attempting to steal.
8 Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 Looks Just As Good As It Did Decades Ago
The original Fullmetal Alchemist still looks just as good today as it did when it aired almost 20 years ago. Studio BONES did an excellent job bringing the show to life back in 2003, even if they had to go off-script with the plot of the series mid-way through the story.
By now, everyone is familiar with the story of Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse, two alchemists looking to restore their bodies with the help of the Philosopher's Stone. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is just as deserving of a mention, considering it began back in 2009.
7 Scryed Feels Like X-Men As An Anime
Sunrise tried something a bit different in 2001 with Scryed, which is a series that's basically like X-Men but made incredibly anime. Scryed takes place in the aftermath of a disaster that divided Japan and resulted in a percentage of people being granted special powers, turning them into beings known as Alters.
The main character is Kazuma, a Native Alter who finds himself under attack by HOLY, an organization seeking to capture all the Native Alters. Kazuma's rivalry with the man trying to bring him in, Ryuho, results in events that change life for Alters everywhere.
6 Tenchi Muyo GXP Is A Comedy Space Opera About A Captain From Earth
In 2002, AIC continued the Tenchi Muyo universe with Tenchi Muyo! GXP, a single-season series that ran for a total of 26 episodes. Unlike Tenchi Muyo! OVA, GXP has an entirely different protagonist in Tenchi's long-time friend, Seina Yamada.
Seina is invited into space by a member of the Galaxy Police and joins the organization. While there, the Galaxy Police learn to manipulate his legendary bad luck to capture all manner of criminals across the galaxy.
5 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Feels Ahead Of Its Time With Its Focus On Humanity's Relationship To Technology
Ghost in the Shell is one of those franchises that transcends the medium it originated from. Masamune Shirow's futuristic world is something that people automatically recommend whenever someone's looking for a good cyberpunk story.
Stand Alone Complex centers around the members of Public Security Section 9 dealing with two cases in "The Laughing Man" and the "Individual Eleven" that make up the main storyline. Stand Alone Complex doesn't just look new, it looks futuristic, and feels ever more relevant in a world where technology is taking over daily life.
4 Wolf's Rain Has Four Wolves On The Search For Paradise
Studio BONES has been making classic anime for decades now. In 2003, the studio released a new series called Wolf's Rain, directed by Tensai Okamura and written by Keiko Nobumoto, who had also been the head writer for Cowboy Bebop.
The show focuses on a group of wolves with the ability to appear as humans on the search for Paradise. This was an incredibly popular series in Japan and made its way to America where it aired on Adult Swim, marketed as a series from the creators of Cowboy Bebop.
3 Saiyuki Provides A New Spin On The Journey To The West
In the year 2000, Studio Pierrot introduced what would become one of the most popular anime in Japan and in the West for its time: Saiyuki. Saiyuki is a case where a show shifted demographics. Originally, it was a shonen manga published in Monthly G-Fantasy, but sequels of the series were published in Monthly Comic Zero-SUM, a josei manga.
This speaks to Saiyuki's massive female audience, which fell in love with Saiyuki's cast of pretty boys on a quest to try and stop the resurrection of a demon king. Saiyuki's popularity is such that the series recently got another sequel 20 years after the original series aired.
2 Cowboy Bebop Is The Definition Of Timeless
In 1998, Sunrise launched a series that would become legendary: Cowboy Bebop. Despite only running for 26 episodes, fans fell in love with Keiko Nobumoto and Shinichiro Watanabe's noir sci-fi series thanks to repeated airings on Adult Swim.
The series centers around a group of bounty hunters struggling to survive in the future, all while running from their pasts. This series felt ahead of its time even then, but these days, it gives off a timeless vibe. Its amazing characterization combined with sharp social critique and the best English dub of all time makes it a must-watch for anime fans everywhere.
1 Eureka Seven Provides A Different Look At Mecha Anime
Studio BONES excels at creating series that look great no matter when it's made. Eureka Seven debuted in 2005, directed by Tomoki Kyoda, who'd previously worked on Saiyuki and the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime. It was written by Dai Sato, who's worked on everything from Samurai Champloo to Ergo Proxy.
The show centers around Renton Thurston, and his relationship with Eureka, a young girl who pilots the giant robot Nirvash Type ZERO crashing into his house. Renton joins Gekkostate, the group Eureka is part of, and sets out to change the world. Renton learns that's a lot harder than it seems.