Disclaimer: I cannot say how many times I've looked up top 10 anime lists so that I could find a good show to watch and was disappointed. This is MY list, therefore, it will not have animes that are anything short of badass. For me, a good anime MUST have significant deaths. If the writer can create an amazing character and kill it off for the good of the story, you shall have my attention. It makes the story more meaningful and passionate for me. Also, I'm a big fan of gore, violence, action, and thrillers. If you're into shoujos, fan service, and kitty animes, don't expect to see them on my list. All these animes are simply put, BADASS.
10. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
You should:
WATCH. Brotherhood gets straight to the point, no need to read, get the full
effect by watching.
About:
Alchemists, sins.
I couldn’t
leave the Full Metal Alchemist series out. It’s just too awesome. The entire
alchemy concept and the way characters interact made this worthy to kick off
the list. Also, the Homunculus are so bad ass.
Recommended to:
This is for all ages. Honestly, it’s really hard not to fall in love with it.
It gets good right away, so you don’t have to go through agonizing bad
episodes.
9. Shingeki no Kyojin
(Attack on Titan)
You should: WATCH
NOT READ. Seriously, if you’re reading, you’re an impatient sinner. Why
wouldn’t you wait to watch all the epicness!?
About: Titans,
survival
Attack on Titan blew the world away last year with how epic
and climactic it was; and all the hype deserved, well, all the hype. The action
sequences and how non-bullshitty, straight to the point the story developed
made it a gripping master-piece. You may have a hard time getting through the
first 15 minutes of it, but the rest shall take over your heart. It’s a
must-watch for anyone that can appreciate a tasteful mixture of action and
thrill.
Recommended to:
I’d recommend this to a teenager as well as an elder and anyone in between. I
guess I’d just keep it away from little kids. It’d be too much for them to
handle.
8. Hunter X Hunter
(2011)
You should: WATCH. Finish watching it (it’s almost over) and
then continue reading since it’ll be over.
About: Hunters,
crime, quests
Hunter X Hunter is one of those you’d never expect to be as
deep as it is. Having two youngsters (Gon and Killua) as protagonists, I would
have never imagined how mature the plot could become. The beautiful thing about
this anime is that, there’s no fillers (2011 version), the music is agonizingly
good, the animation is orgasmic, and the way the story is told (specially in the
last arc) is SO UNIQUE (narrative) that your skin will continuously burst into goose
bumps.
Recommended to:
I’d recommend this to all ages although it gets deeper and darker as the story
develops. Like... really deep and dark, no lie.
7. Code Geass
You should: WATCH.
The music on its own is enough reason to watch but the fighting scenes are
equally as worthy.
About: Royalty,
Geass, anti-heroes.
This is regarded as one of the best, if not the best anime
of all times on many people’s list. The ending was one of the most mind-blowing
moments in anime history. Lelouch was a character that I connected personally
on many levels and one cannot help falling in love with his development. The
entire series is a master piece, and although may be a bit hard to get into,
it’s worth watching.
Recommended to: I
would recommend it to a more mature audience. The dialogue and concept may be a
bit boring to younger folks but a thrill to those old enough to appreciate i.t
6. Naruto
You should: WATCH,
maybe read. I can understand why someone would read this. The time skip plus
all the fillers are not something easily dealt with so if you’re impatient,
read it.
About: Ninjas,
villages
Naruto is a classic for a reason. The complexity of the
story and the way things from the past somehow tie in with the present story is
more complex and well-thought out than one may think. The action sequences and
techniques really raise the testosterone levels like no other. It also has some
of the best fights, if not the best, in all of anime (Spoilers: Gaara vs Neji,
Sakura vs. Sasori, Sasuke vs. Deidara, Naruto vs. Pain, the whole war, ufff I
could go on and on). If by some weird chance you’ve watched anime and have yet
to catch up on Naruto, GO WATCH IT!
Recommended to:
All ages. It’s highly addictive so don’t expect to exercise if you decide to
watch.
5. Death Note
You should:
WATCH. No ifs and buts. You can only watch this. In Japanese if possible. This
is the best example as to why anime should be watched in its original language,
the emotion cannot be tangible in any other language other than Japanese.
About: Death gods, death
Talk about genius stories, Death Note is the epitome of
God-like writing... literally. You can’t NOT like Death Note. Seriously, it’s
such an amazing, mind-blowing experience. Every single episode will leave you
with the hunger to watch more and more. Cat and mouse has never been done as
brilliantly as this story.
Recommended to: I
recommend this to a mature audience. The story is just too complex and dark for
others to be able to appreciate.
4. Berserk
You should: WATCH
AND READ. This is one of those you have watch and then find out what happens
after the anime ends. Note, the anime does not include some major characters
like the skull night, so you may want to read and then watch.
About: Betrayal,
mythical, death
Now, if you’re like me and love classic story telling with a
large chunk of death, blood, and badassery, you’ll have a feast with this
story. Holy shit. I can’t get over how much Berserk blew my mind. The sudden
change from an earthly concept to a completely mythical one downright changed
the way I looked at anime. I watched it first and then continued reading it
cause I couldn’t get enough. The protagonist is also incredibly unique in that
sense that he doesn’t play the “hero” role. Berserk is a breath of fresh air.
Recommended to: A
mature audience. For sure. The amount of eroticism and violence is over 9,000,
trust me. If you let your kids watch it, they’ll become Satanists.
3. Claymore
You should: WATCH
AND READ. Yes, another one you will watch and then have to continue reading and
be totally mind-blown.
About: Demons,
revenge
Claymore, simply put, is amazing. The most notable thing
about Claymore is that it isn’t afraid to kill off characters you end up
falling in love with, all for the sake of a better story. The ranking format,
awakenings, and action sequences are SO DAMN COOL. And the way the characters
all manage to have unique abilities despite them all being essentially the same
kind of being is too damn interesting. If you’re up to date with the manga,
you’ll know, this is hands down one of the best things to keep up with, EVER.
Recommended to: A
mature audience. It’s a bit hard to get into, and very heavy in the sense that
it’s dark. It doesn’t help that the animation and lack of dialogue is also on
the dark side, but if you’re willing to give it a try, you won’t be
disappointed.
2. Gantz
You should: WATCH
AND READ. OH MY GOD YOU HAVE TO KEEP READING AFTER YOU WATCH IT.
About: Missions,
aliens
This is the PERFECT example of an anime that doesn’t even
capture the gist of the bigger picture. Honestly, all the anime does is
introduce the characters, if you don’t read everything else afterwards you
would never understand the entire purpose of the plot. Personally, I’ve never
watched or read something that changed my perspective on life altogether. They
recreated the concept of God and life itself and I never expected it to become
something SO deep and well-written. This is a must watch and read for EVERYONE.
No exceptions.
Recommended to: A
mature audience. Yes, I like meaningful mature things.
1. One Piece
You should:
WATCH. I know most of you read it and I pity you all. I started off reading it
and I regret it. Watching it after, proved that I didn’t even get an ounce of
the true nature of the characters. One Piece is the greatest anime of all time
because of its character development, so not hearing or seeing how they’re
animated and the way they truly act through animation doesn’t do the story
justice. Again, WATCH IT.
About: Pirates,
adventure
Character development is One Piece’s expertise and why this
is number one. You can’t help but fall in love with every single member of the
Strawhats and their unique and complex stories. What’s even cooler is that
after you fall in love with these characters you get to go on an epic adventure
with them and laugh and cry alongside them. I’ve heard too many times “oh, I
don’t like the animation.” Shame on you, you’re missing out on Japan’s greatest
treasure. One of the most beautiful things about this anime is its protagonist.
Luffy is a being of pure love. He loves his friends like no other and has no
prejudice, whether you’re gay or transsexual, black or an animal, dead or a mermaid,
Luffy accepts all. Trust me, it may take a while to get good, but you’ll feel
like a member of the Strawhats in no time.
Recommended to:
EVERYONE.
Honorable mentions: Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, Rurouni
Kenshin, Bleach, Black Lagoon, Magi, and YuYu Hakusho.
