Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Sure, ok.

1. Usagi Drop

Ok look, I know I love slice of life anime more than anything else, but this is just a perfect anime regardless of that. The music is fantastic, the colouring, the voice acting, everything blooms with soul. The source material (even though it still speaks to me) is admittedly not that special overall, and I borderline don't understand how the direction approached the author with this as a vision of what it could be. More often than not, I think anime doesn't hold up to the source material, but here, the anime breathes life into the manga and this is why it is my #1 and will likely never be beaten. It is perfect.

Oh, and it just makes me feel really really good inside.

2. Chihayafuru

I had this anime in my sights for years before I decided to sit down and watch it, and FUCK I was not ready for this ride. It definitely fails in a few ways from a technical standpoint, but it really doesn't matter. This anime activates your brains. It's very heavy on inner monologues and I have never seen anything in anime close to the level of tension you find in this. There are strong romantic sub plots and I don't give a fuck about those, but they also don't overly distract me (until season 3 where I think it becomes a problem). Don't let yourself be discouraged by the fact that this is "about a card game", this is the most intense sports anime (and even action anime) I've ever seen. Of course, there's a ton of extremely over the top anime, but Chihayafuru is designed to be serious and relatable, and to put you at the edge of your seat the entire time. I was thinking about my top 5 and that alone made me decide to rewatch the whole thing. I've binged an entire season since I posted my message and it is every bit as good as I remember.

Also, every character is good. Chihaya, the MC, might be the best MC I've ever seen in anime.

3. Isshuukan Friends
4. Natsuiro Kiseki
5. Kokoro Connect

I decided to put these together because, to me, they all belong together. They're my trilogy of "supernatural slice of life anime with coming of age elements in which a group of friends face challenges that guide them to a stronger relationship". I just like slow paced shows like this that focus on everyday life, growth and mutual understandings, and the supernatural elements here give the show just the right amount of flavour. I definitely think Isshuukan Friends is the best of the 3, but the other two can go in whatever order.

Of course, there are a ton of shows like this, many of which I also enjoyed. I definitely had a good time with Kotoura-San, for example, but these 3 have always been in a class of their own in my eyes, and I can't exactly pinpoint why. If anything, I think it's how comedy is a little present, but takes a backseat to the struggle.

So yeah... My top 5 anime is probably that?

Edited with consideration to MarioNintendo's request.

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

1. 08th MS Team
2. Outlaw Star
3. Martial Successor Nadesico
4. Last Exile
5. Cyber Formula SAGA

That list is my jam

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Those are more impactful than favorite for me. I wanted to avoid just having similar stuff as everyone else.

1. CLANNAD: After Story
2. Cowboy Bebop
3. Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu
4. Fruits Basket: The Final
5. Monster

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

1. 5 Centimeters Per Second (Makoto Shinkai)
2. Only Yesterday (Isao Takahata)
3. Millennium Actress (Satoshi Kon)
4. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Hiroyuki Okiura)
5. The House of Small Cubes (Kunio Kato)

hm: Adolescence of Utena (Kunihiko Ikuhara), Ghost In The Shell (Mamoru Oshii), Wolf Children (Mamoru Hosoda)

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

nichijou
dargonballz
higurashi
dragonball
futabu

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

1. Clannad After Story
2. Kaguya Sama
3. Re:zero
4. Spice & Wolf
5. Higurashi

Honorable mentions:

Fruits Basket
Monogatari
Demon Slayer

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Cool, what makes you so passionate about that one?

---------------------------------------------------

I am not an anime fan myself, but I'll keep an eye on this thread if I ever need recommendations. It would be cool if people would explain in 1-2 sentences why a specific anime ranks high on their list of favorites, since I have no idea what any of these series are.

I'd say my favorite anime series that I've seen is One Punch Man. I felt it was a really refreshing take on the superhero genre, and the fight animations are unbelievable.

I really enjoyed the movie Paprika, too! I liked its trippy premise and I thought it had a strong lead character.

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Code Geass
Steins;Gate
The original first 2 seasons of Digimon in subs (4kids ruined the dub immensely to the point where sub is actually PG13 but the dub is for everyone)
No Game No Life
The original 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' first season.

All of the anime on my list, with the exception of No Game No Life, are complete stories. From beginning to end. They don't have any of that "Well, that arc is finished, onwards towards new stories!" and then they end airing for the anime and let you come to conclusion on what adventures happen next. The above shows END. They don't really continue afterwards, and I really enjoy a story that comes fully around and has closure. Wraps it up nice and neat and complete.

Along with the above, I believe that the above shows are exceptionally great at storytelling. Doesn't matter what genre it is. Code Geass is a mecha anime, Madoka Magica is a 'girly magic girls' anime, Steins;Gate is more-so 'detective & drama' anime, but they all exceed exceptionally well at storytelling, plot, advancement and moving the story forward. In comparison, Fullmetal Alchemist tells a fantastic story and would be on my list, but there's roughly 15 episodes of non-story movement half-way through the series that plays very little to the overarching plot imo. These 5 do not really have that issue.

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

uuuuuh in no general order because i just like things without putting up above others.

1. AKIRA
2.Trigun
3.Full Metal Alchemist(2003 and BH)
4. RE:Zero
5. Haruhi Suzumiya

honorable mentions: Summer Wars, School Rumble, Mob 100, One Punch, Made in abyss, JOJO, Parasyte, Durarara, Neon Genesis, Death Parade, AoT.
and the making me cry the most award goes to Violet Evergarden.

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

End of post.

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

I feel like MHA is one of the most criminally misunderstood animes of all time. The way I see it, is its a story about coming into the adult world and learning to approach monumental responsibilities and having to learn to deal with the burdens that come along. Between the time you're a teenager and exit highschool, the real world kicks in and the training wheels come off; and that can be incredibly daunting. I also love the character design and world building, as well as how the world shifts and becomes grayer and darker as the show progresses.

On top of that, I also got into it around 2016/2017 which was a very dark time in my life and was one of the few ways I got through it; and I cant help but re-watch it over and over again without getting sick of it. Banger show, highly recommend anyone who enjoys a good shonen to watch it.

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Sooooo are you gonna roast/praise us? Don't keep it all to yourself my man

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

o yea i forgot

NOW: after reading through everyone's top 5, I have determined I probably have the worst or most basic taste here. I'm just a big shonen fan and that's about it. The rest of the thread is full of good taste. I also forgot to mention Akagi, akagi is probably up there in my top 5 not sure where though.

I really like Gold Stingers list though, big brain animes up there. Choof has some nice classics as well.

Also, I liked Usagi Drop (the manga) but then it BACKSTABBED me and BETRAYED at the end. Chihayafuru is also on my MAL for "plan to watch", haven't picked it up yet. Black_Shield has an incredibly based list but Akira is overrated IMO. Incredibly ahead of its time and has gorgeous animation but I don't think it holds up (hot take).

As for the list I am most unfamiliar with, Wiosna's list has me in shambles. I don't think I know any of the anime on there. (I will later be coming back to this thread, searching all the animes up and sifting through them to put on my "watch later" list just FYI)

Re: Top 5 Favorite Anime of All Time?

Definitely recommend chihayafuru. No anime has gotten myself involved as much as this one, the tension is absolutely unlike anything else. Not the biggest fan of S3, but S1 and S2 are "gut-wrenchingly good".

Yeah the Usagi Drop manga is just wrong... But I read multiple interviews with Yumi Unita and I've come to accept why it happened. Thank goodness though that the anime doesn't cover the time skip stuff and instead just let itself be a perfect anime adaptation.