Ouran High School Host Club makes fun of otaku culture, yaoi, yuri, and other aspects of anime culture. It is a great piece of satire.
DBZ, as Dragonball Z is often called, is the father of modern action anime. While some get tired of hearing this, DBZ set the standards for action anime that followed. DBZ Kai does away with filler and holds to the original story.
Kill la Kill tackles anime’s bad habit of fan-service and transforms it to a symbol of a strong woman. Kill la Kill is a satirical look at our relationships with clothing.
Economics doesn’t get enough attention as a plot device. Spice and Wolf sometimes delves too deeply, but the adult relationship and banter between Holo and Lawrence elevates this story. Sadly, it looks unlikely the anime will be concluded.
A
Space Dandy continues the family of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Space Dandy suffered from too much hype, but it continues the episodic antics Bebop and Champloo popularized.
Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions looks at chunibyo, or a reluctance to grow up. The anime is full of heart but avoids being overly sentimental. As these stories go, it is well balanced and worth the watch.
Astro Boy deserves a place here as the first anime. Astro Boy started some of anime’s bad habits, such as filler. Despite this, Astro Boy has its place in history.
17 Host-Club-ouran-high-school-host-clubOuran High School Host Club
B
Slam Dunk
21 Princess MononokePrincess Mononoke
Although Fullmetal Alchemist doesn’t follow the manga, the characters break away from the standard shonen type. Edward uses intelligence more than brawn. In Brotherhood, he falls back into the standard impulsive meathead shonen stereotype.
16 Edward Elric Fullmetal AlchemistFullmetal Alchemist
10 Ed from Cowboy BebopCowboy Bebop
FMA: Brotherhood remakes the first series and follows the manga closer than the original. Brotherhood provides an accessible entry point for those looking to start watching anime.
C
9 Eureka SevenEureka Seven
12 Spice and Wolf 2Spice and Wolf
20 akira-movieAkira
Back in the late 1980s, Akira first showed how animation can carry adult themes. Akira sparked renewed interest in anime in the United States during the 1990s.
Space Dandy
Cowboy Bebop remains a classic. It is the best anime to introduce the medium to those who have doubts. Many who hate anime like Cowboy Bebop.
D
Paranoia Agent
22 grave-of-the-firefliesGrave of the Fireflies
Death Note dominated anime for a time with its popularity. It spread across the internet through fanfictions and garnered a cult-like following. Its dark themes and questions about morality (such as the question of ends and means) hit home with many.
Grave of the Fireflies is a hard movie to watch. It tells a story of what happened to many Japanese children during World War II. It shows how animation can be serious and heart wrenching when done well.
15 Chūnibyō_Demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_BD_&_DVD_volume_1_coverLove, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions
pure buns
11 eyes
Kekkaishi
14 Astro BoyAstro Boy
18
Princess Mononoke was the first animated film to win the Japan Academy Prize. Many consider the film as a landmark in animation because of its quality and complex, adult script.
kill-la-kill-ryukoKill la Kill
Created Jan 29, 2026
A tier list ranking 37 items across 6 tiers. best animes
Ouran High School Host Club makes fun of otaku culture, yaoi, yuri, and other aspects of anime culture. It is a great piece of satire.
DBZ, as Dragonball Z is often called, is the father of modern action anime. While some get tired of hearing this, DBZ set the standards for action anime that followed. DBZ Kai does away with filler and holds to the original story.
Kill la Kill tackles anime’s bad habit of fan-service and transforms it to a symbol of a strong woman. Kill la Kill is a satirical look at our relationships with clothing.
Economics doesn’t get enough attention as a plot device. Spice and Wolf sometimes delves too deeply, but the adult relationship and banter between Holo and Lawrence elevates this story. Sadly, it looks unlikely the anime will be concluded.
A Tier
Space Dandy continues the family of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Space Dandy suffered from too much hype, but it continues the episodic antics Bebop and Champloo popularized.
Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions looks at chunibyo, or a reluctance to grow up. The anime is full of heart but avoids being overly sentimental. As these stories go, it is well balanced and worth the watch.
Astro Boy deserves a place here as the first anime. Astro Boy started some of anime’s bad habits, such as filler. Despite this, Astro Boy has its place in history.
17 Host-Club-ouran-high-school-host-clubOuran High School Host Club
B Tier
Slam Dunk
21 Princess MononokePrincess Mononoke
Although Fullmetal Alchemist doesn’t follow the manga, the characters break away from the standard shonen type. Edward uses intelligence more than brawn. In Brotherhood, he falls back into the standard impulsive meathead shonen stereotype.
16 Edward Elric Fullmetal AlchemistFullmetal Alchemist
10 Ed from Cowboy BebopCowboy Bebop
FMA: Brotherhood remakes the first series and follows the manga closer than the original. Brotherhood provides an accessible entry point for those looking to start watching anime.
C Tier
9 Eureka SevenEureka Seven
12 Spice and Wolf 2Spice and Wolf
20 akira-movieAkira
Back in the late 1980s, Akira first showed how animation can carry adult themes. Akira sparked renewed interest in anime in the United States during the 1990s.
Space Dandy
Cowboy Bebop remains a classic. It is the best anime to introduce the medium to those who have doubts. Many who hate anime like Cowboy Bebop.
D Tier
Paranoia Agent
22 grave-of-the-firefliesGrave of the Fireflies
Death Note dominated anime for a time with its popularity. It spread across the internet through fanfictions and garnered a cult-like following. Its dark themes and questions about morality (such as the question of ends and means) hit home with many.
Grave of the Fireflies is a hard movie to watch. It tells a story of what happened to many Japanese children during World War II. It shows how animation can be serious and heart wrenching when done well.
15 Chūnibyō_Demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_BD_&_DVD_volume_1_coverLove, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions
pure buns Tier
11 eyes
Kekkaishi
14 Astro BoyAstro Boy
18
Princess Mononoke was the first animated film to win the Japan Academy Prize. Many consider the film as a landmark in animation because of its quality and complex, adult script.