Top 10 Greatest Anime Series Of All Time

Darren Pangan March 2, 2007

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First and foremost, don’t think that I consider this as “The List”. It’s more like “My List”. I haven’t seen all the anime shows out there so expect me to be bias over those that I’ve seen and enjoyed. But I also considered the reaction of the people around me and anime fans over the internet that I encountered. If I’ve seen a certain series and it’s getting so much love from people, then it’s a plus. If it’s getting so much hate, then it’s a minus. Now, here’s the list.

10. Naruto
Just a little while ago, I was mentioning how I would consider other people’s opinion for this list if it’s quite obvious (getting so much love or hate from the general public). Now here’s a series I’ve seen, although currently it’s still on-going, that I liked but wouldn’t get into this list if not for fans, sometimes labeled as “Narutards”. If you go to non-title-specific/general anime forums, you’ll see people saying this anime isn’t good and often, the reason is for the excessive fillers. But even these people can’t deny how popular this series is now. Just to prove that, go to Google and search for your favorite 26-episode series (you can even try your all-time favorite, “Evangelion” if you want). How many results did you get? Less than 2 million? That’s nice. Now try searching for “Naruto”. At the time of this writing I got almost 30 million, including Google images result. If you know SEO, then you’ve probably heard about the “keyword suggestion tool”. Check how many searches does that term gets. Again, at the time I wrote this article, I got around 1.5 million. Compare that to “Elfen Lied“, a series that is getting a lot of love from anime communities today. You only get around 37 thousand. Now that’s how popular Naruto is today. I haven’t seen the filler episodes (which most people hate) yet but so far, I think the series is good and deserves the fandom. By the way, Naruto got my first review on this website.

9. Bleach
Bleach is Naruto’s greatest rival today when it comes to popularity. Whenever you find some Naruto download site, most likely, they also have Bleach download stuff. We can’t say for sure if it’s more popular compared to it’s rival or less popular. Based on my observation, I’d say less popular. Then you might be asking why is this one notch ahead of Naruto. Well, I’ve seen both series and I like Bleach a lot better. My “Anime friend” told me (when I asked him for some recommendations) that he likes strong and prominent main characters, then I came to realize that I feel the same way. And probably that’s the reason why I like Bleach better than Naruto. The strong main character in the series is Kurosaki Ichigo. He’s got a team behind him but he’s the one who takes care of the strongest villian. Unlike Uzumaki Naruto who is at times (or should I say, often) over-taken by Uchiha Sasuke. Also, when it comes to the story, I find Bleach a bit more exciting. Naruto and Bleach are most likely the two most popular anime today, and this two gave more life to anime fandom in this generation. But since I prefer Bleach over Naruto, I put it at number nine!

8. Ranma 1/2
Ok. Maybe this Rumiko Takahashi masterpiece may not be as popular (today) as the two anime series mentioned earlier. But it was quite popular during it’s prime. Even my girlfriend loves this series and according to her, this is her favorite anime of all time. (How’s that? hehe) I saw this series, I think, back in high-school. It was my favorite back then and I felt really sad when RPN 9 stopped airing it without finishing the series. I was traumatized and since then everytime I saw a Ranma 1/2 poster, I felt like crying. (I’m exaggerating a little bit but it was almost like that). I searched anime shops everywhere but sadly, if they have it, it’s only the first season. But often, they don’t have it at all. Then came the internet.. and downloadable fansub videos. But still I couldn’t find the whole complete series. (sigh) Anyways, enough ranting. Ranma 1/2 is mainly not a continous series but rather, each series is stand-alone. What I really liked about it is the humor and the relaxing feel whenever watching it. There’s a also a bit of martial arts and love story. I really wasn’t sure if this anime is popular until my friend sitting beside me right now, diligently doing his work, confirmed it. For a second opinion, I did the “Google popularity test” I mentioned in number ten and found out that it is still quite popular over the internet.

7. Ah! My Goddess
Ah! My Goddess is an anime that has a great story and concept, and great cast of characters (I’m saying this probably because they’re goddesses.). And because of these qualities, the anime and manga got so much love from anime fans and it became very popular. At first, my perspective over the anime is that it is made for girls who like drama and love stories. Probably because of the relationship between Keiichi Morisato and Belldandy and during that time, I was under the somewhat traditional belief that action is for boys and drama is for girls. But as time went by, my perspective changed. I realized that Ah My Goddess is actually a “boys’ anime”.. wait.. let’s make that “boys’ dream anime”. Why is that? Well it’s typical for a boy like me to dream about being surrounded by pretty girls, much more if they’re serving me, much much more if they’re beautiful goddesses. *snaps out of it* Now why is Ah! My Goddess on this list? Well it’s pretty popular and I liked it so much and is actually one of my favorites.. enough said. It’s number 7!

6. Yu Yu Hakusho
When people were starting to get tired of the Dragon Ball Z phenomena, they had to look for something else, something new, but will still provide the action and excitement Dragon Ball Z has given them. Then comes Yu Yu Hakusho. In our area, as far as I can remember, Yu Yu Hakusho became a household name. Everyone was watching it. Even some unexepected people came out of nowhere acting like they were Toguro and Yusuke. Even my classmate in high-school used to put Yusuke’s name as alias in his test papers. And I thought that was just too much. The story is different from Dragon Ball Z and you might also notice the attempt to give it more twist. But I could say that the action and fighting scenes were somewhat patterened from DBZ. Really a great and entertaining show. According to my brother, this is his favorite series of all time. And for the balanced amount of popularity and “how much I liked it”, I put it at number 6.

5. Full Metal Alchemist
Talk about popularity. This anime used to be extremely popular and well liked. I did a quick search over the internet and found out that this was actually voted as the most liked anime series for 2005 and 2006, and why am I not surprised. Actually, I just saw this anime recently, although I’ve been hearing about it (it’s inevitable) but ignored the hype for I was under the influence of the drug most popularly known as “Rurouni Kenshin” at that time. But after I’ve seen the series, I was like.. wow. Great story and great cast of characters too. If there are series that revolutionized Anime, Full Metal Alchemist has to be one of them.

4. Rurouni Kensihin
Now here’s the drug I was talking about. This is the second series that was able to push me into making a fansite (The first one was DBZ). To me, Rurouni Kenshin has the best story of all time for an anime series. Maybe the reason is that I like historical stuff and Rurouni Kenshin has a touch of history in it. The anime has a lot of fillers. As a matter of fact, you can stop watching after the Kyoto Arc because everything is filler after it. But if you’re a solid fan like me, you probably know about the Jinchuu Arc which is actually the following saga which was not animated. And up to this date, I still haven’t got over it. I still want it to be animated but it’s hopeless now. If you are amazed by the series, wait until you see the first OVA, Tsuiokuhen. Most people have it in their list of favorite anime shows. I have it at number one. What more can you ask for when you got great, great story and top notch animation? It’s also pretty popular and most people would say that they hated the fillers but liked Rurouni Kenshin as a whole. It’s actually hard to find someone who doesn’t like this Anime.

3. Dragon Ball
If you an anime fan, there’s no way you haven’t even heard about the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series. They’re simply one of the most popular anime series of all time. Even non-anime fanatics know it, it’s a house hold name. And this great anime journey started here. The first of the three series. Some people think the first one is superior over the sequels. Story-wise, I would agree. The character we all know by the name of Son Goku was still a young boy here although as the story goes by, he grew up. The first time I saw this series, it was aired on RPN 9 after cutting the sequel, Dragon Ball Z series for the meantime. I don’t know why but probably they were still dubbing the remaining episodes. Whatever the reason, I was greatful that they gave us the first series. It also became very popular and anticipated by everyone I know. And up to this moment, it is still all over the internet together with its sequels.

2. Astro Boy
If you only saw the remake that was done in 2003, you’re probably surprised why I put it in number 2. Just in case you don’t know it, Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom) became a household name for many generations too just like Dragon Ball Z probably it’s reign was even longer. It’s a work of the late great Osamu Tezuka, The Father of Manga. I really don’t remember the details of the story anymore because I watched this maybe 20 years ago, but I know I loved it back then. And my brothers and I grew up knowing who Astro Boy is.

And now for my number one greatest anime of all time…

1. Dragon Ball Z
You heard it right, Dragon Ball Z haters! No matter how much you hate it, this anime has to be the most popular in our generations. Not only in Japan and the US but in other countries all over the world as well. Just check it’s Wikipedia page and see how many languages it has been translated into. Most people who got into the anime fandom started with Dragon Ball Z. Some people bash Dragon Ball Z for it’s long fight scenes that span into several episodes, for characters that move too fast that you don’t see them anymore, etc. Some even compare it to newer action titles and say that the new title is better because it got better story and action scenes. Sure. When it comes to story and action scenes, I don’t put Dragon Ball Z on my number one either but were talking “greatest” here. I try to recall how much I loved it during it’s time when this new anime doesn’t exist yet. How much excitement did it gave me back then and compare that to the excitement this newer anime with better story and fight scenes gives me. I can say that nothing beats Dragon Ball Z for that matter. It was the first of it’s kind and the others only followed. Only a few considers Muhamad Ali to be the pound-for-pound best boxer of all time, he’s been beaten several times while other fighters retire with their records unblemished. But why is it everyone considers him “The Greatest”?

So, there you have it folks! My top ten greatest anime of all time. Agree or disagree with me, this is still just my opinion. If you’re thinking about asking me why I don’t have Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, etc. in there, probably because I haven’t seen them yet or I don’t hear about them as much as I hear these 10 titles. Just to clarify, this is different from my list of all-time favorite anime series. In that list, I wouldn’t include other people’s view and for sure that list will include Slam Dunk and Hajime no Ippo. ^_^

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Category: Rants & Raves

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104 Responses to “Top 10 Greatest Anime Series Of All Time”

Rednights http://rednights.net/typenights
April 16th, 2007 at 9:59 am

Faith in humanity minus 1. I see your bias, but where is my Hunter X Hunter please!
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
April 16th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

How could I forget about Hunter X Hunter?! Oh well.. ^_^
Afuro http://afurokamen.animeblogger.net
April 24th, 2007 at 12:17 am

Great list, but if i were to put it, I’ll just have to kick Astro Boy for One Piece. imho!
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
April 24th, 2007 at 12:45 am

aw!Looks like I have to make another list! how can I forget so many? hehe.. ^_^
Tracy
April 28th, 2007 at 3:59 am

Ranma 1/2 is very easliy findable online. I have the whole series, and I am glad it made the list. I was very disappointed that you never saw any conclusive ending though.
Tracy
April 28th, 2007 at 4:45 am

No Inuyasha?
faith simpson
May 5th, 2007 at 7:45 pm

what happened to sailormoon???or cardcaptor sakura?!
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
May 7th, 2007 at 5:21 pm

@Tracy
Yes! No Inuyasha! ^_^
yelle
May 24th, 2007 at 3:32 pm

why there is no hunterxhunter i really love that anime!!
okore affia
June 1st, 2007 at 3:10 am

Rurouni Kenshin Is without doubt the best anime series of all times.
the story, music, fight scenes and characters create a long lasting memory. I give thanks to the people below for making such a touching anime.
Directors
Kazuhiro Furuhashi,
Kaeko Sakamoto

Writers:Michiru Shimada,
Nobuhiro Watsuki
cam
June 7th, 2007 at 8:36 am

If it were mine i would have had to bump Full metal up to the top. I dunno the concept of alchemy really did it for me. Rurouni Kensihin
would be a very close second. Also I thought Trigun was also pretty good. I never was a big DBZ fan though, now dragonball on the other hand was good.
cam
June 7th, 2007 at 8:36 am

p.s kind dissapointed with the full metal movie ending.
okore affia
June 8th, 2007 at 1:32 am

One thing that pissed me off about DBZ is that the makers tried to make the series longer by putting in meaningless bits which distracted us from the fight scenes. it just had me thinking get back to the fight man. who gives a shit!! about Mr Satans dog for crying out loud…..
angela
June 10th, 2007 at 12:14 pm

yup y theres no hunter x hunter also slum dank they’re very great also detective conan was great. naruto dont deserve no. 10 may no. 5 or 4 will do!
Brij
June 13th, 2007 at 7:18 pm

i think Rurouni kenshin should be number ONE.. i just love all about that series and have watched it SO many times but just still can’t get enough..
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
June 13th, 2007 at 7:27 pm

I love Rurouni Kenshin as well and is my favorite anime series of all time. The story is amazing. But my list considers popularity and I just think DBZ is way more popular than RK.
okore affia
June 13th, 2007 at 11:24 pm

Rurouni kenshin rules!!!!
But maybe dbz is more well known especially in europe. But rurouni kenshin was very popular in its hey day. Their were video games and other merchanise of the series everywhere……
aru-chan
June 15th, 2007 at 1:07 pm

Maison Ikkoku was pretty good for a shojo. (it’s by the same creator of ranma 1/2)
freewebs.com/prokplan http://detectiveconan.vidiac.com
June 16th, 2007 at 7:41 pm

detective conan is waaaaaayyy better than all of that
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
June 17th, 2007 at 10:01 am

^ and so are other anime series. I think RK is better than DBZ but why did I put it below it? Monster and Slam Dunk are two of my all time favorites and I thought they were really good but why are they not on the list? If you read the whole post, you would know.
Oliver
June 17th, 2007 at 4:07 pm

I really love Rahxephon, though many dont feel the same.
okore affia
June 17th, 2007 at 9:02 pm

Have you guys seen the Anime Prince of tennis. I’ve been watching episodes and its pretty good. By the way you can watch nearly every single episode of all these animes we have been talking about at
www.tv-links.co.uk.. I was really surprised to find so many different animes their and you don’t have to register or pay anything.. pretty cool!!!!!
okore affia
June 17th, 2007 at 9:04 pm

www.tv-links.co.uk
okore affia
June 23rd, 2007 at 2:21 am

I just finished watchin the full metal Alchemist series and it rules. Wow i never thought i’d see an anime as good or may be even better than Rurouni kenshin. I’m lost for words………………..
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
June 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 am

Yeah. Full Metal Alchemist is really good. I thought it has balance that some mainstream fans and some hardcore fans would enjoy. Although some people think it’s overrated. But that’s probably because they hyped it up pretty good when it first came out in the US.
okore affia
June 23rd, 2007 at 4:13 pm

Hi darren I see you’ve done alot of review on this site. Have you thought about doing a review for ”prince of tennis”. You can watch almost all the series at the link below

http://www.tv-links.co.uk/show.do/3/2914
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
June 23rd, 2007 at 5:35 pm

Hey okore!
No need for TV Links. I do have a copy of Prince of Tennis although I haven’t seen it yet. First I’ll ask the other guys who write for this blog if they want to review POT (and I know some of them have seen it already) *ehem*. But if no one would dare.. then I’ll watch it then write a review. ^_^
KevinKevin
June 25th, 2007 at 8:32 am

pretty bad list…non of these series goes very deep, these are just typical action animes, though i enjoy bleach, yuyu, and kenshin being classics. Bebop, grave of the fireflies, wolfs rain deathnote, and Evangelion should definately take the spots, ithink they just go aLITTLE deeper then buff guys shooting energy blasts for episodes straight…
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
June 25th, 2007 at 9:36 am

Well this list is not about being deep. It’s about being popular and being likeable by me. ^_^ I’ve seen most of the titles you listed but most of them are not as popular as the one listed here. And the others.. I didn’t like.
Nik
June 25th, 2007 at 7:24 pm

You forgot Tenchi Muyo. It definitely deserves a place on any top 10 greatest animes list because it’s basically created the entire “one guy surrounded by a load of beautiful chicks” genre. You can’t deny it’s influence.

And even though I fucking hate DBZ, it probably is the number 1 anime series of all-time. I admire how you at least tried to use some objective criteria in this, most people who make lists just put in whatever they think is good and forget about popularity, influence, and critical acclaim.

Anyway, here’s my top 10 list:

1. Dragon Ball Z
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion
3. Astro Boy
4. Ranma 1/2
5. Tenchi Muyo
6. Lupin III
7. Rurouni Kenshin
8. Ah! My Goddess
9. Cowboy Bebop
10. Yu Yu Hakusho
Nik
June 25th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

edit:

Sailor Moon is at #4, knocking Yu Yu off th list.
okore affia
June 25th, 2007 at 9:55 pm

nik how can ya have astro boy but no full metal Alchemist.
Crazy!!! astro boy is so dated… Even the updated version just looks like a kiddie program………………..
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
June 25th, 2007 at 10:36 pm

Thanks for the compliments Nik and for adding your list as well. ^_^ I know my list isn’t perfect but I tried to be objective but everything is still based on my observation. One anime may seem so popular from where I am but in reality it may not be that popular.
shane
June 27th, 2007 at 1:36 pm

It seems like no one likes Saiyuki. I harldly see anyone mention it. I think it is very funny stuff, especially the manga.
Matt
June 29th, 2007 at 9:00 am

Whenever I look at an anime top ten list, I am disappointed if I do not to see TRIGUN make the list. This is my favorite series that I have seen so far, but other than that I liked most of the list. My top 3 would have been
1 Trigun
2 Fullmetal Alchemist
3 Dagonball Z
nineteen
June 30th, 2007 at 8:15 am

my top 10:
1.INUYASHA
2. Fushigi Yuugi
3. Detective Conan
4. Fruits Basket
5. Ranma 1/2
6. Naruto
7. Full Metal Alchemist
8. Rurouni Kenshin
9. Slam Dunk
10. Detective School Q

heehee. just to share. : )
Jay
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:44 pm

You haven’t watched enough naruto after hearing what you say about sasuke!!

haha

sasuke is cool for the first few sagas but becomes a bit of an idiot later on.. he was my favourite to begin with but now i barely even like him.. also naruto is WAY better than bleach..

also.. no One Piece?
Andrew
July 5th, 2007 at 12:52 am

did anyone Like Full metal panic? ?? i personaly think it outranks all these listed so far .. great storyline. not many fillers lasted 3 seasons .. and has a few movies for it .. its a bit old but tis nice …who dont enjoy seing monster robotic suits fighting ??
M3
July 19th, 2007 at 6:03 am

my anime list list, that u could watch , they r kinda good
Ps. sorry for no ranking, just couldent do it

*.Dragonball Z
*.Bleach
*.Death Note
*.Full Metal Alchemist
*.One Piece (the 1st 100 episodes atleast)
*.Elfen Lied
*.Fate : Stay Night
*.Gungrave
M3
July 19th, 2007 at 6:05 am

*.Gungrave
M3
July 19th, 2007 at 6:06 am

*.Hellsing
*.Yu Yu Hakusho - (the Dark tournament saga + 3 kings saga)

well i know really alot of nice animes, wont spamm this forum
if interested check this site out http://www.animenfo.com/statistic/top.php?type=anime

kinda got cut, sry for tripple post lol
okore affia
July 27th, 2007 at 8:54 pm

Have any of you seen the Devil May Cry Anime. It’s Pretty Cool.!!!!!!!!!!
Eric
August 16th, 2007 at 9:05 am

First of all, I’ve recently gotten into anime so I’m not an expert in the field but I can safely say that you’re missing out on many anime series that are much better than the ones on your list. I notice your list seems to largely be oriented on the anime’s popularity which only implies that you’re afraid to take a stand. I personally hate Naruto, its popularity be damned. But I’m not saying that being popular equals being bad. For instance, I’m personally shocked that Evangelion isn’t on your list. Sure, people might overlook Wolf’s Rain, Samurai Champloo, or even GTO but Evangelion? It easily beats most of the anime series on your list. Anyways, I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinions but I would suggest you read the comments posted for this list (since many of the readers seem to have better tastes) and watch some more anime before coming up with another list that’s based solely on your opinions and not the opinions of others.
okore affia
August 20th, 2007 at 9:38 pm

eric you talk alot of bull!!!!!#$$%#$
Mcboo
September 3rd, 2007 at 7:56 am

This was a valiant little list. Valliant in it’s attempt to do the impossible (list 10 anime from an almost infinite field) and rank them on a predefined scale with full knowledge of the onslaught to follow. Unfortunately scales are irrelevant and in the end no one will be happy that his/her title didn’t make a (no offense!) meaningless online list. But that’s what fandom is all about I suppose. Hell I can feel that way sometimes too so it’s really hard to knock sometimes!

All that said, here’s my own meager and altogether meaningless list of 10 titles I continue to enjoy. Generally speaking that’s my scale. If it’s something I can watch more than one or two times it’s going to get some ME votes. But I try to really do research before hand because I buy so I like to cheat and know a little in advance. Which is why I like reading other peoples lists!

Cowboy Bebop – To me, the epitome of what good anime can be
Evangelion – I loved this so much but in re-watching, it can draaaaag
Full Metal Alchemist – Such an incredible series. Music, characters, story…
FLCL - ***comments meaningless***
Paranoia Agent – some twilight zone sort of fun only much better
Trigun – This series was just a ton of fun but, as many say, the ending was thin
Nartuo – If I had the DUB version I’d burn it, but I love the butchered SUB
Witch Hunter Robin – Good story and some good characters. Robin…stop your sniveling & whining!
Outlaw Star – This was a fun mix of sci-fi and magic. Just a ton of fun.
DBZ – This was a fun ride until I became allergic to Majin Bu Pink

Now this represents just some of the series (not movies) I continue to enjoy and which recieved at least some marginal exposeure here in the States. And it’s funny, I consider Blue Submarine 6 to be a really long movie I don’t feel that way about FLCL. Maybe that’s because I don’t know if there is actually a word in existence to actually define WHAT FLCL exactly is! And there are always new series out there that will certainly work their way into my little personal list.
Sarah
September 3rd, 2007 at 1:46 pm

My top 15
15)Revolutionary Girl Utena
14)Kino’s Journey
13)Serial Experiments Lain
12)Cowboy Bebop
11)Record of Lodess War
10) Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040
9) Ah! My Goddess
Magic Knight Rayearth
7)Shamanic Princess
6)Dragon Half
5)Elf Princess Rane
4)Sorcerer Hunters
3)Nadesico
2)HIs and Her Circumstances
1)Super GALS!
adam
September 15th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

sorry but bleach definitley top 3 and you missed out gundam seed. my list would have been top 5
5. naruto
4. tokyo underground you cant forget that
3.dragon ball z
2.gundam seed.
1. bleach.
and do you knnow where i can watch all of the bleach episodes in english audio. and not to forget tokyo underground in english audio.
adam
September 15th, 2007 at 9:46 pm

oh one piece and shaman king aswell are some of my greatest.
okore affia
September 16th, 2007 at 3:43 pm

let me guess adam youtube or google video or tv-links.co.uk
bob
September 26th, 2007 at 1:00 pm

does noone like Trigun???
ihab
October 1st, 2007 at 7:13 pm

uhhhhhh
where is Tenchi Muyo?
luis
October 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm

great list i love ranma series they are hella funny plus i dont tjink theres an episode that is boing specialy with the funny ass panda i also like bleach specialy its music
elpollodiablo
October 13th, 2007 at 8:06 am

YOU ARE A GOD!!! Thank you so much for realising that DBZ is just the best anime out there. The entire list is great, excpt maybe boot out astroboy for trigun. But DBZ, god bless you. I dont see why eeryone hates it. I saw it when I was like 7 and I worshipped it. It am now 16. I still worship it, except now I own everything to do with DBZ. It has everything you could possibly want. Action, comedy and random scenes of HERCULE(not mr satan) walking through the desert with a puppy.
allan
October 17th, 2007 at 1:01 pm

I think i would have put dragon ball ahead of dragon ball z. Dragon ball z wasnt that great. It was like watching a slide show with voice actors.
BarthezZ
November 5th, 2007 at 12:48 am

NARUTO I DRAGON BALL TO NAJLEPSZE ANIME JAKIE KOLWIEK POWSTAŁO I POWSTANIE !!!^^!!!^^!!!
Anime 2 Manga Turns 1 http://anime2manga.com/20071107/anime-2-manga-turns-1.html
November 7th, 2007 at 4:32 pm

[…] - thank you all!Now, for the fun stuff…Making Fun of Our StatsTop 5 Most Viewed Posts:1. Top 10 Greatest Anime Series Of All Time by Darren Pangan2. Shion no Ou 01: Shougi with a Murder Mystery by Amanda Liu3. Claymore Intimate […]
L
November 9th, 2007 at 3:01 pm

Death Note is the best anime of all time.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Dragonball Z. But being the most popular doesn’t mean it’s the greatest.

Runner up could go to Tantei Gakuen Q. Giveaways Naruto and Bleach should not be included, for now at least, since they aren’t completed yet.
elpollodiablo
November 10th, 2007 at 9:34 am

WARNING!!! SPOILERS!!!

Im not so sure about death note. At first I loved it, but I thought it got boring when Light lost all his memory of the death note and I lost interest after what happened in episode 25 (those of you whove seen the anime will knoe what im talking about). Naruto and Bleach are both great, but nothing can even compare to DBZ.
elpollodiablo
November 10th, 2007 at 9:37 am

and by the way, bleach kicks narutos ass. there is no way you can even compare the two.
PESHTYSYDE
November 11th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

Ichigo 100% is the best!!!
Sarah
December 5th, 2007 at 2:54 am

God, there is more (and may I say) BETTER anime than what is on T.V. Jeesh.
khareen
December 5th, 2007 at 5:47 am

ah jeez! where’s the fullmetal alchemist in there? or the blood+? or the slam dunk? or the honey and clover?
hehheheh - and death note too…
khareen
December 5th, 2007 at 5:48 am

ichigo 100%!
Neuro.Asterisk
December 8th, 2007 at 2:10 pm

How could one forget Cowboy Bebop and the Samurai X: Truth and Betrayal OVA, but still Cowboy Bebop, Id even throw in Shakugan no shana if you guys are Supernatural, Romance People.

My Top 5:
1.Cowboy Bebop (Just Plain Awsome)
2. Samurai X: Truth and Betrayal OVA (Deepest Plot)
3.Shakguan no Shana (Runner Up for Deepest Plot)
4.Bleach (1st Season is Awsome, later seasons not so much)
5.Azumanga Daioh (My Favorite Anime Comedy Series)
dhebz
December 11th, 2007 at 4:35 am

weee.. this list is certainly true!
Wha…
December 14th, 2007 at 10:33 am

DBZ, DB, and Astro Boy… Your top three are considered some of my lowest. DBZ and DB are the worst Anime that can be watched without laughing, Astro Boy is the worst anime I’ve ever heard of or had the horrible pain of watching. Also, Ranma is available free online on at least two sites both subbed and dubbed. I had to watch the Japanese version after they used Inuyasha’s English voice actor for Ranma. On the subject of DBZ in first, and Bleach in ninth, how the heck does a big @$$ pink fat thing win over Death Gods. If you can satisfactorily answer that question, you are probably able to argue that smoking is the greatest thing for your health possible.
Sarah
December 15th, 2007 at 5:19 am

If you ever have the pleasure of watching Elf Princess Rane; you should totally watch it! It is the most hilarious anime I have ever seen! Of course I watched it in english and i know how much “otaku’s”(oh jesus even saying that word makes me cringe) hate the english dubbing, but seriously, shouldn’t you just watch the anime and appreciate it for what it is? I mean I would MUCH rather watch a funny anime in english and something that is serious like Gasaraki in japanese. But I guess since I am not a “true otaku” (shit! that word again!!!) I don’t know what I am talking about……..
Sarah
December 15th, 2007 at 5:23 am

BTW: A friend of mine who is from Japan related to me that the japanese make fun of americans who call themselves “otaku” (now I need to slice my wrists for YET AGAIN saying that work :D) Otaku is not a good term to call yourself by any means…………….
EniGma 7
December 17th, 2007 at 4:12 am

Personally, I think that your list sucks; here’s my suggestion:
10. Dragon Ball
9. Yu Yu Hakusho
8. Blood+
7. Bleach
6. Ghost in the Shell
5. Hellsing
4. Afro Samurai
3. Naruto
2. Samurai Champloo
1. Death Note
Burberry
December 17th, 2007 at 8:43 pm

Come on guys, he did mention that it’s HIS list, not THE list. Other than FullMetal Alchemist, none of the 9 series that he mentioned is in my own personal list.

I tend to go for anime series that have a solid plot and developing characters instead of filler-filled anime that runs into 100s of episodes.

Most of the series in his list are those overrated anime - lotsa style but no substance. You’ll watch it and enjoy it but after the show ends, it won’t leave you thinking about it much.

But whatever it is, I respect Darren’s preference, so guys: Give him a break.

Peace,
Burberry
FitsofRage
December 20th, 2007 at 9:27 pm

A lot of good anime has been listed. Everyone has their own opinions. There are no definitive right or wrong for this listing. But! If I had to choose at gun point, mine would be as follows:

10. Kyo Kara Maoh - How can you not love an anime based on getting flushed down the toilet to another world. LOL
9. Read or Die - I loved the OVA and the tv series. They rock.
8. Ouran Highschool Host Club - Relatively new, a reverse harem anime, but I loved the slapstick.
7. Cowboy Bebop - Because it rocked. Every episode was like a whole new series.
6. Bleach - I’m obsessed with this anime. Most people who like Naruto also like this anime. Though, I’m of the opinion that this anime is for adults, while Naruto is more for teenagers.
5. Trigun - It pissed me off when they killed off Wolfwood. But, I give much love to this one.
4. Ninja Scroll - The first anime I ever watched. You always remember your first love.
3. Ah! My Goddess - Classic example of harem anime. Though, it really grew on me after a while.
2. Dragonball/Dragonballz - Loved. Venerated.
1. Rurouni Kenshin - Most loved of all time. I have *TONS* of stuff related to this anime. From manga, to anime, to posters, to clothing, to plushies, to action figures, to, well you get the idea.
alleykraves
December 24th, 2007 at 2:10 pm

I can’t believe that no one mentioned any Gundam series, also, Trigun and cowboy Bebop should definitly be on the list. Here are my top ten
1. Trigun
2. Dragonball Z
3. Gundam Wing
4. Cowboy Bebop
5. Naruto
6. Samari X (Rurouni Kenshin)
7. Death note
8. Sailor Moon
9. Full Metal Panic Fumoffu
10. a tie between Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha
alleykraves
December 24th, 2007 at 2:18 pm

Oh yea! reading from an earlier post, I did forget about wolf’s rain. That was a great series that is look over. I think that should be #10 on my list instead.
yessenia
December 25th, 2007 at 8:22 am

some of my favs are…

Tenchi muyo
Blue Seed
Ah! My Goddess
Rurouni Kenshin
ozuchi
December 29th, 2007 at 5:20 pm

has anyone seen d gray-man? peacemaker kurogane?
Victor Hugo http://www.brigadaonix.com.br
December 30th, 2007 at 1:31 am

10: Ghost in the Shell
9: BubbleGum Crisis
8: Ninja Scroll
7: Dragonball
6: Cowboy Bebop
5: Macross
4: Gundam
3: Love Hina
2: Star Blazers - Spaceship Yamato (the classic of all classics)
1: Ah! My Goddess - My all time favourite
ALuv
January 2nd, 2008 at 2:34 am

MAISON IKKOKU is the BEST ANIME SERIES EVER.
Followed by Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura
Maybe I just love Rumiko Takahashi….
allan
January 4th, 2008 at 1:11 pm

dragon ball z most popular? that could be argued. pokemon was popular from mid 90’s to early 2000s. even girls watched it. dragon ball z was popualr with just teenage guys. sailor moon was a world wide phenom that dragon ball z never touched.
Daniel
January 9th, 2008 at 8:38 am

Nobody said Negima?! wtf? That’s a good anime.
Ichigo_Naruto lova
January 16th, 2008 at 5:02 am

the two best anime off all time is Naruto and bleach !!! then tenge tenga is third !!!
bebop01
January 16th, 2008 at 6:11 am

1.Cowboy Bebop
2.Giant Robo
3. Kenshin
4.Samurai Deeper: Kyo
5.Star Blazers
6.Elfen Lied
7.Evangelion (eventhough the ending ticked me off)
8.Bleach
9.Hajime No Ippo
10.Bastard
chACe
January 17th, 2008 at 5:42 am

dude! where’s Berserk?!?

…cardcaptor sakura :-DDD
highness
January 21st, 2008 at 5:15 am

um maybe im not as knowledgeable cuz i just love and dont ask but what about basilisk? blood+ which i think is pretty awsome ,elfen lied is pretty good samurai champloo one of my favs and dragon ball is better than dragon ball Z specially since it introduced me to anime… cardcaptor sakkura ??
anyway i just thought these should be mentioned… and ergo proxy? theres a lot of ignored great anime on ur list dude..
nico robin
January 21st, 2008 at 12:36 pm

i vote for ONE PIECE!!
Ichigo_Naruto lova
January 22nd, 2008 at 4:03 am

Guys…Naruto shipuuden…nuf said
RampagingEvangelion
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Wut? No Evangelion? I understand though. Evangelion is deep, really deep. You can’t just watch the series once. Here is my list.

Neon Genisis Evangelion + End of Evangelion
Cowboy Bebop
Samuri Champloo
Eureka 7 (I’m sorta ashamed to say it. But hey it’s a good romance/action anime)
Ghost in the Shell + First movie
Utawarerumono (New, but I really liked it)
Tri-Gun
Full Metal Alchemist (I hate saying ‘it’ shows but I did enjoy it)
Elfen Lied (Can anyone say mind f***?)
anabaainc
January 29th, 2008 at 10:55 am

if you go on veoh.com and search for ranma 1/2 and click on the one uploaded by chouette91 they have 175 episodes of it… idk how many there’s supposed to be since i havent watched em all yet tho
gelobre
February 1st, 2008 at 5:17 pm

well, nice list.
but for me, Bleach and Naruto don’t deserve those slots…their in the top 5 for me.

maybe the top 3 are legends, but it do not qualify them to that slots. I would prefer One Piece, Card Captor Sakura, Hunter X and Slam Dunk to enter the top 10.

I have not yet watched Ranma and Ah, My Goddess and Deathnote but I read the story and it is cool.

Rurouni Kensihin or Samurai X is very artistic so its in my top 10.

My List, No ranking though…
Fushigi Yugi
DragonBall Series
CardCaptor Sakura (because its genre is for kids)
tie between Flame of Recca and Ghost Fighter (Yu Yu Hakusho)
Samurai X
Slam Dunk
One Piece
Hunter X Hunter
Naruto
Bleach
gelobre
February 1st, 2008 at 5:37 pm

I forgot something
Here is my list:

10. tie between Flame of Recca and Ghost Fighter (Yu Yu Hakusho)
9. Fushigi Yugi
8. CardCaptor Sakura (because its genre is for kids)
7. Samurai X
6. Slam Dunk
5. Hunter X Hunter
4.Detective Conan
3.One Piece
2. Naruto
1. Bleach

well, Deathnote, Ranma and Ah, My Goddess are the ones I’m watching right now…`
randy
February 6th, 2008 at 8:27 pm

please guys consider the anime series saint seiya. it is really a remarkable anime. the best animes in my opinion:
inuyasha
bleach
full metal alchemist
saint seiya
death note
berserk
kenshin
Al
February 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

What happened to Pokemon? Lol I thought that beat all anime…
DJ http://rehab.blogs.com
February 15th, 2008 at 12:12 pm

I respect all your top 10s.

My Top 4 of all time:

4. Bleach
3. Cowboy Bebop
2. Full Metal Alchemist
1. Death Note
Cthulthu
February 17th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

Dragon Ball Z is among my favorites, it was the first anime i watched, and its defiantly somewhere in my top 10
Out of the 30+ anime series i have watched, my top 3 in no particular order are

Deathnote
Hunter x Hunter
Baccano

I suggest anyone who really loves anime watch these 3. For those who want a really intelligent and deep anime, watch Death Note, you won’t regret it.
Siberian-tiger0
February 17th, 2008 at 12:44 pm

full metal alchemist ranked fifth?? you must be out of your mind man…..thats my favorite anime.
death to all dbz haterz
February 18th, 2008 at 3:30 am

Nr 1 of all time allways will be dragonball z!!! I aint even gonna argue. Just watch & compair fight scenes, strengh, speed, trouble & difficulty,story line… everything!!! You dont see alot of anime’s starting from the verry beging of the hero, see him grow & inprove & even see him die! Fantasy or not its still the best! Big up to all fans…
1.DRAGONBALL Z
2.Naruto/Shippuuden
3.Bleach
4.One Peace
5.Baki The Grappler
6.Ruruni Kenshin
7.Hunter X Hunter
8.Hajime No Ippo
9.Read Or Die
10.Claymore
death to all dbz haterz
February 18th, 2008 at 3:33 am

& dont forget to COMPAAAIIIIRRRR… IDIOTS
THE ANSWER IS INFRONT OF YA EYE’s
TOTCD
February 18th, 2008 at 3:36 am

DBZ is the best anime ever hands down
suprised
February 20th, 2008 at 3:57 pm

i read fast but i didn’t see anyone say escaflowne. watch it it is amazing. deffinately in my top 3
remaerD
March 10th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

Other nice animes FOR ME:
>Devil May Cry - It’s cool! (I love strawberry sundae! ^_^)
>Fate/Stay Night - Nice! Very nice! (I love Saber! ^_^)
>The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - It’s a very cute anime! But it has a strange arrangement of episodes. Try to watch! ^_^
>Prince of Tennis - Ryoma Echizen rocks! ^_^
>Shining Tears X Wind - It’s short and the fight scenes are not too good, especially the last one. I only liked the swords. ^_^
>Capeta - I also like racing! ^_^
>Eyeshield 21 - About the Rugby sport or football! Just watch it! ^_^
Me
March 14th, 2008 at 7:43 pm

That’s surprising, no one added Wolf’s Rain. Easily one of the best if not tied for my favorite with Cowboy Bebop and closely Trigun. Can’t complain too much though, they’re all pretty damn good. Death Note has been the only one to affect me recently so I’m putting that into my potential top 5.
But c’mon people… what do you have against Wolf’s Rain?
Anubis
March 16th, 2008 at 6:39 am

I’m sorry, but the whole “its popular thus it’s good” argument is just plain poor. I know that this is supposed to be the “greatest” thus popularity is a key factor, but that’s why these lists are always so messed and filled with 3 star anime. DragonBallZ as number one? Sure I love the show, but even I’ll admit its one of the worst series that I’ve seen. Cliche characters, long tedious power up scenes, fights that last forever and minor character development lead to a stagnant series, which is what DBZ was. I can pump out its formula now (powerful enemy emerges, fighters ensue and lose terribly, enemy makes a challenge that will happen in x amount of time, characters train (usually with king kai), fight begins, there’s the moment of hope but then the characters realize their HOLYSHITWTF attack did nothing more but leave bruise marks, the ultimate evil finds a new form, Goku reaches a new level of SSJ, enemy is defeated, repeat 4 more times).

I love DBZ, it was a childhood show that I watched every day, but is it the GREATEST anime of all time? No way.

And if the popularity truly does matter, where the hell is pokemon. That thing infected every child during the 90’s, me included. If you google search that, it beats out most of your list, including dragonballz.
aw http://aw
March 16th, 2008 at 1:40 pm

the top 2 anime is astro boy? Don’t fuck w/ me. I think that the top 1 is Bleach Lol
motley crue
March 18th, 2008 at 7:58 pm

where is COWBOY BEBOP?
wtj…..Astro Boy thats gay.
Wheri is Death Note.
Why am i not suprised that dbz is on this list.
Darren Pangan http://anime2manga.com/
March 21st, 2008 at 1:37 am

That’s right, scan the article and comment as if you read the whole thing. This is MY FUCKING LIST. Make your own lists if you want. Go away idiots!