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The Top 50 Anime of All Time...According to Anime Insider

Back to the countdown...

# 36-33

#36
Night on the Galactic Railroad (Central Park Media)

Many directors tried to extract movies from Kenji Miyazawa's famous unfinished 1927 novel Night on the Galactic Railroad. None succeeded until writer Hiroshi Masumara and director Gisaburo Sugii (Touch) turned into a haunting anime odyssey, transforming the cast of Miyazawa's story into cats. A feline boy named Giovanni escapes a life of poverty by hitching a ride on a flying train that appears during a village festival. He's joined by his only friend, Campanella, and the two witness strange sights as their journey and the film itself veer toward a subtly grim determination.

#35
Excel Saga (ADV Films)

Mere words cannot do justice to Excel Saga. Sure, we can say the main character dies several times. Or that she tries to kill her manga creator. Or that the director himself appears to cause havoc. Excel Saga is theoretically about Excel's pitiful attempts to take over the city of F for her boss Ilpalazzo, but mainly it's a non-stop stream of Monty Python-esque lunacy, brutal parodies of anime, and a lot of pure nonsense. It probably contains more dialogue per episode than any other anime, thanks to Excel's lengthy speeches. You might figure out hat she is saying, but you'll never figure out what's going on. And we like it that way.

#34
Trigun (Geneon)

What happens when a rogue priest, two insurance girls and an outlaw worth sixty billion double-dollars walk into a bar? If the outlaw is Vash the Stampede, mass destruction is the most likely result. The wild west atmosphere of Studio Madhouse's (Ninja Scroll) Trigun and it's humanoid typhoon with a heart of gold result in plenty of madcap hijinks and some of anime's most exciting gun battles, but like its pacifist gunman hero, it's more than it seems, asking some heavy questions. In a world with no future, can everyone be saved? Is forgiveness possible once someone has broken a precious vow? The climatic battle gets points for being as much about Vash's emotional journey as who's the quickest draw.

#33
Read Or Die (Manga Entertainment)

From the Bond-esque opening theme, Read or Die screams its unique brand of cool. Take the spy films of the '60s, add crazy powers, like the ability to control paper, throw in a great deal of bibliomania, and you get Read or Die. Yomiko Readman, a.k.a The Paper, is a secret agent for the British Library who has to stop the evil reincarnations of historical figures like Beethoven from killing everyone in the world. With great characters, a great soundtrack and incredible action, the Read or Die OVA is the cream of the R.O.D. crop, and one of the most entertaining anime ever made.
 
This message board is a little goofy, how it automatically combines a double post, even if it's a few days after...

#s 32-29

#32
Princess Mononoke (Miramax)

Princess Mononoke is the darkest of Hayao Miyazaki's works, with more violence and a less optimistic ending. After being cursed by a rampaging boar god, Prince Ashitaka leaves his village to find what caused the boar's madness. He finds Irontown, where Lady Eboshi manufactures iron bullets and guns, to the resentment of the forest, its spirits, and the wild girl San. Ashitaka becomes caught in the middle of a brutal war between nature and technology. "As a new fable," says Scott Green of AICN.com Anime, "Princess Mononoke stands as an eye-opening testament to what anime can offer.

#31
Gunbuster: Aim For The Top! (Bandai Visual)

Years before Evangellion or FLCL, Gainax dove straight into the heart of '80s geek fandom with the space opera Gunbuster. Kicking off as a parody of sports drama and giant robots, the series transforms rapidly around heroine Noriko and her part in an interstellar war against gargantuan space insects. It may start silly, but Noriko's path from starry-eyed schoolgirl to elite mecha pilot hits every high point of classic anime science fiction - and even invents a few of its own. Directed by future Evangellion helmsman Hideaki Anno, Gunbuster's a hard-hitting classic.

#30
Samurai X: Trust And Betrayal (ADV Films)

It's a prequel to the Ruroni Kenshin series, but you'll find no goofy samurai here. Trust and Betrayal is a dark drama that tells the story of Kenshin's early days as a misguided assassin. Kenshin gets a harsh wake-up call when he is drawn to Tomoe, the fiancée of one of his victims. Wanted by just about everyone, he runs off with her, and the results leave him with an eternal regret. With its unique combination of animation and live-action footage, Trust and Betrayal is a heartbreaking look at one of anime's most famous samurai.

#29
The Place Promised In Our Early Days (ADV Films)

The Place Promised is a lyrically beautiful film that tracks a war in an alternate-future Japan and its effect on three high school friends: Takuya joins an underground rebellion, Hiroki drifts aimlessly and Sayuri lapses into a coma connected to a tower that pierces the fabric of space and time. Trapped in a bizarre self-created world, she struggles with loneliness and her unspoken crush on Hiroki. It all comes together wonderfully at the film's climax, establishing director Makoto Shinkai's gift for mixing spectacular imagery with heart-rending pathos.
 
Anime-Insider.com is having technical difficulties. So I guess I will continue to type...

#28-25

#28
Planettes (Bandai Entertainment)

Some brands of spacefarers are trying to save worlds. Others are just trying to clean up the garbage. Such is the fate of the members of Half Section, the team that has the dangerous but little-respected job of clearing debris from Earth's atmosphere in the year 2075, when travel to the moon and space stations is common. The setting is out of this world, but the cast is fully down to earth; poignant character development builds emotional bonds with viewers. It's not all drama, either - the low gravity "moon ninjas" episode is hilarity no anime fan should miss.

#27
Samurai Champloo (Geneon)

The buddy flick and the road-trip movie are two staples of modern cinema. Combine them with hip-hop and make it a 26-episode series by famed director Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop) and what do you get? A stylish, action packed series that plays merry **** with the notion of historical accuracy. As waitress Fuu, samurai Jin and vagrant ronin Mugen make their way across Japan in search of the Sunflower Samurai, viewers get to see everything from riotous comedy that lampoons both anime and its viewers to poignant tales of love, loss and family. No matter where the trio goes or what they find, this is one series where the journey truly is more important than the destination.

#26
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket (Bandai)

Ever since robots went to war in 1979's Mobile Suit Gundam, Gandam series have ruled geek hearts with gritty battlefield drama and sleekly designed mecha - but 0080 stands above the rest. Bratty little Al views the One Year War like it's a TV superhero show, since he lives in a neutral space colony far from the front lines. But when Zeon soldiers arrive to spy on the colony, the story becomes one of friendship and betrayal. With its unflinching gut-punch of a final episode, War in the Pocket nails everything that makes Gundam worthwhile.

#25
Princess Tutu (ADV Films)

Once upon a time, a young prince shattered his own heart o defeat an evil raven...but the storyteller died before the narrative was complete. When the fairy tale collided with real life, the result was a young ballerina named Duck who really was a duck, and was also a dancer named Princess Tutu with the power to restore the lost emotions of the prince's heart - including loneliness and fear. Less a magical girl story than a meeting of ballet and folklore, Tutu transcended the genre by examining the very nature of stories. Is there any use in defying fate? Tutu takes a simple premise and crafts a complex story.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

You would think they would put this list on their web-site, but nope.

#24-21

#24
Serial Experiments Lain (Geneon)

It may seem laughable now, but the '90s saw science fiction fascinated by the Internet and all it promised. While Hollywood takes on this brave new World Wide Web frequently became unintentional comedy (Hackers, anyone?) , one anime series had the right idea. Set in the alleged "present day," Lain's title schoolgirl prodigy investigates a classmate's suicide through the vast "Wired," touching on government conspiracies, secret societies and all the weirdness you'd expect to find on the Internet. Coated in symbolism, Lain covers a lot of territory in its 13 episodes, including mental disintegration, the breakdown of the family ideal, the nature of reality and how a net-connected world changes all of these. Pretentious it may be, but Lain actually has something to say, and its intellectual core gives it the staying power that all good sci-fi needs.

#23
Galaxy Express 999 (Viz Media)

The Galaxy Express 999 is a steam-powered train rolling through the stars, but it's merely a means to an end for young Tetsuro, who's out to avenge his mothers death, even if it means putting himself in an undying robot body. Along the way, he'll meet a mysterious woman named Maetel and come to some harsh realizations about the true price of immortality. Themes of honor, revenge and life's meaning crop up in all of Leiji Matsumoto's stories, but Galaxy Express 999 has a particularly dramatic edge that strengthens the film's goofy premise (and even goofier theme song), and the ride is worth taking.

#22
Patlabor The Movie 2 (Manga/Bandai Visual)

Director Mamoru Oshii and writer Kazunori Ito, who'd later collaborate on Ghost in Shell, found something great when they turned their slice-of-life mecha series Patlabor into a top-caliber political thriller. When a terrorist act puts near-future Japan under martial law, clues about the culprits are revealed to an unlikely source: police commanders Goto and Nagumo. The mecha battles are amazing, but Patlabor 2, which director Junichi Fujisaku (BLOOD+) dubs "a masterpiece unsurpassed even today," gets its real draw from Oshii's meditations on the future of Japan and its neutered military.

#21
Tokyo Godfathers (Sony Pictures)

Three homeless friends - a drunkard, a transvestite, and a runaway - find an abandoned baby in the trash on Christmas Eve, and attempt to track down "Kiyoko's" mother. Being biologically male, Hana is thrilled with the role of temporary mother, while Gin is reminded of his failures as a father, and Miyuki struggles with homesickness. The trio's journey takes them from their pasts to the completely unexpected, courtesy of director Satoshi Kon and Kiyoko's inherent luck. Tokyo Godfathers gives off a warm-fuzzy feeling as the members of this odd family are granted their own Christmas miracles.
 
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Well, I guess now I will continue with the countdown.

#20-17

#20
Gankutsuou (Geneon)

Revenge is a dish best served fabulous. That's the lesson we took away from the mind-blowingly beautiful Gankutsuou , a space-age spin on Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Years ago, Edmund Dantes was betrayed and lost his best friends, his fiancée and his freedom. Wit the help of a demon-like entity that lives inside of him, he's back as the Count, ready to take revenge on his former cohorts as well as their children, no matter what it costs him. Not only is this vengeance tale told with enough grace to make it worthy of the literature classic, but the series is absolutely gorgeous. The bold, layered colored textures and digital animation give Gankutsuou a look never seen in anime before or since, making it a title worth seeing just for the visual delights; it just so happens that the story has enough intrigue and action to match its beauty.

#19
My Neighbor Totoro (Buena Vista)

Two children, 11-year-old Satsuki and 4-year-old Mei, move to the country where they enter the magical world of the huge, adorable creature called Totoro-and director Hayao Miyazaki pulls it together with such skill that it captivates all ages, and even reminds adults of what it's like to be a child, where everything is new and wonderful. "Miyazaki' work is a list of some of the best anime ever made," says Yen Press co-publishing director Kurt Hassler. "But Totoro captures a level of childlike simplicity and innocence that is so artfully achieved that few works - film or otherwise - can even approach." There is no better representation of Miyazaki's films...whic is why Totoro has become the mascot for Studio Ghibli itself.

#18
Boogiepop Phantom (Right Stuf)

It starts with a beam of light bursting from the roof of a high school-or is that where it ends? As several supernatural forces battle the elusive specter of Boogiepop for control of the school, the students caught in the crossfire are driven to bizarre extremes. It could've ended up just another high-school show, but writer Sadayuki Murai (Cowboy Bebop) turns the story into a fascinatingly non-linear series, highlighting the insecurities and triumphs of adolescence with a rare and penetrating honesty. Animated with deliberately muted palettes, Boogiepop might confuse us at times, but its twisting maze of stories is ultimately quite rewarding. Anything that can silence our snicker at the name "Boogiepop" deserves some respect.

#17
Paranoia Agent (Geneon)

For proof of Paranoia Agent's appeal, look no further than its trippy opening of laughing people in front of mushroom clouds and natural disasters set to an echoing song. The series was a shift from director Satoshi Kon's usual feature films, but retains his trademark psychological underpinnings and shocking plot twists. Many characters are pushed to their mental limits and then relieved from their suffering by a bat to the head from a leering boy on rollerblades. Two detectives attempt to uncover the perpetrator, only to find their own sense of reality slipping away. Gossiping housewives, a split-personality teacher and a host of others connected to each other through coincidences make this series as bizarre as it is gripping.
 
I tried to watch Gankutsuou when it first aired. The characters that moved over the textures was the most horrible, ugly thing I had ever seen, so I never got through the first episode. :\
 
Obviously you've never seen 10 Ounce Mouse on Cartoon Networks Sunday Adult Swim. Imagine what looks like some 4-year-old's drawing of a mouse over really bad backgrounds...that is as good as it gets on that "show".

Any other comments on the other shows?
 
I tried to watch Gankutsuou when it first aired. The characters that moved over the textures was the most horrible, ugly thing I had ever seen, so I never got through the first episode. :\
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Gankutsuou is a very hit-or-miss series. You either love it, or you hate it.

ugh no dbz? wow this list sux
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In before people don't pick up on the sarcasm.
 
Marril said:
Gankutsuou is a very hit-or-miss series. You either love it, or you hate it.
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Well, I don't mind the effect sparingly. Jigoku Shoujo/**** Girl and Shugo Chara both use it at some parts. However, Gankutsuou just hurt my eyes. :\ I may have liked it if I could stand to watch it.
 
Professor_Chris said:
Well, I don't mind the effect sparingly. Jigoku Shoujo/**** Girl and Shugo Chara both use it at some parts. However, Gankutsuou just hurt my eyes. :\ I may have liked it if I could stand to watch it.
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It does lead to some (unintentionally?) funny moments, especially in terms of wardrobe with some of the backgrounds. (Pirate comes to mind)
 
Where's Pom Poko. : ( : ( :(

I'm glad to see Tokyo Godfathers and Grave of the Fireflies make the list. I'm also a huge FLCL fan, so I'm liking the number 4 spot. I also agree about Eva's spot. Lame...
 
Like I said before, this is not my list, this is Anime Insider's list. So if you have problems with it, I suggest contacting them about it.

Anyways back to the countdown:

#16-13

#16
Grave Of The Fireflies (Central Park Media)

Grave of the Fireflies is not just one of the greatest anime ever made, it's one of the greatest movies ever made. The only reason it's so low on this list is that it's hard to watch again - most people can only sit through the tragic tale of two orphaned children starving to death in the aftermath of the firebombing of Kobe during World War II once. In fact, it starts with narrator Seita dying, and gets more depressing from there. Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Akiyuki Nosaka, Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made, as declared by Roger Ebert. It doesn't side with anyone, simply examining the human cost of war with brutal honesty. Grave is required viewing for all anime fans.

#15
Haibane Renmei (Geneon)

A girl plummets from the sky above a pastoral village, striking Haibane Renmei's dual chords of the innocent and the ominous. When young Rakka falls into the town of Glie, she's welcomed among the Haibane and soon gets the stumpy wings and halo that mark her as one of the flock. Yet there is something subtly unnerving in Rakka's new home: a strange wall surrounds the village, and her fellow Haibane have secrets to hide. Inspired by the novels of Haruki Murakami, artist Yoshitoshi Abe (Serial Experiments Lain) started Haibane as a simple fan comic and turned it into an entrancing animated fable. While the gentle pace and sepia-tinged animation might relax viewers for many episodes at a time, there is always a hint of despair in Rakka's life, and it only grows as the series continues. Other shows may move faster and burn brighter, but Haibane Renmei's detailed, touching character study is unmatched.

#14
Ghost In The Shell/Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Manga Entertainment/Bandai)

Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell dazzled audiences on both shores. Major Motoko Kusanagi is a cyborg and member of Section 9, hunting down terrorists in a futuristic Japan. The film is a gripping crime drama with mind-blowing technology and a heaping dose of sci-fi reflections. Director Kenji Kamiyama calls it "the movie that depicted the big bang of that new infrastructure that we know as the Internet from an almost prophetic standpoint." Debuting seven years after the film, the series Stand Alone Complex perfectly captured the spirit of the original with the latest animation techniques.

#13
Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind (Buena Vista)

Based on Hayao Miyazaki's own manga and made in 1984, Nausicaa is set more than 1,000 years in the future, where ancient wars have rendered most of the planet poisonous. A young princess named Nausicaa tries to bring peace to the still-warring kingdoms and understand the deadly plants and insects that rule most of the world. "This movie really showcases [Miyazaki's] ability to massage his transcendental ideals into something so easy to watch for fans of all ages," says AnimeNewsNetwork columnist Bamboo Dong. Nausicaa is also Miyazaki's purest "message film" - lamenting the aggressive nature of humanity, and the power and beauty of nature.
 
It's a shame that Akira was so low for what it is. :/

EDIT: The discription given for Boogeypop Phantom does it no justice at all. I no like this magazine. T_T
 
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Seriously, did anyone actually read the topic title? This is NOT the list that we made, it is a list out of Anime Insider Magazine. It was done for their 50th Issue.

BTW they said that these shows had the worst endings of any anime.

That list includes:

Chrono Crusade
Hellsing (original version not Ultimate)
Trinity Blood
Witch Hunter Robin
Rurouni Kenshin
Bubblegum Crisis 2040
Negima!
Inuyasha
Big O
His and Her Circumstances

Not sure why certain shows were picked over others, since pretty much every mini-review from the Top 50 list says that "it's the best anime ever made" or something like that.

Anyhow, now back to our regularly scheduled program. Again these are the actual reviews as given in Anime Insider Magazine, so if you disagree with the list, go and tell them about it.

#12-10

#12
Now And Then, Here And There (Central Park Media)

In anime, it's not rare for a normal young boy to face overwhelming odds yet emerge victorious. But what happens when that boy is taken to the future, where children are forced to fight in a mad king's war and hope is a thing of the past? Akitaro Daichi (Fruits Basket) exposed the horrifying effect war has on children and the depths to which anyone can sink. Murder, **** and psychological abuse make this an emotionally searing tale, but the most frightening aspect isn't the unfamiliar landscape; it's that even so far into the future, such behavior is believable. Now and Then ends no happier or sadder than it should; it sticks with us because it's so hauntingly real.

#11
Fullmetal Alchemist (FUNimation)

If there is an heir to Evangellion's throne-an anime that is as brilliant as it is entertaining-then that anime is Fullmetal Alchemist. Two brothers, Ed and Al Elric, try to resurrect their mother to disastrous results: Ed loses an arm and a leg, while Al loses his entire body, getting stuck in a suit of armor. The brothers set out to find the Philosopher's Stone, which will allow them to fix their bodies...but they'll have to face beings called homunculi, a conspiracy in the military, humanity at its worst and the father who abandoned them when they were little. Although there's plenty of adventure and comedy, Fullmetal also comments on the brutality of war and genocide. This incredible combination sets Fullmetal Alchemist firmly on the throne.

#10
Macross Plus (Manga Entertainment)

Macross Plus lives up to its name-it's everything you loved about the original Macross, but taken to new heights. You'll find the same love triangles, unstable pop stars and awesome jets that transform into robots, but they're all better in Plus. The stars are the fighter pilots Isamu and Guld, former best friends with a major rift between them, who test new prototype jets for the military. There's Myung, the woman they both love, who's also providing the emotions for the galaxy's biggest-and totally digital-pop singer, Sharon Apple. Isamu and Guld turn their test flights into a bitter grudge match in which they nearly die, and Sharon goes berserk, kidnapping Myung and trying to kill Isamu while taking over the minds of her fans. The original Macross is a classic, but it's not that hard to improve on it when you have a staff like Plus. It was directed by the legendary Shoji Kawamori (who also helped create the original Macross) and co-directed by eventual Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe, with music by Yoko Kanno, whose Sharon Apple songs are still amazing techno-pop, making the soundtrack a best seller for years. The combination of Macross' mecha and then state-of-the-art 3-D CG animation still holds up nearly 15 years later. But most of all, it's the incredibly real and realized characters that make Macross Plus such compelling viewing, just like the original Macross...but more so.
 
Wow, I missed Grave of the Fireflies on the list when I glanced over it, but just noticed the writeup of it.
The cool thing about that movie is, that it applies to history, and we watched it in my AP World History Class :D

EDIT: YES! I'm glad they realized Big O's horrible ending!
 
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Rurouni Kenshin didn't even finish. How can it qualify for worst ending? >_> <_< Mahou Sensei Negima! was pretty disappointing though. I don't remember Kare Kano being bad though. >_>; Of course, I don't remember Kare Kano much anyway.
 
Inuyasha and Trinity Blood didn't finish either. I'm guessing that reason's why they're on the list for worst endings—specifically, they're lacking any at all.
 
That is the reason I said that you can take this list pretty lightly, cause they stated the obvious shows that have a bad ending...are ones without an ending. So therefore the so-called Top 50 anime of all time is just some list they put together. Of course since they work on an anime magazine, this makes it seem more legit.

Obviously we all have an opinion of what our favorite anime is. So if it is not on this list, don't freak out.
It is just the opinions of the writers of Anime Insider magazine.
 
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