The standard life of average high school students is well expressed in the art of anime as the whole category depicts their lifestyle of bizarre problems and happenings.
Literature in its totality grants the flexibility to express all the out-of-this-world ideas. However, this freedom cannot be utilized in live action since the representation is from real people. You would expect some sort of reality, won’t you?
It’s only appropriate for anime to somehow satisfy our fantasies because the producers do not only use hypothetical stories as their tools. It won’t take much to shift the obviousness of a narrative into an extraordinary tale; just a few amendments will make do.
A relatable shounen anime can be longed for, but sometimes, there is no room for anime creators to enjoy too much stretching into reality. Ultimately, you will want to come out of the usual and go beyond normal limits.
10. Re: Zero (Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-)
Let me put you on some out-of-the-ordinary alternative world series. Unlike the usual irresistible manhood that makes girls faint or some expected future technology anime, here you’ll see, at the same point, the protagonist coming back to life following his murder.
Even though Subaru Natsuki is immortal, the countless excruciating deaths made him suffer physical and mental burdens. Every scene to unfold is unforeseeable and this breaks down the isekai stereotype.
Anime is prone to be affected by trends as its numerous viewers consume it. It is expected that the producers mimic a money-making anime series because that’s the whole point of producing anyway.
The Japanese animation studio A-1 Pictures’ action-packed anime has got everyone in a chokehold even though isekai existed before Sword Art Online, caused a great financial crisis.
If you already think Re: Zero is just the same, you can be excused because the plot explores how an otaku abruptly pops into a parallel universe. A regular anime viewer of White Fox should anticipate an action series not far from MMORPG.
9. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Do you like having some sort of presumption when watching anime? Do you want your expectations on some characters to be right at the end of the day? This is not entirely bad because that familiarity will guarantee you a sense of comfort.
I’m sure sometimes you just want to loosen up and watch middle school mischiefs of supernatural girls fighting a few harmless, sleek baddies.
Initially, this anime gives off an impression of just another ordinary series, but watch how everything strategically unfolds, taking you on a rollercoaster of emotions.
This series can safely be considered one of the most vile, corrupt, petrifying, and catchy, even though it starts off giving easygoing and incidental vibes.
8. Psycho-Pass
Contrary to the Western TV standard, where there is realistic involvement of police work, anime’s protagonist’s roles are usually given to young characters.
The reason is that most anime fanatics are teenagers. Therefore, it becomes complicated to expand horizons where the plot is more mature and relatable to adults.
Justice and criminality are the main themes portrayed in Psycho-Pass. It is very much possible for one to be jailed before an offense as long as the Sibyl System has foreseen a potential intention to commit a crime.
It is permissible for the assigned police to apply lethal force on those who are seemingly threats. However, this might result in the peaking of the cop’s Psycho-Pass.
Given a smooth, nearly flawless start on season 1, the series goes crazily interesting while simultaneously horrifying and intriguing. Clearly, the story is centralized on violence and bloodshed, but kudos to Production I.G’s anime for the effort to avoid the usual routine, making it a must-watch!
7. Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)
This anime is effortlessly the most predominant on this list, well-received in both Western countries and Japan. Wit Studio prioritizes creating suspense in their viewers by twisting events as portrayed in Attack on Titan, which is supposed to be a typical Shounen series. You won’t know what’s coming next!
Humans are on the verge of death as they are being preyed on by the giants known as Titans, and their only hope for protection is behind huge walls.
With a strong appetite for human flesh, these massive giants, in comparison to buildings, were aiding in a drastic reduction of population. Eren Yeager becomes part of the military pioneer group that was on a mission to challenge the Titans following the tragic death of his mother by these giants.
After an elite episode, the series finally clears up. Most viewers start to familiarize themselves with the pattern of Eren Yeager being part of the military.
He aspires to become the world’s renowned hunter. This anime takes an unexpected turn after instilling the audience with a two-faced feeling of surety. Wit Studio did its thing on this one! The breathtaking animation and epic battle make it a masterpiece.
6. Mononoke
The anime industry has repeatedly proven they have failed to perfect their craft when it comes to horror. Let me say something brutally honest about Junji Ito’s manga: the adaptations didn’t please me.
Naku Koro ni and Another and Higurashi are two series I’d mention here that don’t genuinely scare the audience. I’d say they depend more on giving occasional shocks.
Where is the fun in knowing what’s coming? The beauty of horror lies in the tension, which is why it should come in quick and short tales.
This prevents the viewers from familiarizing themselves with the story, making it easy to scare the wits out of them. The unique formation and mind-blowing animation ticks all the boxes of a good horror anime.
Journeying around primitive Japan, a medicine seller was on a hunt for threatening spirits. The only help he had was his Exorcism Sword.
He was eager to discover why the ghosts existed, their form, and their truth. Mononoke will keep you guessing what’s next the entire anime as the plot goes on to divide the arcs into five, each on its own.
What makes Toei’s anime a success is how the main character’s intentions are never clarified. The best way to know is to watch for yourself till the end.
5. Mahoutsukai no Yome (The Ancient Magus’ Bride)
Here I bring you another fire anime, more of a spin-off of Beauty and the Beast. Hopefully, you were already a sucker for the same. Sadly, Chise Hatori has only known rejection from her peers as she could see creatures from heavenly realms.
Hatori was eventually bought by a strange source, Elias Ainsworth, who had a questionable appearance. She was a victim of depression and hoped to be offered for sale to the most monied bidder during an underground auction.
This already begins to look like a perverted plot, because this was just a naive fifteen-year-old girl being owned by a devilish unhuman magus.
Saving us from the trauma, the narrative unexpectedly takes a different turn, establishing an innocent, cute, admirable bond between these two.
Their friendship scenes take a considerable period because this is relatable in real life. You might find the story not too overwhelming but the dumbfounding animation, peculiarly when Chise comes to the otherworldly places, cannot be ignored.
4. Steins; Gate
Anime series usually invest in a solid foundation to give birth to several other shows. Hence, you must brace yourself with patience to consume all of these.
The initial course of this series anchors on creating an imaginary world and building up the characters while the narrative progresses at a crawling pace.
The plot is magnificently one of a kind, even though some viewers cease watching just because they don’t find it amusing as expected. The second course of this series takes you on a unique ride. It consists of real-life moments that moderate complicated, mind-altering, extremely twisted time travel and sci-fi plot.
This series takes place among the cream of the anime industry with unforgettable characters you can relate to. Rintarou Okabe is an insane scientist enthusiast of purposeless ultra-modern technology. His right-hand men are Mayuri Shiina, who, like most people, has a very low concentration span, and the corrupt Hashida Itaru.
In most cases, their inventions appear time-wasting and useless. Some of them include Okabe’s phone microwave. You will not believe this is just made to create a banana green gel. I doubt that they even know what’s going on. Check it out!
3. FLCL
Logic is not a principal aspect of anime. You can get away with anything without proper reasoning so long the studio is willing to go wild. Emotions can sometimes be a determining factor for a project rather than the actual form.
However, it’s not a crime to go for a complex plot. FLCL has proved the possibility of anime to produce a genuinely original series.
It features a protagonist who, on their head, had a gateway to another world and an odd vespa-riding thug. FLCL is a 6 episode series that is a must-watch for someone looking for a baffling anime.
The artistic expression and lively visuals reflect the excellent production by Production I.G and Gainax. The animation got all the viewers in a chokehold for a short period.
FLCL is much more than what meets the eye; it balances itself out by mimicking action-like vibes and throwing in some comic scenes here and there.
Naota Nandaba is a sixth grader under his brother’s protection. He is the living embodiment of the ordinary, and the dude goes to painstaking lengths to safeguard his sterile existence.
Suddenly pushed into a life-and-death scenario that could lead to the destruction of the entire universe, FLCL’s misadventures force Naota to face his mortality.
2. Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor (Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor)
You are shocked that a gambling anime ranked high on this list. You know that feeling of seeing your beloved protagonist encounter numerous losses.
However, in most cases, if not all, he/she will always conquer as he fights his way to victory. The poor villains are eventually rendered powerless at the end of the day.
Shows like One Out and Kakegurui are centered around the summary mentioned above. If you are looking for something different, Kaiji is for you.
Originating from Nobukoyi Fukumoto by Madhouse Productions, this anime is not for the weak. To start life again from scratch, Kaiji is mandated to be part of quite several rivalries after being trapped in the deep hollows of a mountain.
It sometimes looked like the jeopardy he found himself in was compensated by the rewards that came after. His future was still uncertain.
It is an infuriating experience when there is no fear of the unknown induced in you when watching a series. Isn’t that the whole concept of gambling, a do-or-die thing?
The outcome is the most anticipated part of gambling, although we are not completely disregarding the significance of the story’s build-up. The fact that Kaiji, the main character, is vulnerable to error, just like an average person, distinguishes this series from any other you have seen.
1. Ping Pong The Animation
Not to criticize sports anime but it is a common fact that nothing is hypnotizing about them. In most cases, the plot revolves around the significance of persistence and overcoming the odds.
This is not meant to discredit all the incredible series they have produced before. It’s not possible to categorize Haikyuu!! Hajime, no Ippo to anything far from sports anime, but this one proves how their work was polished to perfection.
This series is not part of the statistics. Masaaki Yuasa is the director who also relentlessly worked on 2018’s Devilman Crybaby and The Tatami Galaxy. He was finally approved for the anime in question, which was well deserved.
Everything about it is breathtaking, from the unsophisticated presented style to mood setting sounds, and it is worthy of being among the chosen masterpieces.
You will explore the life of childhood friends, Smile and Peco whom you will witness detach from each other as they grow, alongside a background scenery of tennis.
Smile finds himself playing ping pong just to use this as bonding time with his slothful gifted friend. He was not the sport’s biggest fan, but his friend had earlier saved his life. Ping pong can be a substitute whenever words cease reaching their target.
