An anime with a solid plot, good characters, good character development, great animation, etc. Basically, an all-rounder. I’ve already watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. What are some others?
Shows:
- Cowboy Bebop
- Kill la Kill
- Steins;Gate
- Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works
Movies:
- Paprika
- Spirited Away
- Your Name
- Summer Wars
- Akira
The amount of scrolling I had to do before I saw Bebop was concerning…
And I’ve seen no one suggesting Samurai champloo.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
There’s also Kill la Kill.
Agreed, actually most of Studio Trigger’s works :)
Panty and stocking 🤘
One of the few studios where I’ll watch whatever they make, no questions asked.
Mine is the drill that will pierce the heavens ☝️
Erased
Recently marathoned it after listening to Scoot and Drew talk about it on The Worst Year of our Lives podcast (Rest in Power, Big Cat Scott)
Absolutely amazing anime.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is up there for me.
I didn’t ask for all those feels.
If they keep the quality up it will be a timeless one. Too soon to say it’s perfect but it could be.
My only complaint about Frieren is the exam arc. Up till that point, it’s a tightly knit group of adventurers traveling with a very vague goal, it’s about their journey and their internal relationships. But the exam arc has an actual goal and introduces a lot of recurring characters, which really changes the vibe of the world. I liked it enough in the end, but I would’ve preferred more smaller arcs. On the other hand, season 2 could put the exam arc in a whole new light and make me appreciate all those characters much more when we see them again.
spoiler
The fight against fake Frieren alone made it a great arc for me
- Haibane Renmei
- Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
- Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!
- A Silent Voice
- Sweetness & Lightning
- Akebi’s Sailor Uniform
- March Comes In Like a Lion 2nd Season
- A Place Further Than The Universe
- Non Non Biyori Nonstop
- Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Wish more people remembered the first one.
I’m past due for a re-watch.
To add some not already mentioned
- Apothecary diaries
- Dan da Dan
- Heavenly delusion
- Puella Magi Madoka
If you don’t mind older series, I think these are worth a recommendation:
- Bakemonogatari (and the rest of Monogatari series)
- The melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
- Black Lagoon
- Clannad
Honorable mention for Nichijou. Perfect comedy if you ask me :)
Steins;Gate
I was just thinking, can I honestly think of a perfect anime? But yes, Steins;Gate, without a doubt. It is so perfect that the second season, which is an almost-perfect anime and fits neatly in the events of the first, can only bring it down in perfection.
I recently rewatched it and there’s a lot of foreshadowing and plot points that hit harder when you see them coming.
If you really like the story you should play the game. The anime leaves out a lot.
I love Stein’s; Gate but those first few episodes pacing keeps it a step from absolute perfection.
Akira
The perfect anime is the one that captivates your interest for its entire length and delivers an ending that is satisfying. The story is completed, but you don’t want it to be.
It’s Girls Und Panzer for me. The original 12 episodes the most. You could feel the artists doing their best and the characters are fun and memorable, imo.
Gotta be Cyberpunk Edgerunners for me. Nothing has captivated me and made me love the characters as much as that show did.
Ping pong the animation
Nichijou is one of my favorites of all time.
Takopi’s Original Sin
A Place Further Than The Universe
Spirited Away
Liz and the Blue Bird
Ghost in the Shell
Mob Psycho
Kaguya-sama, a Frieren-tier-global-recognition all-rounder romcom
