What's the best anime of the decade?

[Darth Joker]

I was reading an anime-reviewing blog recently that raised this question that I didn't really think of before. But... now that I do think of it, this decade is drawing to a close (less than 6 months away), and maybe now would be a good time to start discussing which animes were the best anime of the decade - and which is the VERY best of the decade.

Some contenders could arguably include...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Gurren Lagann
Soul Eater
Azumanga Daioh
Gundam Seed
Death Note...

What do my fellow anime fans here on CBR think?

[Hitokiri]

Black Lagoon
Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei
Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust
TTGL
Karas (Animation wise).

[1505627]

I was reading an anime-reviewing blog recently that raised this question that I didn't really think of before. But... now that I do think of it, this decade is drawing to a close (less than 6 months away), and maybe now would be a good time to start discussing which animes were the best anime of the decade - and which is the VERY best of the decade.

Some contenders could arguably include...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Gurren Lagann
Soul Eater
Azumanga Daioh
Gundam Seed
Death Note...

What do my fellow anime fans here on CBR think?


Based on manga:one piece
Original:code geass

[The Xenos]

Wow. I feel so freaking old. Hey, anyone remember when Escaflowne or Evangelion were cutting edge?

[Ghost]

I was reading an anime-reviewing blog recently that raised this question that I didn't really think of before. But... now that I do think of it, this decade is drawing to a close (less than 6 months away), and maybe now would be a good time to start discussing which animes were the best anime of the decade - and which is the VERY best of the decade.

I think we need to several categories by genre; it's always hard to single out just one as the absolute best.

What do my fellow anime fans here on CBR think?

I think all anime adaptions that deviate too much from their manga should be disqualified. But that's just me. >>

Anyway, I haven't seen a lot of anime, but I guess I'll recommend Kamichu! It had a fun concept, a ton of attention to detail, literally award-winning animation and kept a pretty consistent quality all the way through.

[RubberLotus]

Wow. I feel so freaking old. Hey, anyone remember when Escaflowne or Evangelion were cutting edge?

What and who? :tongue:

They're from the nineties, right?

[Darth Joker]

I think we need to several categories by genre; it's always hard to single out just one as the absolute best.

That's a good idea.

It occurred to me that it would be kind of tricky to weight Death Note against TTGL against Black Lagoon against One Piece, as all four are very different types of anime.


I think all anime adaptions that deviate too much from their manga should be disqualified. But that's just me. >>

Anyway, I haven't seen a lot of anime, but I guess I'll recommend Kamichu! It had a fun concept, a ton of attention to detail, literally award-winning animation and kept a pretty consistent quality all the way through.

I haven't seen Kamichu! myself, to be honest. I'll have to check that out soon.

[FistofIron]

Heat Guy J
Black Lagoon
Afro Samurai 1 & 2
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Hellsing Ultimate

[Hitokiri]

And if we're considering manga as a catergory: One Piece, Fairy Tail, Shaman King, and D Gray Man.

[The Xenos]

Dammit. I keep thinking of titles, but they mostly end up being late 90s when I check.

Well, FLCL was early 00s. That was stunning.

Hellsing Ultimate
Should we count ones that will take more than a decade to come out? :rolleyes:

[Fat Cobra]

Gurren Lagann
Code Geass
Samurai Champloo

[Grazzt]

Monster
Paranoia Agent

Just to nominate two no one else has seen fit to mention so far.

[NickGuy]

The O-Ren Ishii scene in Kill Bill
The Animatrix
Batman Gotham Knight
that upcoming iron man anime looks sick too

[The Transient Guest]

OP
and
TTGL for anime anime. Paranoia Agent was great fun as well and I really should watch that last episode. Ah well I'll do it later.

And I remember when they showed that ONE episode of Escaflowne on fox....

I remember watching the original run of Ronin Warriors.

I remember going to my aunt and uncles house several cities over for family events and stealing the tv every saturday morning so I could watch saturday morning anime.
Vampire Hunter D
Lensmen
Keshan Robot Hunter
That sorta stuff.

I remember watching Voltron...Transformers...vehicle Voltron...
Thundercats...Silverhawks.... (not anime but i'm on a roll shut up)

I remember playing Zelda 2 and getting to that first cave in the game and seeing those creatures in it and thinking "oh wow it's like small types of the nausica of the valley of the wind monsters."

Good times....good times....

[Sixa]

Cowboy bebop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy_Bebop

And yes,it's and old anime but nevertheless,the best and can make hollywood go bankrupt(I might be exaggerating here...)

Nufff said.It's the only anime I watch anyway since I am not much of anime enthusiast.

And I also watch anything by the great Hayao Miyazaki.(And yes most of his anime are old and outdated by gene Y standard today)

[HynerianChef]

I'd say One Piece, but not sure if it counts, as both manga and anime technically started in the very late '90s.

[Libaax]

Death Note is too lame compared to the manga.


Best anime of the decade overall

Fullmetal Alchemist, i agree with the japanese two tv polls voted it all time best anime tv. Not that its alltime best but that it was great.

Sports

Hajime No Ippo

Samurai

Samurai Champloo

Shonen

FMA


Sci-fi

Ghost in the Shell - Cowboy Bebop is better but its 90s.

Fantasy

Hunter X Hunter

[yeoman]

Wow. I feel so freaking old. Hey, anyone remember when Escaflowne or Evangelion were cutting edge?

Yes. And Escaflowne is still one of my favorite series. Heck, there were a ton in the 90's I still love. But the thread *is* about stuff released in the last ten years. Otherwise, ya know, Utena.


As for stuff in teh last ten years? Gurren Lagann. Hands down.

[Yun Lao]

Cowboy bebop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy_Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is off only by a year from being in this decade, but it was still an awesome show regardless.

[Kevin M.]

My list of nominations

Gurren Lagann
Samurai Champloo
Paranoia Agent
Aria
Soul Eater


That is pretty much my list.

[Zero Hunter]

Fullmetal Alchemist, i agree with the japanese two tv polls voted it all time best anime tv. Not that its alltime best but that it was great.



I might have agreed before, but after watching the new FMA series I think it is a ton better than the first one.

[testing101]

I will vote for NARUTO and BLEACH these are all great anime's. What I like of those two are the story and the characters it's very addictive. You can check some great anime's on this site ANIME.COM (http://www.anime.com)

[Zero Hunter]

I will vote for NARUTO and BLEACH these are all great anime's. What I like of those two are the story and the characters it's very addictive. You can check some great anime's on this site ANIME.COM (http://www.anime.com)

Both are disqaulifed because of some of the most craptaistic filler arcs any anime has ever seen.

[Alex L]

My personal favorites will probably be knocked out by the fact that they're earlier-00's -- just old enough to be forgotten about, but not old enough to be retro-cool.

Azumanga Daioh is ever-so-slightly edged out by Haruhi. But really not by much.

Hikaru no Go (my personal favorite series of all time) has high-quality animation, a great orchestral soundtrack, compelling characters and stories -- but by this point it's passed out of people's minds. If it's listed on a poll people would vote for it, but if it's fill-in-the-blank it won't come to mind.

[MegamiMiko]

Death Note is too lame compared to the manga.
Your Mileage May Vary (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YourMileageMayVary) since I liked the way they amped up the drama to semi-absurd levels.

[1505627]

Your Mileage May Vary (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YourMileageMayVary) since I liked the way they amped up the drama to semi-absurd levels.

"i'll take a chip.and eat it!"

[Libaax]

I might have agreed before, but after watching the new FMA series I think it is a ton better than the first one.

Well its a given its the same series doesn't matter if its a new season :wink:

Since the manga is much stronger after Vol 10 and the first anime had filler parts its understandable the new season is even better.

I dont plan to watch it though until I have catch up to the manga books.

[yeoman]

Well its a given its the same series doesn't matter if its a new season :wink:

Since the manga is much stronger after Vol 10 and the first anime had filler parts its understandable the new season is even better.


Not really filler, it just went in a completely different direction. From what I heard it did so with the blessing of the original author given it had overtaken the manga.

[Libaax]

Not really filler, it just went in a completely different direction. From what I heard it did so with the blessing of the original author given it had overtaken the manga.

Yeah filler isnt always a bad thing. Just a different direction at times.

Thats why I rate the first series as the best anime series I have seen.

It wasnt pointless filler ala Naruto,Bleach it was a great story from start to finish.

Its my all-time fav along with Hajime No Ippo,Cowboy Bebop,Hunter X Hunter,Macross.

[The Xenos]

By popularity, in Japan, I'd say it's One Piece. In America, I'd say Naruto. Not that I think those are the best, but by popularity they sure are the top. (Though I do love One Piece myself.) Plus they seem to be taking the whole damn decade. (Then again I read Berserk, so I shouldn't talk.) Death Note seems to have been a top hit. Bleach too.

[Sighphi]

CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOOOOOLLLL
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/03/0319_anime/image/anime-mania-cromartie-image.jpg

SCREW YOU AAALLL!!!!

[Libaax]

By popularity, in Japan, I'd say it's One Piece. In America, I'd say Naruto. Not that I think those are the best, but by popularity they sure are the top. (Though I do love One Piece myself.) Plus they seem to be taking the whole damn decade. (Then again I read Berserk, so I shouldn't talk.) Death Note seems to have been a top hit. Bleach too.

Who cares about popularity ? This what anime you think is the best.


Plus FMA is alltime best two times in Japan, how is OP bigger ?

Because its longer ?

Thats like saying Inuyasha is more popular than a Gundam or Cowboy Bebop.

[Hitokiri]

Mangawise Libaax, OP is a hell of a lot more popular than FMA. When the only thing to knock you off your perch is the newest HP book, that should tell you something. That and FMA the manga takes about as long to come out as D Grey Man. It hasn't reached the delay times of Berserk (Understandable as the manga author of that has no assistants or HXH.)

[Libaax]

Mangawise Libaax, OP is a hell of a lot more popular than FMA. When the only thing to knock you off your perch is the newest HP book, that should tell you something. That and FMA the manga takes about as long to come out as D Grey Man. It hasn't reached the delay times of Berserk (Understandable as the manga author of that has no assistants or HXH.)

Weekly mangas are more popular thats given.

Still Berserk,Hajime No Ippo,FMA sell top ten when there are new volumes.

Its a given FMA doesnt sell as much a popular OP manga people can buy more often.

OP is funny but FMA is much stronger writing,story,character wise.

HXH was a great manga/anime destroyed by the mangaka....

[jesse_custer]

I haven't seen another anime from this decade that enthralled me as much as Spirited Away.

[PsychoGoatee]

One Piece is my favorite anime of the decade. While it technically started in late 1999, it's been running throughout the entire decade nonstop. And getting better and better too.

[Sixa]

I haven't seen another anime from this decade that enthralled me as much as Spirited Away.

Cowboy Bebop will.

Google it.It maybe not from this decade(was released 1999) but it's definitely at th top with Spirited Away and other Hayao Miyazaki's work.

[Yun Lao]

Cowboy Bebop will.

Google it.It maybe not from this decade(was released 1999) but it's definitely at th top with Spirited Away and other Hayao Miyazaki's work.

Yeah, Cowboy Bebop itself is disqualified for being a year off, however, it's movie, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was made in 2001.

[Sixa]

Yeah, Cowboy Bebop itself is disqualified for being a year off, however, it's movie, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was made in 2001.

I have all 30(was it 30 or 25?) episodes of DVD box set.Never got around watching the last 4-5 episodes.:redface:
:biggrin: Didn't watched the movie but I bet it was good (according to a anime reviewers years ago).

[yeoman]

Yeah, Cowboy Bebop itself is disqualified for being a year off, however, it's movie, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" was made in 2001.

Yeah, but's it's pretty much standard movie fair. Part of what made the series work was that one week might be a horror film, the next noir, the next... Mushroom Samba...

[Libaax]

Personally i think Spirited Away is so overrated that i cant believe its by the guy that made Princess Mononoke.....

[jesse_custer]

Cowboy Bebop will.

Oh will it? Never heard of it.

I love Cowboy Bebop, but Spirited Away is better in my estimation.

Personally i think Spirited Away is so overrated that i cant believe its by the guy that made Princess Mononoke.....

I am cautious about using the term overrated, but if there is any overrated film in Miyazaki's filmography, it's Princess Mononoke.

Even so, it's pretty simple to tell that the same guy did both Mononoke and Spirited Away ...

[Ghost]

I'd just like to nominate Baccano! It's just a really, really, really good anime. One of the best I've ever seen.

I haven't seen another anime from this decade that enthralled me as much as Spirited Away.

I think Spirited Away is awesome, but these days I find Howl's Moving Castle to be somewhat superior.

(Mind you, I think HMC is the kind of film you have to see more then once to appreciate.)


I am cautious about using the term overrated, but if there is any overrated film in Miyazaki's filmography, it's Princess Mononoke.

No Miyazaki movie is overrated. They all kick ass.

That said, my Big Three favorites are Howl's Moving Castle, Laputa: Castle In The Sky and Mononoke Hime, in no set order. Spirited Away earns a close, well-deserved fourth place, though.

[jesse_custer]

Howl's Moving Castle is a pretty good movie, but it didn't floor me like Spirited Away. I also think Howl's pacing is a little off, whereas Spirited Away doesn't even seem like a two-hour movie.

Mononoke is just boring after a while. And preachy. I don't understand why everyone sucks it off.

[jesse_custer]

And you know what? Scratch that Cowboy Bebop/Spirited Away comparison. It doesn't make any fucking sense to compare a television series to a film.

Of course, you could compare the Bebop movie to Spirited Away, and I think the latter wins by a landslide.

[Libaax]

The Bebop movie is the only good dubbed anime i have seen. Early when you werent used subbed anime. The voice actor was good.

Although i have never finished the anime series. Some Naruto fanboy in an old manga forum spoiled the ending,what happens to a certain important character....

I could never finish it after that. Maybe now i should now that it doesnt matter a few years after.

[jesse_custer]

The whole series has great dubbing. And it's worth watching even if you know what happens. It's not about the shock, anyway.

[yeoman]

The whole series has great dubbing. And it's worth watching even if you know what happens. It's not about the shock, anyway.


Yeah, Bebop is very much about the journey, not the ending.

[yeoman]

The Bebop movie is the only good dubbed anime i have seen. Early when you werent used subbed anime. The voice actor was good.

Although i have never finished the anime series. Some Naruto fanboy in an old manga forum spoiled the ending,what happens to a certain important character....

I could never finish it after that. Maybe now i should now that it doesnt matter a few years after.

Eh, all time peroids have good and bad dubs. Hell, probably the best dub ever was done over ten years ago. From what I understand the english voice cast for El-Hazard is considered to be the canon voices for the characters by the original director.

[Ghost]

Howl's Moving Castle is a pretty good movie, but it didn't floor me like Spirited Away. I also think Howl's pacing is a little off, whereas Spirited Away doesn't even seem like a two-hour movie.

Mononoke is just boring after a while. And preachy. I don't understand why everyone sucks it off.

I just think it's a very, very pretty movie, especially for it's time. And while it's been a while since I saw it last time, I don't remember it as boring - quite the contrary it was unusually violent for a Miyazaki film and had a lot of suspense moments.

For that matter, I'm not sure I see how it was preachy. I recall it as rather ambiguous, in fact, without clear good or bad sides and the conflict itself being the evil thing as opposed to the instigators.

And you know what? Scratch that Cowboy Bebop/Spirited Away comparison. It doesn't make any fucking sense to compare a television series to a film.

Plus, they are wildly different genres.

[Yun Lao]

Purely anime wise, Soul Eater and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei are my choices, (granted, I'm still catching up on a lot of the newer anime titles.)

On an unrelated note, there's a crap lot of new manga that's been pretty good.

[Darth Joker]

Personally i think Spirited Away is so overrated that i cant believe its by the guy that made Princess Mononoke.....

I actually preferred Mononoke a fair bit to Spirited Away as well.

A lot of it is simply story concepts for me - Mononoke's story concept intrigued me, and I felt that it was executed extremely well.

Spirited Away's story concept just didn't appeal all that much to me.

Howl's Moving Castle was a lot of fun. It never resonated with me quite as much as Mononoke did, though. However, I can understand where somebody would find Mononoke preachy - I'm a Captain Planet fan, so that probably tells you that heavy environmentalist messages usually don't bother me. ;)

[Ghost]

I actually preferred Mononoke a fair bit to Spirited Away as well.

A lot of it is simply story concepts for me - Mononoke's story concept intrigued me, and I felt that it was executed extremely well.

Spirited Away's story concept just didn't appeal all that much to me.

Howl's Moving Castle was a lot of fun. It never resonated with me quite as much as Mononoke did, though.

I think that if Howl has any flaw at all, it's that it's a bit too subtle. There's a lot of important details it doesn't say out loud and you need to pay close attention and do some guessing to catch them. That's why I think one has to watch it at least twice.

Heck, just the fact that Sophie's age isn't static - that she actually shifts from really old woman to slightly less old woman depending on her mood - was something I actually didn't notice at first.

However, I can understand where somebody would find Mononoke preachy - I'm a Captain Planet fan, so that probably tells you that heavy environmentalist messages usually don't bother me. ;)

Well, it's a Miyazaki film, so you're going to get some environmentalist messages in there. Or rather, you will usually find the contrast of new and old, past and present, tradition and advancement, nature and civilization and so on.

What I liked about Mononoke Hime was that it didn't portray mankind and civilization as antagonists. Eboshi wasn't really a bad person: she did a lot of good and her workers really loved her for it, and the iron works had a right to exist as well.

Anyway, if any Miyazaki movie is to be accused of having a strong environmentalist message, I think Nausicäe: Valley of the Wind beats Mononoke Hime any day.

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

Karas should get a nod, IMO.

[Libaax]

The whole series has great dubbing. And it's worth watching even if you know what happens. It's not about the shock, anyway.

Well of course but then it was too much. You wanted to forget.

[Darth Joker]

I think that if Howl has any flaw at all, it's that it's a bit too subtle. There's a lot of important details it doesn't say out loud and you need to pay close attention and do some guessing to catch them. That's why I think one has to watch it at least twice.

Heck, just the fact that Sophie's age isn't static - that she actually shifts from really old woman to slightly less old woman depending on her mood - was something I actually didn't notice at first.

Good points, and I pretty much agree. There are some subtle meanings and themes to Howl's Moving Castle.

However, Howl's Moving Castle is really a lot of fun even with out appreciating the subtle deeper meanings/themes to it. It's like great classic Aesop's fables fantasy - it's a type of story you don't see much of these days, sadly. It's truly imaginative and just very out of the ordinary, with unique plot developments.


Well, it's a Miyazaki film, so you're going to get some environmentalist messages in there. Or rather, you will usually find the contrast of new and old, past and present, tradition and advancement, nature and civilization and so on.

What I liked about Mononoke Hime was that it didn't portray mankind and civilization as antagonists. Eboshi wasn't really a bad person: she did a lot of good and her workers really loved her for it, and the iron works had a right to exist as well.

True. It's a lot more sophisticated than Captain Planet, I will admit. Eboshi is by no means a black-and-white villain. She definitely has her positive traits.



Anyway, if any Miyazaki movie is to be accused of having a strong environmentalist message, I think Nausicäe: Valley of the Wind beats Mononoke Hime any day.

I got Nausicae once... but the video crapped out on me entirely. I never could get it working, so I only saw the first 30 minutes or so of it. It certainly looked quite enchanting to me.

[jesse_custer]

Howl's Moving Castle didn't strike me as subtle. I pretty much followed everything it was saying.

Concerning Miyazaki's preachy environmentalism, no, you don't have to expect it in his films (and even if you did, that doesn't excuse it if it's distracting, tiresome, or annoying). Spirited Away has the doo doo monster or whatever, but it comes across as a weirdo's dream rather than sermonizing. I would rank Castle of Cagliostro as Miyazaki's second best (right behind Spirited), and it also doesn't bore me with this sort of thing.

[Ghost]

Howl's Moving Castle didn't strike me as subtle. I pretty much followed everything it was saying.

Concerning Miyazaki's preachy environmentalism, no, you don't have to expect it in his films (and even if you did, that doesn't excuse it if it's distracting, tiresome, or annoying). Spirited Away has the doo doo monster or whatever, but it comes across as a weirdo's dream rather than sermonizing. I would rank Castle of Cagliostro as Miyazaki's second best (right behind Spirited), and it also doesn't bore me with this sort of thing.

Castle of Cagliostro isn't bad at all, but I think I expected it to be more of a typical Lupin III movie. Compared to other, crazier Lupin stuff it's a bit restrained. It struck me as kind of a compromise: it's a decent Lupin movie and a decent Miyazaki movie, but the two kind of cancel each other out.

[KandouErik]

I'd have to say Gurren Lagaan. That show simply never stopped trying to reinvent animation.

[spiderman_rj]

i'm not much into anime now, and i have no idea wich ones came out this decade, i know the previous one, but i would say melancholy of haruhi....that is untill the "second season"...

[Len Ikari145]

In this decade:Fullmetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, TTGL, Eureka Seven and Rahxephon. Soul Eater especially since the choreography used for the battle scenes was beautifully rendered and superb.

[parka]

For me it would be Fullmetal Alchemist.

I don't think anything else comes close. The new release story arc Brotherhood is even better.

[questionsa]

Mai-Otome for me and Code Geass comes second.

[40footwolf]

Movies or shows?

If it's a movie, I'll take a conservative choice and say Spirited Away(it's in my top 3 ever, animated or no). If it's a show, I'm going to throw one from left field and say Alien-9.

[zomg]

Pretty hard to pick one basically what you're saying is that I have to pick between Monster, Aria, Eureka 7, Planetes, Twelve Kingdoms, Seirei no Moribito, Mushishi, Honey&Clover, Marimite, Mononoke, Natsume Yuujinchou, Nodame Cantabile etc.

I don't think I can do it. :(

[Hazard]

TTGL was one of the few animes that made me shed manly tears, however for me the best anime of the decade was definitely Code Geass. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's occupies a nice third place.