----- ADS-----
We’ll cut to the chase: the team here at ComicBook Anime is here for the readers, and it seems like you’re all hungry for anime to watch before you kick the bucket. We’ll playfully ignore what that says about the state of the world. There’s so much content spread across a variety of genres and eras of the medium that it can be easy to overlook a wide variety of gems, hidden or otherwise.
Anyway, our first anime bucket list showcased a range of titles that would give you a full view of the industry. With this list, though, we’ve put our heads together and offered up personal all-timers. The result: 10 titles hand-picked by ComicBook staff for relevance, poignancy, or just plain being a cut above the rest. Signed and sealed: these are the anime series you can’t miss.
1) Hikaru no Go
I got into Hikaru no Go the day it graced the pages of the old Shonen Jump magazine, enamored both with the writing by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata’s pre-Death Note artwork. When they sent DVD samples of its first episode, I immediately fell in love with Pierrot’s take, an elegant portrayal of its hero on a journey of self-discovery and the path to a fulfilling yet turbulent career as a young professional Go player. It was wildly compelling, creating an engaging coming-of-age premise with the wonderfully complex, ancient board game of Go.
Hikaru no Go goes on my personal anime bucket list because it features gorgeous opening and ending themes, a concise coming-of-age story where its stars grow up subtly yet undeniably, and it approaches an extremely complex board game in a digestible manner. Pierrot’s animated rendition teaches powerful lessons on growing up and processing becoming independent, even if it verges on feeling abandoned in the process.
via J.R. Waugh, ComicBook Anime Editor
2) ReLIFE
What makes ReLIFE once in a lifetime is its premise—a captivating blend of fantasy and everyday life, a deeply resonant slice-of-life story. More importantly, it explores regret and the wish to do things differently if given another chance. This is the journey the protagonist finds himself on. At 27, stranded between jobs and struggling to manage his life, he’s presented with an opportunity to revert to his 17-year-old self by taking a pill from an organization conducting a social experiment.
As part of the deal, the protagonist must return to high school at 17. While he expects it to be easy this time around, it brings its own set of challenges, emphasizing that circumstances may be the same, but obstacles remain regardless of age or experience. While it may appeal to a younger audience, it’s clear this story is meant for those who have recently entered the adult world and are unsure or afraid of what lies ahead. As Arata’s time with a second chance draws to a close, it evolves into a compelling, uplifting story with twists and a charming romance that adds depth to its slice-of-life narrative.
via rohit jaiswar
3) Link Click
Under the guise of the Time Photo Studio, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang’s trade instead involves the client providing the photo. With it, they can travel back in time. While Lu Guang provides guidance with his ability to see 12 hours into the photo’s future, Cheng Xiaoshi leaps back to the moment the photo was taken, assuming the identity of the photographer along with all of their memories and emotions. The two must then work together in order to solve the client’s request and relieve them of their past regret.
A picture’s worth a thousand words, but to Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, and their clients, it’s worth so much more. The use of photographs here isn’t just a visual symbol, but an allegory pervading the entire narrative. The photos capture the moment the person’s life changes course: a mere vignette to the sequence of events that brought them there; a candid view of their life’s lens and exposure to their emotions and memories; a twelve-hour limited depth of field narrowing the aperture of opportunity; trying to find a resolution without changing the composition of events. Link Click gives truly vibrant developments within the snapshots of the human experience.
via Demi Leverett
4) Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
When it comes to recommending anime, shoujo and josei often get swept under the rug despite having much to offer. In fact, josei often toes the line with seinen, which is why the genre would appeal to many if only they gave it a chance. An excellent example of this is Wotaki.
Short for Love is Hard For Otaku, Wotaki, as its name implies, is expressly targeted at otakus and weebs and revolves around four such closeted otakus as they navigate the challenges of romance and adult relationships. Office workers by day, otakus by 5 PM, Wotakoi is equal parts witty and relatable and has all the makings of a comfort show, though sadly, it has yet to get a second season.
Via Merlyn the Souza
5) Jujutsu Kaisen
Forget your typical shonen tropes – Jujutsu Kaisen bursts onto the screen with a refreshingly dark, thrilling energy that will hook you from the very first cursed spirit. This isn’t just about good guys punching bad guys; it’s a carefully crafted world where the line between hero and monster blurs, and every victory feels hard-won, though oftentimes with a heavy price. With its breathtaking animation from Studio MAPPA, especially during the high-octane dynamic fight sequences, Jujutsu Kaisen elevates battles into a form of visceral art.
Beyond the stunning visuals and unique power system, Jujutsu Kaisen blends moments of genuine humor with themes of loss, sacrifice, and the weight of destiny. It’s an anime that isn’t afraid to confront its characters with brutal realities, leading to some truly shocking (and emotionally scarring) plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The soundtrack alone is a character in itself, perfectly accentuating every tense battle and beat, drawing you further into its world. Whether you’re a seasoned anime fan or just looking for your next binge-worthy obsession, Jujutsu Kaisen offers an entertainment experience that is both exhilarating and thought-provoking, rightfully earning its place as a global phenomenon.
via Jenna Wrenn
6) Vinland Saga
Among seinen readers and fans of the anime, Vinland Saga is undoubtedly one of the all-time modern greats. Based on the manga by Makoto Yukimura, the series starts as a fairly generic revenge tale about young Thorfinn seeking to avenge his father, Thors. Amidst its impeccable fight scenes and complex supporting characters, Vinland Saga‘s debut season shows hints of thematic greatness.
Then Season 2 pulls one of the greatest bait-and-switches in anime history. The first season is revealed to be a prologue, and the true story begins with Thorfinn’s enslavement and redemption arc, as he undergoes an existential journey about what it means to be a “true warrior.” Vinland Saga‘s true story is moving, self-reflective, and, not to put it lightly, life-changing, having inspired a wave of fans to improve their own lives.
via Archie Fenn
7) My Hero Academia
You’re probably thinking that only anime of a certain classic era have cemented their place as major hits that you absolutely need to experience, but My Hero Academia is an example of a major recent era juggernaut that you need to see at least once. Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia hit at the perfect time. It wasn’t in the same pocket as pandemic-era shows like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibabut instead was one of the final standout franchises from the 2010s that were commemorated with the kind of anime release that we just don’t see in action anymore.
At the time of this publication, My Hero Academia‘s anime is going to end with Season 8. That’s a number of seasons that’s not only rare these days, but something of a bygone era. My Hero Academia not only keeps the spirit alive for these classic era shows that ran for a very long time, but also has more modern sensibilities, as it also got to be a seasonal show that aired every year instead of needing to keep a weekly episode release schedule like One Piece or Black Clover. Then, when you dive in, you get a spectacular superhero show that honors the best of Western comics and its Japanese manga influences. There are few like it.
via Nick Valdez
8) Samurai Champloo
From the mind of Shinichirō Watanabe, the creator of beloved Cowboy Bebopcomes, in my opinion, the animator director’s opus: Samurai Champlooa 26-episode two-part series that focuses on the traveling trio of Fuu, Mugen, and Jin as the latter two help Fuu travel as she seeks out the “Sunflower Samurai”. The entire trek is backlit by the two swordsmen’s shared disdain and their truce for as long as they are helping Fuu. The series contains high-octane fights, busy episodes, and wonderful intra-character development, lending itself to the perfect ensemble cast.
Highlights of the entire production would be much of the scene direction and the way scenes are choreographed and blocked with melodic and sync-heavy instrumental hip-hop. Cowboy Bebop was about friendship and existence with no discernible destination. A simple show full of action but also mundane day-to-day story beats that takes similar thematic notes, Samurai Champloo is about friendship and the journey of life. We may not be going to the same place, but we can enjoy each other’s company on the way, and maybe we’ll meet again down the road.
Via Adam Gonzales
9) Super Dimension Fortress Macross
Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a product of its time, yet it transcends time itself. The original ’80s series occasionally suffers from incredibly cheap and poorly looking episodes, plus there’s tonal whiplash throughout the series. One moment is serious drama where characters are unceremoniously killed off, and another moment is about pop idols and music.
However, the series is better than the sum of its parts, delivering a sincere message about music and cultural barriers. The overall ’80s aesthetics give the anime its identity, creating one of the most fun, interesting mechas of all time.
via Misael Duran
With a reputation as one of the best anime of all time, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has something for everyone. What’s especially interesting about it, though, is that it’s one of the most philosophical anime out there, but doesn’t come across as pretentious or difficult to understand. As a more manga-accurate remake of the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, the series masterfully combines depth, humor, action, and emotional moments to keep viewers hooked.
The story is gripping right from the very beginning as viewers follow two brothers who commit the alchemical taboo of Human Transmutation to try and bring back their dead mother. As a consequence for trying to mess with the laws of nature, the brothers lose their bodies, with the older brother Ed losing an arm and a leg while the younger brother Al loses the entirety of his body to become a soul bound to a set of armor. The series then follows the brothers’ quest to get their bodies back, with many twists and turns along the way.
via Areeba Khan
This is the first time we’ve run a “staff picks” piece, and it’s been a while in the making. So first, we’d like to take a second to thank every member of our staff who volunteered an entry for this piece!
As for you, the reader: if you like the more personal angle, make sure to leave your thoughts in a comment below. If you want to go a step further, then share it and check out the ComicBook profiles of our authors whose tastes are closest to yours. There could be a lot more in the future—but we have to make a case to our higher-ups like anybody else does!
