Best Animation TV Series
These are the 60 best animation series, ranked by the iRank Score — our composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb ratings, weighted by each source's reliability. No single-critic bias: the order reflects broad critical and audience consensus. Pick any title to see its full breakdown and similar recommendations.
Best animation series: classics up to the 70s
- 1
Candy Candy (キャンディ・キャンディ, 1976)
This classic 1976 anime follows orphan Candy from a hard childhood through love, loss and resilience, in a sweeping melodrama that captivated generations across the world. Tender and emotional, it's a foundational shōjo touchstone. If its big-hearted romance and tearful drama moved you, seek out classic shōjo anime and sentimental coming-of-age stories about a kind soul weathering life's storms.
See shows like Candy Candy →
Best animation series: from the 80s and 90s
- 2
One Piece (ワンピース, 1999)
One of the longest-running and most beloved anime ever, One Piece follows the rubber-bodied Monkey D. Luffy and his ragtag crew across a vast ocean in search of the legendary treasure that will crown the next Pirate King. It's boundless adventure powered by friendship, freedom and outsized imagination — funny one moment, gut-punching the next. If its sense of wonder and camaraderie hooked you, the great shōnen adventure anime offer the same epic scope and heart.
See shows like One Piece → - 3
Slam Dunk (スラムダンク, 1993)
The 1993 anime that turned a generation onto basketball follows delinquent Hanamichi Sakuragi, who joins his high-school team to impress a girl and discovers a real gift. Funny, hot-blooded and surprisingly moving about growth and teamwork, it remains the benchmark sports anime. If its underdog energy and camaraderie hooked you, seek out sports anime and coming-of-age stories about raw talent, rivalry and finding your place on the team.
See shows like Slam Dunk → - 8
Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
This 1992 landmark redefined Batman for a generation, blending noir style, art-deco "Dark Deco" design and genuinely mature storytelling. Atmospheric and surprisingly soulful, it treated its villains as tragic figures and remains the gold standard of superhero animation. If its moody elegance and depth gripped you, seek out stylish animated series and noir-tinged superhero stories that take their characters seriously.
See shows like Batman: The Animated Series → - 9
Ranma ½ (らんま1/2, 1989)
Rumiko Takahashi's classic anime follows a teenage martial artist cursed to turn into a girl with cold water (and back with hot), in a chaotic comedy of rival suitors, kung-fu and mistaken identities. Fast, silly and endlessly inventive, it's a cornerstone of comedy anime. If its romantic farce and martial-arts mayhem charmed you, seek out classic comedy anime built on chaos, transformation and tangled romance.
See shows like Ranma ½ → - 10
Cardcaptor Sakura (カードキャプターさくら, 1998)
This beloved magical-girl anime follows young Sakura, who accidentally scatters a deck of magical cards and must recapture them, growing up amid friendship and first crushes. Gentle, gorgeously drawn and quietly emotional, it's a touchstone of the genre. If its sweetness and wonder charmed you, seek out magical-girl and coming-of-age anime where everyday life sparkles with gentle enchantment.
See shows like Cardcaptor Sakura → - 11
Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, 1995)
Hideaki Anno's 1995 anime sends traumatised teenagers to pilot giant bio-machines against apocalyptic Angels — then turns inward into a startling study of depression, identity and human connection. Genre-defining and famously divisive, it changed anime forever. If its mecha spectacle and raw psychology gripped you, seek out ambitious, existential anime that wrestle with the mind as fiercely as with monsters.
See shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion → - 12
Rurouni Kenshin (るろうに剣心 明治剣客浪漫譚, 1996)
This classic anime follows a wandering former assassin in the early Meiji era who has sworn never to kill again, defending the helpless with a reversed-edge blade. Action-rich yet thoughtful about redemption and the cost of violence, it became a samurai-anime touchstone. If its blend of swordplay and conscience gripped you, seek out samurai and historical anime about warriors seeking peace in a changing world.
See shows like Rurouni Kenshin →
Best animation series: from the 2000s and 2010s
- 4
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.
See shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender → - 5
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, 2009)
Often hailed as one of the greatest anime ever, this 2009 series follows the Elric brothers, who broke alchemy's ultimate taboo and paid with their bodies, on a quest to restore what they lost. Epic, tightly plotted and morally rich, it balances thrilling action with weighty themes of sacrifice and humanity. If its scope and heart gripped you, the great character-driven fantasy anime share its blend of adventure and emotion.
See shows like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood → - 13
Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人, 2013)
This landmark anime traps the last of humanity behind colossal walls, besieged by giant man-eating Titans — until the walls fall and a far darker truth unspools. Brutal, twist-laden and thematically fearless about war, freedom and cycles of hatred, it grew from horror-survival into geopolitical tragedy. If its dread and escalating revelations gripped you, seek out dark, plot-driven anime and dystopias that keep pulling the rug from under you.
See shows like Attack on Titan → - 14
Rick and Morty (2013)
This animated comedy sends a nihilistic genius scientist and his anxious grandson caroming across infinite dimensions, blending lowbrow gags with surprisingly bleak existential sci-fi. Inventive, crude and smarter than it lets on, it turned multiverse chaos into prestige comedy. If its mix of absurd humour and cosmic dread hooked you, seek out irreverent adult animation and sci-fi comedies that hide real ideas inside the madness.
See shows like Rick and Morty → - 15
Hunter x Hunter (HUNTER×HUNTER, 2011)
This beloved anime follows young Gon as he sets out to become a Hunter and find the father who left him, plunging into a world of deadly exams, strange powers and morally complex friends and foes. Inventive, dark when it counts and endlessly creative with its power system, it's a shōnen benchmark. If its adventure and depth hooked you, the great shōnen anime share its blend of thrills, strategy and heart.
See shows like Hunter x Hunter → - 16
Fighting Spirit (はじめの一歩, 2000)
Also known as Hajime no Ippo, this boxing anime follows bullied, gentle Ippo as he discovers the ring and trains relentlessly to find his own strength. Funny, technical and genuinely thrilling about discipline and self-respect, it's a high point of sports anime. If its underdog grit and fight-night tension hooked you, seek out sports anime and boxing dramas about heart, training and the long road to belief in yourself.
See shows like Fighting Spirit → - 17
Death Note (DEATH NOTE, 2006)
This landmark anime hands a bored genius student a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it — and watches him wage a god-complex war of wits against the detective trying to stop him. Tense, cerebral and morally electric, it's a battle of two brilliant minds. If its psychological cat-and-mouse gripped you, seek out smart thriller anime and dramas where intellect, ego and justice collide.
See shows like Death Note → - 18
Kamisama Kiss (神様はじめました, 2012)
This charming 2012 anime turns a homeless high-schooler into a minor land god overnight, paired with a haughty fox familiar in a supernatural romance full of yokai and slow-burn feelings. Funny, warm and gently magical, it's comfort-watch shōjo at its best. If its sweet supernatural romance charmed you, seek out shōjo anime and feel-good fantasy romances where mortals and spirits fall in love.
See shows like Kamisama Kiss → - 19
Gravity Falls (2012)
This 2012 animated series sends twins Dipper and Mabel to spend a summer in a creepy Oregon town full of secrets, monsters and a mystery their great-uncle is hiding. Funny, clever and surprisingly layered with year-long puzzles, it became a cult classic for kids and adults alike. If its blend of comedy and eerie mystery charmed you, seek out adventurous animated series that hide a real conspiracy beneath the laughs.
See shows like Gravity Falls → - 20
Regular Show (2010)
This surreal 2010 animated comedy follows a blue jay and a raccoon whose dull jobs as park groundskeepers spiral into wildly absurd, reality-bending misadventures. Deadpan, inventive and packed with 80s pop nostalgia, it became a quiet animation favourite. If its laid-back surreal humour charmed you, seek out offbeat animated comedies where the mundane keeps exploding into chaos.
See shows like Regular Show → - 21
Haikyu!! (ハイキュー!!, 2014)
This beloved sports anime follows short, irrepressible Hinata as he chases volleyball greatness, turning a school team's rivalries and rallies into pulse-pounding drama. Kinetic, funny and bursting with heart, it makes every match feel like a war. If its underdog energy and teamwork thrilled you, the great sports anime share its blend of training, friendship and edge-of-your-seat competition.
See shows like Haikyu!! → - 22
InuYasha (犬夜叉, 2000)
Rumiko Takahashi's fantasy anime sends modern schoolgirl Kagome back to feudal Japan, where she teams with the half-demon Inuyasha to gather the shards of a shattered sacred jewel. Adventurous, romantic and steeped in folklore, it became a gateway anime for a generation. If its demon-fighting quest and slow-burn romance hooked you, seek out fantasy adventure anime where modern hearts meet ancient magic.
See shows like InuYasha → - 23
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
This 2014 animated miniseries follows two brothers lost in the Unknown, a storybook forest where whimsy curdles into the eerie. Beautiful, melancholy and steeped in old Americana, it's a tiny, perfect autumn fable. If its dreamlike charm and gentle dread enchanted you, seek out atmospheric animated tales that balance wonder, mystery and a quiet undertow of unease.
See shows like Over the Garden Wall → - 24
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険, 2012)
This wildly stylish anime spans generations of the Joestar bloodline battling vampires and supernatural foes with flamboyant powers, outrageous poses and pure operatic excess. Bold, absurd and endlessly creative, it's like nothing else in the medium. If its over-the-top action and bravado hooked you, seek out flamboyant battle anime that turn fights into theatre and style into a superpower.
See shows like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure → - 25
Your Lie in April (四月は君の嘘, 2014)
This emotional anime follows a piano prodigy who lost his ability to hear the music after his mother's death — until a free-spirited violinist pulls him back toward life and love. Gorgeous, melancholy and devastating, it makes music a language of grief and healing. If its beauty and heartbreak moved you, seek out emotional anime and dramas about art, loss and being brought back to feeling.
See shows like Your Lie in April → - 26
BoJack Horseman (2014)
This animated tragicomedy follows a washed-up sitcom horse navigating fame, addiction and self-loathing in a Hollywood of talking animals. Outrageously funny and startlingly bleak, it became one of TV's most honest portraits of depression and the search for meaning. If its blend of absurd comedy and raw emotional truth gripped you, seek out adult animation and dramedies that hide real pain beneath the jokes.
See shows like BoJack Horseman → - 27
Naruto Shippūden (ナルト 疾風伝, 2007)
The epic continuation of Naruto follows the grown ninja's fight to protect his village and save his lost friend, deepening a sprawling world of clans, war and hard-won bonds. Action-packed and emotionally heavy, it carries one of anime's most beloved sagas to its climax. If its ninja battles and themes of friendship and sacrifice hooked you, the great long-running shōnen anime share its blend of spectacle and heart.
See shows like Naruto Shippūden → - 28
Golden Time (ゴールデンタイム, 2013)
This bittersweet romance anime follows a law student with amnesia trying to build a new life and love while haunted by a past self he can't remember. Heartfelt and surprisingly raw about identity and emotional baggage, it's a grounded campus drama. If its tender, melancholy romance moved you, seek out slice-of-life and college-set romance anime about memory, growth and starting over.
See shows like Golden Time → - 29
Monster (MONSTER, 2004)
Naoki Urasawa's anime masterpiece follows a brilliant surgeon who saves a child's life, only to learn the boy grows into a monstrous serial killer — and to chase him across Europe in a moral nightmare. Slow, meticulous and deeply unsettling, it's a peerless psychological thriller. If its dread and ethical weight gripped you, seek out cerebral thriller anime and crime dramas about conscience, guilt and the nature of evil.
See shows like Monster → - 30
Adventure Time (2010)
This beloved animated series follows boy hero Finn and his shape-shifting dog Jake through the surreal, post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, blending zany comedy with surprising depth and melancholy. Inventive and quietly profound, it became a generational touchstone. If its whimsy and emotional layers charmed you, seek out imaginative animated series that hide real heartbreak and wonder beneath the absurdity.
See shows like Adventure Time → - 31
High School DxD (ハイスクールD×D, 2012)
This raucous fantasy anime follows a hapless student reborn as a devil and drawn into a supernatural world of angels, demons and a growing entourage. Cheeky, action-packed and unapologetically fan-service-heavy, it's a guilty-pleasure staple of the ecchi-action genre. If its mix of battles and comedy is your speed, seek out supernatural harem and action-fantasy anime that pile on demons, banter and over-the-top spectacle.
See shows like High School DxD → - 32
The Amazing World of Gumball (2011)
This inventive animated comedy follows a blue cat named Gumball and his goldfish brother through chaotic middle-school life in a town where every character is a different art style entirely. Fast, surreal and dazzlingly creative with its mixed-media animation, it's a riot of visual wit. If its anarchic humour and visual invention charmed you, seek out fast-paced animated comedies that gleefully break their own rules.
See shows like The Amazing World of Gumball →
Best animation series: recent
- 6
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (葬送のフリーレン, 2023)
After the heroes defeat the Demon King, this quietly devastating anime asks what comes next — for an elven mage who will outlive every human friend she made. Frieren's journey is less about battles than about grief, memory and learning what mortality means too late. Meditative and gorgeously animated, it rewards patience. If its melancholy and warmth moved you, Maquia and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood share its emotional depth and its sense of time's quiet weight.
See shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End → - 7
Arcane (2021)
Built from the world of League of Legends, Arcane needs no knowledge of the game: it's a sumptuously animated tragedy about two sisters torn apart by the class war between gilded Piltover and the undercity of Zaun. Adult, painterly and emotionally brutal, it treats every character as a wound with a backstory. If its visual ambition and grown-up storytelling won you over, Castlevania and other prestige adult animation deliver the same blend of spectacle and heartbreak.
See shows like Arcane → - 33
The Owl House (2020)
This 2020 animated series follows self-assured teen Luz, who stumbles through a portal into a magical world and apprentices herself to a rebellious witch. Witty, warm and quietly groundbreaking, it builds a rich fantasy world around outsiders who find their own kind of family. If its imagination and big heart charmed you, seek out adventurous animated series about misfits, magic and belonging.
See shows like The Owl House → - 34
Solo Leveling (俺だけレベルアップな件, 2024)
This 2024 anime adaptation follows Sung Jinwoo, the world's weakest monster hunter, who after a near-fatal dungeon gains the unique power to grow stronger without limit. Slick, propulsive and built on pure power-fantasy momentum, it became an instant sensation. If its addictive level-up thrills hooked you, seek out action anime and game-inspired adventures about underdogs who rise from nothing to unstoppable.
See shows like Solo Leveling → - 35
Primal (2019)
Genndy Tartakovsky's near-wordless animated series throws a caveman and a dinosaur together as unlikely allies fighting to survive a savage prehistoric world. Visceral, beautifully drawn and told almost entirely through action and emotion, it's animation as raw, brutal poetry. If its primal intensity and visual storytelling gripped you, seek out dialogue-light, action-driven animation that trusts image over words.
See shows like Primal → - 36
My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア, 2016)
This hit anime drops a powerless boy into a world where almost everyone has superpowers, then grants him a borrowed gift and a place at the top hero academy. Energetic, earnest and big on heart, it reinvents the superhero coming-of-age for the shōnen age. If its underdog spirit and spectacular battles hooked you, the great modern shōnen anime share its blend of training, friendship and heroics.
See shows like My Hero Academia → - 37
INVINCIBLE (2021)
This adult animated series follows teenage Mark Grayson as he inherits superpowers from his father, the planet's mightiest hero — until a shocking betrayal upends everything he believed. Sharp, character-driven and startlingly violent, it deconstructs the superhero myth without losing its heart. If its brutal twists and emotional depth gripped you, seek out mature animated and live-action superhero stories that aren't afraid to draw blood.
See shows like INVINCIBLE → - 38
Hazbin Hotel (2024)
This 2024 musical animated series follows Lucifer's daughter as she opens a hotel to rehabilitate the damned and curb Hell's overpopulation — with show tunes, raunch and real pathos. Brash, colourful and surprisingly heartfelt, it built a huge fandom from its indie roots. If its irreverent energy and Broadway flair charmed you, seek out adult animated musicals and irreverent comedies with a soft, beating heart.
See shows like Hazbin Hotel → - 39
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃, 2019)
This blockbuster anime follows Tanjiro, who becomes a demon slayer after his family is massacred and his sister is turned into a demon, in a quest for a cure and revenge. Stunningly animated and emotionally driven, its breathtaking action set a new visual bar. If its gorgeous battles and big heart hooked you, the great modern shōnen anime share its blend of spectacle, family and grief.
See shows like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba → - 40
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun (地縛少年花子くん, 2020)
This stylish anime pairs a lovestruck schoolgirl with the mischievous ghost haunting her school's bathroom, in a supernatural tale of urban legends, yokai and slow-building feeling. Visually striking and tonally nimble — funny, eerie and tender by turns — it's a fresh take on school-set fantasy. If its quirky charm and ghostly romance hooked you, seek out supernatural anime that blend comedy, mystery and the bittersweet.
See shows like Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun → - 41
Banana Fish (BANANA FISH, 2018)
This intense anime follows Ash Lynx, a brilliant teenage gang leader in New York, who teams with a young Japanese photojournalist to unravel a deadly conspiracy tied to his abusive past. Dark, propulsive and emotionally raw, it fuses crime thriller with a tender bond. If its gritty stakes and aching connection gripped you, seek out crime and drama anime that pair brutal worlds with deep, fragile relationships.
See shows like Banana Fish → - 42
The Apothecary Diaries (薬屋のひとりごと, 2023)
This acclaimed anime follows Maomao, a sharp-witted apothecary sold into the emperor's palace, who solves poisonings and court intrigues with cool deductive brilliance. Elegant, clever and quietly subversive, it blends mystery, history and slow-burn romance. If its detective wit and palace intrigue hooked you, seek out mystery anime and historical dramas led by brilliant, observant women.
See shows like The Apothecary Diaries → - 43
Scissor Seven (刺客伍六七, 2018)
This inventive Chinese animated series follows a bumbling, amnesiac hairdresser-slash-assassin armed with scissors, caught up in feuding clans and a search for his lost past. Wildly stylised, absurdly funny and surprisingly poignant, it became a streaming cult hit. If its zany action and offbeat charm hooked you, seek out stylish, comedic action animation that hides real feeling beneath the chaos.
See shows like Scissor Seven → - 44
Bluey (2018)
This Australian animated series follows an irrepressible six-year-old Blue Heeler pup and her family, turning everyday play into wise, joyful adventures. Disarmingly clever and quietly profound about parenting and childhood, it became a phenomenon loved by kids and adults alike. If its warmth and imagination charmed you, seek out gentle family animation that finds big feeling in small, ordinary moments.
See shows like Bluey → - 45
JUJUTSU KAISEN (呪術廻戦, 2020)
This hit anime drops cursed-energy battles into a dark modern world, as student Yuji swallows a powerful relic and joins a school of sorcerers fighting monstrous Curses. Slick, brutal and gorgeously animated, it became a defining shōnen of its era. If its kinetic action and dark stakes hooked you, the great modern shōnen anime share its blend of spectacle, camaraderie and dread.
See shows like JUJUTSU KAISEN → - 46
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (無職転生 ～異世界行ったら本気だす～, 2021)
This acclaimed isekai anime reincarnates a regretful recluse as a baby in a magical world, where he vows to truly live this time — mastering magic and growing up across a richly built fantasy life. Beautifully animated and surprisingly heartfelt, it set a new bar for the genre. If its world-building and growth hooked you, seek out isekai and fantasy anime about second chances and earned transformation.
See shows like Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation → - 47
KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! (この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！, 2016)
This beloved comedy anime drops a dead shut-in into a fantasy world with a useless goddess, an explosion-obsessed mage and a masochistic knight, then mocks every isekai cliché with gleeful chaos. Hilarious, scrappy and affectionate toward the genre it skewers, it's pure fun. If its absurd humour delighted you, seek out comedy isekai and parody anime that turn adventuring into a running joke.
See shows like KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! → - 48
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (かぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦～, 2019)
This razor-sharp romantic comedy anime pits two brilliant, proud student-council leaders in a war of schemes — each too stubborn to confess first to the other. Inventive, hilarious and surprisingly tender, it turns courtship into high-stakes strategy. If its wit and slow-burn romance charmed you, seek out smart romantic comedy anime where love is a battle of egos and the heart keeps winning.
See shows like Kaguya-sama: Love Is War → - 49
Dan Da Dan (ダンダダン, 2024)
This frenetic 2024 anime throws two teens — one who believes in ghosts, one in aliens — into a whirlwind of both, gaining strange powers and stranger feelings. Wildly animated, funny and unexpectedly romantic, it became an instant sensation. If its chaotic energy and heart hooked you, seek out supernatural action anime that blend horror, comedy and a tender love story at full speed.
See shows like Dan Da Dan → - 50
Dr. STONE (Dr.STONE, 2019)
This inventive anime petrifies all humanity in an instant, then wakes a teenage science genius millennia later to rebuild civilisation from scratch using ingenuity and the scientific method. Smart, upbeat and surprisingly educational, it makes problem-solving thrilling. If its brainy optimism and adventure hooked you, seek out science-driven anime and survival stories that turn knowledge itself into a superpower.
See shows like Dr. STONE → - 51
Dororo (どろろ, 2019)
This dark anime follows a young swordsman whose father bartered his body parts to demons, now reclaiming his humanity one slain demon at a time, alongside an orphan thief. Brutal, melancholy and morally rich, it reinvents a classic tale for a mature audience. If its grim quest and emotional depth gripped you, seek out dark fantasy and samurai anime about reclaiming what was stolen and the price of becoming whole.
See shows like Dororo → - 52
Vinland Saga (ヴィンランド・サガ, 2019)
This acclaimed anime follows a young Viking consumed by revenge, then slowly transformed by the question of whether a warrior can ever lay down the sword. Sweeping, brutal and surprisingly philosophical about violence and redemption, it's historical epic at its finest. If its battle-hardened drama and moral evolution gripped you, seek out historical and war anime about warriors searching for meaning beyond the fight.
See shows like Vinland Saga → - 53
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ない, 2018)
This thoughtful anime blends teen romance with "Puberty Syndrome," a mysterious phenomenon that manifests adolescent anxieties as the supernatural — starting with a girl no one can see. Smart, sensitive and emotionally grounded, it uses sci-fi to explore loneliness and connection. If its tender, brainy drama hooked you, seek out introspective romance anime where the supernatural mirrors the ache of growing up.
See shows like Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai → - 54
SPY x FAMILY (SPY×FAMILY, 2022)
This hit anime assembles a fake family — a spy, an assassin and a telepathic little girl — who must convincingly pose as ordinary while each hides a secret. Funny, warm and laced with espionage thrills, it turns found-family comedy into pure delight. If its blend of action and heart charmed you, seek out comedy-adventure anime where mismatched people fake a bond and find a real one.
See shows like SPY x FAMILY → - 55
Horimiya (ホリミヤ, 2021)
This warm romance anime pairs the popular, secretly homebound Hori with the quiet, secretly soft Miyamura, as two teens reveal their hidden selves and gently fall for each other. Sweet, honest and refreshingly low-drama, it's a comfort-watch romance. If its gentle sincerity charmed you, seek out slice-of-life romance anime about ordinary teens learning to be seen and loved as they really are.
See shows like Horimiya → - 56
Yuri!!! on Ice (ユーリ!!! on ICE, 2016)
This beloved anime follows a struggling figure skater who, with a legendary champion as his coach, fights to revive his career and find self-belief on the world stage. Gorgeously animated and emotionally generous, it became a phenomenon for its heart and its tender central bond. If its sports drama and warmth moved you, seek out sports anime about second chances, mentorship and the courage to chase a dream.
See shows like Yuri!!! on Ice → - 57
DARLING in the FRANXX (ダーリン・イン・ザ・フランキス, 2018)
This 2018 mecha anime sends paired teen pilots to fight monstrous threats in a bleak future, using their bond — and their feelings — to power giant robots. Stylish and emotionally charged, it pairs spectacular action with a story about intimacy, identity and what it means to connect. If its mecha drama and aching romance hooked you, seek out emotional mecha anime where giant battles mask very human longing.
See shows like DARLING in the FRANXX → - 58
X-Men '97 (2024)
This 2024 revival continues the beloved 90s animated series, reuniting the X-Men with sharper animation and surprisingly mature storytelling about prejudice, loss and legacy. Faithful yet bolder, it thrilled longtime fans and newcomers alike. If its blend of nostalgia, spectacle and real stakes gripped you, seek out animated superhero series that treat their heroes' struggles with genuine weight.
See shows like X-Men '97 → - 59
Mob Psycho 100 (モブサイコ100, 2016)
From the creator of One-Punch Man, this anime follows a shy, immensely powerful young psychic who just wants to be normal, in a story that values kindness and growth over raw strength. Wildly animated, funny and quietly profound, it's a coming-of-age gem. If its dazzling action and big heart hooked you, seek out action-comedy anime that hide sincere emotional truth beneath the spectacle.
See shows like Mob Psycho 100 → - 60
Chainsaw Man (チェンソーマン, 2022)
This visceral anime follows Denji, a destitute young man fused with a chainsaw devil, who becomes a monster-hunting weapon while chasing the simplest of dreams. Brutal, raw and surprisingly poignant about poverty and longing, its bold animation made it a sensation. If its grime, gore and aching humanity hooked you, seek out dark action anime that pair extreme violence with raw, melancholy emotion.
See shows like Chainsaw Man →
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources