Western culture has relegated animation to the world of children’s entertainment and adult humor. Unfortunately, however, these designations have closed many people off to the genre. Moreover, this rich world has, been condensed down, by many, to nothing more than cartoon status. Yet, the wonders of Japanese anime are clear for everyone. For those interested in learning about its rich history and impact on society, there is much to be learned.
Furthermore, in Japan, the ability to marvel at the human condition and look deeper into the psyche is a massive part of what drives their anime productions, which are as rich and varied a tapestry as anything to be found in live-action films. Moreover, by using the medium of drawn characters, they’ve tapped into an ability to capture some of our most powerful emotions. The same emotions we all experience but presented in a way that is often more real than the bland reality we see around us.
Everything can be found in anime from profound love, intense violence, horrific loss, sweet and sensual sexuality, heroic tales, and beautiful worlds if we only know where to look. For those interested in seeing life through this unique and special art, here are 20 Japanese anime for everybody. This is not a list curated based on experience levels. Rather, it is a collection of Japanese anime films and shows we feel everyone can enjoy.
Gurren Lagann
Number of Episodes: 27
Run Time: 24 mins
Set on a future version of earth, a being, the Sprial King (Lordgenome), has claimed power. As a result, humans have been forced below ground. Living in subterranean cities, isolated from each other, humanity lives in fear. The story follows the journey of two teenagers, Simon and Kamina, as they decide to travel to the surface and fight for justice.
Using a giant mech called Gurren, they reach the surface and join the resistance army fighting against the Spiral King. However, there is a twist, and the true enemy is revealed, and a brand new threat needs to be thwarted by the resurrected remnants of society.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Number of Episodes: 39
Run Time: 24 mins
A young woman who longs to be a handsome prince adopts the role of a young boy so that she can one day grow up to rescue a damsel in distress. Then she does save a woman from her abusive partner. Tackling themes of gender identity, socially constructed roles, the nature of love, and being true to oneself in the face of adversity, it’s a powerful message for anyone who has ever felt different.
Princess Mononoke
Number of Episodes: 1 movie
Run Time: 134 mins
Going far deeper than the film Avatar, Princess Mononoke tells the tale of a greedy, ambitious woman destroying the natural world and exploiting its resources. The titular princess is a woman raised by a wolf god who must fight against the encroaching industrialization in an attempt to save the forest. A young man finds himself caught between these two factions and tries to negotiate peace between the two sides and stem blood flow.
Bunny Drop
Number of Episodes: 11
Run Time: 24 mins
Bunny Drop is a surprisingly engaging family drama in which a young bachelor adopts his grandfather’s illegitimate daughter, though the rest of his family reviles her. However, as the two grow closer together, the message of how to love and give freely of one’s self breaks through, showing how joy and acceptance can be found in the most unlikely of places.
Cowboy Bebop
Number of Episodes: 26
Run Time: 25 mins
Get ready to saddle up, space cowboy. Bebop is a short-run story of a set of bounty hunters traversing the galaxy, forever looking for enough money to eat and escape from the pain of their own pasts. At once playful and fun, then disappearing into thoughtful and severe, the melding of plot and action is a masterwork of the anime genre. This is one of those titles that most people will know, even those that have never watched. It proves that Japanese anime really is for everyone.
Clannad
Number of Episodes: 24 (a secondary series under a slightly different name had an additional 24 episodes) plus one movie
Run Time: 30 mins
Clannad is a coming-of-age drama that follows young Tomoya as he looks to waste away his high school years engaging in every delinquency known to man. Then he befriends a group of young women struggling through the trials of ordinary life and begins to see the suffering that being average can do to us all. Expect tears to be jerked.
Paranoia Agent
Number of Episodes: 13
Run Time: 25 mins
A psychological thriller, Paranoia Agent, begins with a boy attacking a woman with a bat. This single act catalyzes a strange and surreal journey into the spread of trauma throughout society as gossip and media fuel a version of reality that may or may not be true. It challenges us all to ask if what we know is real at all. A darker story this Japanese anime has something for everyone to enjoy.
Attack on Titan
Number of Episodes: 75
Run Time: 24 mins
Titans – giant humanoids – have risen and crushed humanity to near extinction. Driven by the death of his mother and the salty lust for revenge, Attack on Titan follows Eren Jaeger on their quest for retribution. One of the best action anime series in recent years, there is a lot of like about Attack on Titan. It holds a wide-ranging appeal, even for Walking Dead fanatics, and serves as a great introduction for any anime fans.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Number of Episodes: 26
Run Time: 24 mins
On the surface, Evangelion is a Pacific Rim-style story about giant robots fighting “angels,” which are massive, destructive creatures that have eradicated much of the Earth. But, through the cataclysmic combat, the real story is about the effect war, depression, family, hate, and religion have on people’s psyche.
There is something baseline Orwellian about this Japanese anime series. The world is divided into three superpowers. Britannia has taken over Japan and stripped away all rights and allowances for its population. Thus begins a twisted tale of revenge far too complex to summarize here, especially without giving away the clever intricacies of this alternative past.
Code Geass
Number of Episodes: 25
Run Time: 24 mins
More poignant now than ever, Code Geass is about a rebellion against a racist and oppressive system by two factions who wish to stop a ruling class from holding their people down. One side seeks to do this through cruelty and violent insurrection, while the other wants to find a path to peace and equanimity. The result is a three-way clash of ideologies wherein no one is right, nor is anyone wrong.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Number of Episodes: 12
Run Time: 24 mins
This addition is a cheeky one. Technically it’s part of the “Magical Girl” anime genre. However, Puella Magi Madoka Magica looks more at the nature of the human soul than at sparkly, spritely females doing battle. A grim reflection on what fighting evil does to a person and how painful it can be to stand against the forces of darkness, this entire series is a Nietzschean stare into the abyss.
Monster
Number of Episodes: 74
Run Time: 24 mins
A man opts to save the life of a young boy instead of the town’s mayor. But, unfortunately, this act ends up having dire consequences. As murders begin to cast doubt on whether or not he did the right thing or unleashed something worse onto the world by trying to do what he thought was best. A classic tale of a choice made and a result questioned.
Monster proves that Japanese anime can tell a story for everyone, it’s just about finding the right way to deliver it.
As with so many anime shows and movies, Monster began life as a Manga series. The anime series is not only faithful to the source material in terms of storyline, but was painstakingly recreated scene by scene, cell by cell.
Trigun
Number of Episodes: 26
Run Time: 24 mins
A sci-fi western, Trigun is about a goofy gunslinger who refuses to kill anyone. This approach often causes more harm to himself in the process. However, as he faces an increasing number of horrors, humanity begins to look less and less like a race of beings worthy of salvation and more like a disease that must be eradicated.
Something of a sleeper hit, Trigun was not that popular in Japan. However, it saw its popularity pick up in the US. However, the show’s creator has said there is unlikely to be any new episodes made, simply due to the nature of the story’s ending.
Ghost in the Shell
Number of Episodes: 1 Movie
Run Time: 83 minutes
In a future where cybernetic implantation is common among police and criminals alike, the difference between humans and machines becomes blurred. A hacker begins altering people to do his bidding. At the same time, the cybernetically modified agent Maj pursues him, learning more about both her humanity and lack thereof. This anime posts the timeless Blade Runner question of “What makes someone a person?”
Paprika
Number of Episodes: 1 movie
Run Time: 90 minutes
In Paprika you will watch a classic cat and mouse tale unfold. Set in the dream worlds, watch as a dream detective (Paprika) pursues a dream terrorist armed with a device allowing them to share people’s dreams and summon nightmares. With a similar setting to Inception, enter the dream realm if you dare
In addition to being a fantastic example of anime storytelling, there is a secret tragedy to the movie. It was the last feature film completed by Satoshi Kon before he passed away from pancreatic cancer aged just 46. Kon was a highly influential figure on western-world film directors Darren Aronofsky and Guillermo del Toro.
Akira
Number of Episodes: 1 movie
Run Time: 124 minutes
A movie that inspired so much. Despite being made over thirty years ago, Akira remains of the most influential anime creations ever. You would be hard pushed to find anybody involved in Japanese anime who was not in some way inspired by Akira.
At its core, Akira is a story of a government project gone awry. A classic tale, it offers a hideous reflection of what human science can do when abused. Strange, violent, and fantastical, Akira is reason enough for man to avoid playing God.
Recent reports talk about an anime series being created. However, whether that goes ahead of not, you cannot go on any anime journey without watching this classic movie.
Mushi-Shi
Number of Episodes: 46
Run Time: 22 mins
Not all Japanese anime has to be about demons or battles. With artful execution and great thought, there’s little action waiting in the Mushi-Shi world. The plot tracks Ginko, a man learning about creatures of pure life, known as the Mushi. Capable of causing great benefits and unfathomable destruction, this visual treat is definitely a slow burn. Instead, it is intensely reflective and for anyone who wants to look closer at what life is.
Many people say that Mushi-shi is a flawed show due to its slow nature. However, if you allow yourself to persevere, this is an anime gem.
Steins;Gate
Number of Episodes: 26
Run Time: 25 mins approx.
Stretching beyond Dr. Who to look at what time travel could mean, Steins;Gate supposes technology that allows texts to be sent into the past. The fallout from this is unexpected and often unusual. It is all witnessed through an array of outcast characters who feel human in remarkable and disconcerting ways.
This anime addresses the subject of time travel, and the problems it always seems to cause. In addition to the original manga and anime series, the Steins;Gate story has also been made into several video games.
The Guardian Of The Sacred Spirit
Number of Episodes: 26
Run Time: 25 minutes
The Guardian of the Ancient spirit is basically, an ancient witch hunt. A powerful man capable of stopping droughts is accused of being possessed by an evil spirit and sentenced to die. His lone ally is a formidable female mercenary. Together they seek to save his soul from an empire that would destroy him and themselves in the process.
One Piece
Number of Episodes: 998 – not including movies and specials
Run Time: 25 mins approx.
One Piece offers everything an anime fan could wish for. A great look, an interesting story, and an abundance of episodes. One Piece is the top-selling manga story, with almost half a billion copies sold, spread across a hundred different volumes. A swashbuckling tale that buckles all swashes. A story of treasure hunting and destiny fulfillment.
If you watch this Japanese anime you are setting yourself up for a wild ride. Follow along with the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, and rubberized pirate and his crew. After gaining rubber-like abilities, Monkey and his ship set sail to seek out the ultimate pirate treasure, the One Piece. With it also comes the crown of pirate king.
One Piece is unquestionably, the ultimate anime adventure, it is a fitting way to end this list. However, don’t be discouraged. There are a great many more anime adventures out there, for those willing to look.
Understanding the Different Types of Japanese Anime
It’s easy to assume that anime is a genre. However, that is not the case. When we say Japanese anime is for everyone to enjoy, we mean it. Closer inspection will show that there are actually five distinct subcategories of anime. There are possible more, but the following five are the core branches.
- Shónen
- Seinen
- Shójo
- Josei, and
- Kodomomuke
Each one is tailored towards a different audience demographic.
Shónen
This style of anime is usually action-packed featuring a young male protagonist. While there are more and more instances of Shónen anime being made with female leads, it is still very much a boys club.
Anime of this type, while enjoyable for everybody caters more towards the younger male demographic. Key examples of Shónen anime are One Piece, Naruto, and Attack on Titan.
Seinen
Translated to youth, Seinen anime is the leveled-up equivalent of Shónen. Still aimed at the male side of the demographic tables, its themes are darker and more mature, much like its intended audience.
Often containing underlying themes of adventure, science fiction, and horror, along with a heft dose of drama for good measure. Seinen is more violent and psychological, which is why its audience is older – late teens and early adulthood. Classic Seinen anime examples are Tokyo Ghoul, Ghost in the Shell, and One-Punch Man.
Shójo
Shójo anime is the polar opposite. Aimed at young women aged between 10 and 18, it focuses primarily on relationships and casual drama. There’s a reason Shójo translates to ‘virgin’. Female leads are the more common find in Shójo, along with a deeper study of human relationships. Despite the lack of action, Shójo enjoys universal appeal.
Some of the more common Shójo animes are Vampire Knight, Ouran High School Host Club, and Sailor Moon.
Josei
In much the same way Seinen is the mature evolution of Shónen for boys, so to is Joesei for the female viewers. While it still features strong themes of relationships and drama, they are simply a darker kind. Gone are the meet-cutes and the love stories, and in its place are much darker themes. Erotic undertones abound and with storylines involving sexual assault, infidelity, and heartbreak.
Despite the target audience, Josie anime is enjoyed by men and women. Some great examples of Josei would be Usagi Drop, Honey & Clover, and Paradise Kiss,
Kodomomuke
You might think we have covered all the bases with our Japanese anime types. However, kodomomuke is a more generalized grouping. Translated to ‘children’ it is a gentle anime style that we have all watched, possibly without knowing.
Featuring strong themes of morality, the aim of most kodomomuke is to teach the audience to be a good person. There is no clear gender split with kodomomuke, and the emphasis is on fun storylines with a mix of action, adventure, intrigue, and comedy.
The biggest examples of kodomomuke anime are Pokemon, Digimon, and Hello Kitty.
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Final Thoughts on Japanese Anime
This article has barely scratched the surface of what Japanese anime is out there. The only limitation is the imagination of its creators. The future of anime looks very bright. The heady westward spread of its popularity has also helped ensure production stays high.
Japanese anime offers something for every fan, from old to you, from those watching their first episode thinking wait, this isn’t just a cartoon to experienced heads who watch without dubbing because it’s more authentic.
Firstly, this list of anime offers you a great many hours of entertainment. In addition, they address some very serious themes that are relevant to modern life but delivered in a way that is palatable.
