Konnichiwa, snitches.
I’m B, and this is Brotakuza.
That was a classic scene for us older kids, and it perfectly captures how I feel about
watching anime, especially since I started working in Japan.
I’m currently trying my best to catch up on Hunter x Hunter…and very slowly at that.
But sometimes I want an anime that’s short and sweet while giving me the same character
development and story depth as the Narutos and One Pieces of the world, without having
to invest in hundreds and hundreds of episodes, because I simply don’t have time for it.
Luckily, there are plenty of anime like this, some of which can be binged through in between
1 and 3 sittings.
Many of these are considered classics, with one believed by many to be the best anime
of all time.
That being said, here are my picks for the top 10 single-season anime of all time…so
far.
#10 Parasyte the Maxim
When you initially read the synopsis about worm-like aliens invading Earth and causing
mayhem after taking over humans’ brains, it seems like a straightforward horror story,
but what follows is an unlikely friendship between a human host and his parasyte that
offers us a great lesson about our relationship as humans to the Earth as only one in a myriad
of species.
And it does it in a way that doesn’t come off as too preachy, and even throws in some
pretty thought-provoking takes on the relativity of morality.
At #9, Kill La Kill
Come for the fan service, stay for the subliminal messaging.
Kill La Kill was a highly polarizing anime when it came out.
While many thought this was an overly misogynistic anime, and it is kind of hard to get past
all the T&A, others felt it was a bold shot at the ecchi genre.
Whichever side you may fall on, I felt this high school revenge story of a girl looking
for her dad’s killer had plenty of substance to back up its choice of delivery.
And I also enjoyed Kill La Kill’s subtle shots at hierarchal societal structures, which
is a hallmark of Japanese culture, but a really antiquated way of determining a person’s
value in my opinion.
If you can get past the overabundance of skin, I think you’ll really enjoy this one.
#8, Ouran High School Host Club
So, a short-haired girl named Haruhi stumbles her way into her new high school’s host
club, breaks a vase, and now the guys, thinking that Haruhi is also a guy, force her to work
to pay off the debt.
The only thing more ridiculous than this is the fact that a high school has a host club
in the first place.
The only thing more ridiculous than THAT, is the fact that host clubs exist in real
life.
Still a great anime, and one of the very few that adapted well to the live-action treatment.
#7, Madoka Magica
Madoka Magica is the story of a group of girls who are granted a wish in exchange for their
souls and service as witch fighters.
The fine print of their agreement is kept hidden, and they find that their decision
has a pretty lofty consequence.
The magical girls genre has been done to death, but Madoka Magica throws in a surprising twist
element that really cuts to the core and makes you rethink your stance on some of the key
characters.
And this is a spoiler, but not really a spoiler, but sort of a spoiler…but pay close attention
to the opening theme, as it kind of gives away the twist, which still has a bit of a
sting even if you see it coming.
#6, Samurai Champloo
I was fascinated with Japan’s Edo period when I was little, and it wouldn’t be until
I was much older before I got into watching anime.
So finding this was like a match made in heaven for me.
This is a great story about a tea shop waitress who hires two samurai whose lives she saved,
to help her find a samurai who smells of sunflowers.
This anime was created and directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, who also made another anime you
might have heard of that will also make an appearance on this list a little later.
But for now, onto #5, Erased
I feel like I say it in almost every video, but I love anything that has to do with time
travel, and Erased is no exception.
The main character Satoru has the ability to go a few minutes back in time and stop
a disaster from happening, but the murder of his mother sends him way back to his elementary
school days where he must undo this terrifying future by solving a sequence of violent events
as a 10 year old student.
There’s a bit of time hopping involved, but its never overkill, and this results in
a masterpiece of an anime that also has a quality Netflix live-action version attached
to it.
Now at #4, Eden of the East
I honestly don’t remember how I stumbled upon this anime, but it turned out to be one
that had me on the edge of my seat.
It starts 3 months after a casualty-free missile strike in Japan with a chance meeting in Washington
DC between a Japanese university student named Saki and a naked Japanese man with the alias
“Akira” who has completely lost his memory.
A mysterious cell phone is their starting point to discovering who he really is and
how he’s linked to the apparent attack just a few months prior.
Now for our top 3.
At #3, Death Note
Obvious classic.
if you’re new to anime, this is part of the essential viewing curriculum.
It’s about Light Yagami, a high school student who inherits the power of life and death with
a single pen and the Death Note, a notebook that can terminate a person’s life simply
by having their name written in it.
If it’s such a classic, then why only #3?
Well, what made this anime work so well was the intellectual chess match between Light
and L, the quirky detective tasked with taking Light down.
After L left the picture, the magic of what made this such an intense game of cat and
mouse died out a little for me, but it’s still a must-watch nonetheless.
#2, Neon Genesis Evangelion
This is about as love-it-or-hate-it as an anime can get, and I fall on the side of love.
This mid-90s classic takes place in a post-apocalyptic Japan where mankind is fighting for its survival
against giant Angel monsters with the use of Evangelion mechas.
A super annoying main character and difficult-to-decipher ending really left a sour taste in many viewers’
mouths, such to the point that the creator of the series, Hideaki Anno, received death
threats over it, leading to a film release with a new ending.
But if you notice the tree of life from the Kabbalah in the opening theme, that should
tip you off that this anime is dealing with some serious symbolic undertones, and I was
definitely in the minority that actually appreciated the original ending.
Check it out and decide for yourself.
Before we get to #1, here are 3 honorable mentions that should also be on your single-season
watch list.
Angel Beats, Steins;Gate, and Trigun.
Definitely check those out.
And at #1, no surprise, it’s Cowboy Bebop.
Most anime series, no matter how well written they are, no matter how well animated they
are, usually have even just the slightest blemish.
And that’s why Cowboy Bebop is revered the way that it is.
It stands as a bullet-proof artistic standard for the medium, and no anime has been able
to quite recreate or recapture its flawlessness.
The future dystopian space setting and soundtrack creates a wholly unique atmosphere that is
second to none.
And the characters from the Bebop bounty hunting crew are so well fleshed out, that there is
a level of authenticity that you just don’t get from many other anime characters, period.
Well, those were my picks.
As always, if you’ve got an issue with this top 10, or the order…drop a comment and
let me know what your list would look like down below.
I will be back soon, but until then, Sayonara, suckasss!