The Anime You Should Watch at Least Once

2024-10-28
The Anime You Should Watch at Least Once

The anime community on Reddit has opened a debate that has quickly become a trend, with hundreds of users discussing what are the must-watch series for any anime fan. It all started when a user commented that, so far, he had only watched short series of 12 episodes, with "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" being the only exception in terms of longer franchises. Her post attracted an avalanche of responses with recommendations and passionate opinions about the anime that, according to the community, every Japanese animation lover should watch at least once.

The Anime You Should Watch at Least Once

With the question of "Which iconic or popular anime should I watch at least once in my life?" as a premise, the debate has spread over which series best represent the spectrum of anime and which of them could be considered truly indispensable. Some members of the forum pointed out that there are certain works that marked a before and after in the industry, so they should be seen not only for their historical relevance, but also for their impact on anime culture globally. Other users argued that watching series beyond the popular ones also enriches the viewer's perspective, allowing them to appreciate lesser-known works that have gained cult status.

  • "Steins; Gate. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood".
  • "Hunter x Hunter. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Steins; Gate (just keep in mind that it's a slow-moving anime, but it's well worth it). In my opinion, these are unmissable."
  • "Cowboy Bebop is definitely at the level of Evangelion as a classic of the same era."
  • "Steins; Gate".
  • "Try Frieren, Code Geass, Re Zero, Clannad, Your Lie in April, Koe no Katachi, Planetarian Hoshi no Hito, Wagnaria, Spice and Wolf, Fruits Basket."
  • "Classroom of the Elite should not be on the list."
  • "Just see the list of the most popular ones on MyAnimeList one by one, so you will cover all the popular and iconic anime."
  • "Personally, I think everyone should give Haikyuu a chance!"
  • "Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Fullmetal Alchemist, Steins; Gate".
  • "Sailor Moon, My Hero Academia, Fruits Basket".
  • "Black Lagoon".
  • "I just finished Hunter x Hunter and it's amazing. It has 148 episodes, but you'll watch them so fast you won't even notice!"
  • "Sailor Moon – laid the groundwork for the magical girl genre. Madoka Magica – introduced more serious themes to the genre and changed its focus. Revolutionary Girl Utena – a fantasy anime ahead of its time, with a sapphic couple. It will last!! – A Slice of Life anime with supernatural elements, where all the characters are protagonists and their stories are connected by coincidence. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – a very well-written adventure shonen, tackling themes about the morality of religion, war, science, etc."
  • "Higurashi. But watch it knowing that there are different endings and timelines; it is very important not to confuse you. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The latter has a lot of politics, which is crucial to the existence of Section 9. If cyberpunk or philosophy aren't your thing, it can bore you. Edit: I can't believe I forgot to mention Cowboy Bebop! It is surprising that it is not mentioned more. Bounty hunters in space. That's great!. You have to see it!"
  • "It may sound counterintuitive, but for me the ultimate series in terms of fun and length is Gintama. This series will make you laugh to death, and you'll come back to life only to watch it again. Gintama to win!"
  • "Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Legend of Galactic Heroes, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Fullmetal Alchemist."
  • "Fullmetal Alchemist".
  • "Cowboy Bebop is a must-see in my opinion. Also Samurai Champloo by the same creator."
  • "Vinland Saga, Hunter x Hunter, Haikyuu, Frieren, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, One Punch Man".
  • "I think Sword Art Online is worth it, if for no other reason, at least because of how controversial it is. People seem to love it or hate it. I guess you have to decide for yourself."
  • "One Piece. You will have seven great-grandchildren before you finish it."
  • "Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Samurai Champloo, Outlaw Star, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball (Z), Gundam Wing, Gurren Lagann, Rurouni Kenshin."
  • "This anime isn't as iconic or as popular, but it deserves attention: Amagi Brilliant Park."
  • "The idea of 'iconic' and 'popular' in this subreddit is very strange."
  • "Monster. It would include films like Ghibli's, Perfect Blue and Akira's."
  • "Frieren is very recent, but if Season 2 maintains the quality of Season 1, it could be at the top of MyAnimeList for the next 50 years. It's that good."
  • "Jujutsu Kaisen and Mob Psycho 100 are something you shouldn't miss. Both have exceptional animation, especially during the action sequences. In addition, the plot is intriguing. Another anime I recommend watching is Parasyte."
  • "Monster, Baccano! (only 13 episodes, but with an incredible story), Attack on Titan (I just finished it and it's one of the best)."
  • "How come no one has mentioned Dragon Ball?"
  • "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Natsume Yuujinchou, Beck, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, Durarara!! and Saiki. I'm not sure I'd recommend Detective Conan because, although it's been a longtime favorite, it's... very long. It's easy to get exhausted, as many episodes are 'case of the week' and it has more than 1100 episodes, more than 25 movies, and you don't see the end."
  • "Sousou no Frieren, Jujutsu Kaisen, Apothecary Diaries, Vinland Saga, Konosuba, Gintama, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo."
  • "For really long series, the 'Big 3' (One Piece, Naruto, Bleach) are iconic and, in my opinion, worth watching. Bleach is my favorite and also the shortest of the three. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a must-have. Hunter x Hunter, Samurai Champloo (I don't know if it's super popular, but I recommend it anyway), One Punch Man, Princess Mononoke and in general Ghibli studios if you're interested in movies. Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, and My Hero Academia are all very popular recent shows that are worth watching if you enjoy shonen, in my opinion."
  • "Naruto, obviously. I thought I'd never see it because I thought it was overrated, but when I saw it, the hype was real. Slam Dunk (read the manga if you want the full story) and Initial D (I'm not a fan of cars, but I always liked drifting)."
  • "Fullmetal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, Naruto-Naruto Shippuden, One Piece. If a series has more than 12-25 episodes and spans several seasons, it's probably because it's a huge hit. Some, like Naruto, Shippuden, and One Piece, seem like huge tasks to fully watch. If you have unlimited time... Enjoy. If you're trying to catch up quickly on series over 1000 episodes, look for the "canon" episodes and skip the "filler" ones."
  • "Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, maybe the "Big 3"? Naruto, Bleach, One Piece Dragon Ball, DBZ, Super Berserk? The 1997 anime or the commemorative edition (both are fine, but it's an anime you'd like to use as a stepping stone to manga, which is much better). Vinland Saga. If you like comedy, Gintama (it's not all comedy, serious arcs are very intense). Lupin III Part 2, Part 4, Part 5 There's probably a lot of other things that escape me, I'll add if I remember other things I like."
  • "Great Teacher Onizuka is a cool but underrated anime, I think everyone should watch it. I saw it when I was a kid and loved it. Also, it will last!! it's quite entertaining."
  • "Code Geass without a doubt if you haven't seen it yet, Prison School just for fun, and also Parasyte."
  • "If you're going to put Evangelion on the list, maybe you should also check out the most popular mecha anime like Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed."
  • "Maybe I'm biased because I just finished it, but if you like '80s anime and romantic comedies, try Maison Ikkoku, it's an important piece of the genre and established a lot of the typical romantic comedy tropes."

Source: Reddit