Related
Animehas a history spanning over half a century.
The medium broke through in the West through works like Dragon Ball Z.
By the 2010s, it was an established part of hobby culture.
Most of the time, theylack a proper ending.
These anime are a decade old but still well worth a watch.
Some anime, however, are created as entirely original properties.
They are often lavishly animated and feature self-contained narratives with a definite ending.
Here are the eight best anime series that weren’t based on pre-existing manga or light novels.
8Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Shaft
Madoka Magica is amagical girl animewith a twist.
True to form, Madoka Magica has a jarring tonal shift early on.
What starts as a fairly innocent magical girl story quickly becomes a gripping dark fantasy narrative.
This anime is endlessly compelling and visually spectacular to boot.
It was one of 2011’s most acclaimed anime, thanks to its moving plot and magical girl razzle-dazzle.
From Ryuko to Goku, here are the best protagonists in shounen anime!
This anime is also known for its offbeat humor and incredible English dub.
We recommend watching it dubbed the first time so you don’t miss any of the hilarious visual gags.
Don’t worry: this is an anime you’ll definitely want to rewatch.
6Angel Beats
PA Works
Angel Beats isn’t simply a sad anime.
It’s mired in heartache, a 13-episode reflection on life with all its tragedies and hilarities.
It’s eccentric yet thought-provoking, featuring the ghosts of high school students who died too soon.
The anime’s handling of its subject matter is tactful and inspirational.
A few episodes in, it also features one of the best and most realistically animated concerts in fiction.
Girls Dead Monster rocks as hard as any real band.
Darling in the Franxx is one of the most enjoyable and original anime featuring mechs.
Here are the most romantic anime characters!
Halfway through, there’s a plot twist to make Hideo Kojima’s head spin.
The series' matter-of-fact presentation ofLGBTQ+ themesdeserves credit, too.
It is funny, sad, badass, resigned, and everything in between.
This cross-genre series has transcended its medium with its artistic merit.
It also deserves credit for helping anime gain popularity at the turn of the millennium.
This anime is every bit as entertaining, if not more so, as its sister series.
It continues Shinichiro Watanabe’s ethos of bringing the music of an anime to life through inspired storytelling.
It’s also one of the funniest anime out there, even in the original Japanese dub.
2Gurren Lagann
Gainax
Gurren Lagann is one of the finestsci-fi animeever made.
Its stellar animation, absorbing story, and lovable characters make it essential viewing.
This is Gainax’s greatest triumph, surpassing even the studio’s most popular work, Evangelion.
Code Geass' quality can only be explained as alignment of the stars.
Lelouch himself is simultaneously one of anime’s greatest protagonists and villains.
These political anime weave stories of treachery and turmoil.
