My Favorite Anime Franchises
by AlexHartsell | created - 01 Apr 2017 | updated - 24 Jul 2018 | PublicA list of my favorite anime shows that I praise and still hold a lot of respect and pride for. Before I go through the list there are other anime franchises that other people like that I want to talk about and my views on it. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Good cast but boring. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Good animation but it is insufferable for me to get through. Naruto: I used like it a lot until it got to it's not so good finale. Yu-Gi-Oh: I used to love it as a kid but looking back at it, it has not age well as the series got worse. Hunter x Hunter: Due to the creator having health issues and having the manga on hold. I lost interest in it and love Yu Yu Hakusho more.
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1. One Piece (1999– )
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Monkey D. Luffy sets off on an adventure with his pirate crew in hopes of finding the greatest treasure ever, known as the "One Piece."
Stars: Mayumi Tanaka, Akemi Okamura, Laurent Vernin, Tony Beck
Votes: 235,410
2. Mobile Suit Gundam (1979–1980)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
In the war between the Earth Federation and Zeon, a young and inexperienced crew find themselves on a new spaceship. Their best hope of making it through the conflict is the Gundam, a giant humanoid robot, and its gifted teenage pilot.
Stars: Hirotaka Suzuoki, Tôru Furuya, Toshio Furukawa, Kiyonobu Suzuki
Votes: 2,779
and every Gundam series (but Gundam AGE is my least favorite and is the weakest Gundam series ever).
3. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003–2004)
TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
When a failed alchemical ritual leaves brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric with severely damaged bodies, they begin searching for the one thing that can save them: the fabled philosopher's stone.
Stars: Vic Mignogna, Aaron Dismuke, Romi Park, Rie Kugimiya
Votes: 77,675
4. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009–2010)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Two brothers search for a Philosopher's Stone after an attempt to revive their deceased mother goes awry and leaves them in damaged physical forms.
Stars: Kent Williams, Iemasa Kayumi, Matthew Leonhart, Vic Mignogna
Votes: 197,618
5. Gurren Lagann (2007)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Two friends, Simon and Kamina, become the symbols of rebellion against the powerful Spiral King, who forced mankind into subterranean villages.
Stars: Tetsuya Kakihara, Shizuka Itou, Yuri Lowenthal, Marina Inoue
Votes: 21,050
6. Space Dandy (2014)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The cosmic and comic adventures of Space Dandy, a handsome space explorer tasked to tour the universe and discover new alien beings.
Stars: Jun'ichi Suwabe, Uki Satake, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Ian Sinclair
Votes: 4,644
7. Cowboy Bebop (1998–1999)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The futuristic misadventures and tragedies of an easygoing bounty hunter and his partners.
Stars: Kôichi Yamadera, Unshô Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara, Steve Blum
Votes: 139,018
8. Weird Anime Excel Saga (1999–2001)
TV-14 | 650 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
Ilpalazzo wants one thing: to rule world so he can better it. Excel just wants to help. Too bad she sucks at her job.
Stars: Kotono Mitsuishi, Takehito Koyasu, Jason Douglas, Omi Minami
Votes: 1,450
9. Dragon Ball Z (1989–1996)
TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The adventures of Earth's martial arts defender, Son Goku, continue with a new family and the revelation of his alien origins. Now Goku and his allies must defend the planet from an onslaught of new extraterrestrial enemies.
Stars: Jôji Yanami, Kyle Hebert, Masako Nozawa, Sean Schemmel
Votes: 87,874
Every Dragon Ball series except Dragon Ball GT, that was the worst one.
10. Digimon: Digital Monsters (1999–2007)
TV-Y7 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A group of young teens is unexpectedly sent to the mysterious Digital World and paired up with their own powerful, morphing monster called the Digimon. Together the entire group set out on an adventure to fight evil and save the world.
Stars: Steve Blum, Mona Marshall, Tifanie Christun, Derek Stephen Prince
Votes: 23,368
11. Dr. Slump (1981–1986)
25 min | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
The wacky adventures of Penguin Village and its residents, primarily the crummy inventor Senbei Norimaki and his robot daughter Arale, a superhuman but naïve girl.
Stars: Mami Koyama, Kenji Utsumi, Kazuko Sugiyama, Toshio Furukawa
Votes: 613
12. Mashin Hero Wataru (1988–1989)
26 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Wataru Ikusabe gets his clay robot model transformed into a mighty Mecha to help save a Mystical World. Anime plays a lot like an adventure video game.
Stars: Mayumi Tanaka, Kôichi Yamadera, Megumi Hayashibara, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 146
13. Round Vernian Vifam (1983–1984)
30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A ragtag bunch of children and teenagers must work together, using a squadron of giant robots and a training ship, to travel back to Earth after their colony is wiped out in an alien attack.
Stars: Kôsei Tomita, Runa Akiyama, Hidehiro Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Nanba
Votes: 40
14. Pokémon (1997–2023)
TV-Y7 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Covering the continuing adventures of series protagonist Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, and his best friend Brock, the two meet a new coordinator named Dawn, who travels with them through Sinnoh and enters Pokemon Contests.
Stars: Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Ikue Ôtani
Votes: 47,897
15. Code Geass (2006–2008)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Drama
After being given a mysterious power to control others, an outcast prince becomes the masked leader of the rebellion against an all-powerful empire.
Stars: Jun Fukuyama, Takahiro Sakurai, Johnny Yong Bosch, Yukana
Votes: 80,264
16. Armored Trooper VOTOMS (1983–1984)
TV-MA | Animation, Action, Drama
The end of the 100 year war between the planets Bavalant and Melkia does not allow Melkian soldier Chirico Cuvie a moment of peace. His accidental involvement in a clandestine mission ... See full summary »
Stars: Hozumi Gôda, Shigeru Chiba, Banjô Ginga, Kazuko Yanaga
Votes: 228
17. One Punch Man (2015– )
TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
The story of Saitama, a hero that does it just for fun & can defeat his enemies with a single punch.
Stars: Makoto Furukawa, Kaito Ishikawa, Max Mittelman, Zach Aguilar
Votes: 185,931
18. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012– )
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The story of the Joestar family, who are possessed with intense psychic strength, and the adventures each member encounters throughout their lives.
Stars: David Vincent, Matthew Mercer, Daisuke Ono, Unshô Ishizuka
Votes: 34,451
19. Fist of the North Star (1984–1988)
TV-14 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
After a nuclear war turns Earth into a lawless wasteland, Kenshiro, a practitioner of the deadly master art "Hokuto Shinken", fights a succession of tyrannical warriors to restore order.
Stars: Akira Kamiya, Shigeru Chiba, Teiyû Ichiryûsai, Tomiko Suzuki
Votes: 3,576
20. Inuyasha (2000–2004)
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A teenage girl periodically travels back in time to feudal Japan to help a young half-demon recover the shards of a jewel of great power.
Stars: Kappei Yamaguchi, Richard Ian Cox, Sarah Hauser, Darren Pleavin
Votes: 17,921
21. Kimagure Orange Road (1985–1988)
TV-PG | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
Kyousuke Kasuga is a completely normal Japanese high school student, with two very big problems. The first is his complete and utter inability to choose between two girls, the bright, ... See full summary »
Stars: Tôru Furuya, Hiromi Tsuru, Eriko Hara, Michie Tomizawa
Votes: 924
22. Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files (1992–1995)
TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
After a teenage delinquent is killed while saving a child's life from an approaching car, the rulers of the underworld send him back to become an "Underworld Detective" investigating demons apparitions in the human world.
Stars: Nozomu Sasaki, Justin Cook, Christopher Sabat, Cynthia Cranz
Votes: 16,068
23. Bleach (2004–2023)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
High school student Ichigo Kurosaki, who has the ability to see ghosts, gains soul reaper powers from Rukia Kuchiki and sets out to save the world from "Hollows".
Stars: Johnny Yong Bosch, Michelle Ruff, Stephanie Sheh, Jamieson Price
Votes: 69,078
24. Sailor Moon (1992–1997)
TV-PG | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A group of schoolgirls discover they are incarnations of super-powered alien princesses, and use their abilities to defend the earth.
Stars: Stephanie Sheh, Kotono Mitsuishi, Kate Higgins, Aya Hisakawa
Votes: 7,569
25. Sherlock Hound (1984–1985)
24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The adventures of the canine detective Sherlock Hound and his loyal companions Dr. Watson, Mrs. Hudson and Inspector Lestrade.
Stars: Taichirô Hirokawa, Kôsei Tomita, Yôko Asagami, Chikao Ôtsuka
Votes: 1,636
26. My Hero Academia (2016– )
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A superhero-admiring boy enrolls in a prestigious hero academy and learns what it really means to be a hero, after the strongest superhero grants him his own powers.
Stars: Daiki Yamashita, Justin Briner, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura
Votes: 78,455
27. FLCL (2000–2001)
TV-14 | 151 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
Mysterious things start happening when 12-year-old Naota meets a strange woman on a Vespa wielding a big guitar.
Stars: Jun Mizuki, Mayumi Shintani, Izumi Kasagi, Suzuki Matsuo
Votes: 19,731
28. KILL la KILL (2013–2014)
TV-14 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
A young girl arrives at a school of superhumans to find out the truth behind her father's murder.
Stars: Ami Koshimizu, Aya Suzaki, Toshihiko Seki, Shin'ichirô Miki
Votes: 16,812
29. Mai-HiME (2004–2005)
TV-14 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A group a school girls discover that they have been given the ability to materialize weapons and control robotic beasts called Children to stop an evil organization from their plans of domination. Meanwhile, a darker plot thickens.
Stars: Caitlynne Medrek, Carol-Anne Day, Jordan Schartner, Wendy Morrison
Votes: 838
and Mai Otome
30. Fruits Basket (2001)
TV-PG | 24 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
After her mother's death, Tohru Honda finds herself living with the Sohma family consisting of three cousins: Yuki, the 'prince charming' of their high school, Kyo the hot headed, short ... See full summary »
Stars: Eric Vale, Laura Bailey, Yui Horie, Aya Hisakawa
Votes: 6,211
31. Monster (2004–2005)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Crime, Drama
Tenma, a brilliant neurosurgeon with a promising future, risks his career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. The boy, now a charismatic young man, reappears 9 years later in the midst of a string of unusual serial murders.
Stars: Hidenobu Kiuchi, Liam O'Brien, Mamiko Noto, Karen Strassman
Votes: 44,699
32. Lupin the Third (1971–1977)
TV-PG | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The adventures of the master thief Lupin III and his cohorts as they dive into various escapades, all the while in pursuit by the tenacious Inspector Zenigata.
Stars: Yasuo Yamada, Richard Epcar, Michelle Ruff, Tony Oliver
Votes: 2,442
33. Magical Angel Creamy Mami (1983–1984)
TV-Y7-FV | 24 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Yuu Morisawa, an ordinary schoolgirl, leads a double life as the magical singer Creamy Mami.
Stars: Takako Ôta, Yû Mizushima, Kaneta Kimotsuki, Yûko Mita
Votes: 262
34. Outlaw Star (1998–2001)
TV-MA | Animation, Action, Adventure
The adventures of an outlaw crew of an advanced starship.
Stars: Ayako Kawasumi, Bob Buchholz, Bridget Hoffman, Emilie de Azevedo Brown
Votes: 4,137
35. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
TV-MA | 83 min | Animation, Action, Crime
A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
Directors: Mizuho Nishikubo, Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Ôtsuka, Kôichi Yamadera
Votes: 156,983 | Gross: $0.52M
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