Top 20 most highly rated anime series

Anime doesn't end with Naruto, Bleach, and Attack of the Titans. More than 60 percent of the animation that exists in the world comes from Japan. So, if you think you've seen just about everything in this life, think twice.

This article brings to your attention the Top 20 most highly rated anime series and interesting information about them.

20. One Piece

• Rating : 7.30
• Votes : 3491

One Piece is a shonen manga by Eiichiro Oda, published by Weekly Shonen Jump from July 19, 1997 to the present.

One Piece tells the adventures of a pirate crew called the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Captain Munkie D. Luffy, who as a child ate the Devil Fruit of Gomu Gomu no Mi, which gave him the ability to stretch and shrink like rubber. Together with his crew, Luffy searches for the legendary treasure known as "Van Pis" to become the Pirate King.

In volume format, the manga first saw the light of day on December 24, 1997. The anime adaptation includes a television series, fourteen feature-length films, and several OVAs. One Piece was first released in OVA format in 1998, the first episode of the anime series premiered on October 20, 1999. In addition, about three dozens of One Piece-branded games for various game consoles have been released. In Russia, both the manga and the anime are licensed by Comics-Art publishing house under the title "One Piece. Big Kush."One Piece tells the adventures of a pirate crew called the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Captain Munkie D. Luffy, who as a child ate the Devil Fruit of Gomu Gomu no Mi, which gave him the ability to stretch and shrink like rubber.

19. Chobits

• Rating : 7.40
• Votes : 1759

Chobits is a manga by CLAMP Studios, adapted into an anime television series of the same name by Madhouse.

In the story "Chobits", a country boy moves to the city, intending to combine independent life and preparation for another attempt to enter college. He is absolutely fascinated by the new to him "persocoms," the personal humanoid robotic assistants that are flooding the city. However, he can't afford his own Persocom. The accidental discovery of a discarded and, as it later turns out, unusual persocom, results in an adventure full of discoveries.

Indeed, the tanime is very pretty and is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. As a genre, I would define it as sentimentalism combined with romanticism.

18. Naruto

• Rating : 7.41
• Votes : 6730

Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. The story is told in two parts – the first set in Naruto's pre-teen years, and the second in his teens. The series is based on two one-shot manga by Kishimoto: Karakuri (1995), which earned Kishimoto an honorable mention in Shueisha's monthly Hop Step Award the following year, and Naruto (1997).

The manga was adapted into an anime television series produced by Pierrot and Aniplex, which broadcast 220 episodes in Japan from 2002 to 2007; the English dub of the series aired on Cartoon Network and YTV from 2005 to 2009. Naruto: Shippuden, a sequel to the original series, premiered in Japan in 2007, and ended in 2017, after 500 episodes. The English dub was broadcast on Disney XD from 2009 to 2011, airing the first 98 episodes, and then switched over to Adult Swim's Toonami programming block in January 2014, starting over from the first episode. The English dub is still airing weekly on Adult Swim to this day. Viz Media began streaming the anime series on their streaming service Neon Alley in December 2012 on 99 episodes, and ended on March 2016, after 338 episodes. Besides the anime series, Pierrot has developed eleven movies and twelve original video animations (OVAs). Other Naruto-related merchandise includes light novels, video games, and trading cards developed by several companies.

A few words about the crap hero. Of course, you can say that Naruto Uzumaki himself is a charming character, with his optimism and friendliness. And given that our hero is an orphan who just wants to be noticed, you can't help but feel sympathy for him. So unwittingly, in fact, that you can sense the calculating intent of the creator behind it.

Naruto is the quintessential mutually exclusive paragraph. He's a bully, but he wants friendship and understanding. He's a bully, but he tries and succeeds when he has to. Here he is running to kick some badass villain's ass, and a dozen chapters later he's already lecturing the villain about friendship. Here's his intuition helping him defeat a formidable foe, and ten panels later he's tricked by a child. Naruto always behaves in a way that pleases everyone, and first and foremost the reader.

17. Seven Deadly Sins

• Rating : 7.74
• Votes : 3348

"Seven Deadly Sins" is a shonen manga by Nakaba Suzuki, published by Kodansha in Weekly Shonen Magazine from October 2012 to March 2020. A total of 41 volumes of the manga have been published.

The plot of the work takes place in an alternate medieval Britain and its main characters are seven rogue knights, each of whom embodies one of the seven deadly sins. The fantasy universe of the manga is largely based on the folklore of the Britons, the Celtic indigenous peoples of Britain, and there are also many borrowings from Arthurian, a series of legends about King Arthur.

The manga was adapted by A-1 Pictures into an anime series, which premiered its first two seasons from October 2014 to June 2018.Ten years before the main events, a great misfortune occurs: the capital of the kingdom of Lyonesse is attacked, killing almost all of the Holy Knights, and the seven strongest knights - the Seven Deadly Sins - are declared guilty. Rumors begin to circulate among the people of their extreme atrocities and cruelty. A palace coup takes place in the kingdom, causing the Holy Knights to seize power and imprison the royal family. A young princess named Elisabeth manages to escape and sets out on a long journey in search of the Mortal Sins, seeing in them the last hope of saving the royal family and all of Lyoness. Trying to escape her pursuers, the girl wanders into the tavern of a young man who actually turns out to be the former leader of the Mortal Sins, Meliodas, who wields the strongest of the seven sins, the dragon sin of wrath. He listens to the girl's request and agrees to help her find the other Sins.

16. Miss Hokusai

• Rating : 7.89
• Votes : 4782

Miss Hokusai is a Japanese historical manga series written and illustrated by Hinako Sugiura, telling the story of Katsushika Оi who worked in the shadow of her father Hokusai. It was adapted into an anime film directed by Keiichi Hara, that was released in 2015.In the Edo era, Oi is a woman of great freedom, and instead of leaving her parents' house and getting married as a Japanese woman, she works as a ukiyo-e artist under the tutelage of her father, the famous artist Katsushiki Hokusai (Yutaka Matsushige), and lives in his studio. Oi is almost as adept at ukiyo-e drawing as her father and often works on her father's commissions, including drawing an erotic shungu on his behalf. The plot combines several independent stories, one of which is about Oi's half-sister O-Nao (Shion Shimizu), Hokusai's daughter from his second marriage, who is blind and seriously ill, however. While her father avoids a relationship with O-Nao for fear of illness and death, Oi periodically visits her, the girl never lives to see her father again.

Oi has no interest in sexual and romantic relationships, and her shunts turn out to be cold and emotionless in the opinion of her clients. In an attempt to arouse sexual attraction, Oi visits a prostitute, but to no avail. At the same time, Utagawa Kuninao (Kengo Kora), another prominent artist and frequent visitor to Hokusai's studio, has feelings for Oi and even attempts to become close to her.Other stories involve the fulfillment of customer orders as well as the interweaving of real-life stories with mysticism and Japanese mythology.

15. Fairy Tail

• Rating : 7.95
• Votes : 4927

Fairy Tail is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 tankōbon volumes. The story follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel, a member of the popular wizard[a] guild Fairy Tail, as he searches the fictional world of Earth-land for the dragon Igneel.

The manga has been adapted into an anime series produced by A-1 Pictures, Dentsu Inc., Satelight, Bridge, and CloverWorks which was broadcast in Japan on TV Tokyo from October 2009 to March 2013. A second series was broadcast from April 2014 to March 2016. A third and final series was aired from October 2018 to September 2019. The series has also inspired numerous spin-off manga, including a prequel by Mashima, Fairy Tail Zero, and a sequel storyboarded by him, titled Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. Additionally, A-1 Pictures has developed nine original video animations and two animated feature films.

The manga is set in a fictional world inhabited by mages. The mages join together in guilds where they improve their witchcraft skills and earn money by fulfilling a variety of orders. Lucy Hartfilia, a 17-year-old spirit caster, runs away from home and joins the Fairy Tail guild, whose members are known for their destructive antics. She is invited into the guild by dragon slayer Natsu Dragnil, who travels through the kingdom of Fior in search of his adopted father, dragon Ignil. Lucy joins Natsu and his flying cat Happy. Later, the ice mage Grey Silver and the sorceress Elsa Scarlet, who can transform her armor and weapons, join their team. The five heroes are engaged in missions under the auspices of the guild. Missions include the pursuit of criminals, members of illegal criminal guilds, and ancient etherios demons created by the immortal dark sorcerer Zeref.

14. Bleach

• Rating : 7.96
• Votes : 5695

Bleach is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tite Kubo. It follows the adventures of the hotheaded teenager Ichigo Kurosaki, who inherits his parents' destiny after he obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper—a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki. His new-found powers force him to take on the duties of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife, and set him on journeys to various ghostly realms of existence.

The series has spawned a media franchise that includes an anime television series adaptation that was produced by Tokyo-based studio Pierrot from 2004 to 2012, two original video animation (OVA) episodes, four animated feature films, ten stage musicals, and numerous video games, as well as many types of Bleach-related merchandise. A Japanese live-action film adaptation produced by Warner Bros. was released in 2018.

Bleach's plot incorporates the traditional Japanese belief of spirits coexisting with humans and their nature, good or evil, depends on the circumstances. Bleach also incorporates Shinto themes of purification of "evil spirits through charms, scrolls, incantations, and other rituals". Christopher A. Born regards Bleach as transmitting Confucian values.Many critics have commented on this anime.

Von Feigenblatt describes Bleach as being culturally and religiously aware, as it draws upon Christianity and Caribbean Santería.Spanish terms are prevalent throughout the realm of Hueco Mundo, while both Quincy and Bounts have been known to associate with the German language, making Kubo's world of characters diverse in race and language as well.

Von Feigenblatt notes that the Quincy "are clearly inspired by the Roman Catholic Christian Orders of Knighthood such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre whose influence is shown in terms of the uniform worn by the Quincy as well as by the symbolism of the cross".

13. Elfen Lied

• Rating : 8.32
• Votes : 7772

«Elfen Lied» is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump from June 2002 to August 2005, with the 107 chapters collected into twelve tankōbon volumes. Elfen Lied revolves around the interactions, views, emotions, and differences between human beings and the Diclonii, a mutant species similar to humans in build but distinguishable by two horns on their heads and "vectors", transparent telekinetically controlled arms that have the power to manipulate and cut objects within their reach. The series is centered on the teenage Diclonius girl "Lucy" who was rejected by human beings and subsequently wants revenge.

The series' title is German for "Elves' Song" or more formally "song of the elves'" and takes its name from the song "Elfenlied", which is featured in the story. Elfen Lied involves themes of discrimination, social alienation, identity, prejudice, revenge, abuse, jealousy, regret, and the value of humanity. It is also noted for the graphic violence, emotional themes of how the characters change through, and the overall transgressive subject matter of the whole story. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation was produced by the studio Arms and broadcast on AT-X from July to October 2004. The anime finished airing before the manga was complete; as a result, the plot differed between the two, especially the ending. The manga is licensed in North America by Dark Horse Comics. The anime series has been licensed in North America by ADV Films and in Australia by Madman Entertainment. ADV Films said the series was one of their bestselling and "most notorious" releases of 2005.

12. Neon Genesis Evangelion

• Rating : 8.32
• Votes : 7732

«Neon Genesis Evangelion» is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996.

Evangelion is set fifteen years after a worldwide cataclysm, particularly in the futuristic fortified city of Tokyo-3. The protagonist is Shinji, a teenage boy who was recruited by his father Gendo to the shadowy organization Nerv to pilot a giant bio-machine mecha named "Evangelion" into combat against beings known as "Angels". The series explores the experiences and emotions of Evangelion pilots and members of Nerv as they try to prevent Angels from causing more cataclysms. In the process, they are called upon to understand the ultimate causes of events and the motives for human action. The series has been described as a deconstruction of the mecha genre and it features archetypal imagery derived from Shinto cosmology as well as Jewish and Christian mystical traditions, including Midrashic tales and Kabbalah. The psychoanalytic accounts of human behavior put forward by Freud and Jung are also prominently featured.

11. Death Note

• Rating : 8.87
• Votes : 8685

Death Note is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The story follows Light Yagami, a teen genius who discovers a mysterious notebook: the "Death Note", which belonged to the Shinigami Ryuk, and grants the user the supernatural ability to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages.

The complex plot of the manga revolves around the so-called "notebook of death," which was brought into the world of humans by the god of death, Shinigami. A person whose name is inscribed in the notebook of death is doomed to die. The plot's unprecedented conception has been praised around the world.

The series centers around Light's subsequent attempts to use the Death Note to carry out a worldwide massacre of individuals whom he deems immoral and to create a crime-free society, using the alias of a god-like vigilante named "Kira", and the subsequent efforts of an elite Japanese police task force, led by enigmatic detective L, to apprehend him.

10. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

• Rating : 8.89
• Votes : 2264

The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is a 2010 Kyoto Animation film based on volume 4 of the Nagaru Tanigawa Naruhi Suzumiya anime series. The film is a sequel to the TV anime Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, with the plot of which is closely related.

Haruhi Suzumiya is the organizer of an illegal school circle called the SOS Team, whose goal is to find anything out of the ordinary. The team also includes Kyon, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina, and Itzki Koizumi. The latter three members are an alien android, a time traveler, and a psychic, respectively. Specifically their task is to observe Haruhi, who has a superpower akin to a divine ability to change the universe. Haruhi herself is unaware of her abilities, so her eccentric desires often lead to unexpected consequences and create additional problems for the members of the circle. Kyung is the only ordinary person in the team, but he knows the secrets of the other members and helps them "entertain" Haruhi so that she is not disappointed in this world and unknowingly destroys it.

9. Princess Mononoke

• Rating : 8.89
• Votes : 2264

Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu, and distributed by Toho.

Princess Mononoke is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (approximately 1336 to 1573 CE), but it includes fantasy elements. The story follows a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka, and his involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. The term Mononoke is not a name, but a Japanese word for supernatural, shape-shifting beings that possess people and cause suffering, disease, or death. "Mononoke" is not just a fairy tale, but a myth based on the history of Japan and its ancient legends.

The film was released in Japan on July 12, 1997, and in the United States on October 29, 1999. It was a critical and commercial blockbuster, becoming the highest-grossing film in Japan of 1997, and also held Japan's box office record for domestic films until 2001's Spirited Away, another Miyazaki film. It was dubbed into English with a script by Neil Gaiman, and initially distributed in North America by Miramax, where it sold well on DVD and video, despite a poor box office performance. The film greatly increased Ghibli's popularity and influence outside Japan.

"Princess Mononoke" helps the viewer realize that wars and conflicts are often inevitable, and that a peaceful solution cannot always be found. Animals defend their native forests, considering humans as invaders. But people also need to live, to mine ore, to melt metal. Iron City is a typical frontier settlement at the junction of the civilized state and the wilderness; its inhabitants are confronted not only by animals and mythical spirits, but by the elements themselves. The problem is that the people cannot stop in their greed. They fear ruin and death, and so they continue to cut down the forest.

8. Cowboy Bebop

• Rating : 8.90
• Votes : 11900

Cowboy Bebop is an anime series created by Sunrise Studios.

The events of "Cowboy Bebop" take place in the post-apocalyptic future of 2071, where the planet Earth is practically lifeless, and humanity has settled on all available planets and their satellites in the solar system. By 2071, the profession of bounty hunter - "space cowboy" - who travels through inhabited space in search of criminals, who are rewarded for their capture alive, paid in Martian voulongs, has become quite common. This is what the crew of an interplanetary ship called Bebop does for a living, on which fate brings together four men and one dog.

Two editions of the manga and a full-length animated movie were later released.

The series is set in the distant year 2071, in a world where post-apocalypse happened on Earth, due to an explosion on the moon, resulting in regular meteorite falls on the surface of the planet. Humanity is forced to settle on all the planets and their satellites in the solar system. As a result, we see a mixed society with, for the most part, no division into nationalities and so on. With the exception of cold Jupiter, which the Russians love. But the division of people into social groups is pronounced to the fullest extent. While the well-to-do live in beautiful skyscrapers and live happily ever after, the poor are forced to live in dreadful slums. Some viewers compare this universe to that of Blade Runner. In the latter, the division into social strata is also pronounced, except that in the cowboy everything is not so bleak and the main driver of the story are not androids. And, if you compare Bebop to the Runaway movies, the series is more retrofuturistic.

We have 5 main characters: an already deceased member of a crime syndicate with a mysterious past - Spike. A former cop with an augmented hand - Jet. A con artist who doesn't remember who she was before the cryo-sleep - Faye. A brilliant and very young hacker from Earth - Ed. And everyone's favorite - a genetically engineered, intellectually enhanced, red-haired, furry, and very charming corgi named Ayn. The first three of them are the most central. The most surprising thing is that each of this trio has already experienced their main adventure of a lifetime, and now, because the profession of bounty hunter (cowboy) has become popular in the future, they accidentally find themselves on the same spaceship, called "Bebop". Believe me, watching the chemistry between the members of this peculiar family of freaks is incredibly interesting.

7. Spirited Away

• Rating : 8.92
• Votes : 10291

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi.

The film features the voices of Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takeshi Naito, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Tsunehiko Kamijō, Takehiko Ono, and Bunta Sugawara. Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro Ogino (Hiiragi), a ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba (Natsuki), Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba's bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.

The incredibly beautiful and equally crazy cartoon "Spirited Away", created by anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki, mesmerizes with a string of fabulous transformations and at the same time puzzles. Only Miyazaki knows what "Spirited Away" is really about, but, nevertheless, many of the images of this remarkable anime can be deciphered, which means that it is possible to understand the meaning of "Spirited Away" a little deeper.

The cartoon "Spirited Away" knows no division into positive and negative characters. Each character combines both good and bad, and the characters can change significantly when the characters interact with each other.Almost all of the characters exhibit greed in one way or another, and it always turns out to be destructive to them. The setting of the plot, Chihiro's parents turning into pigs, is justified by the fact that the man and woman showed greed and ignorance by taking without asking and eating treats that were meant to be donated to the spirits. Yubaba and her employees adore gold and money - they will do anything for profit, blindly accepting gifts from Faceless, for which some of them paid the price, swallowed alive by Faceless.It's an interesting fact that various foods constantly appear in the frame of "Spirited Away" and almost always they have magical powers of one kind or another.

The cartoon "Spirited Away" repeatedly raises the question of the rational use of natural resources.

Many of the images created by Miyazaki are rooted in Japanese and world folklore, and to understand them, you need a detailed understanding of the myths and customs of the Japanese and other peoples. But even without this knowledge, Gone with the Ghosts is an incredible treat for the eyes and brain.

6. Mushishi

• Rating : 8.92
• Votes : 404

Mushishi is a fantasy manga drawn by Yuki Urushibara and an anime series of the same name created by Artland Studios under the direction of director Hiroshi Nagahama. The manga was published from 1999 to 2008 and contains 10 volumes.

Mushishi is a fantasy anime produced by Artland Studios (known for the good shōnan Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and the space blockbuster Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu besides Mushishi). A total of two seasons have been produced - the first consists of twenty-six episodes, broadcast in 2005; the second consists of twenty episodes, broadcast in 2014 (it was split into two parts, so roughly speaking there are three seasons). There are also several short films.

At first glance, it's a simple story of a traveler exploring mysterious phenomena throughout Japan, dark and atmospheric. But if you look closely, you won't be able to take your eyes off of the splendor in front of you. It is rare to find an episodic anime with a storyline that rivals a quality book in depth, but Mushishi is one of those. The number of problems and ideas raised in each episode is truly great, and it's a real pleasure to ponder them.

Mushishi are invisible to the human eye and are the intermediate between spirits and animals. Only a few can see them, and many people with this gift become masters of mushi - wanderers who travel the country and gather information about all kinds of mushi they meet. Not all mushis are good, not all mushis are evil - they are just different, and if one knows how to get along with them, nothing bad will happen. However, sometimes a clash between a mushi and a human can lead to unfortunate consequences. Ginko is a mushi master who helps ordinary people who have suffered from mishandling mushi. But unlike most of his colleagues, Ginko does not consider mushi to be evil, and tries to solve problems without harming either the person or the mushi.

There is only one main character in Mushishi, Ginko, and the white-haired master does a superb job as the central character. His calm character and measured manner of speech subconsciously inspire trust and confidence. When you see Ginko, you understand that he will put things in order, because such a confident man simply can not make mistakes. A pleasant character, an original appearance, a well-developed mind, a willingness to come to the rescue, and the presence of moral principles to which he adheres all make Ginko a first-rate character that one does not tire of watching. It's also worth noting how intelligently and gradually his past is revealed. The facts are not thrown in your face, but presented unobtrusively as the story progresses.

As good as Ginko is, without quality secondary characters the anime would never have succeeded. Rest assured, the secondary characters are just as good as the main character.

5. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

• Rating : 8.94
• Votes : 7637

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is a 2006 anime series that was voted one of the three best television anime series at the 6th annual Tokyo Anime Awards in 2007.

It was directed by Goro Taniguchi. The character design for the series was done by the CLAMP group and finalized by Takahiro Kimura. Two manga adaptations, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally, were published in 2006. A third manga adaptation, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack appeared in 2007 and an alternate manga Code Geass: Tales of the Alternate Shogunate appeared in 2008.

The second season of the series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 was released from April to September 2008.On December 5, 2020, the anime series Code Geass: Dakkan no Z was announced.Code Geass is definitely an amazing series.

Amazing if only because it manages to hook from the very first episode, but it only gets better from episode to episode. There are a lot of good and even great series out there that set the bar high for quality, drive and intrigue from the very beginning and don't lower it afterwards. But there are none of them that constantly grow on themselves, you can count them on the fingers of one hand. Especially in the "giant robot fighters" genre, which is where Code Geass belongs.

Lelouch, the son of the British emperor who took over the third world, including Japan (which in 2010 is no longer Japan, but Zone 11) - this is probably one of the most remarkable anime heroes or anti-heroes (you never know) of recent times. He is a young man who was exiled to the Land of the Rising Sun and grew up there with hatred for his homeland in his soul (the reason for which is trivial, though very understandable - the death of one loved one and the mangled life of another). At the moment of deadly danger, he does not hesitate to accept a mysterious gift from a strange green-haired girl, which allows him to control other people.

This gift - Giass - has, of course, its limitations (and thank God - it is much more interesting), but Lelouch uses it skillfully and without much hesitation - of course, when it does not concern people close to him. This alone makes our incognito prince a much more interesting and human character than the notorious Light Nagami, who, in general, was not a good man from the very beginning, and by the end of his journey turned into a complete monster. It is hard to say how Lelouch will end up, but the fact remains that he does not so much want to "change the world, which is full of evil and injustice", but pursues a more personal goal - to create a world in which his little sister can live in peace, he evokes much more sympathy and empathy than his, so to speak, predecessor.

The Code Geass script in general is exceptionally good and surprising - in a positive sense, of course. There are enough unexpected moves, expected but very well realized, and even shocking.

4. Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal

• Rating : 8.97
• Votes : 6575

Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal was directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, with the screenplay written by Masashi Sogo, music composed by Taku Iwasaki, and animated by Studio Deen.

The four episodes of Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal were first released in four VHS sets by SPE Visual Works from February 20 to September 22, 1999.

Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal is a large epic that includes a TV series, many sequels and a prequel, all based on the manga of the same name by Watsuki Nobu (and, of course, on real Japanese history).

The story of Kenshin is based on historical realities but is also fictional, although some Japanese legends say that in Kyoto there was a warrior with a sword that could strike without a miss, but whether it was Kenshin, the main character of the movie, or someone else, I certainly don't know. Thus, the plot of the movie is closely intertwined with real history, and therefore it seems to me that it is hardly possible to understand and feel it without knowing the history. Let's dive a little bit into history! In the 19th century the power of the ruling shogunate was steadily weakening, while the power of the southern princes and their samurai was growing stronger. The latter group was bent on reviving the Kyoto government, which now had no forces of its own against the shogunate, but the southern princes and samurai were willing to come to its aid in order, under the cover of imperial authority, to deal with the hated Edo shogunate government. And if the shogunate did not voluntarily submit, it was customary to expel it by force.

The emperor at the time was Komei (who had ruled since 1847). Around him were grouped mainly representatives of the samurai, and only a very small number of representatives of the ancient clans. These advanced and educated samurai yearned for change, so that they could rise from the position of insignificant nobility to become ministers of the new government. At the most decisive moment, however, Emperor Komei died and Mutsohito Meiji took his place. Mutsohito entered the struggle with the shogunate more decisively, with the result that already in 1867 the last Shogun Keiki was defeated. The emperor then moved to the city of Edo, which was soon renamed Tokyo, meaning "the eastern capital.

If you tell the history of Japan of that period briefly, it looks something like this. Now about the movie. The plot of this prequel takes us back to Kenshin's childhood, then still called Shinta. He lost his parents and ended up in slavery and then to bandits, rescued by his future teacher. After years of training, Kenshin is recruited to the Choshu clan (named after the province), where he fights on the side of the emperor against the shogunate. Kenshin, who perfectly plays the role of hitokiri (an assassin), earns the respect of the leadership and becomes the cutting edge of the entire clan's sword. There is no point in describing what happened next, as there is a 95-episode series for that, which is, in principle, a must-see.

As a conclusion, it is worth noting that, judging by audience feedback, this prequel is one of the best animated pictures to date. This proves once again that the trend towards realism is in no way diminishing, but rather only increasing. You can rant long and tedious about how realism in anime is a bad thing, but potential viewers seem to like it. Anime is growing up.

3. Clannad

• Rating : 9.07
• Votes : 5041

Overall, the whole Clannad series (that is, both seasons) is so harmonious. The first season was still more comedic and positive. In the second, we were shown a different piece of work. But, in general, a very competent combination of all the genres mentioned. A good comedy, incomparable drama and romance, a pleasant everyday life. And the creators are trying not to impose on us any of these components for a long time. After all, sometimes you get tired of comedy, and everyday life can get a little boring. And even in the depressing and tragic series, as a rule, there is a moment that lightens the mood, albeit sometimes not for long. The right alternation of these elements is by no means the last factor in the success of this work.

The depressive and apathetic Okazaki Tomoya meets the very positive but somewhat indecisive Furukawa Nagisa on his way to school. He is an avid truant, cynic and "Mr. I don't give a shit"; she is a morbid sophomore with an optimistic outlook on life. A few phrases and there, the story begins. She paints his gray life in bright colors, and he supports her and helps her move forward without looking back. It may seem trite and naive to some, but it is a beautiful tale of great and pure love, of unselfish friendship.

2. Steins;Gate

• Rating : 9.10
• Votes : 4286

Steins;Gate is a sci-fi anime series based on time travel, but the Stein Gate is not an adaptation of the manga, as is the case in most cases, here the original was the visual novel of 2009 with a similar title.

The image of the mad scientist is definitely familiar to everyone. It is on the one hand a popular version of a villain who puts his ideas and goals above everything else, and on the other it is the image of a positive or neutral character whose wills are just as great, but who has not yet crossed the line into complete madness.

The main character in the anime series Gates of Stein is also an heir to this image. Moreover, Okarin, a young near-scientist, is aware of this stereotype and lives the role of "mad scientist.

He is a student who, already has his own home laboratory, creates gadgets, does experiments and one day, in an unexpected way, he finds himself in the midst of the events of creating a time machine. Yes, as abstract as possible, but this is my attempt to avoid spoilers, as the events in The Stein Gate are truly original in their own way.This is not a simple leap into the future or past where adventure time is at hand! There's science fiction here, which is still much more sci-fi than science, but as a scripted tool it works beautifully. Here you have to concentrate constantly on what's going on to keep up with the dynamics of the story and the time jumps, otherwise it will all turn to mush.

At the epicenter of the entire series are the emotional feelings of Okarin.

Close-up angles, camera flares, distorted angles: The Stein Gate finds different ways to show the negative emotions up to and including horror that progress in Okarin's mind. More-so because of the strong emotional connection to the main character, I myself was beginning to feel slightly paranoid about the fact that my brain was also simmering in the sum of emotion and all the thought work. Trying to understand the universe, to understand the plot, the chaos over the randomness that can occur due to the Butterfly effect, the terror over the encounter with death. It all creates the illusion that you are going crazy with the main character.

1. Fullmetal Alchemist

• Rating : 9.10
• Votes : 5418

Fullmetal Alchemist is a manga by Hiromu Arakawa, as well as several animated series and movies based on it. The manga was adapted by BONES studio, which produced a 51-episode anime series that screened in Japan from October 4, 2003 to October 2, 2004. The sequel Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala created by the same studio was released in Japan on July 23, 2005.The action of FMA takes place in the country of Amestris, where alchemy is widespread as an exact science. In addition to advances in alchemy, the world of FMA is also ahead of ours in technology relative to the early 20th century, with the exception of aerial vehicles and other heavy machinery. The two main characters, brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, search for the legendary energy transducer known as the philosopher's stone in order to regain their bodies.

On April 5, 2009 the second manga adaptation, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, was released.

What's within the Elric Brothers story? First and foremost, magic. It is the driving element of the story, because the action of "Fullmetal Alchemist" takes place in the world where alchemy has a scientific basis, which fits perfectly into the "age of miracles" setting. In terms of the level of civilization, the world of the alchemists is roughly at the beginning of the twentieth century by analogy with our reality.

This reality bites, as experienced by Alphonse Elric. He and his brother, wanting to resurrect his mother, fail: according to the magical law of equal exchange, Al receives the payoff - he loses his body. His brother is luckier: he exchanges his failure in his attempts to decipher his father's notes on forbidden alchemical teachings for his leg. And a hand when he makes a desperate attempt to save his brother's body.

Before creating her landmark work, mangaka Hiromu studied the basics of alchemy in detail from ancient treatises. In the first place, she was interested not in the practical plane, but in the philosophy of the teachings. What was the basis of the alchemists' quest? What is their responsibility - for the forces they play with, for the people they involve in their games? How does the conditional reality of the story work in what Uncle Ben expressed as accurately as possible: "The greater the power, the greater the responsibility."

The theme of responsibility is reflected repeatedly in the various themes of the overall plot. Responsibility for one's loved ones. The problem of orphans forced to adjust to the harsh realities of the adult world without a reliable guiding hand. Equal exchange in alchemy as analogous to the responsibility that befalls everyone to repay their deeds and even their thoughts. The responsibility of science to society and the consequences of the irrepressible thirst of scientists to go to the limit in their research, or even to look into the abyss, as reflected in the general principles of alchemy and the secret of making the Philosopher's Stone.