Summary
- Anime in the '90s started to gain more mature themes and styles, attracting a new crowd of fans.
- The best anime from each year in the '90s offered a variety of genres, from action-packed to dramatic and psychological.
- Standout anime like "Nadia," "Sailor Moon," and "Ghost in the Shell" defined the '90s with their unique storytelling and visuals.
Tastes, trends, and media have changed over the decades. For the past ten years or so, anime has become so commonplace that the likes of Goku, Naruto, and the Jojos in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure have become household names. But this wasn't always the case. The further back in time people look, the more niche anime gets, until they get to the occasionally dubbed efforts of Astro Boy and Speed Racer in the 1960s.
Best Anime From The 1980s
The '80s were a fantastic era for anime spawning some incredible series still worth watching today.
By the late 1980s, thanks to movies like 1988's Akira, among others, the West began to see anime as more than just Japanese cartoons. They could be mature, more exciting, and way different from the usual cuddly Disney fare. This produced a new crowd of fans eager to see more. From hidden gems to media juggernauts, cinematic classics to TV darlings, these are the best anime from each year of the 1990s.
10 1990 - Nadia: The Secret Of Blue Water
Mysterious Girl Explores The Ocean Depths
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1990 - 1991-00-00
- Network
- NHK G
- Directors
- Takeshi Mori, Hiromitsu Hoshino, Shigeto Makino, Renji Kawabata, Yukio Suzuki, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Yuu Kou, Tadayuki Uda, Masayuki, Toshiyuki Kubooka, Yoshitomo Yonetani, Koji Masunari, Mahiro Maeda, Fumihiko Takayama, Jun Kamiya, Shigeki Awai, Shoichi Masuo
- Seasons
- 1
Akira led publishers like Manga Entertainment to track down more anime aimed at older audiences, though that didn’t mean they were particularly picky with their choices. Cyber City Oedo isn't in Akira's league, but it's still a bunch of dumb, violent fun, and very 90s with its punched-up sweary English dialogue. Saban did its own thing with Samurai Pizza Cats because they didn't have the show's original script.
Still, while CCO and SPC are fun for what they are, they're not as good as Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water. It saw the titular Nadia journey through the sea with Jean, a French inventor, and Captain Nemo of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fame. Originally based on an idea by Hayao Miyazaki, it took Gainax and Hideaki Anno to bring it to life, giving it a dark undercurrent that would grow further in Anno's later works.
9 1991 - Only Yesterday
Woman Reconnects With Her Childhood In The Countryside
Only Yesterday
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 20, 1991
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 119 minutes
- Director
- Isao Takahata
- Writers
- Isao Takahata
- Studio
- Studio Ghibli
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
1991 continues the clash of cult shows, and they can get very niche. Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo wrote the goofy OAP-based sci-fi satire Roujin Z, which owes more to the "Stink Bomb" short in Memories than his cyberpunk opus. Gainax spoofed their founding in the part-animated, part-live-action Otaku no Video, while City Hunter ’91 served as the final season of the classic 1980s crime-fighting series.
So, picking out the Ghibli film Only Yesterday might feel like easy pickings for people looking for a "legit" flick. Based on the manga Omoide Poro Poro, it’s a coming-of-age tale that sees the grown-up Taeko reminisce on her childhood memories, reflecting on times gone by, even when they were bittersweet at best. While not as whimsical as Ghibli’s other movies, it's just as touching.
8 1992 - Sailor Moon
Young Girl Defends The Earth With The Power Of The Moon
Sailor Moon
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1992 - 1997
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Takao Yoshizawa, Harume Kosaka, Kazuhisa Takenouchi
- Franchise(s)
- Sailor Moon
- Seasons
- 5
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Naoko Takeuchi
- Number of Episodes
- 200
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Pluto TV
As the 1990s went on, the years got more competitive. Sailor Moon gets the nod here for 1992 because it became the shojo show kids wanted to watch. Where the sparkly prettiness of all things typically girly could still be enough to wipe out evil, and touch upon social topics too hot for Western localization, like Sailor Uranus and Neptune’s sapphic romance.
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But 1992 also saw the debut of the harem action-comedy Tenchi Muyo, the aerial adventures of Porco Rosso, and the likes of Crayon Shin-chan and Yu Yu Hakusho. Viewers who wanted something moodier had the space-based heroics of Tekkaman Blade (aka Teknoman), or the fighting game frolics of the first Fatal Fury OVA. There were plenty of options for viewers who didn't want SM's sparkly shojo shenanigans.
7 1993 - Ninja Scroll
Ronin Samurai Fights Off Ninjas To Protect Feudal Japan
Ninja Scroll
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- June 5, 1993
- Runtime
- 94 Minutes
- Director
- Yoshiaki Kawajiri
- Writers
- Yoshiaki Kawajiri
While cinematic efforts and TV shows will get most of the attention here, there's still some love for the direct-to-video crowd. Particularly in 1993, when nearly all its big hitters were cult classics better known for being on video shelves, like the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure OVA, Battle Angel Alita, A Wind Named Amnesia, and Urotsukidoji, which has lived on through the decades through its notoriety.
In terms of storytelling, this spot should go to Slam Dunk, but the basketball classic made more of an impact in Japan, while the rest of the world was too busy checking out Ninja Scroll. Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s samurai slasher became the archetypical 90s anime with its blood, sex, and gore, but it was delivered with such style that it made it a joy to watch. It's must-see viewing for action movie fans.
6 1994 - Magic Knight Rayearth
Magical Girls Pilot Mech-Like Beings To Get Back Home
Magic Knight Rayearth
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1994 - 1995
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 2
- Studio
- Tokyo Movie Shinsha
- Creator
- Clamp
- Number of Episodes
- 49
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, Fubo TV
1994 was a good year for beefy, macho action fests, as both Terry Bogard and Ryu got to Power Wave and Hadouken their way onto screens in Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture and Street Fighter 2: The Motion Picture, respectively. Grappler Baki got its first anime adaptation this year, too, though it’s comparatively more restrained compared to its later takes.
Even Pom Poko has combat, even if its colony of tanuki fights with something other than their fists. But CLAMP’s Magic Knight Rayearth stands out from the crowd by being a unique blend of genres. It’s an isekai made way before the isekai boom, while also being a magical girl show with mecha elements. It’s all held together by an engaging plot that balances its lighthearted charm with dramatic twists and turns.
5 1995 - Ghost In The Shell
Cyborg Cop Suffers An Existential Crisis While Chasing Down Terrorists
Ghost in the Shell
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- December 8, 1995
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 83 Minutes
- Director
- Mizuho Nishikubo, Mamoru Oshii
- Writers
- Shirow Masamune, Kazunori Itô
- Franchise(s)
- Ghost in the Shell
- Studio
- Production I.G
Picking out the best anime in 1995 was tough, as it’s a two-horse race between Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both are moody sci-fi efforts, with the former delving into the nature of identity and humanity, and the latter picking at mecha tropes while delving into the psyche of its put-upon protagonist, Shinji Ikari. Both became highly influential in the field of sci-fi, let alone just within anime as a whole.
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Ultimately, GITS takes the top spot here, as it offers as much food for thought while being less polarizing. NGE is as infamous for its bickering characters and navel-gazing plot elements as it is for its deconstructions. Though if people want something more lighthearted from 1995, there's the fantasy fun of Slayers, the early isekai Fushigi Yugi, and the seinen comedy Golden Boy.
4 1996 - Case Closed
Detective Gets Turned Into A Boy By A Criminal Organization
Case Closed
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- January 8, 1996
- Number of Episodes
- 1155+
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- Creator(s)
- Gosho Aoyama
When the West was getting its first taste of Dragon Ball Z in 1996 (bar movies, tape trades, non-English dubs, etc.), Japan was already checking out its sequel series Dragon Ball GT. Though given its varying quality, Japanese viewers may have preferred the simpler police comedy antics of KochiKame or the girl buddy cop adventures of You’re Under Arrest! What they lacked in saiyans, they made up for in consistency.
However, neither got as big as Case Closed. The story of a detective-turned-child trying to outfox a mysterious criminal syndicate made its anime debut this year and is still going on to this day after 1,162 episodes and counting. One would think its quality would’ve ebbed over time, yet its mysteries and conspiracies are still just as fresh today as they were twenty-nine years ago.
3 1997 - Perfect Blue
Satoshi Kon Turns A Murder Thriller Into Something Special
Perfect Blue
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 28, 1998
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 82 minutes
- Director
- Satoshi Kon
- Studio
- Madhouse
1997 is a much more competitive battleground. Princess Mononoke is often regarded as the best Studio Ghibli movie, let alone the best Hayao Miyazaki film. Berserk ‘97 remains the best adaptation of the manga, and Revolutionary Girl Utena is still revolutionary in its takes on gender roles and sexuality. That’s not to mention it’s when Pokemon hit TV schedules too.
That, and Satoshi Kon made his feature-length directorial debut with Perfect Blue. He turned a potboiler thriller novel into one of the first flicks to delve into the horrors of internet stalking, and not just in the narrative. Its cinematography and animation aid its psyche-breaking storytelling in a way its rivals couldn’t match. While there are other mind-bending thrillers out there, there are few that are on par with Kon's oeuvre.
2 1998 - Cowboy Bebop
The Trials & Tribulations Of Bounty Hunters In The 2070s
Cowboy Bebop
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1998 - 1999
- Directors
- Yoshiyuki Takei, Ikuro Sato, Hirokazu Yamada
- Writers
- Keiko Nobumoto, Michiko Yokote, Dai Sato, Sadayuki Murai, Akihiko Inari
- Franchise(s)
- Cowboy Bebop
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Sunrise
- Number of Episodes
- 26
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
After giving viewers a taste of their storytelling in 1995’s Macross Plus, it’s no surprise that Shinichiro Watanabe and Keiko Nobumoto’s Cowboy Bebop got the nod for 1998’s best anime. The space western adventures of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and co. Were just too broad and intriguing to ignore, from its world-building to its character plots.
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Yet it didn’t have an easy go of it. 1998 might be one of the strongest years for 90s anime fans, as it gave them Serial Experiments Lain, Outlaw Star, Cardcaptor Sakura, Trigun, His and Her Circumstances, and Initial D. Whether fans wanted lighthearted romps, domestic dramas, or more avant-garde sci-fi, 1998 had them covered.
1 1999 - Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
A Soldier's Allegiance Gets Split In This Allegorical Drama
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- November 17, 1999
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
- Director
- Hiroyuki Okiura
- Writers
- Mamoru Oshii
1999 saw some of the most popular characters in manga make their anime debuts, like Gon Freecs in the first Hunter X Hunter adaptation, the Onizuka in Great Teacher Onizuka, and Yugi and his (d-d-d-d-) Duel Monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! That’s without mentioning it’s when the first of One Piece’s 1,128+ episodes hit TV screens. With how famous Luffy and his gang have become, his pirate adventures would get the top spot.
That is, it wasn’t for Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade anyway. Its tale of a soldier caught between following his heart or his duty in German-occupied Japan, and the twists and turns he takes in his quest, is engaging and touching. It also vastly improves on its original manga compared to OP’s straighter adaptation, as it fleshes out many of the ideas the original creator, Mamoru Oshii, only touched upon in print.
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From Fullmetal Alchemist to Skip Beat and Samurai Champloo, the best 2000s anime are just all-time great shows.