Anime production today is very different from what the industry looked like in the 1990s. While some issues remain, there have been lots of changes in technology and the way anime is produced. Fans of younger generations might even think that older anime like Dragon Ball look too stiff and boring.
Nonetheless, many series produced in the 1990s have managed to remain as classic must-watch series within the anime fandom. And some of them even made their way into the top 100 anime of all time on MyAnimeList, although the list contains mostly series produced after 2010. So, let's delve into some of the favorite 1990s anime of MyAnimeList users.
15 Best Years For Anime, Ranked
Some incredible anime have been released throughout the past few decades, but these particular years are home to some of the best.
Berserk
Arguably the Best Berserk Anime
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Title |
Berserk |
|
Year(s) |
1997–1998 |
Among the best-ranked anime on MyAnimeList, Berserk didn't even make it into the top 100 anime, but it's still among the six best-ranked 1990s anime. This is a good example to show that most of the best-ranked series are more recent, probably because more people engage with these series as anime has become even more popular in the past decade.
Despite its older animation, the original Berserk remains a classic, particularly when compared to what was possible at the time. Many Berserk fans are still waiting for a new anime series that keeps a similar quality (with new techniques that would allow it to be even better). In fact, this anime should rank a bit better on MyAnimeList because it deserves it.
Berserk
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 8, 1997
- Directors
- Naohito Takahashi
- Writers
- Yasuhiro Imagawa
- Franchise(s)
- Berserk
Cast
-
Marc Diraison -
Kevin T. Collins
Princess Mononoke
A Masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki
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Title |
Princess Monoke |
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Year(s) |
1997 |
Studio Ghibli was founded due to Hayao Miyazaki's belief that anime could be much better than what studios focused on TV productions were doing. Even before anime started to go mainstream, productions by Ghibli were already popular in the niche of cinema enthusiasts. The studio is often compared with Disney due to the quality of its production, which is curious since Disney distributed some Ghibli movies in the US, including the first release of Spirited Away in North American theaters, which granted Miyazaki his first Oscar win.
This, like many other Ghibli movies, is loved by both anime fans and non-anime fans, including many older people who are definitely not used to watching anime (or don't even like most of them). It features a story that, while highly imbued with Japanese culture and references that international audiences might not easily understand, can resonate well with anyone. And its plot tackles a few matters that are still very important to be discussed today.
Princess Mononoke
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- July 12, 1997
- Runtime
- 133 Minutes
Cast
-
Yôji Matsuda
-
Yuriko Ishida
-
Yûko Tanaka
-
Kaoru Kobayashi
WHERE TO WATCH
Great Teacher Onizuka
A Great Story About Teaching and the Educational System
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Title |
Great Teacher Onizuka |
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Year(s) |
1999–2000 |
Although it was published in a shonen magazine, Great Teacher Onizuka is also not your typical shonen series. Instead of focusing on action and battles, it shows a former gang member who becomes a teacher, but not for the best reasons at first. However, Onizuka develops some conscience and starts liking to teach, although he still has a dirty side, mostly directed at the mothers of some of his students. Despite his initial "bad" desires, he actually jumps into this new life, wanting to become one of the best teachers out there.
Beyond being an enjoyable story, this manga also tackles many issues of the Japanese educational system, and it has impacted most of its readers. Unfortunately, the anime adaptation doesn't cover the entire manga; in fact, the anime finished airing before the manga concluded serialization. Perhaps it's the right time for a new anime adaptation covering the remaining manga material, or even a full remake of the original series.
Great Teacher Onizuka
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1999 - 2000
Cast
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Wataru TakagiEikichi Onizuka
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Junko NodaMiyabi Aizawa
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Isshin ChibaRyuuji Danma
-
Junichi SuwabeKouji Fujiyoshi
WHERE TO WATCH
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal
A Fan-Favorite Samurai Series
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Title |
Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal |
|
Year(s) |
1999 |
Samurai X was perhaps the contact that many anime fans had with Japanese history. While the series is pure fiction, it has a solid historical setting. Additionally, the samurai usually fascinate non-Japanese audiences, so it's easy to understand why Samurai X is highly regarded among MyAnimeList users.
Cowboy Bebop
One of the Best Anime by Shinichiro Watanabe
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Title |
Cowboy Bebop |
|
Year(s) |
1997 |
Cowboy Bebop is considered by many fans the best anime that Shinichiro Watanabe has ever created, even though the competition is very intense, as all of his series are great (and connected in some way). Cowboy Bebop was the first for many fans, and it left a great impression on most of them. While the live-action series released by Netflix was not as popular, there was a huge hype around it, which proves how much this anime is loved by fans around the world.
Well, combining jazz with neo-noir and some sort of space western narrative is bound to work well when someone as good as Watanabe is handling everything. Still, it's interesting to see that a good portion of the best-ranked 1990s anime are nothing like the typical modern shonen series that usually get great ratings. Perhaps it's because in the 1990s, shonen series felt stiff, so series with other approaches had a better chance of getting attention. Or perhaps it's just a natural change in the industry and its audience. In any case, this series is definitely one of the best anime, not only from the 1990s.
Cowboy Bebop
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1998 - 1999
- Network
- TV Tokyo, WOWOW Prime
- Showrunner
- Shinichirô Watanabe
- Directors
- Yoshiyuki Takei, Ikuro Sato, Hirokazu Yamada
Cast
-
Koichi YamaderaSpike Spiegel / Ein (voice)
-
Unsho IshizukaJet Black (voice)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
The Best-Ranked 1990s Anime on MyAnimeList
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Title |
Legend of the Galactic Heroes |
|
Year(s) |
1988–1997 |
The Legend of the Galactic Heroes is not exactly a 1990s series, since the anime began broadcasting in 1988, but most of the adaptations ran during the 1990s. While this is an old and niche series, it managed to make its way into the top 10 series on MyAnimeList, which is really impressive.
Also known as Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu, this might be the largest anime space opera franchise, and new anime content is still produced up to this day. It is set in the future, when humanity has colonized outer space. Two intergalactic states, the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, have been at war for a long time, and the first anime focuses on this conflict and the emergence of new leaders on both sides.
Legend Of The Galactic Heroes
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1988 - 1997
- Directors
- Noboru Ishiguro, Masatoshi Tahara, Keizo Shimizu
- Writers
- Shimao Kawanaka
- Franchise(s)
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Cast
-
Kei TomiyamaWen-li Yang
-
Ryo HorikawaReinhard von Lohengramm
-
Kazuhiko InoueDusty Attenborough
-
Yoshiko SakakibaraFrederica Greenhill
While some of the series listed might not be officially available on any streaming service, others can be found on services like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and HIDIVE.