The 90s were a great decade for anime, with incredible series like Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and others leaving their mark on the anime community. It wasn't too bad a decade for shonen anime either. While classic titles like Dragon Ball and Ranma ½ premiered in the 80s and aired into the 90s, there were tons of great anime that were released sometime between 1990 and 1999.
Not all of these anime have managed to stay in the public eye throughout the years, though. By looking back on some of the bigger titles of the decade, we get to revisit some incredible series that otherwise might've continued to go under the radar.
1990: The Three-Eyed One
Osamu Tezuka is often referred to as the "Godfather of Manga", having penned a wide variety of series and serving as an influence for countless mangaka who came after him. Though series like Astro Boy and Black Jack stand as some of his most well-known, Tezuka put out plenty of great series over the years that fans might find enjoyable. One that often gets overlooked is The Three-Eyed One.
The series follows Sharaku Hosuke, a young boy who turns into an evil sorcerer capable of wielding incredible power, set on conquering the world if he opens his third eye. Sharaku wears a bandage over his eye to avoid this, and he isn't aware of his sinister alter ego or their plans. This is actually the second adaptation of the series, as a TV movie, Akuma Tou no Prince: Mitsume ga Tooru, was released in 1985.
1991: City Hunter '91
City Hunter was one of the biggest series of the 80s, and like many other popular titles of its era, its success bled into the 90s with the release of various movies and a couple of sequel series. City Hunter '91 was the only series that actually premiered in the 90s, airing a year after the final episode of City Hunter 3 and following City Hunter: Bay City Wars and City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy.
As a series, City Hunter '91 is more or less the same as its predecessors. It has the same style, but adds in some more comedic elements at times, which may or may not be to some fans' liking. The final episode is pretty divisive among fans, but overall, it's a great final entry to the anime series.
1992: Yu Yu Hakusho
One of the great anime of its time, YuYu Hakusho is a quintessential 90s anime. You can't go over the greatest 90s series without mentioning the incredible adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi's breakout manga. The series definitely has a dedicated fan base, but it always feels like it gets overlooked when discussing some of the best shonen of all time.
The series blends martial arts with supernatural elements. It's a great battle shonen with some amazing fights throughout, and the world and lore do a great job of drawing you in. It's pretty much a perfect series from start to finish, and an absolute must-watch for anime fans.
1993: Slam Dunk
The release of The First Slam Dunk in 2023 might have served as an introduction to the series for many. It's an incredible film with great visuals and a strong, condensed narrative. But that doesn't mean the original 1993 series isn't worth a watch.
Slam Dunk might be one of the best sports anime of all time. It's a classic underdog story, with an incredible cast of characters who all get their chance to develop and shine throughout the series. If you're looking for something exciting outside of the usual battle shonen hits, Slam Dunk is a one-of-a-kind series that you won't regret checking out.
1994: DNA²
The 90s had plenty of creative series, but you won't find many as strange and interesting as DNA². The series follows Junta Momonari, who, because of an "allergy" to women, throws up whenever he gets excited by a member of the opposite sex. Things take an unexpected twist when a girl named Karin claims to have traveled from the future to stop Junta, who apparently becomes a massive playboy, from fathering 100 children and causing the world to overpopulate. But when Karin inadvertently causes him to become a playboy thanks to a DNA-altering bullet, she scrambles to rectify the situation before it's too late.
DNA² is a wild series that serves as a great time capsule of the era it's from. Romance anime can be fairly straightforward at times, but DNA² has an interesting hook that helps it stand apart from its peers. An OVA sequel was released in 1995, and while the series is fine on its own, the OVA is a great watch.
1995: H2
While titles like Slam Dunk, Hajime no Ippo, and Captain Tsubasa get a lot of love and recognition, there are plenty of other great sports series that don't always get the attention they deserve. H2 is one of those.
Due to an elbow injury, Hiro Kunimi decides to give up on baseball upon entering high school, despite having been one of the best players in his middle school alongside his best friend, Hideo Tachibana. While Hideo attends a different high school with their childhood friend, Hikari, Hiro enrolls at Senkawa High School and joins their soccer team. But when Hiro meets Haruka Koga, the manager of their school's unofficial baseball team, he decides to switch over and once again pursue baseball.
1996: Case Closed
Case Closed is one of the longest-running anime out there, with 1,174 episodes having aired since it premiered in January 1996. In the nearly three decades the series has been around, it's become one of the most recognizable anime and manga.
The series follows Shinichi Kudo, a well-known high school detective who has worked with the police to solve a variety of difficult cases. But when Shinichi is ambushed by members of a crime syndicate called the Black Organization and forced to ingest a strange drug, he ends up turning into a 7-year-old. Still just as sharp as ever, Shinichi adopts the alias Conan Edogawa and sets out to learn more about the mysterious Black Organization in hopes of reversing the effects of the drug.
1997: The File of Young Kindaichi
Case Closed might be one of the most well-known mystery anime out there, but there are tons of other great mystery series that often go overlooked. One of those is 1997's The File of Young Kindaichi. The series follows high schooler Hajime Kindaichi, an incredibly talented young detective whose grandfather was considered to be Japan's greatest sleuth. Hajime goes around solving all kinds of cases, from gruesome whodunnits to brain-busting locked room mysteries.
Mystery novel fans' ears might've perked up a bit when reading the name "Kindaichi." Hajime's grandfather is supposedly none other than Kosuke Kindaichi, the famous detective created by legendary mystery novelist Seishi Yokomizo. Hajime definitely lives up to his family name, with The File of Young Kindaichi featuring tons of memorable cases that both fans of Yokomizo's novels and mystery series in general would love.
1998: Trigun
Trigun is definitely up there in the discussion about the greatest '90s anime. The series got a recent adaptation with 2023's Trigun Stampede, and a sequel season, Trigun Stargaze, is set to release in 2026. But for many, the original name still reigns supreme.
The series follows Vash the Stampede, an outlaw with a $$60,000,000,000 bounty and a bad reputation. The only problem is Vash isn't the madman his reputation would suggest he is. Vash is followed around the planet Gunsmoke by insurance agents Milly Thompson and Meryl Stryfe, but the trio find themselves in a tough situation when a group of legendary assassins sets their sights on them.
1999: One Piece
The One Piece anime kicked off right at the tail end of the '90s, and it's been going strong ever since. The story of Monkey D. Luffy's journey to become the Pirate King and find the One Piece has resonated with millions over the years, and One Piece is now one of the biggest anime in the world. While the success of the manga is a big reason why, don't overlook the impact that Toei's long-running anime adaptation has had.
The One Piece anime has some hit-or-miss moments, with pacing definitely being an issue. The series is set to become seasonal, with the end of the Egghead Arc marking the end of the original format. Recent episodes have already been some of the best the series has put out, but with this new approach, it looks like the One Piece anime can keep going strong for many years to come.
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
- Seasons
- 21
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.72
- Creator(s)
- Eiichiro Oda
