Great years for anime

Key takeaways

• 2015 was highlighted by the rise of Saitama in One Punch Man, solidifying the anime's mainstream status.
• 2009 produced iconic shonen like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, cementing it as one of the genre's best years.
• 2019 was a great year with hits like Demon Slayer, attracting new fans and offering a variety of gems to all audiences.

Anime really started gaining traction around the world in the 90's when Pokemon, Digimon, and other shows of theirs became popular. Today, anime is one of Japan's biggest cultural exports, and there are some truly special shows that have come out during that time.

However, some years stand out more than others, and some shows released during those years really cemented anime as the force it is today. Understandably, this can be considered a subjective matter, as some may not agree with what others mean “Best Years for Anime,” But some are arguably better than others.

10 2015

Saitama's Rise Years

Today, anime may be as mainstream as mainstream, but the 2010s played a huge role in this shift, and one of the most influential years was 2015. For already avid fans, 2015 brought the event that was. A punch man. The first season of the show, which parodied the idea of ​​super-powered heroes and heroines, was a huge hit.

But that was not all. Isekai fans have got it overlordwhich debuted that year. There was a wealth of philosophy Death ParadeHypest Cooking Show, Food Wars!And for romance fans, my love story He debuted that year as well. 2015 was full of gems, and is still one of the periods with the best releases.

9 2009

2009 produced the greatest shonen ever

Shonen is probably the genre of anime that is most famous and the one that is most associated with anime. This is why great shonen should always be recognized and celebrated. In terms of when fans have consistently enjoyed iconic shonen, 2009 is a notable example of the genre's best years.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood It was released that year and, as of 2024, was the highest-rated anime of all time on the fan site MyAnimeList. don't leave Fairy Tail He debuted that year as well. Of course, the show has its haters, but no one can argue that it is an iconic show. Inuyasha It was also first aired that year and is considered essential viewing for many anime fans. Other notable titles include Pandora Hearts and From me to you.

8 2019

The best years of the modern era

There is usually an event that brings in a lot of anime fans. Once it was NarutoAnd then Attack on Titan A new wave was attracted. But in recent times, there has been no better year than 2019 for new fans. Demon Slayer It aired for the first time this year and was a smash hit. This is the first movie, Mugen trainIt went on to become one of the most successful anime movies of all time.

Although many may forget that this was even the year The Vinland Saga The first came out, and the world was first introduced to Thorfinn. There was also a remake this year Dororo was released, and the controversial first season SHIELD HERO also came out. There were also some underrated gems, viz Carole and Tuesday and Blade of the Immortal.

7 1988

A year of heavy-hitting anime movies

Aside from the simple serial anime that fans get year after year, there are also some truly stellar movies within the anime space. !988 was a year when some great classics came out, esp akiraA film that is often mentioned in today's popular media context.

It was also the year of the tragic drama of World War II, Grave of the FirefliesAnd more light My Neighbor Totoro. That's not to say there weren't some great series from that year, e.g A tale of galactic heroes And niche yet classic The Crying Freeman was released.

6 2007

The Year of the Trigger Masterpiece

Studio Trigger is known for some stellar mecha anime and over-the-top fights. One could argue that they really cemented themselves in the heart of anime culture with their highly acclaimed release in 2007. Gurren Lagann. The bombastic action show is still considered a must-watch for all mecha geeks and potential mecha fans.

The release of 500+ episode Odyssey was also noteworthy Naruto: Shippuden. On top of that, there was infamy ClaymoreWhich ended up in the most inconvenient place and never came back. It was also underrated Darker than blackClassic yet confusing Baccanoand visually striking Mononoke.

5 2014

A strong year for almost every genre of anime

The 2010s were an amazing decade for anime, and hot on the heels of the incredible 2013, 2014 delivered some thunderous classics. Perhaps the most prominent was the release of the thriller, Tokyo Ghoul. The story of Kaneki Ken and how he became a blood-sucking monster captured the imagination of many at the time and was one of the most memorable shows of the year. Others were blockbusters Your lie in AprilTears still make people cringe a bit for the month of April, Parasite: MaximAn incredible thriller, and harrowing Akame Ga Kill.

Apart from that, there were many great shows from many genres, viz NoragamiWhich was a wonderful shonen, while No game, no life Isekai captured the imagination of fans. There were reverse harem fans Jonah in the morningGot animation junkies Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade WorksAnd were sports anime fans haiku. 2014 truly had something for everyone.

4 2012

Birth of Isekai

It would be wrong to refer to 2012 as the year Isekai was born; What would be correct is that it was an important year for that sub-genre as an influencer Sword Art Online was released. While many look back on the anime with some reservations, it would be disingenuous not to recognize how influential it would be to the isekai subgenre.

But alongside that huge show were many others Psycho passAn anime that many still remember for its iconic villain. Also, cult fans may remember that it was that year High School DxD It made its debut, and it was a terrifying giant another one also came into the limelight.

3 2011

The start of a great streak

2011-2015 were stellar years for anime, but 2011 was the year that kicked it off, and it did so with none other than one of the greatest shonen series ever produced. Hunter x Hunter. Togashi's masterpiece is still unfinished, and while that's disappointing, it adds somewhat to the value of its wonderful story.

Who can forget that this was the year 2072 stains; Gate, Anoha, Fate/Zero, Deadman's Wonderland, Puella Magi Madoka MagicaAnd underrated Skate dance. With such a loaded lineup, it's no wonder why 2011 is fondly remembered. The best years of anime.

2 1998

Year of Cool Heroes

There were many great anime shows from the 90s, but one of the most influential anime debuted in 1998, and it was like no other. Cowboy Bebop. The space western still boasts anime's greatest hero, Spike. This year also featured another really cool hero in Vash trigun.

Also of note was the fact that 1998 was that year a piece was first adapted to the screen with an OVA, One Piece: Defeat the Pirate Ganzack!. The iconic, never-ending show itself would begin in 1999, but the seeds were planted a year earlier.

1 2006

The defining year of anime

If 2014 was the year where there was anime for everyone, 2006 was the year when many anime fans fell in love with different genres. 2006 brought fans two similar but different heroes who would go on to become icons. Light Yagami had come from Death note And from Lelouch Code Guess. These two defined the anti-hero trope that became more popular in anime.

2006 was great everywhere, from action-horror Hellsing Ultimate For romantic feelings Oran High School Host Club. There was another anime that got big during this year GintamaThe comedy show that probably has the most entries in MyAnimeList's Top 50. was also Ergo Proxy, black lagoon, Rebirth!, Nanaand Fate / Stay the nightThe first entry in fate series at that time.