Definitive Top 100 Anime of All Time
Hey there - My name is Michael Bellonis, and I’m here to rank the 100 Greatest Anime of All Time. While I’m whittling away at this list, my goal is to leave reviews of the anime I watch here, and rank them at the end of the review. So, I’ll give details about the anime, review them, and at the end will show my current MAL ranking, whether or not it’s a contender for the list, and if so where at in the ranking it currently falls (all subject to change once the list is finalized).
Comments will be open, so please feel free to discuss - but remember, this is all subjective, so keep it friendly!
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Some ground rules for the list: This list will only go over anime series - be it web series, OVA, seralized. As long as it’s an anime series, and not a movie, it’s eligible for this list (movies are a whole other beast, I’ll dedicate a list to them). There won’t be any hard rule against multiple titles from the same director or studio - as long as it’s good, it’s eligible. This list will encompass all of anime, so it won’t have any bias to any specific genre or era of anime - so it won’t be chock full of just Shonen titles, or have classics pushed to the top just because they’re classics and the list had an obligation.
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A little about myself before you dive in: As a Toonami kid, I’ve been watching anime since the late 90s - but more than that, I have studied anime and film history, have watched hundreds and hundreds of movies, have read countless comics, books, and manga, have taken whole writing courses, and even write my own comic books - all that is to say that I at least have a little qualification to be making this list apart from just being an anime fan. So, I hope that helps you see this as more than just another list that showcases the latest, flashiest Shonen Jump adaption (though, those can be great, too!).
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Hyouka
The Legend of the Galactic Heroes
The Rose of Versailles
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
Panty and Stocking
Revolutionary Girl Utena
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This list is temporary, and only sums up the ones I have reviews up for - The reviews on this page only showcase the anime I’ve been recently watching, whether it’s a first time watch or a re-watch. There are many others on my list that I’ve seen in the past and know my feelings on, but I won’t show here just yet.
Top 100 Anime Ranking (Not Final)
3 - Now And Then, Here and There (1999)
11 - Kids on the Slope (2012)
14 - Orange (2016)
15 - Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
16 - Kageki Shojo!! (2021)
18 - Gunbuster (1988)
20- Ping Pong: The Animation (2014)
21 - The Summer Hikaru Died (2025)
27 - Girls’ Last Tour (2017)
28 - Patlabor (1988)
33 - Time of Eve (2008)
The Summer Hikaru Died - Season 1 (2025) - REVIEW
"I've been thinking about this ever since you went missing and came back...you're not Hikaru, are you?"
A 12 episode anime adaption that was released in 2025 and was directed by Ryöhei Takeshita (Jujutsu Kaisen, Flip Flappers).
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022) - REVIEW
"You don't make a name as a Cyberpunk by how you live."
A 10 episode ONA that was released in 2022 and was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill La Kill)
Orange (2016) - REVIEW
"Seems simple to look back on what could have been... but in the present, you're just doing the best you can."
A 13 episode anime adaption that was released in 2016 and was directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki (Texhnolyze, Stein’s Gate)
Apocalypse Hotel (2025) - REVIEW
"Time isn't something you lose. It changes constantly and adds layers to your life."
A 12 episode anime series that was released in 2025 and was directed by Kana Shundo.
Time of Eve - ONA (2008) - Review
“Are you enjoying the Time of EVE?”
A 6 episode ONA that was released in 2008 and was directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura (Pale Cocoon, Patema Inverted)
Girls’ Last Tour (2017) - Review
“Maybe life just really means something has an end to it, y’know?”
Girls’ Last Tour is a 12 episode series that was released in 2017 and was directed by Takaharu Ozaki (Goblin Slayer)
Kageki Shojo!! (2021) - Review
"I was given the gift of being born a girl - so l'm going to give it everything l've got."
A 13 episode anime series that was released in 2021 and was directed by Kazuhiro Yoneda (Do It Yourself!!)
Princess Jellyfish (2010) - Review
"Every girl is born a princess - some just forget is all."
An 11 episode series that was released in 2010 and was directed by Takayuki Omori (Baccano, Natsume’s Book of Friends)
Ping Pong: The Animation (2014) - Review
“You’ll never cross the sea on such delicate wings”.
An 11 episode series that was released in 2014 and was directed by Masaaki Yuasa (The Tatami Galaxy, Devilman Crybaby)
Michiko & Hatchin (2008) - Review
“So, how far should we go this time?”
A 22 episode original series that was released in 2008 and was directed by Sayo Yamamoto (Yuri on Ice)
Gunbuster (1988) - Review
“Pay close attention - in space, it’s easy to lose perspective.”
A 6 episode OVA that was released in 1988 and was directed by Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Kids on the Slope (2012) - Review
“A painting is created on a space, while jazz is created during a time called a performance. It’s like etching your living self into that place in time.”
A 12 episode anime that was released in 2012 and was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo)
Now and Then, Here and There (1999) - Review
“Where the hell am I? This isn’t Japan.”
A 13 episode OVA that was released in 1999 and was directed by Akitaro Daichi (Fruits Basket)
Patlabor - OVA (1988) - Review
“A war was waiting for us in Tokyo.'“
A 6 episode OVA that was released in 1988 and was directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell)
Lazarus (2025) - Review
“Three years after ingestion, Hapna will mutate - killing all those who have taken it.”
A 13 episode original series that was released in 2025 and was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo)