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!

  • 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.

  • 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!).

    • Ping Pong: The Animation

    • The Summer Hikaru Died

    • Princess Jellyfish

    • Kageki Shojo!!

Michael Bellonis Michael Bellonis

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)

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Michael Bellonis Michael Bellonis

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)

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Michael Bellonis Michael Bellonis

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)

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Michael Bellonis Michael Bellonis

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)

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Michael Bellonis Michael Bellonis

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)

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Michael Bellonis Michael Bellonis

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)

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