My Top 5 Anime of All Time

I’m the kind of guy who grew up watching anime. From the classics Voltes V, Daimos, Gundam Series, and Dragon Ball, name it all and I’ve probably watched it. It is one of the things that can calm my worried mind during my childhood.

The reason for this article is because of a recent post that I saw on Facebook regarding your own Top 5 anime. My first reaction was it is impossible to just list 5 because there are so many good anime series out there. But I took up the challenge and this is what I end up making.

Here are my honorable mentions but sadly didn’t make the cut for me:

• One Piece
• Sword Art Online
• Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
• Demon Slayer
• One Punch Man

Disclaimer: I’m in no way an anime expert. The list  and review that I’m going to provide here is based on my taste and does not reflect their actual rankings that include many factors.

Note: The article below this point contains some crucial plot points for the Animes that are listed. I’m the kind of person who hates spoilers too so if you’re just like me, I suggest you watch the show first then read on!

List of My Top 5 Anime:

5. Naruto Series

Naruto jump-started my addiction to anime and I never looked back. I was in 4th grade (2004) when I started watching the series as it was shown every afternoon on weekdays at our local T.V station. It was very well received by people over my age bracket at that time. It is a center of discussion at school and we always talk about the previous episode during the day. I would still remember the hype when the 3 Sannins displayed the three-way deadlock for the first time on television and it was a hot topic in our school for almost a week. 

Some devoted anime fans would say that the series itself has so many plot holes and I acknowledge that too. But why would I still include it on my top 5? The answer is very simple. Naruto Shippuden is the first anime to actually make me cry. The episode ‘Hero of The Leaf’ did it for me. I grew up watching him being neglected and considered meddlesome and to see him being acknowledged by those same people is so heartwarming. To be honest, It would be just fine for me if they ended the series right there and then. But the tearjerkers do not end there and I would suggest you watch the whole series for you to know. 

Ever since the Naruto Series, we are always hyped up that the final battle would be between Naruto and Sasuke. Is the hype worth it? Hell yes. They were able to fit the battle into two episodes and they didn’t disappoint. It is probably the greatest battle in the series and worthy of being the last.

And of course, The Wedding, who would forget the wedding.

Watching Naruto is a journey itself. We see him at the beginning as a kid who for some people is just meddlesome and dangerous, and we witnessed his journey to success and how people started to acknowledge him. He is like a friend who we cheer up every time he fails and celebrates whenever he succeeds.  We witnessed his journey when people started to acknowledge his existence and regard him as a hero. 

4. Rising of The Shield Hero

This anime was only shown last year and the reason why I bumped into this series was because of Netflix. Why immediately on my top 5?

I am a fan of an underdog and who doesn’t? He is shattered into pieces in the pilot episode because of a very cruel betrayal that really angered me. Yes, I got affected emotionally, and kudos to them for that. All I can feel for Naofumi was pity. His reputation was tarnished and he was left all by himself. But since we’re talking about a protagonist here, I was able to witness the glow-up and ‘In your face’ moments to all his detractors. 

I’ve watched so many series that centers on a character that is being transported to another world but what sets Rising of The Shield Hero apart from the others? 

He isn’t your typical hero. He didn’t sugarcoat anything so anyone will acknowledge him. He even resorted to slavery to help him achieve his goals, and that is to defeat the waves and return to his original world. To make things clear, I’m not in any way in favor of slavery, but I think that is what’s set this series apart from others.

The best part for me in watching this series is to see the looks on the faces of his detractors whenever he displays his full strength and outclasses them. 

The series is plagued with controversy though. As some fellow writers stated that the aforementioned slavery plot and false accusations of rape are problematic. But that won’t stop me from still including this on my list. The series being controversial makes the show even better than it already is. 

3. Log Horizon

I had to choose between Sword Art Online or Log Horizon. Though SAO is more popular than Log Horizon and I know many will disagree with me, I will still choose the latter.

Both have the same premise but why not Sword Art Online? The answer is very simple. Log Horizon’s world, for me, is a lot more complexed compared to SAO. Though SAO’s story has a lot more hype moments and is a lot darker due to its death system, Log Horizon was able to provide adversity to its characters besides death, which is their memories losing. Log Horizon was able to provide me with what I love, which is the game mechanics and the actual living in the game. I also feel like Log Horizon is the quintessential MMORPG anime.

What I also love about the series is the vastness of the world. They thought that it was the same Elder Tale that they were used to playing but as the story progresses they realized that it isn’t the case. There are new monsters and functions in the game that they weren’t familiar of.

Others would say that the game stuff is the most boring part, but that isn’t exactly the case for me. As an avid gamer myself, I think it is one of the reasons why I’m engaged to it because it is something that I can relate to.

2. HunterXHunter

It is usual for some anime to have their main antagonist OP as hell. We also often see them beating the crap off the most powerful villains. But that isn’t the case for HunterXHunter, which is why I placed it 2nd on my list.

The characters in the series are very well written and it can survive even without Gon in the limelight. Some of the notable characters that I love are Hisoka, Illumi, Silva, Netero, Pariston, and Pitou. They were able to build them up all.

One of the reasons why I got hooked on the series is because of the complexity of the power system in Nen, making the fight scenes stunning and breathtaking. It isn’t just about overpowering your opponents, as the strategies and tactics displayed over the list of amazing battles make all the action exceptional. In the HunterXHunter universe, if you charge into a fight without thinking, you’ll die instantly. What also impressed me is that they were able to make a simple game of dodgeball exhilarating.

The best one though would be between Netero and Meruem. There’s no word to describe how impressive that battle is so I suggest you watch that episode (112).

The series also has its fair share of character development and Meruem is the best example of that. To be honest, he is the only villain that I really wanted to win and succeed. His story with Komugi is very heartwarming and touching.

The only thing that I want from now from the series is a conclusion, which I something that I can only dream for now.

1. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I will remind you again that I will be mentioning a lot of crucial plots here to support my claims, so if you hate spoilers, I suggest you watch the series first then read on!

To be honest, I don’t know the best way to put into words the love that I have for this anime. I will tell you that this series’ story is very well executed, with a lot of highlight moments and a very satisfying ending, and that is the reason why it is the top shounen anime of the 2000’s.

I will start with the characters, as they were all well written. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood gave us a list of individuals we learned to hate and love. 

No character gets left behind. Yes, the main protagonists are Edward and Alphonse but they were able to make the series focused on them without forgetting the others. All of them have a crucial part in the story and no one is neglected. Who would have thought that the chimera Heinkel will be the one who will be giving the finishing blow to one of the main antagonists? I bet no one. I’m having goosebumps by simply recalling the scene. We also see some great supporting protagonists with the likes of Mustang, Olivier, Lan Fan, Ling, Hohenheim. They were able to tackle everything about these characters flawlessly. 

The series also has a good number of plot twists that even up to this day amazes me.(Spoiler Alert) I was surprised knowing Selim and King Bradley’s identity, devastated knowing about the truth about Maes death, and jaws left hanging about the discovery of Amestris Transmutation Circle. This is just to name a few because it has a lot of revelations that will really catch you off guard.

All of them, even the villains, have some depth to their individuality too. We’ve learned to understand why villains like Envy, Greed, Wrath, Pride, and Father act the way they do and somehow felt pity for them in the end.

The series has its list of great character developments. We saw how Greed and Scar’s journey from being the most hated villains turned into allies that will change the course of the story. 

But the main reason why this series is on my number 1 spot is because of the emotional impact that it had on me. I will never forget the horrors I felt seeing what happened to Nina Tucker and his dog up to this day. I was also devastated and frustrated about the final moments of Maes. I can’t even imagine being in his position, even if it is just fictional. That’s how good the story is. 

And finally, who would forget the ending. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s conclusion is probably one the most satisfying and heartwarming scenes ever that up to this day holds a special place in my heart, which is a Fullmetal Heart.

What’s your top 5 anime of all time? Share yours below!