Summary
Tastes, trends, and media have changed over the decades. For the past ten years or so, anime has become so commonplace that the likes of Goku, Naruto, and the Jojos inJojo’s Bizarre Adventurehave become household names. But this wasn’t always the case. The further back in time people look, the more niche anime gets, until they get to the occasionally dubbed efforts ofAstro BoyandSpeed Racerin the 1960s.
By the late 1980s, thanks to movies like 1988’sAkira, among others, the West began to see anime as more than just Japanese cartoons. They could be mature, more exciting, and way different from the usual cuddly Disney fare. This produced a new crowd of fans eager to see more. From hidden gems to media juggernauts, cinematic classics to TV darlings, these are the best anime from each year of the 1990s.
Akiraled publishers like Manga Entertainment to track down more anime aimed at older audiences, though that didn’t mean they were particularly picky with their choices.Cyber City Oedoisn’t inAkira’s league, but it’s still a bunch of dumb, violent fun, and very 90s with its punched-up sweary English dialogue.Saban did its own thingwithSamurai Pizza Catsbecause they didn’t have the show’s original script.
Still, whileCCOandSPCare fun for what they are, they’re not as good asNadia: The Secret of Blue Water. It saw the titular Nadia journey through the sea with Jean, a French inventor, and Captain Nemo of20,000 Leagues Under the Seafame. Originally based on an idea by Hayao Miyazaki, it took Gainax and Hideaki Anno to bring it to life, giving it a dark undercurrent that would grow further in Anno’s later works.
1991 continues the clash of cult shows, and they can get very niche.Akiracreator Katsuhiro Otomo wrote the goofy OAP-based sci-fi satireRoujin Z, which owes more to the “Stink Bomb” short inMemoriesthan his cyberpunk opus. Gainax spoofed their founding in the part-animated, part-live-actionOtaku no Video, whileCity Hunter ’91served as the final season of the classic 1980s crime-fighting series.
So, picking out the Ghibli filmOnly Yesterdaymight feel like easy pickings for people looking for a “legit” flick. Based on the mangaOmoide Poro Poro, it’s a coming-of-age tale that sees the grown-up Taeko reminisce on her childhood memories, reflecting on times gone by, even when they were bittersweet at best. While not as whimsical as Ghibli’s other movies, it’s just as touching.
As the 1990s went on, the years got more competitive.Sailor Moongets the nod here for 1992 because it becametheshojo show kids wanted to watch. Where the sparkly prettiness of all things typically girly could still be enough to wipe out evil, and touch upon social topics too hot for Western localization, likeSailor Uranus and Neptune’s sapphic romance.
But 1992 also saw the debut of the harem action-comedyTenchi Muyo, the aerial adventures ofPorco Rosso, and the likes ofCrayon Shin-chanandYu Yu Hakusho. Viewers who wanted something moodier had the space-based heroics ofTekkaman Blade(akaTeknoman), or the fighting game frolics of the firstFatal FuryOVA. There were plenty of options for viewers who didn’t wantSM’s sparkly shojo shenanigans.
While cinematic efforts and TV shows will get most of the attention here, there’s still some love for the direct-to-video crowd. Particularly in 1993, when nearly all its big hitters were cult classics better known for being on video shelves, like theJojo’s Bizarre AdventureOVA,Battle Angel Alita,A Wind Named Amnesia, andUrotsukidoji, which has lived on through the decades through its notoriety.
In terms of storytelling, this spot should go toSlam Dunk, but the basketball classic made more of an impact in Japan, while the rest of the world was too busy checking outNinja Scroll. Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s samurai slasher became the archetypical 90s anime with its blood, sex, and gore, but it was delivered with such style that it made it a joy to watch. It’s must-see viewing for action movie fans.
1994 was a good year for beefy, macho action fests, as both Terry Bogard and Ryu got to Power Wave and Hadouken their way onto screens inFatal Fury: The Motion PictureandStreet Fighter 2: The Motion Picture, respectively.Grappler Bakigot its first anime adaptation this year, too, though it’s comparatively more restrained compared to its later takes.
EvenPom Pokohas combat, even if its colony of tanuki fights with something other than their fists. But CLAMP’sMagic Knight Rayearthstands out from the crowd by being a unique blend of genres. It’s an isekaimade way before the isekai boom, while also being a magical girl show with mecha elements. It’s all held together by an engaging plot that balances its lighthearted charm with dramatic twists and turns.
Picking out the best anime in 1995 was tough, as it’s a two-horse race betweenGhost in the ShellandNeon Genesis Evangelion. Both are moody sci-fi efforts, with the former delving into the nature of identity and humanity, and the latter picking at mecha tropes while delving into the psyche of its put-upon protagonist, Shinji Ikari. Both became highly influential in the field of sci-fi, let alone just within anime as a whole.
Ultimately,GITStakes the top spot here, as it offers as much food for thought while being less polarizing.NGEis as infamous for its bickering characters and navel-gazing plot elements as it is for its deconstructions. Though if people want something more lighthearted from 1995, there’s the fantasy fun ofSlayers, the early isekaiFushigi Yugi, andthe seinen comedyGolden Boy.
When the West was getting its first taste ofDragon Ball Zin 1996 (bar movies, tape trades, non-English dubs, etc.), Japan was already checking out its sequel seriesDragon Ball GT.Though given its varying quality, Japanese viewers may have preferred the simpler police comedy antics ofKochiKameor the girl buddy cop adventures ofYou’re Under Arrest!What they lacked in saiyans, they made up for in consistency.
However, neither got as big asCase Closed. The story of a detective-turned-child trying to outfox a mysterious criminal syndicate made its anime debut this year and is still going on to this day after 1,162 episodes and counting. One would think its quality would’ve ebbed over time, yet its mysteries and conspiracies are still just as fresh today as they were twenty-nine years ago.
1997 is a much more competitive battleground.Princess Mononokeis often regarded as the best Studio Ghibli movie, let alone the best Hayao Miyazaki film.Berserk ‘97remains the best adaptation of the manga, andRevolutionary Girl Utenais still revolutionary in its takes on gender roles and sexuality. That’s not to mention it’s whenPokemonhit TV schedules too.
That, and Satoshi Kon made his feature-length directorial debut withPerfect Blue. He turned a potboiler thriller novel into one of the first flicks to delve into the horrors of internet stalking, and not just in the narrative. Its cinematography and animation aid its psyche-breaking storytelling in a way its rivals couldn’t match. While there are other mind-bending thrillers out there, there are few that areon par with Kon’s oeuvre.
After giving viewers a taste of their storytelling in 1995’sMacross Plus, it’s no surprise that Shinichiro Watanabe and Keiko Nobumoto’sCowboy Bebopgot the nod for 1998’s best anime. The space western adventures of Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and co. were just too broad and intriguing to ignore, from its world-building to its character plots.
Yet it didn’t have an easy go of it. 1998 might be one of the strongest years for 90s anime fans, as it gave themSerial Experiments Lain,Outlaw Star,Cardcaptor Sakura,Trigun,His and Her Circumstances, andInitial D. Whether fans wanted lighthearted romps, domestic dramas, or more avant-garde sci-fi, 1998 had them covered.
1999 saw some of the most popular characters in manga make their anime debuts, like Gon Freecs in the firstHunter X Hunteradaptation, the Onizuka inGreat Teacher Onizuka, and Yugi and his (d-d-d-d-) Duel Monsters inYu-Gi-Oh!That’s without mentioning it’s when the first ofOne Piece’s1,128+ episodes hit TV screens. With how famous Luffy and his gang have become, his pirate adventures would get the top spot.
That is, it wasn’t forJin-Roh: The Wolf Brigadeanyway. Its tale of a soldier caught between following his heart or his duty in German-occupied Japan, and the twists and turns he takes in his quest, is engaging and touching. It also vastly improves on its original manga compared toOP’s straighter adaptation, as it fleshes out many of the ideas the original creator, Mamoru Oshii, only touched upon in print.
