Anime‘s rapid worldwide growth throughout the past decade has been difficult to ignore. The industry is bringing in more revenue than ever, while the biggest titles have transformed what was once a niche interest into a mainstream form of entertainment. Those who were there at the beginning experienced a much different anime culture than fans experience today. Most were forced to wait until a TV channel, which was likely Cartoon Network throughout the majority of the United States, switched to their anime block to catch their favorite shows.
Before then, bootlegged DVDs and VHS tapes were the main source of anime for the majority of fans in the west. Today, most major titles now stream on various platforms the same day episodes air in Japan. The barrier to entry for new anime fans has all but disappeared in recent years, and there are certain titles to thank for that. From the trailblazers to the most popular current ongoing shows, certain anime series bring countless fans to the medium each year, and are responsible for its ever-growing popularity outside of Japan.
10
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Animated by Toei Animation (2000–2004)
- Release Date
-
April 18, 2000
- Network
-
TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TVh, TSC
- Directors
-
Masahiko Watanabe, Naoki Hishikawa, Kimiharu Muto, Yasuhiro Minami, Kenichi Kasai, Hiroaki Shimura
The second anime series based on the Weekly Shōnen Jump manga by Kazuki Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters became a hit show on morning television in the US during the early 2000s, and successfully advertised the series’ trading card game to countless fans who couldn’t help but be roped in by its incredible monster designs. As an adaptation of the manga, however, the anime wasn’t very faithful. It may come as a surprise to the casual Yu-Gi-Oh! fan that the original manga wasn’t always about the card game, but later shifted focus towards it after gaining positive feedback from readers.
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The original 1998 anime series covers the portion of the story prior to the shift, while Duel Monsters actually begins nearly 60 chapters into the manga. The anime took quite a few creative liberties with its source material, while the English dub made further changes to the original Japanese series. Nevertheless, Duel Monsters was a massive success outside of Japan, spawning generations of fans and players of the series’ trading card game.
9
Cowboy Bebop
Animated by Sunrise (1998)
There isn’t much left to be said about Cowboy Bebop that hasn’t already been said. Highly influential and remembered fondly for its stylized visuals and masterfully constructed narrative, Cowboy Bebop is commonly referred to as a masterpiece in just about every corner of the anime community. Oddly enough, the series was and still remains far more popular outside of Japan. In the US, Cowboy Bebop was the very first anime production to air on Cartoon Network’s late night block, Adult Swim, in 2001.
Anime’s early mainstream breakout outside of Japan was mainly headlined by the popular Shōnen Jump series of the time, and Cowboy Bebop gave new viewers a different experience centered on character-driven drama. Nearly three decades later, the series remains a staple in nearly every blooming anime fan’s journey into the medium. A 2004 poll by Newtype USA listed readers’ top 25 anime of all-time, which featured Cowboy Bebop at the #2 spot, behind one other highly influential series.
8
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Animated by Gainax (1995–1996)
The #1 series in Newtype‘s 2004 poll, Neon Genesis Evangelion has enjoyed incredible sustained success since originally airing in Japan in 1995. Online debates about the series’ controversial final act are as prevalent as they were during the internet’s infancy, while the film sequel, The End of Evangelion, currently occupies a spot on Letterboxd’s official Top 250 Films of All-Time list.
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For as influential and popular as Neon Genesis Evangelion has been, the series wasn’t aired to completion on North American television until 2005, a decade after its premiere in Japan. Instead, fans were left to pirate the series or buy DVD and VHS releases that now go for several times their original price. A triumph in week-to-week storytelling, Neon Genesis Evangelion forever changed the landscape of anime, and has ruled anime culture both inside and outside of Japan for decades.
7
Sailor Moon
Animated by Toei Animation (1992–1997)
Sailor Moon first became the poster child of the Magical Girl genre in Japan during the mid-90s, and then helped to establish the genre outside of Japan shortly after. Based on the original manga series by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon was another staple of the Toonami era of anime in the west, eventually spreading beyond the borders of anime and penetrating mainstream pop culture around the world in the 2000s.
Following protagonist Usagi Tsukino, who gains magical powers after coming in contact with a black cat named Luna, the original anime series remains one of the most important in the history of the medium. The series was rebooted in 2014’s Sailor Moon Crystal, which aims to create a more faithful adaptation of the source material, though the original ’90s anime series is what helped to introduce anime to a more diverse audience.
6
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Animated by Ufotable (2019–Present)
Though nowhere near as highly acclaimed as many of the other series responsible for bringing anime to its current level of popularity, Demon Slayer is nonetheless a large contributing factor to the recent anime boom of the 2020s. The lockdowns during the earliest years of the decade left countless people with time on their hands, leading to an influx of new anime fans who discovered and fell in love with the art form through Demon Slayer.
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The series’ first theatrical movie, Mugen Train, is currently the highest-grossing Japanese film in history, despite being forced into a staggered release due to the ongoing pandemic. Longtime anime fans may not be happy to hear that such a recent series could be so important to anime, but a large reason for its shift into a mainstream form of entertainment is due to the popularity and success of Demon Slayer.
5
Attack on Titan
Animated by Wit Studio & MAPPA (2013–2023)
Like Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan is another more recent series which helped to begin anime’s transformation into a staple of mainstream pop culture. When Attack on Titan premiered in 2013, it immediately broke down barriers and introduced anime to audiences who would never otherwise have thought about seeking it out, kicking off the ‘anime is cool’ movement of the 2010s.
As Attack on Titan progressed and entered its final stages, each episode’s release became an event, and social media platforms were taken over by discourse surrounding the show. In terms of global popularity, few anime series have been able to match the story of protagonist Eren Yeager’s tragic downfall.
4
Naruto & Naruto Shippuden
Animated by Pierrot (2002–2007, 2007–2017)
Summary
Naruto is a Japanese manga and anime franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. It follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja striving for recognition and aiming to become the Hokage, the leader of his village. The franchise has a global fanbase due to its rich storytelling, character development, and themes of perseverance and friendship. It has expanded into anime series, films, novels, video games, and more. The sequel series Boruto continues the story, focusing on Naruto’s son, Boruto Uzumaki.
Based on the original manga by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto and its sequel series, Naruto Shippuden, is a rare example of a title premiering during the early and mid 2000s anime boom and continuing its international success well into the 2010s. One of Shōnen Jump‘s “big three” series, Naruto was able to help popularize shōnen in the west while retaining and building upon its fan base for the better part of 15 years.
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The original manga’s spin-off series, Boruto, also received an anime adaptation that ran from 2017 to 2023, with a second part reportedly in development. Sequels and spin-offs have kept the Naruto franchise alive for over two decades and counting, making the series one of very few to have headlined multiple international anime booms.
3
Pokémon
Animated by OLM (1997–Present)
Unlike Yu-Gi-Oh!, which followed the more standard route of adapting a manga series before introducing a ludicrously successful trading card game, Pokémon first debuted as a video game series. Trading cards soon followed, and finally, an anime series premiered in 1997. One of the longest-running ongoing anime series ever, Pokémon began a craze during the late ’90s and never looked back.
It may be somewhat unfair to include Pokémon alongside other highly influential anime series, given that it’s likely better described as a media franchise. Nevertheless, the Pokémon series made countless anime fans out of viewers who didn’t have the slightest clue of what anime was during the ’90s and 2000s, and its impact on the industry cannot be understated.
2
One Piece
Animated by Toei Animation (1999–Present)
One Piece is a sort of anomaly within the anime community. One of the series that helped put anime on the map outside of Japan during the early 2000s, One Piece has not only survived over the 25 years and counting since its premiere, but has only become more popular than ever with each passing year. There are likely countless fans who waited to watch the series on Toonami each week with the permission of their parents, now awaiting new episodes while having children of their own.
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Across multiple generations, One Piece has ruled the anime scene, consistently attracting a seemingly endless number of new fans despite the anime’s intimidating length of over 1,000 episodes. Only one thing holds the series back from being the most important title to anime’s continuous growth, and that’s another series having opened the door for it.
1
Dragon Ball Z
Animated by Toei Animation (1989–1996)
No other series is as important to the growth of anime outside of Japan as Dragon Ball Z. In North America, Toonami’s first major lineup change introduced a heavier focus on anime, with its first broadcast after the introduction of a new host, T.O.M., belonging to Sailor Moon. However, the block’s most popular series by a wide margin was Dragon Ball Z. The now iconic franchise introduced the shōnen action genre to countless fans across the world, and remains active today.
Following the passing of series’ creator Akira Toriyama in 2024, Toonami paid tribute to the artist, and credited Dragon Ball Z with putting the programming block on the map. More than that, Dragon Ball Z brought anime to an international stage, and paved the way for all releases to follow which found their way to TV screens outside of Japan. Without it, anime would likely still be a niche interest, and fans might still be hunting down DVD and Blu-ray releases of their favorite shows.
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