Decades later, 1990sanimehas become romanticized throughout the anime and manga community, and for good reason. Hand-drawn, colorful, aesthetic artwork, and fresh creative narratives defined the decade, asShōnen Jumpproduced several of the biggest action titles ever, and the fear of technological growth led to some of the most influential sci-fi anime in history.The list of great shows and films from the ’90s is seemingly never ending.
Much of the continued fanfare surrounding the decade’s biggest productions likely has a bit to do with just how many fans were introduced to anime during the time period. Even those who stumbled onto the art form later did so when anime was first breaking into markets outside of Japan, and ’90s shows were often the first coming to TV screens. Though countless series and films may be worth returning to,not all of them have been able to age gracefully. Only a select few have stood the test of time,and continue to gain popularity decades later.
Long before the era ofShōnen Jump’s “Big Three”, two anime and manga series battled it out for the spotlight:Dragon BallandSlam Dunk. GivenDragon Ball’s legacy and immense popularity, being able to even rival such immense success is a feat in itself. Today,Slam Dunkis commonly revered as thegreatest sports series in anime and manga history, and is one of the highest-grossing franchises to boot. Main character Sakuragi’s journey from delinquent to devoted basketball player has resonated with fans for decades.
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The First Slam Dunk has finally been released in the West, and its amazing directing and story prove why Slam Dunk has stood the test of time.
The original anime series features somewhat dated visuals,though its narrative remains timeless.Slam Dunkhas turned countless viewers into basketball fans, and has even appealed to those who never cared much for basketball before. Shohoku’s team features an incredibly likable cast of characters, who struggle with their own setbacks and complications in their journeys towards both personal improvement, and improvement on the court.
One ofthe most underrated seriesnot just of the 1990s, but in anime history,Trigunhas aged incredibly well since initially airing in 1998. The series' main character, nicknamed “Vash the Stampede”, is a kindhearted pacifist who has had quite the bounty placed on his head after accidentally destroying a city with his immense powers. He stands out among his action anime peers by being genuinely kindhearted, rather than acting as one of the decade’s typical meathead heroes.
Pursuing revenge on his brother, Vash’s journey inTrigunpacks in themes of inner turmoil, the nature of good and evil, loss, grief, forgiveness, and love throughout a relatively concise 28-episode runtime. In 2023,a sequel series titledTrigun Stampedepremiered, giving fans a modern origin story of the anime’s central protagonist.Trigunis another Space Western from the decade that popularized them, and has managed to age gracefully since its initial airing.The series deserves more attention than it’s given, and fans of the genre would be doing themselves a service by checking it out.
One of the most celebrated dark fantasy series of all time, OLM’s 1997 adaptation of Kentaro Miura’sBerserkhas gained quite a bit of fanfare over recent years. What now serves as countless fans' first introduction to seinen anime, “Berserk'97”, as fans have come to call it,remains arguably the best adaptationof the late Kentaro Miura’s masterpiece manga. Covering the series' Golden Age arc,the anime does well to turn the section into its own isolated story, and delivers incredibly accurate depictions of the main cast.
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Visually,Berserk’s artwork is stunning at times, even if the animation itself leaves something to be desired in more intense combat-focused sections. Combined with one of the greatest and most iconic soundtracks in anime history, courtesy of Susumu Hirasawa, the anime remains an incredibly enjoyable watch nearly three decades later.The only problem withBerserkis that it will leave its viewers wanting more.
One of the premiere sci-fi series of the 1990s,Serial Experiments Lainis perhaps one of the strangest shows to have achieved such widespread commercial success. Though much of the technical jargon that plays a large role inLain’s overarching narrative comes off like a time capsule from a period of the internet’s infancy,much of its messaging remains relevant today. The series focuses on isolation, communication, and loneliness in a world where everyone is connected at all times.
Lain is a reserved girl who becomes obsessed with her NAVI computer, but also an outgoing girl spotted at nightclubs, and occasionally a goddess of an unseen world.In what often plays like a prophecyof what’s to come decades down the road,Serial Experiments Lainexamines what happens when a person takes on different personas online and in the real world, and loses sense of which is which. Countless sci-fi series quickly become outdated by the technology they build themselves on, butLainhas managed tostay relevant long past the days of enormous computer towers and CRT monitors.
The 1990s were shaping up to be a somewhat slow decade for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The first half saw the release of bothPorco RossoandWhisper of the Heart, two of the studio’s most underrated films ever released. However, compared to Miyazaki’s run in the late ’80s, the decade didn’t quite see the iconic releases the studio had become known for. That is, untilPrincess Mononokepremiered in 1997 andushered in another golden age for Miyazaki and Ghibli, with films likeSpirited AwayandHowl’s Moving Castleto follow.
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One of the best characteristics of Studio Ghibli films is their exquisite attention to detail, capturing even the smallest aspects of life.
Princess Mononokeis arguably Ghibli’s prettiest movie, featuring gorgeous landscapes drawn in the studio’s usual high quality, all while delivering incredibly mature themes to the viewer. Focusing in on the relationship between nature and humanity, as Irontown goes to war with the forest of the gods,Princess Mononokehas everything fans could want from Ghibli and more. Fantasy elements give way to deeply human themes in Miyazaki’s best film of the decade.
There’s little left to be said about 1997’sCowboy Bebopthat hasn’t already been said. The iconic series has been a staple of anime culture in the West for decades, and is largely responsible for the ’90s aesthetic' that comes to mind for countless fans of the art form. Brimming with style and attitude,Cowboy Bebophas acted as a gateway series for decades, and remains one of the most popular animated sci-fi shows in history.
The premiere Space Western of the decade,Cowboy Bebopdelivers human themesthrough a cast of incredibly realistic and somewhat broken characters. The enigmatic Spike Spiegel, alongside the rest of the Bebop’s crew, are extremely difficult to root against, and their intertwined personal journeys grab hold of the audience and refuse to let them go until the final credits roll. Finding a veteran anime fan who hasn’t seenCowboy Bebopwould be quite a difficult task, as it remainsone of the most lasting anime series ever.
Satoshi Kon was responsible for directing a few ofthe most influential anime films and series ever, and his debut work in a directorial role,Perfect Blue, is a masterpiece. Incredible visuals and sound act as the backdrop tocommentary on Japanese idol culture, stardom, and the fragility of identity, as the audience is taken on a psychological thriller ride with main character Mima. The film begins with the idol transitioning into an acting career, and spirals as she begins to lose her sense of self.
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From classic influential titles like Perfect Blue to modern ones like Summer Time Rendering, these thriller anime are sure to keep viewers guessing.
LikeSerial Experiments Lain, the film also examines what might happen to someone who becomes lost in an online persona. Only in the case of Mima, her other self is an image created from her stardom, entirely out of her hands.Perfect Bluebuilds such tension and suspense throughout its runtime thatsome moments feel as though they belong in a horror film. As relevant today as it was nearly thirty years ago,Perfect Blueis a must-watch for any fan of the thriller genre.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelionis a fascinating series on many fronts, from the jarring and unexpected tonal shift it takes around its halfway mark, to its total unwillingness to stick with an ending. What begins as another pretty, if not unremarkable, monster-of-the-week mecha series,Evangelionevolves into something entirely different when it dives into the psyches of its main cast, before going on to tell one of the most heartfelt and deeply human stories in anime.
LikeCowboy Bebop, there’s little left to be said aboutNeon Genesis Evangelion. The series has been credited with saving anime in Japan, and remains one of the most popular andsuccessful anime franchises to this day. The follow-up film,The End of Evangelion, acts as the perfect complimentary piece to Hideaki Anno’s original series. Impressive by nearly every metric,Evangelionis a series guaranteed to define the medium of anime for decades to come.
