10 Anime Series With The Best Animation, Ranked

Summary

• Anime's animation has evolved with higher budgets and better technology, surpassing conventional cartoons in visual appeal and style.
• Iconic anime like Cowboy Bebop and Attack on Titan have set the bar high with their blend of style, substance, dark themes, and deep storytelling.
• Newer anime like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen continue to push the boundaries of animation with smooth, detailed fight scenes and breathtaking visuals.

Anime is sometimes criticized for being a lesser form of media and storytelling, but the truth is, anime exceeds conventional entertainment in a lot of ways. When it comes to animation, many studios have slowly been stepping up their game in many ways, becoming more and more visually appealing.

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With higher budgets and better technology, animation has never been more stylistic and beautiful, and, in most regards, anime beats out other cartoons. Some of the newer anime released are truly something to behold and ongoing series and shows are getting better with each season, as seen by anime fight sequences like that of Jujutsu Kaisen.

10 Cowboy Bepop

An Oldie But A Goldie

Modern animation is a different beast from retro anime, but the style and substance of Cowboy Bepop are unrivaled compared to the anime being released today. It’s a timeless masterpiece that combines space western elements with a jazzy soundtrack and has a groundbreaking animation style.

The iconic soundtrack by Yoko Kanno and the depth of the story are tough to surpass even today. After decades, its blend of style and substance continues to be legendary, inspiring new generations and cementing it as a must-watch for any anime enthusiast.

9 Violet Evergarden

Tragic Yet Beautiful In More Ways Than One

Violet Evergarden is one of the saddest and most moving anime of its time. It has incredibly beautiful visuals that Kyoto Animation's breathtaking artistry brings to life, telling the story of Violet, a young woman trying to readjust back to society after fighting as a soldier in a war.

The heartfelt storytelling explores love and loss and will leave an impression that will stay long after the credits roll. The cities and the backgrounds are also spectacularly drawn, which resemble a post-war Europe in intricate detail.

8 Attack On Titan

Brutally Realistic And The Perfect Introductory Anime

The animation style for the first three seasons of Attack on Titan and the final season are drastically different, but both are amazingly fluid at portraying the terrible and grim world of the anime.

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The anime has been running for a long time with the story following Eren Yeager, who vows to avenge his mother's death and reclaim the world from the Titans, only to find out that the Titans aren’t his enemies. The extremely dark themes and the mass murder, along with the graphic and violent deaths of characters you get attached to, make Attack on Titan one of the best anime to start off with if you’re new to anime.

7 Oshi No Ko

Exposing The Dark Parts Of The Entertainment Industry Through Cutesy Art

Oshi No Ko is an anime that delves into the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry through the eyes of twins Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, reincarnated as the children of their beloved idol Ai Hoshino. The animation style for this particular anime is incredibly aesthetic, especially for a non-shonen anime.

As the twins navigate the world of fame and fortune, they confront the harsh realities of the industry. The visuals throughout are incredibly fluid and appealing, making up for the somewhat slow pace of the anime.

6 Frieran: Beyond Journey’s End

A Story That Explored The Aftermath Of A Journey

Frieran is an anime that is just really comfortable to watch and oozes a feel-good vibe through the animation and its unique aesthetic. The story follows Frieren, an immortal elf mage who goes on a journey of self-discovery after the passing of her human companions.

Frieran is constantly haunted by the fleeting nature of mortal lives and her own immortality and seeks to understand the true meaning of their shared adventures and the legacy they leave behind. The anime is a one-of-a-kind adventure that is pleasant for both the eyes and the heart.

5 Mob Psycho 100

Something That Might Not Look Too Good At First Glance But Keep Watching

Mob Psycho 100 is an anime released by the same creator as One Punch Man. It has mostly the same art style but a visual twist to effects that elevate the quality significantly. The main character is Shigeo Kageyama, nicknamed Mob, a seemingly ordinary middle schooler with extraordinary psychic powers.

Despite his abilities, Mob wants a normal life and seeks to control his emotions to prevent his powers from taking over him. The fight scenes and the display of psychic powers in this anime are a treat, and you won’t get tired of the animation any time soon.

4 Chainsaw Man

Another Brutally Realistic And Gory Anime

Chainsaw Man features a world overrun by devils that are manifested from human fears. Denji, a boy who’s a slave to debt, dreams of a simple life filled with food and companionship. Circumstances lead to him merging with his devil pet, Pochita, and he transforms into the Chainsaw Man, a devil-human hybrid being with chainsaws protruding from his head and limbs.

Now, the concept itself is only half the brilliance. Chainsaw Man has some of the best animation, punchy and gory in all the right ways. It’s an anime with smoothness in every expression, and the fight scenes are some of the best that MAPPA studios has ever brought to life.

3 Cyberpunk Edgerunners

Studio Trigger's Magnum Opus

Set before the game Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk Edgerunners is an anime that's inspired and based on life in Night City, and if you’ve played the game, you know exactly how aesthetically pleasing the world of Cyberpunk is.

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Studio Trigger has a distinct style when it comes to animation and the fluidity they have for each frame is extremely satisfying. As one of the best anime studios out there, Cyberpunk Edgerunners blows most competition out of the water and stays as one of the best and most visually unique anime.

2 Demon Slayer

You’ll Feel Every Slash And Punch In Your Bones

If you're into breathtaking sword fights that are detailed and amazing with every movement, Demon Slayer is your anime. The animation is smooth as butter, and the battles are choreographed like dances. When the swords clash and the special effects fly, there’s nothing that looks better than Demon Slayer.

Ufotable took an excellent story with Demon Slayer and cranked it up to eleven, thanks to the amazing visuals we got. With every season, they go well beyond what we thought was capable for an anime, and they keep giving us banger fight scenes to have viewers glued to the screen.

1 Jujutsu Kaisen

Leave It To MAPPA To Release A Once In A Decade Anime

Jujutsu Kaisen has some of the best animations of its time, bringing in a unique yet familiar style and aesthetic to perhaps one of the best stories told by an anime. The fight scenes are fluid, like Demon Slayer, the 3D CGI is used effectively and doesn’t feel out of place, and the sheer amount of destruction they portray on the screen really puts things into perspective.

The animation is sharp and dynamic, and the curses are grotesque and creepy, with the fight scenes being full of energy. You can practically feel the impact of every punch and kick in Jujutsu Kaisen’s animation, making it almost the perfect anime.

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