Best years for anime

Important takeaways

• 2015 was highlighted by the appearance of Saitama in One Punch Man, which solidified anime's mainstream status.
• 2009 produced iconic shonen like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, cementing it as one of the genre's best years.
• 2019 was an outstanding year with hits like Demon Slayer attracting new fans and providing a wealth of gems for all viewers.

Anime really started to gain traction around the world in the 90's when shows like Pokemon, Digimon and the like became well known. Today, anime is one of Japan's biggest cultural exports, and there have been some really special shows that have emerged during that time.

But some years stand out more than others, and some of the shows released during those years really came to cement anime as the force it is today. Understandably, this can be considered a subjective topic, as some may not agree with what others will refer to as “the best years of anime,” but some are undoubtedly better than others.

10 2015

The year of Saitama's rise

Today, anime is as mainstream as mainstream can be, but the 2010s were very instrumental in this shift, and one of the more influential years was 2015. For those who were already avid fans, 2015 created the phenomenon that was One Punch Man. The first season of the show, which parodied the idea of ​​overpowered protagonists and heroes, was a huge hit.

But that wasn't all. Fans of isekai got Overlordwhich made its debut that year. There were the philosophically rich Death savethe most hyped cooking show ever, Food war!and for the romance fans, My love story also made debut that year. 2015 was rich with gems, and remains one of the periods with the best releases.

9 2009

2009 Produced some of the best Shonen ever

Shonen is perhaps the genre of anime that is most well known and is the one that anime is most associated with. This is why excellent shonen should always be recognized and celebrated. In terms of a time when fans were treated to consistently iconic shonen, 2009 is a notable example of one of the genre's best years.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was released that year and was, until 2024, the highest-rated anime of all time on the fan site MyAnimeList. Not to be outdone, Fairy Tail also made debut that year. Sure, the show has its haters, but no one can argue that it's an iconic show. Inuyasha also first aired that year and is considered essential for most anime fans. Other notable titles include Pandora hearts and From me to you.

8 2019

The best year of the modern era

There is usually one show that attracts an influx of anime fans. Once there was Narutoand then Attack on Titan attracted a new wave. But lately, there's been no better year for new fans than 2019. Demon Slayer was broadcast for the first time this year and was a smash hit. It's the first movie, Mugen trainwent on to become the most successful anime film of all time.

Yet many may forget that this was also the year Vinland Saga first came out, and the world was introduced to Thorfinn for the first time. It was also the year of the remake of Dorothy was released, and the controversial first season of Shield hero came out too. There were also some underrated gems, like Carole and Tuesday and Blade of The Immortal.

7 1988

The year of heavy anime films

Besides the general series anime that fans get year after year, there are also some really great movies in the anime space. !988 was a year when some of the greatest classics came out, above all Akiraa film that is often mentioned in popular media to this day.

It was also the year of the harrowing drama of the Second World War, Grave of the Firefliesand the more light-hearted ones My neighbor Totoro. That doesn't mean there weren't some great series from that year, like Legend of the Galactic Heroes and niche but still classic Crying Freeman was released.

6 2007

The Year Of The Trigger Masterpiece

Studio Trigger is well known for some great mecha anime and over the top fights. It could be argued that they truly cemented themselves at the heart of anime culture in 2007 with the release of the highly acclaimed Guren Lagann. The bombastic action show is still considered essential watch for all mecha connoisseurs and potential mecha fans.

Also worth noting was the release of the 500+ episode odyssey that was Naruto Shippuden. In addition to that, there was also the infamous Claymorewhich ended in the most inconvenient place and has not returned since. There was also the understated Darker than blackthe classic yet confusing Baccanoand the visually striking Mononoke.

5 2014

A strong year for almost every genre of anime

The 2010s were a great decade for anime, and after an incredibly awesome 2013, 2014 brought some roaring classics. Probably most prominent was the release of the thriller, Tokyo Ghoul. The story of Kaneki Ken and how he became a bloodsucking monster captured the imagination of many at the time and was one of the most memorable shows of the year. Other top sellers were Your lie in Aprilthe tearjerker that still gives people a little trepidation during the month of April, Parasyte: The Maximan incredible thriller and the outrageous Akame Ga Kill.

Apart from that, there were so many great shows from multiple genres, like Noragamiwhich was a great shonen, while No game, no life sparked the imagination of Isekai fans. Reverse Harem fans had Yona of the dawnanimation junkies got Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Worksand sports anime fans had Haikyuu. There really was something for everyone in 2014.

4 2012

Birth of Isekai

To refer to 2012 as the year in which isekai was born would be false; what would be correct is to say that it was a peculiar year for that subgenre, as the influential Sword Art Online was released. While many look back on the anime with some reservations, it would be disingenuous not to recognize how influential it would become to the isekai subgenre.

But alongside the massive show were several others, incl Psycho Passan anime still remembered by many for its iconic villain. Cultivated fans may also remember that this was the year High school DxD made his debut, and the horror giant that was Another also came into the limelight.

3 2011

The start of an excellent series

2011-2015 were great years for anime, but 2011 was the year that kicked it off, and it did so with none other than one of the best shonen series ever produced – Hunter x Hunter. Togashi's masterpiece is still unfinished, and while that's frustrating, it adds something to the value of its amazing story.

Who could also forget that this was the year of Stein's; Gate, Anohana, Fate/Zero, Deadman Wonderland, Puella Magi Madoka Magicaand the underestimated Spoon dance. With such a loaded lineup, it's no wonder why 2011 is fondly remembered as one of those best years of anime ever.

2 1998

The year of the cool protagonists

There were many great anime shows from the 90s, but one of the most influential anime ever created debuted in 1998, and this was none other than Cowboy Bebop. The space western still boasts one of anime's greatest protagonists, Spike. This year there was also another really cool protagonist in Vash from Trigun.

Also of note was the fact that 1998 was the year One Piece first adapted to the screen with the OVA, One Piece: Defeat Pirate Ganzack!. The iconic, never-ending show itself was supposed to start in 1999, but the seeds were laid the year before.

1 2006

Anime's defining year

If 2014 was the year where there was an anime for everyone, then 2006 was the year when many anime fans fell in love with different genres. 2006 gave fans two similar yet different protagonists who would go on to become icons. It was Light Yagami from Death Note and Lelouch from Code Geass. These two defined the anti-hero trope that started to become more popular in anime.

2006 had greats everywhere, from action horror Hellsing Ultimate to the romantic feeling of Ouran High School Host Club. Another anime that was huge in this year was Gintamathe comedy show that may have the most entries in the top 50 on MyAnimeList. There was also Ergo proxy, Black lagoon, Reborn!, Nanaand Fate/stay nightthe first entry in Fate series at the time.