10 Best Anime That Took The World By Storm In 2016

Going into 2026, it’s undeniable that the landscape of anime is far different from what it was a decade ago. Isekai and short-length anime, for example, have both gained notable popularity with fans and critics, and with how much streaming has taken off, watching anime is easier than it’s ever been before.

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The anime landscape of 2026 is far different from the anime landscape of 2016, but even with so much time having gone by, the hits of that era are still plenty worth remembering a decade after the fact, and that’s especially true when looking at a few timeless classics from 2016, in particular.

10) The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.

J.C.Staff’s The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. stars Kusou Saiki, a boy with powerful psychic abilities who, nonetheless, just wants to live a normal life. Unfortunately, his life is filled with quirky people always getting into trouble, and despite how much they often annoy him, he always finds a way to use his powers to help them.

While The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. was never one of Shonen Jump’s biggest hits, with its absurdist tone and the great cast of characters complementing it, it’s an undeniable cult hit that’s more than left its mark on the world. Comedy anime are often hit or miss, but it’s safe to say that Saiki K. excels in every regard.

9) Love Live! Sunshine!!

Sunrise’s Love Live! Sunshine!! is the second anime in the Love Live! franchise. When the seaside school of Uranohoshi Girls’ Academy is threatened with closure, Chika Takami, inspired by µ’s, decides to form her own idol unit, Aqours, to help save the school, although it’s hardly as easy as she had hoped.

The original Love Live! anime was already a massive hit, and with an equally likable cast and a comparatively more serious narrative, Love Live! Sunshine!! was a perfect follow-up that made it clear the original wasn’t a one-hit wonder. The series even got a fantasy spin-off, of all things, and that should say a lot about how big it was.

8) Bungo Stray Dogs

In Bones Film’s Bungo Stray Dogs, after Atsushi Nakajima is kicked out of his orphanage due to his ability to turn into a vicious weretiger, he’s recruited into the Armed Detective Agency, an organization for handling superpowered crimes, and the cases Atsushi and his friends take on slowly escalate into an affair that puts their entire world at risk.

With a highly creative power system based on classic literature and a great cast of heroes and villains alike, Bungo Stray Dogs excels as an action series in every regard, especially in its spinoffs. It’s one of Bones Film’s most iconic anime of the 2010s, and hopefully, there’s more in store later down the line.

7) Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto

Studio Deen’s Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto stars Sakamoto, the most popular boy in school, thanks to his combination of good looks and eccentric problem-solving skills. Every episode sees Sakamoto or his friends faced with a new problem, but no matter the case, Sakamoto always saves the day, even if his methods don’t make sense at first glance.

The main draw of Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto is all the ridiculous ways Sakamoto solves problems, but what truly makes the series work is how genuinely heartwarming Sakamoto’s friendships can be, even with characters who only show up in a single episode. It’s a perfect balance of comedy and heart, and a decade later, it holds up incredibly well.

6) Konosuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!

In Drive’s Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Kazuma Satou is reincarnated into a fantasy world after suffering a humiliating death to try and defeat the demon king, but with his selfish personality and a party comprised of a lazy goddess, a masochistic knight, and an eccentric mage who only knows one spell, that’s easier said than done.

Konosuba always knows how to get as much comedy as possible from the selfish nature of its heroes and the narrative’s constant riffing on isekai and fantasy tropes, resulting in one of the most iconic isekai anime of the past decade. Isekai parodies and deconstructions are fairly common these days, but few have ever done it as well as Konosuba.

5) Yuri!!! On Ice

In MAPPA’s Yuri!!! on Ice, figure skater Yuri Katsuki has lost all confidence after losing at the Grand Prix Final, but everything changes thanks to a chance encounter with his idol, Viktor Nikiforov. Viktor, captivated by Yuri’s performance, decides to become Yuri’s coach, and as the two grow closer, their bond evolves in a way no one could have expected.

Yuri!!! on Ice didn’t attract much attention at first, but with its gorgeous visuals, compelling sports drama, and standout LGBTQ+ representation, it quickly became a worldwide sensation that’s still held in high regard. The cancellation of the Yuri!!! on Ice movie has essentially killed the series, but that doesn’t make it any less of an iconic anime.

4) Re:Zero — Starting Life In Another World

White Fox’s Re:Zero — Starting Life in Another World stars Subaru Natsuki, an ordinary boy who finds himself transported to a fantasy world. There, Subaru finds himself with the power to return to specific points in time whenever he dies, with him dying in increasingly horrific ways as he slowly gets involved in the darker elements of his new reality.

Re:Zero quickly made a name for itself for its dark and deconstructive take on isekai anime, and with Subaru’s incredible writing and the gripping narrative surrounding it, it’s never failed to deliver a great story. Re:Zero season 4 is coming soon, and with how things have progressed, it’s poised to be the anime’s biggest season yet.

3) My Hero Academia

In Bones Film’s My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya dreams of becoming a hero, despite being born without any powers, and after a chance meeting with his idol, All Might, Izuku will finally get a chance to prove that he has what it takes not just to be a hero, but to be the greatest hero of them all.

With a perfect combination of great action, fun comedy, and compelling drama, My Hero Academia was an instant hit with fans and critics that perfectly capitalized on the peak of the superhero craze. Season 1 was more of an introduction than anything, but with how great it was, it’s easy to see why My Hero Academia became a massive phenomenon.

2) Mob Psycho 100

Bones Film’s Mob Psycho 100 stars Mob, a boy who has to suppress his emotions at all times to control his powerful psychic abilities. Despite that, Mob constantly tries to better express himself as he strives to make friends and impress his crush, all of which is made even harder by the constant supernatural threats he has to deal with.

Mob Psycho 100 became an instant hit with its gorgeously creative animation and heartwarming coming-of-age story, and with each subsequent season, those qualities would get better and better and build into a truly phenomenal finale. Series creator ONE is best known for creating One-Punch Man, but it’s easy to see Mob Psycho 100 as his true masterpiece.

1) JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

David Production’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is the fourth installment in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. 10 years after Stardust Crusaders, the quiet town of Morioh is plagued by rogue Stand users running amok, and the only ones who can stop them are Josuke Higashikata, the bastard son of Joseph Joestar, and the friends he makes along the way.

Diamond is Unbreakable was when the franchise finally figured out how to utilize an ensemble cast, and with the stellar artwork and action that went along with it, it was an all-around amazing watch from start to finish. It’s one of the best parts of JoJo, by far, and it was easily the best anime to come out of 2016.