10 Essential Bucket List Anime That Are Not Based On Manga

The anime that get the biggest attention from fans and critics tend to be adaptations, and for good reason. If a manga is popular, its anime will have a built-in audience by the time it premieres, meaning it will be easier for it to become a hit with old and new fans alike, even if the finished product isn’t flawless.

It’s easy to see why adaptations get the most attention, but even then, there are plenty of anime originals that have become just as famous as the biggest adaptations, if not more so. A few anime like that especially stand out, as each one is so great that any respecting anime fan would be remiss to go without watching them.

10) Paranoia Agent

In Madhouse’s Paranoia Agent, a woman was assaulted on her way to work, and the alleged culprit was a rollerblading boy with a baseball bat. While the police initially assume she’s lying, more victims of the same boy, now dubbed “Li’l Slugger”, start cropping up, and what follows is an increasingly surreal exploration into the mystery behind Li’l Slugger’s actions.

With gorgeously creative visuals and a narrative that’s as clever as it is absurd, Paranoia Agent is an amazing, surreal story that perfectly rewards its viewers for paying attention to the smallest detail. Paranoia Agent was the only TV series by legendary director Satoshi Kon, and overall, it’s one of the best examples of why he was so beloved.

9) Gunbuster

Gainax’s Gunbuster stars Noriko Takaya, a new student at the Okinawa Girls’ Space Pilot High School who’s bullied for being the daughter of a disgraced admiral. Despite all that, Noriko is one of two students entering the elite Top Squadron, and that immense pressure pushes Noriko to completely reinvent herself to save the world alongside her partner, Kazumi Amano.

As what is essentially anime’s answer to Top Gun, Gunbuster’s sincere and campy writing, combined with its stunning visuals, have long since made it one of the most iconic mecha anime of all time. The series kick-started Hideaki Anno’s career and inspired countless other mecha anime, and decades later, it’s easy to see why it’s held in such high regard.

8) FLCL

Production I.G’s FLCL stars Naota Nandaba, an ordinary boy whose life is taken over by the alien Haruko Haruhara. Haruko’s presence causes evil robots to spawn out of Naota’s head, but he fights them by fusing with the heroic robot Canti, and it all goes down while Naota unravels Haruko’s secrets and discovers the truth about himself.

Despite its short runtime of six episodes, FLCL is an incredibly iconic series for its stunning and creative animation and its surreal, yet surprisingly mature coming-of-age story. FLCL’s sequel stories have been rather divisive with fans and critics, but at the very least, the original FLCL is still an undeniable classic after 25 years.

7) Kill La Kill

Studio Trigger’s Kill la Kill stars Ryuko Matoi, a young girl who goes to Honnoji Academy to search for her father’s killer. Doing so means fighting her way through the chaotic student body commanded by the tyrannical student council president Satsuki Kiryuin. Still, Ryuko just might have a chance with her friends and her transforming, sentient school uniform named Senketsu.

As much as Kill la Kill might pride itself on absurdity, underneath it all is a series with a surprising amount of heart and plenty of stunning visuals and action to match. Kill la Kill is always fun to watch, and it’s easy to see why it’s still regarded as one of the best Studio Trigger anime of all time.

6) Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

In A-1 Pictures’ Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, five years after a group of friends was broken up by the death of one of their own, Menma, one of those friends, Jinta, suddenly finds himself encountering Menma’s ghost, and it now falls on him to get his friends back together so he can help Menma pass on.

It’s one thing for Anohana to look and sound amazing, but with its emotional and thoughtful writing, it easily stands out as one of the most emotional and mature anime a person can watch. Series creator Mari Okada is famous for her tear-jerking, coming-of-age stories, and even after so many years, it’s easy to see Anohana as her magnum opus.

5) Neon Genesis Evangelion

Studio Khara’s Neon Genesis Evangelion stars Shinji Ikari, a reserved young boy who goes to the futuristic Tokyo-3 to see his father for the first time in a decade. There, Shinji is forced to pilot a giant robot called an Evangelion and protect the world from monsters called Angels, all of which gradually take a toll on Shinji’s fragile psyche.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most iconic and influential anime of all time, and between its stunning artwork and animation and engaging, deconstructive narrative, it’s easy to see why. Whether it’s the original series or the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, Evangelion remains virtually unmatched as an anime, and there’s little reason why someone shouldn’t watch it.

4) Cowboy Bebop

In Sunrise’s Cowboy Bebop, as humanity advances into space, so too has a new wave of crime and the bounty hunters who deal with it, called Cowboys. Among them are Spike Spiegel and the crew of the Bebop, and the series follows their episodic adventures chasing after bounties to make a living while occasionally confronting the demons of their pasts.

Cowboy Bebop is the signature work of legendary anime director Shinichiro Watanabe, and almost 30 years later, it’s as amazing as ever with its gorgeous visuals, infectious soundtrack, and highly engaging writing for its cast and overall narrative. It’s a show often heralded as the greatest anime of all time, and overall, it’s easy to see why.

3) Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Sunrise’s Mobile Fighter G Gundam takes place in the Future Century, where colonies representing the nations are entering the 13th Gundam Fight to determine the next ruling nation. Domon Kasshu enters as the representative of Neo-Japan; he’s there not just to win, but to find his traitorous brother Kyoji and uncover the truth behind the mysterious Dark Gundam.

While G Gundam isn’t a traditional Gundam series, not only does it have the same strong anti-war messaging with an additionally strong environmental message, but its incredible action and delightfully cheesy writing make it fun to watch at every turn. G Gundam might not be the most popular Gundam anime, but there’s no denying it as one of the best.

2) Puella Magi Madoka Magica

In Shaft’s Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Madoka Kaname learns of the existence of magic and is given the chance to become a magical girl and fight evil Witches. The offer seems too good to be true, but soon enough, Madoka discovers that being a magical girl is, unfortunately, nowhere near as glamorous as she was led to believe.

Between its gorgeously surreal visuals and its dark and deconstructive storytelling, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a magical girl anime unlike any other, and it’s arguably the biggest original anime to come out of the 2010s. There’s never been an anime quite like it, and with the final Madoka Magica movie coming in 2026, there’s plenty more to see.

1) Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

In Studio Trigger’s Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, humanity has spent ages living underground in fear of the Spiral King and his army of Beastmen; however, when Simon the Digger uncovers a mysterious robot called a Gunmen, he’ll slowly but surely lead the charge in freeing humanity and the entire universe from those who would keep them down.

With its incredible direction and writing with a perfect balance of heart and over-the-top nonsense, Gurren Lagann is a mecha anime that any fan of the genre would be remiss to ignore. Gurren Lagann earns its reputation as one of the greatest anime of all time, and there’s no better contender for the best anime not based on a manga.

10 Best Original Anime Not Based on Manga, Ranked