Huge Anime Poll Shares the Best Series of the Last 30 Years

By Megan Peters

Over the years, anime has become a truly global phenomenon, but it did not happen overnight. The medium grew inch by inch for decades before anime shot into mainstream circles internationally. The '90s were a good time for the medium, and plenty of other years have gone by with exceptional shows at hand. So thanks to a ton of fans, a new poll has gone live ranking the best years of anime and the series that made them so. 

The poll was aggregated in part by one of the biggest fan-sites for anime around. My Anime List pulled its ratings and reviews together, sorting through thousands of shows to find the best. As it turns out, some of the best years of anime exploded during the medium's global trek. And yes, series like Cowboy Bebop and Death Note did make the cut.

You can find the full list of years below as MAL broke things down to either pre- or post-2000. If we look at the former, you can see series like Trigun, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball Z, and Sailor Moon R made the cut. These days, these shows are all considered classics with fans, and their legacy endures to this day.

As for the best years since 2000, well – things are more spread out. The early 2000s welcomed shows like Gintama, Code Geass, and even Gurren Lagann. But as the years went on, the medium surged in 2019 with hits like Vinland Saga, Mob Psycho 100 II, and more. These days, the medium is living large as shows like Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer have blown up in popularity. But if you haven't watched all of these must-see series, well – we're going to suggest you get binging ASAP!

  • My Anime List pulled its ratings1989 – Dragon Ball Z, Ranma 1/2
  • 1992 – Yu Yu Hakusho, Crayon Shin-chan
  • 1993 – Slam Dunk, Sailor Moon R
  • 1995 – Romeo no Aoi Sora, Neon Genesis Evangelion
  • 1998 – Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Series Experiments Lain, Initial D First Stage
  • 2006 – Gintama, Code Geass, NHK ni Youkoso, Death Note
  • 2007 – Baccano, Nodame Cantabile, Mononoke, Gurren Lagann
  • 2009 – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Hajime no Ippo, Cross Game, Bakemonogatari
  • 2011 – Madoka Magica, Steins;Gate, Hunter x Hunter, Gintama
  • 2019 – Mob Psycho 100 II, Attack on Titan season three, Vinland Saga, Chihayafuru season three

What do you make of this fan-made poll? Have you seen most of these series yet, or do you need to check a few out still? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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