When it comes to film and television, the entertainment industry just can’t pass up a good adaptation. Over the years, audiences have been inundated with adaptations as Hollywood takes books, comics, and even emojis to the big screen. The trend has not limited itself to the west, and anime fans can attest that adaptations have been a staple in the Japanese industry for decades.
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In fact, a vast majority of anime titles are considered to be an adaptation. The industry has long shared close ties with publishers of manga and visual novels. Many of anime‘s most popular titles have come straight from print, and that reality doesn’t seem to be changing. Shows like Dragon Ball and One Piece were first created as serialized manga, and even recent titles like Free! Iwatobi Swim Club had their roots in visual novels.
Still, not everything in anime is labeled an adaptation; There are dozens of critically acclaimed series which got their start on the small screen without any print to back it up. If you are looking to watch an anime-only title, then ComicBook is ready to hook you up. We’ve sorted through the best of the best to recommend some of the best original anime titles of all-time. You can check out the must-see series in the slides below!
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
If you are looking to have a good cry, then Anohana will get you sufficiently teary eyed by the first episode’s end. The anime, which premiered back in April 2011, follows a group of estranged friends after they reconnect in their teens. Anohana follows a student named Jinta Yadomi, an unruly boy who tends to skip school and live his hermit life playing video games. However, his reclusive life comes to a halt when a ghost appears in his life. During the summer, Jinta is reunited with the ghost of Menma, a girl whom he and others used to be childhood friends with. Desperate to have a wish granted, Menma asks Jinta to help her remember what dream she wished to fulfill before passing on. The journey requires the two to reunite with their old friends who drifted apart after Menma died, and the 11-episode series will leave you reaching for all kinds of tissues.ย
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Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
For those of you’ve ever wondered what happens with Attack on Titan meets The Walking Dead, think no further. You can simply watch Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress to find out. The anime debuted not long ago with an April 2016 premiere. The story is set in an alternative world where a zombie virus halts the universe’s industrial revolution. The creatures, which are known as Kabane, can only be killed if their iron-clad hearts are pierced. An engineer named Ikoma creates a weapon which can kill the zombies, but he is forbidden from testing it out until the city comes under attack. When Ikoma is giving free reign, the action-packed anime has enough violence to keep even the biggest adrenaline junkies satisfied.
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Code Geass
Created in October 2006, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion has everything an anime fan could want. There is love, angst, surprise twists – and no one could ever see them coming; After all, Code Geass is an anime-only series. The series is set in an alternate world which is ruled by new nations like Britannia. The western union tries to take over the world starting with Japan, and Britannia uses its exiled prince Lelouch as a bargaining chip to do so. However, during his imprisonment, Lelouch is gifted a mysterious power from a woman known as C.C. The power of Geass allows him to control people by will, and Lelouch decides to use his newfound gift to get revenge on Britannia. Taking on the vigilante name Zero, Lelouch becomes the rogue leader of a resistance group called the Black Knights, and fans are left to watch the sly prince take back what is rightfully his.
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Cowboy Bebop
When it comes to iconic anime titles with original stories, there is no topping Cowboy Bebop. The anime debuted back in April 1998 and proved the industry could launch a sight-unseen story to pop culture stardom. The anime is set in a western sci-fi world where rogues have taken to the stars. In the year 2071, Spike Spiegel find himself captaining the ship Bebop in space as he works as a freelance bounty hunter. Him and his partner Jet Black collect a ragtag crew and go on various hair-brained missions. However, in the back, Spike finds himself on the run from his dangerous past. And, as the skeletons in his closet threaten to choke him, Spike discovers he is not the only one in danger.
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