20 of the Most Popular Anime Movies and Series

Anime movies and shows can bring back memories of how anime has evolved, and they can remind us of all of our favorite characters. The popular and best anime depends on our taste, but we can all agree that each series is a work of art and each has its own twists and story to tell. And remember, these are just some of the top anime shows and movies.

1. Naruto

Naruto is both the name of the main character and the title of the anime series. This began when Naruto was left alone with no parents after their deaths in a great battle. Naruto carries a powerful 9-tailed fox within him, and everyone in the village is aware of this. Because the tailed beast once destroyed things and hurt people in the village, people despise and hate him.

Naruto’s story is sad because he began alone and was enrolled in a school where almost everyone despised him because of 9-tailed fox. He initially struggles with his powers, known as Jutsus, but as the story progresses, he learns something new.

Naruto has a lot of episodes, and each season brings something different. By maintaining a relationship with the 9-tailed beast, he unlocks powerful jutsus, and strengthens his powers, in addition to making many friends and enemies along the way.

This anime series is for people who want to watch and experience a wide range of emotions because it’s like a rollercoaster — you never know what you’ll get. It’s exciting and entertaining to watch because some of the characters are relatable.

2. Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball is an anime series that tells the story of Son Goku, a monkey-tailed boy. He’s fought a lot of people and was in a lot of battles throughout his life. He also faced the most powerful martial artist ever. He is on the hunt for the Dragon Balls, which are 7 magical orbs scattered around the world. When finished, the collection will summon a dragon who can grant one wish.

After one wish is granted, the balls are scattered all over the world again. Fortunately for the young boy, he meets Bulma, a good friend who invented Dragon Radar, which allows people to easily detect the location of the hidden balls.

The drawing style of this anime series is a little older, but it is one of the best anime out there, and people will never grow tired of watching this because the story and build-up are superbly written. As their adventures progress, they gain strength and encounter numerous enemies who wish to fight them. This anime also features new characters with intriguing backstories.

3. Detective Conan

Shinichi Kudo, the main character of Detective Conan, is a 17-year-old teenage boy who has mastered the art of being a detective. To begin with, he is not that young — something happened to him that trapped him in a child’s body with a genius’s mind. His job is to investigate crimes and assist the police with their interrogations.

After the aforementioned change, he changes his name to Conan Edogawa. He then continues to uncover stories and assist people in catching criminals. This is an older anime, but it’s still a must-see for anyone curious about what it’s like to be a detective with the mind of a mad genius.

4. Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist is a story about 2 brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who were part of a failed alchemical ritual that severely damaged their bodies, and the only thing that can save them is the fabled philosopher’s stone. They wanted to revive their mother by doing the alchemical ritual, but it ended badly for both brothers. So, they began their quest for the stone to restore their bodies to normalcy.

This anime series has over 50 episodes and ran from 2003 to 2004. They endure overcoming various challenges and massive obstacles that lied ahead of them, leaving them with little time to find the aforementioned stone.

5. One Punch Man

One Punch Man is a superhero story in which Saitama is the main character. He possesses abilities that can withstand any foe, and he is so powerful that he can defeat anyone in his path with a single punch. People don’t believe him when he says he got his superpowers by working out hard every day.

He may appear to be a laid-back guy, but his enemies who treated him poorly pay the price by losing repeatedly to him, and Saitama is just super-chill through it all. He has yet to lose a fight, and more enemies continue to challenge him to a duel, which we all know he will win in the end.

People have different opinions of him because he does not appear to be a fighter, but when he gets serious, his opponent is defeated with a single blow. This anime is for people looking for something fun and interesting to watch because it shows how powerful and scary Saitama is despite his comical appearance at times.

6. Hunter x Hunter

Hunter x Hunter is about Gon Freecss, who wants to be a hunter. He is on a quest to find his father, who abandoned him when he was a child. He risks his life by embarking on various difficult quests — which are too dangerous given his young age — in order to find his father.

He meets various people who help or oppose him, a creepy creature against who he fights, and the treasures he collects. He was only 12 years old when he left his home to go on this journey of discovery.

This anime is for those looking for entertaining and intriguing plots. We see Gon’s determination to find his father despite the dangers and threats he faces, proving that his determination and love are so strong that he can face any challenge at any time.

7. My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is a story about a young boy who has no powers but is determined to enroll in a prestigious school to learn how to be a hero. Izuku Midoriya, the superhero fan, may not have any powers, but he is determined to learn.

He had many difficulties when he enrolled, and at first, he thought being a hero was an easy job, but as he progressed in academia, it became increasingly difficult for him. People above him and more powerful than him mistreat him because of his quirkiness, which means he has no powers.

His determination is unrivaled — he may be at the bottom, but he gradually rises to become stronger. He faces difficult challenges, but this anime series demonstrates and proves that giving up is not an option and that moving forward is the best option. A good anime watch for those who want to learn more about Izuku and his courage and strength.

8. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is about the Joestar family, who have a lot of psychic powers. This is similar to the real world, but with the added twist of supernatural forces and beings. This anime is divided into sections, with each character having a unique story.

The first section discusses the feud between the Joestar family and the forces of evil, as well as Dio Brando, a vampire, and his team.

This anime is recommended for those who want a story that has a little bit of everything. This is similar to the real world, but with many twists, exciting adventures, and powerful fights.

9. Bleach

Bleach is an anime in which the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki, is a high school student. He has the ability to see ghosts from a young age, which lasts until he matures. Seeing ghosts is nothing new to him, but everything changed when he was attacked by an evil entity. However, he was assisted by a person named Rukia Kuchiki, whose job is to send good spirits to the afterlife.

However, Kuchiki was injured during the fight, so she transferred her powers to Ichigo. Ichigo now possesses the ability to transport souls to the afterlife. But first, he must work hard with his mentors. This is done to keep the worlds of the living and the dead in balance.

As the story progresses, he grows stronger, meets new people, and faces more powerful evil opponents. There are also some great fights in this series. This is a story for people who enjoy watching people fight for their own betterment. This is a fun anime with an intriguing plot.

10. Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is set in a world where humans live behind massive walls to keep the Titans at bay. Titans are super tall and strange-looking creatures that destroy villages and eat people. The main character, Eren Jaeger, and his childhood friends’ lives will be changed by the appearance of a Colossal Titan who was able to enter the massive walls and destroy their home.

As a result of the Titan’s destruction of the buildings one by one, Eren’s mother dies. He and his friends join the Scout Regiment, an elite group of soldiers who fight Titans because the Titans’ weakness is being attacked at the back of their heads. They continue to go through difficult times to train and become stronger.

This anime is one of the good ones. The plot and story will move and excite the audience. This tells the story of each character, their goals, and their perseverance. And as they fight the massive Titans, it only demonstrates their bravery and strength.

11. Demon Slayer

The story of Demon Slayer revolves around Kamado Tanjiro, the main character. A powerful demon wipes out his entire family, except for one who survived and became a demon — his sister Nezuko.

This anime’s plot revolves around Tanjiro becoming a demon slayer in order to avenge his family and find the demon who eliminated them. He works hard and joins the demon slayer corps, where he faces many challenges and hardships while carrying Nezuko inside a wooden box on his back.

He met many nice people who taught him a lot. He encountered a plethora of demons ranging from weak to powerful. Though he is unaware that his bloodline is unique, he continues to work every day until his hands and body give out on him.

A fantastic anime story for those looking for a dark, creepy, supernatural, and intriguing plot line. This demonstrates how a bond can be stronger than anything else, as well as how love triumphs over evil.

12. Your Name

Your Name is an anime with 2 main characters, Mitsuha and Taki, who have completely different lives. They were strangers who had never met before, except on the day when they awoke. Mitsuha’s body transformed into Taki’s, and Taki’s body transformed into Mitsuha’s. They fantasized about each other’s lives before the switch, which is a glimpse of what’s to come.

Mitsuha’s previous life was complicated, and she wished to live in a big city, specifically Tokyo. It’s different when they switch bodies because it’s 3 years ahead. When they return to their original bodies, they communicate by leaving notes. After a while, they’re both curious about where they can find each other.

This anime has an intriguing plot in which Taki’s only memory of Mitsuha is a red ribbon. However, Mitsuha did die as a result of the comet incident. The story continues, and it’s emotional. It’s a story for people who want to see something different. This movie proves that you don’t have to know someone because, with one look in their eyes, you know exactly that it is the person you are looking for.

13. Inuyasha

Inuyasha is the name of one of the main characters, as well as the title of the anime. Kagome Higurashi, on the other hand, is a 15-year-old girl who lives in a Japanese shrine. She is also the reincarnation of Kikyo, the ancient princess who guards the Jewel of Four Souls. Because Inuyasha desires to be a full demon, this Jewel is sealed away from him.

Kikyo died as a result of her injuries. After a while, Kagome returned to the shrine, where she accidentally awoke and released Inuyasha. When he awoke, he immediately wanted the jewel, which is why he is forced to wear a necklace that places him under Kagome’s control. The jewel gets shattered accidentally, so they have to find the pieces before they are given to someone unworthy and evil.

Only Kagome can detect the location of the shattered Jewel’s shards, and with the help of Inuyasha’s supernatural abilities, he can defeat anyone who possesses them. This anime story combines romance and adventure. This demonstrates different people’s powers and agendas, as they all want the jewel.

14. Spirited Away

Spirited Away is an anime that tells the story of Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who ventures into a world ruled by supernatural forces like witches and spirits, while humans are transformed into beasts. Chihiro and her parents were on a family outing when they came across an abandoned amusement park. They explored the area and discovered that the park is a magical place.

It is a magical place for supernatural beings seeking comfort — Chihiro’s parents transformed into magical pigs in order to return them to human form. Chihiro must work there in order for them to be released.

This is an intriguing anime because the young girl must find a way to free her parents before they are devoured by creatures. This anime even won an Oscar, and the plot thickens as it progresses. This is one of the best and top anime movies available.

15. Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen tells the story of Yuji Itadori, a human who is possessed by Sukuna, a powerful demon. He became possessed after Yuji ate a portion of his hand, specifically one finger, which allowed Sukuna to live inside of him. The demon sometimes controls him and borrows his body — fortunately, Yuji can control him.

As a student at a special school for fighting evil entities, he met many people and fought many demons. People are still unsure about him because he is half demon and half human, but they trust him to be a part of the team.

As the story progresses, Yuji is tasked with locating all of Sukuna’s parts, which are dispersed throughout the world. He must consume all of them in order for Sukuna to live again, as it is safer to have him inside Yuji than in the hands of other demons.

This is an excellent anime story for those who enjoy suspense and excitement. It is entertaining to view because all of the characters are either likable or unlikable. Nonetheless, it has an interesting plot.

16. One Piece

One Piece is an anime that begins with Monkey D. Luffy, who has a single dream — he wants to find the rare treasure known as One Piece and become the pirate king. First and foremost, Gol D. Roger is a brave man who once held the title of King of the Pirates, who was executed but not before revealing his treasure, the One Piece.

Because the location of where this piece was hidden is dangerous, no one has found it yet. Luffy decided to search for the treasure 22 years later. As time passes, he meets new people and forms his own crew. He meets various people and fights some of them — since he ventures into dangerous territory in order for his dream to come true.

This is one of the best anime series available, with numerous seasons and episodes. A great story plot with different and unique characters to love and hate, but all with their own personalities and agendas. This anime’s fights are out of this world because they go all out.

17. Death Note

Death Note is one of the iconic anime series available. This is a story about an unusual notebook where, if you write someone’s name in it, that person will perish, but people who own the book can change anyone’s death and time whenever they want. The notebook has power and the owner, Ryuk, acts as a guardian.

Light Yagami, who goes by Kira, is the main character who discovers the notebook. Kira is intelligent and wise. The names he scribbles on the pages belong to criminals, but as the story goes, when he was about to be apprehended, innocent civilians were also scribbled, so he could escape from being caught.

As the story progresses, each episode becomes more complicated as it deals with a variety of issues. Light Yagami acts as the protagonist because he hurts people at the beginning of the story. L, the antagonist, is as intelligent as Kira. Every plan of his is gradually revealed due to L’s wits, to the point where they are fighting each other, but just by using their brains and smart tactics.

This anime also has movies and live-action, and people are pleased with how they portray characters and cast the roles. It is a source of entertainment for those looking for something new, exciting, and unique.

18. Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is set in 2071 and follows a gang of bounty hunters in space. The spaceship is known as Bebop, and the bounty hunters are known as Cowboys. Spike Spiegel is a former member of the Red Dragon crime syndicate and a skilled pilot. Jet Black, a former cop with a cyber arm, is the Bebop’s owner. More crew members join in as the story progresses.

They now assist one another in collecting bounties all over the place. Spike has many enemies, but one major enemy in particular that he must eliminate because he was once a member of a criminal organization.

As the anime story progresses, the characters’ backgrounds and pain become clearer. Most adventures explain their past lives and how they met. Their journey is much more complicated than simply collecting bounties.

19. Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul is a story about a student who got attacked by a ghoul. A ghoul is like a monster with superpowers that eats humans. However, these ghouls look like humans and need to feed on other humans to maintain their appearance. The main character is named Ken Kaneki, and he was nearly eliminated by his date because she was trying to eat him.

But she was not successful, and he was brought to the hospital. Afterward, he turned into a half-ghoul. A half-ghoul is also supposed to eat human flesh to keep up their appearance so that society won’t notice anything wrong with them.

This anime also includes live-action and has a movie. So far, people are enjoying both the film and the series because they depict the characters almost exactly as they do in the Manga.

20. Pokémon

Pokémon is a well-known anime series. Ash Ketchum, the main character, is joined by Pikachu, a yellow creature with lightning powers. To become the greatest Pokémon master, Ash must find new Pokémon, duel people, and meet new people. They travel the world with their friends, gathering creatures and honing their skills.

Despite the desire to be the best of the best. There is a team called Team Rocket, and their goal is to capture Pikachu. They will go to any length to get him. That is why, on each adventure, he feels as if he is being pursued by them, making the journey and challenges more difficult.

This is a classic that is still a popular anime series today due to the large number of people who view the series, play the games, and collect the cards. This is entertaining to see or even play with other people’s Pokémon cards. This is our childhood, and we’re glad it’s still one of the most notable series out there.

Which of these anime do you prefer? Do you have any anime that you think should be included? Tell us in the comments.