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Top 10 Anime of All Time

Ishani Chatterjee Shukla
All you anime freaks out there, what, according to you, should rank as the top 10 anime of all time including anime movies, series and characters? Find out if your list of favorites tally with mine!
ANIME! Just like you see the word here, the anime phenomenon has constantly grown, and is still growing, by the years! Since its inception in 1917, the anime genre of animation series and movies have garnered a worldwide audience including kids as well as adults.
Incorporating teenage and adult content as it moved to subsequent decades, Japanese animation and Manga have assumed cult status within as well as outside Japan and Asian countries! Without wasting more time singing praises of anime, let's move on to see what are the 10 top anime of all time in the movie as well as series category!

Top 10 Anime Films of All Time

Following are some of the top rated anime of all time in the movie category. Bet you couldn't have missed any of these top anime movies of all time if you're as much into anime as I am!

1. Spirited Away

Undoubtedly one of the best anime of all time in the free-standing movie category, Spirited away really does manage to spirit your heart away! The plot revolves around the liminal journey of Chihiro into an alternate world and her quest to return to reality.
The essence of the theme is somewhat similar to Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Chihiro's journey and transitions from one world to another mark her gradual "coming of age". With an enchanting soundtrack and full of interesting twists in the tale, Spirited Away is undoubtedly a deserving contender for the greatest-anime-of-all-time title!

2. Princess Mononoke

This historical fantasy film follows the adventures of the last Emishi prince, Ashitaka, as he leaves his village to go to the "mountains of the West" in order to seek a cure for the cursed wound inflicted upon him by a boar demon. His encounter with other characters and wild beasts en route make up the plot for this period drama set in the Muromachi period.

3. Akira

Released way back in 1988, this action anime movie kind of completes any list of best anime movies of all time! The plot rests upon nuclear warfare leading to a third World War.
The protagonist, Tetsuo, is shown to possess supernatural and destructive mental powers equivalent to Akira, another supernaturally endowed boy after whom the movie is titled. The film follows Tetsuo's adventures as he follows the trail of the long-missing Akira to find out about him.

4. Lupin III

The story of this movie follows the adventures of Lupin the 3rd, coveted as the world's greatest thief who sends calling cards to the owners of the objects he intends to steal prior to stealing them! One heck of a classy thief, I must say!

5. Vampire Hunder D

This is a classic vampire-hunter-vs.-vampire-lord epic based upon Vampire Hunter D novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The antagonist, vampire Baron Meier Link, seems very much at par with advanced technology of the 21st century as we can see him transform his cloak and hands into blades, shields and claws and his cape into wings whenever needed! Deservedly one of the top anime movies!

6. Ghost in the Shell

This futuristic sci-fi anime movie follows the investigation into the misdoings of the elite hacker, Puppet Master, who is able to hack human minds and implant fake memories therein. The plot is set in 2029 Tokyo and shows us a world where everything is connected by a massive global electronic network.

7. Ninja Scroll

A visual treat for action anime fans, the plot of Ninja Scroll is based against the background of a feudal Japan and the storyline follows the protagonist Jubei's adventures as he fights his way to mete out justice to the antagonists. Classic tale of a samurai hero, coupled with a little sex and lots of violence.

8. Steamboy

An entertaining anime from the steampunk genre, Steamboy follows the scientific adventures of scientist Lloyd Steam and his son Edward. This film was produced on a budget of USD 26, 000, 000, making it the most expensive Japanese animation movie ever!

9. Grave of the Fireflies

The background of this anime film is set in Japan near the end of the 2nd World War. This movie very graphically depicts the waste war lays upon society and life and the scenes of personal tragedies shown in it fill you with emotion. Socially meaningful anime, if I may say so!

10. Perfect Blue

This movie starts off pretty slow but as it gradually picks up momentum, this movie proves to be an edge-of-the-seat-gripping psychological thriller. The plot follows the trysts and tribulations of pop idol Mima who is all set to make a career change as an actress.

Top 10 Anime Series of All Time

The following list of includes some of the top anime series of all time as these series continue to attract as wide (and ever growing) an audience today as they did initially! Check out the 10 most popular anime of all time
1. One Piece
2. Cowboy Bebop
3. Death Note
4. Trigun
5. Dragon Ball
6. Naruto
7. Ergo Proxy
8. Pokemon
9. Shin Chan
10. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Top 10 Anime Characters of All Time

No list of top animes can be complete without mentioning these cult anime characters
1. Alphonse Elric
2. Vegeta
3. Re-L Mayer
4. Neji Hyuuga
5. Nicolas D. Wolfwood
6. Mai Hime
7. Pikachu
8. Arsene Lupin III
9. Goku
10. Doraemon
That was my list of top ten anime of all time. My apologies if I missed out any of your favorites; you see, there are ssssoooooo many wonderful anime movies, series and characters but unfortunately, I cannot include all of them in a list of 10! I hope I get an opportunity to write on "top 100 anime" someday! Till then, stay glued!