Case Closed
Sometimes known as Detective Conan, Case Closed is an adaptation of Gosho Aoyama’s serialized manga series. The story focuses on Jimmy Kudo, a 17-year-old prodigy detective who is forced to take an experimental drug that de-ages him into a seven-year-old boy. Jimmy pursues the crime syndicate that forced him to take the drug but takes on the pseudonym of Conan Edogawa to hide his real identity. He joins a local elementary school and forms a junior detective club with some of his fellow classmates, building a name for himself and trying to find a way to return to his original life. Case Closed is a fun anime that’s great for all ages but is an excellent choice for anime fans that want something enjoyable to watch with younger children.
Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss is an anime with a niche following but an incredibly intriguing plot and premise; however, it is not for children. The town of Orth surrounds a massive hole called the Abyss. Within this hole lies ancient artifacts of incredible power, a past civilization’s remains, and tremendous dangers. Anyone going into the Abyss suffers from the Curse of the Abyss, a disease that afflicts them when they come out of the hole. Riko is an orphaned girl whose mother, Lyza, was one of the few to reach the deepest levels of the Abyss and return, earning her a rare title of a White Whistle. However, her mother decided to take another descent into the Abyss and never returned. After some time, a message from Lyza is discovered stating that she is waiting for Riko at the deepest levels of the Abyss. Riko sets out in search of her mother with the help of her friends but waves farewell to everything she has ever known, realizing that she might not survive the journey. Made in Abyss is part action anime, part horror anime. It focuses heavily on the friendships of the main characters and the terrors they encounter in the deeper levels of the Abyss – and what the characters have to endure to survive.
Toradora
What are you supposed to do when your crush likes someone else? Team up with their best friend to help them fall in love with you, of course! Toradora is a slice of life anime that focuses on Taiga Aisaka and Ryuji Takasu, two high school students who can’t stand each other but partner up to help the other date their respective crushes. As the story goes on and their plans fail time and time again, the two find they have much more in common than they realize – and they help each other overcome their personal demons. Toradora is a touching, heartful experience from start to finish, with a balance of humor, drama, and romance that leaves you wanting more.
Magic Knight Rayearth
If you’re a fan of magical girl anime, Magic Knight Rayearth is one you don’t want to miss. Originally released in 1995, it’s chock-full of nostalgia, with the classic anime art style so many grew up with. It combines the magical girl and mecha genres together in a fun romp through a fantasy world. Three girls from Earth are pulled to a different world from the real world they’ve known. There, they have powers and magic. It isn’t always fun and rainbows – there are real stakes in this series, and it has quite a few dark moments of self-sacrifice and hard choices, though these are viewed through the idealism of the three 14-year-old main characters.
Welcome to the Ballroom
If you enjoy sports anime like Haikyu or fell in love with Yuri on Ice, you’ll enjoy Welcome to the Ballroom. This anime revolves around a young man named Tatara Fujita – your run-of-the-mill anime character with no purpose or dreams in life. However, after being saved from a group of thugs by Kanama Sengoku, Tatara finds himself suddenly immersed in competitive ballroom dancing. It’s a departure from the norm, but Welcome to the Ballroom pulls the viewer into its world in a way few anime do. Like Yuri on Ice, Welcome to the Ballroom has the potential to create an interest in something most people wouldn’t look at twice: ballroom dancing.
Great Teacher Onizuka
Great Teacher Onizuka is not your usual story. The main character, Eikichi Onizuka, is a former gang member and a peeping Tom. He is not a great guy – and after he discovers how much influence teachers have over girls, he decides to become a teacher himself. Somewhere along the way, though, Eikichi discovers a passion for teaching and a strong sense of morality. Great Teacher Onizuka, or GTO as more commonly known, is a story of character development. Eikichi changes and grows throughout the series from a complete delinquent into someone anyone would be glad to have as a teacher. His lessons aren’t usually from the textbook but are instead rooted firmly in the life he’s led. Eikichi wants to become the greatest teacher in history, and in many ways, he succeeds.
These Classic Animes Are Worth a Watch
You’ll notice there isn’t much new anime on the list. Thanks to Netflix and series like Shounen Jump, new anime gets a lot of focus — but some of the greatest anime came out years ago and are too often passed over in favor of titles like Demon Slayer. Next time you need something to watch, check out one of these series.
