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This article attempts to list the most influential and notable anime ever produced, sorted by category. Following each title, you will find the year of original release and any creator or other references (e.g. "director"). A brief description of why the work is considered notable follows (for some entries).

For further reference, please see the following articles:

Anime

Contemporary classics

Promotional poster for Steamboy

Howl's Moving Castle (film) (2004), Hayao Miyazaki (director). The latest masterpiece by master animator Miyazaki. While it makes heavy use of CG, the classic crisp, hand-animated style Studio Ghibli is known for is still clearly evident.
Samurai Champloo (2004), Shinichiro Watanabe (director)
Steamboy (2004), Katsuhiro Otomo (director)

Comedy anime

Highschool! Kimen-gumi

Urusei Yatsura (1981), Rumiko Takahashi (original manga). One of the quintessential comedy anime of all time. Features a large cast of characters, and the stories are almost always fresh and fun. Many series have copied the comedy style of this series.
Dr. Slump (1981), Akira Toriyama (original manga). Follows the antics of a wacky "mad" scientist who builds a little girl robot so he can have a family. Unfortunately, the robot doesn't always act the way a normal child would or should, and insane comedy ensues.
Highschool! Kimen-gumi (1985), Motoei Shinzawa (original manga). Focuses on a group of "funny-faced" (kimen-gumi means "funny-faced group") misfits as they go through highschool. This series helped launched the careers of two musical groups: Onyanko Club and Ushiroyubi Sasare-gumi.
Ranma ½ (1989), Rumiko Takahashi
Crayon Shin-chan (1992), Yoshito Usui
Dokkiri Doctor (1998), Kazunori Mizuno (Director)
Excel Saga (1999), Rikdo Koshi (original manga). Excel Saga is an insane parody series that lampoons every genre of anime in existence.
Azumanga Daioh (2002), Azuma Kiyohiko (original manga). Azumanga Daioh follow the trials and triumphs of everyday life in a Japanese high school.

Drama anime

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Perfect Blue (1997), Satoshi Kon
Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997), Kunihiko Ikuhara (director)
Jin-Roh (1998), Hiroyuki Okiura (director)
Boogiepop Phantom (2000), Takashi Watanabe (director)
Millennium Actress (2001), Satoshi Kon (director)
Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) Seiji Mizushima(director), Hiromu Arakawa (original manga)
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien (2003) Watanabe Tetsuya(director)

Fantasy anime

Belldandy and Holy Bellfrom Ah! My Goddess (TV) Belldandy and Holy Bell from Ah! My Goddess (TV)

Angel's Egg (1985), Mamoru Oshii/Yoshitaka Amano (character design)
Dragon Quest(1989), Yuji Horii
Record of Lodoss War (1990), based on novels by Ryo Mizuno
Oh My Goddess! (OVA) (1993-1994), Kosuke Fujishima (original manga)
Magic Knight Rayearth (1994), CLAMP (original manga)
The Slayers (1995), based on novels by Hajime Kanzaka
The Vision of Escaflowne (1996), Kazuki Akane, based on manga by Katsu Aki and Yuzuro Yashiro
Berserk (1997), Kentaro Miura
InuYasha (2000), Rumiko Takahashi

Groundbreaking anime

Lupin III

Astro Boy (1963), Osamu Tezuka (director and original manga)
Gigantor (1963), Mitsuteru Yokoyama (original manga)
Kimba the White Lion (1965), Osamu Tezuka (original manga)
Speed Racer (1967), Tatsuo Yoshida (director and original manga)
Cyborg 009 (1968), Shotaro Ishinomori (original manga)
Lupin III (1971), Monkey Punch (original manga)
Gatchaman (1972) aka Battle of the Planets, Tatsuo Yoshida (original manga)
Devilman (1972), Go Nagai (original manga)

Harem anime

See also: Harem anime

Tenchi Muyo!

Ranma ½ (1989), Rumiko Takahashi (original manga)
Tenchi Muyo! (1991), Masaki Kajishima
Love Hina (2000), Ken Akamatsu (original manga)
Green Green (2003), Chisaku Matsumoto

Horror anime

Vampire Hunter D

Wicked City (1987), Yoshiaki Kawajiri (director), Hideyuki Kikuchi (original novel)
Doomed Megalopolis (1991), Rintaro (director), Hiroshi Aramata (original story)
Pet Shop of Horrors (1999), Toshio Hirata (director), Matsuri Akino (original story)
Blood: The Last Vampire (2000), Mamoru Oshii (story), Hiroyuki Kitakubo (director)
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000), Yoshiaki Kawajiri (director)
Hellsing (2002), Kohta Hirano

Kodomo (children's) anime

Doraemon

Panda! Go, Panda! (1972), Isao Takahata
Doraemon (1979), Fujiko Fujio
Anpanman (1988), Takashi Yanase
Magical Taruruuto-Kun (1990), Tatsuya Egawa
Pokémon (1997), Satoshi Tajiri
Hamtaro (2000), Ritsuko Kawai

Giant Robot (Mecha) anime

See also: Mecha

A mecha (in this shot, Eva Unit 02) from Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Tetsujin 28-go (1963), Mitsuteru Yokoyama (original manga)
Mazinger Z (1972), Go Nagai (original manga)
Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), Yoshiyuki Tomino (director)
Patlabor (1983), Mamoru Oshii (director), Masami Yūki (original manga)
Bubblegum Crisis (1987), Kenichi Sonoda (character design)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), Hideaki Anno (director) This show is recognized by many fans as hard to categorize, but a consensus has been reached that it is basically a mecha.
The Big O (1999)
Full Metal Panic! (2001) Koichi Chigira
RahXephon (2002), Yutaka Izubuchi (creator)

Mystery anime

Poster for fifth Case Closed movie.

Case Closed (1996), Gosho Aoyama (original manga)
Detective Academy Q (2003), Noriyuki Abe (Director)

Romance anime

Oscar Jarjayes from The Rose of Versailles

The Rose of Versailles (1979), Riyoko Ikeda (original manga)
Maison Ikkoku (1986), Rumiko Takahashi (original manga)
Kimagure Orange Road (1987), Izumi Matsumoto (original manga)
Video Girl Ai (1992), Masakazu Katsura (original manga), Mizuho Nishikubo (director)
Marmalade Boy (1994), Wataru Yoshizumi (original manga)
His & Her Circumstances (1998), Masami Tsuda (original manga), Hideaki Anno (director)
Onegai Teacher (2001) Please! (Author) Shizuru Hayashiya (Art)
Ai Yori Aoshi (2002), Kou Fumizuki (original manga)

Samurai-era anime

Ran and Meow from Tsukikage Ran

Yōtōden (1987) Osamu Yamazaki (director)
The Hakkenden (1990), Takashi Anno (director) and Yukio Okamoto (director), Kyokutei Bakin (original novel)
Ninja Scroll (1995), Yoshiaki Kawajiri (director)
Rurouni Kenshin (1996), Nobuhiro Watsuki (original manga)
Tsukikage Ran (2000), Akitaro Daichi (director)
Samurai Deeper Kyo (2002), Akimine Kamijyo (original manga)

Science Fiction anime

Akira Akira

Captain Future (1979), Tomoharu Katsumata (director), Edmond Hamilton (original stories)
Ulysses 31 (1981)
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (1987), Hiroyuki Yamaga (director)
Akira (1988), Katsuhiro Otomo (director and original manga)
Ghost in the Shell (1995), Mamoru Oshii (director)
Cowboy Bebop (1998), Shinichiro Watanabe (director)
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (1998)
Serial Experiments Lain (1998), Chiaki J. Konaka
FLCL (2000), Kazuya Tsurumaki and others (director)
Metropolis (2001), Rintaro (director), Osamu Tezuka

Shōjo anime

See also: Shojo

Characters from Kodocha (Kodomo no Omocha)

Please note that titles listed in this section can fit into other categories on this page. However, they were placed here as they exemplify the traits found in typical "shōjo" anime.

Ribbon No Kishi (1967), Osamu Tezuka
Aim for the Ace! (1973), Sumika Yamamoto
Candy Candy (1974), Kyoko Mizuki
Sailor Moon (1992), Naoko Takeuchi
Kodocha (Kodomo no Omocha) (1996), Miho Obana
Cardcaptor Sakura (English anime is known as Cardcaptors) (1998), CLAMP
Fruits Basket (2001), Studio DEEN (by Natsuki Takaya)

Shōnen anime

See also: Shonen

Characters from Dragon Ball

Please note that titles listed in this section can fit into other categories on this page. However, they were placed here as they exemplify the traits found in typical "shōnen" anime.

Dragon Ball (1986), Akira Toriyama
Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) (1986), Masami Kurumada
Ronin Warriors (Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers) (1988), Hajime Yatate
Rurouni Kenshin (1992), Nobuhiro Watsuki
Yu Yu Hakusho (1997), Yoshihiro Togashi
Digimon(1997), Akiyoshi Hongo (original manga and anime)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters in Japan) (2000), Kazuki Takahashi (original manga, 1996)
One Piece (1997), Eiichiro Oda
Hikaru no Go (2001), Yumi Hotta (original manga story), Takeshi Obata (original manga artist)
Naruto (2002), Masashi Kishimoto (original manga, 1999)

Space opera anime

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Space Battleship Yamato (1974) aka Star Blazers, Leiji Matsumoto (director)
Captain Harlock (1978), Rintaro (director), Leiji Matsumoto (original manga)
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982), Noburo Ishiguro (director)
Gunbuster (1988), Hideaki Anno (director)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988), Noburo Ishiguro (director), Yoshiki Tanaka (original story)
Martian Successor Nadesico (1996), Tatsuo Sato (director), Kia Asamiya (original manga)
Crest of the Stars (1999), Morioka Hiroyuki (original novels)

Sports anime

Captain Tsubasa team shot

Ashita No Joe (1970), Osamu Dezaki (director) Tetsuo Chiba & Asao Takamori (original manga creator)
Captain Tsubasa (1983), Yoichi Takahashi
Touch (1985), Mitsuru Adachi (original manga)
Slam Dunk (1993), Takehiko Inoue (original manga)
Battle Athletes OVA (1997), Kazuhiro Ozawa (director)
Initial D (1998), Shuichi Shigeno (original manga)
Princess Nine (1998) Tomomichi Mochizuki (director)
Fighting Spirit (Hajime no Ippo) (2000) Jyoji "George" Morikawa (original manga)
Prince of Tennis (2001), Takeshi Konomi (original manga)

Studio Ghibli anime

My Neighbor Totoro

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Hayao Miyazaki (director and original manga)
Castle in the Sky (1986), Hayao Miyazaki (director)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Isao Takahata (director)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Hayao Miyazaki (director)
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Hayao Miyazaki (director)
Porco Rosso (1992), Hayao Miyazaki (director)
Princess Mononoke (1997), Hayao Miyazaki (director)
Spirited Away (2001), Hayao Miyazaki (director)

Categories: Animation

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Notable anime

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