Anime only fans

Our writer — who has watched all of these shows and has consumed more anime than he would care to admit — arrived at his final top 50 ranking by coming up with a provisional list of over 70 shows and then cross-referencing said list with numerous reviews. The provisional list was then whittled down to 50, with only the best of the best making the cut. The final ranking was determined by weighing up personal opinion against those of fans and critics.

We asked one of our resident anime writers to come up with a list that takes into account everything from entertainment value and originality to cultural impact, and this is the result. From seminal shows that inspired generations of fans and creators to the modern-day classics that stand as a shining example of the medium, here are the 50 best anime series of all time.

The only original anime series from the late, great Satoshi Kon (the genius behind such feature films as “

OLM’s anime dropped in October 1997 and ran until April 1998, spanning 25 episodes and covering the well-known Golden Age arc from the manga. It’s not the only adaptation: A trilogy of anime films (also based on the Golden Age arc) dropped between 2012 and 2013, and a new series (acting as a sequel to the films) aired between 2016 and 2017. The films and the follow-up series are must-sees for “Berserk” purists, but they pale in comparison to the brilliance of the original anime. It has drawn comparisons to “Game of Thrones,” the work of horror author Clive Barker, and the RPG video game series “Dark Souls.”