Top 32 Favorite Anime TV Series

Well ladies and gentlemen, here's yet another meme I whipped up just for the sake of updating since I sometimes feel that not many people visit by page since I mostly have only black and white pencil sketches and all. But anyway, here's a meme featuring some of my favorite anime cartoon shows of all time. Here's all of them as listed.

1. Gundam:
This is the original anime that started the whole Gundam craze back in between the late 70s and early 80s. Also known as Mobile Suit Gundam (機動戦士ガンダム, Kidō Senshi Gundam), this series was given to us by Sunrise, a powerhouse of anime. It was written and directed by written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, and it lasted for 43 episodes. The series first aired in 1979. In the Universal Century 0079: The Principality of Zeon has declared its independence from the Earth Federation, and subsequently launched a massive war of independence, a war which has raged in every continent on earth and in nearly every space colony and lunar settlement. The Zeon have the upper hand through their use of a revolutionary new type of weapon, their humanoid like mobile suits. When a Zeon recon team disobey mission orders and begin attacking Side 7 its citizens stumble across the Federations latest weapon: the Gundam. With the aid of Earth Federation soldiers stationed aboard the MS carrier White Base the newly formed crew of refugees set out to change the course of the One Year War — or die trying. After Mobile Suit Gundam bit the dust, many other series would follow in its wake. That includes the popular "Gundam Wing", "08-MS Team", "G-Gundam", and "Gundam Seed".

2. Mazinger Z:
I've talked about this guy a lot. And well, I figured Mazinger Z just had to be mentioned here since it's a series that I've known my whole life. Although technically it existed long before I was born. Created by Go Nagai, Mazinger Z (マジンガーZ Majinga Zetto) started off as a manga in 1972. Later in the same year, it was made into an anime TV series by Toei Animation, another famous Japanese entertainment company responsible for giving us lots of other wonderful and memorable cartoons and films that come to mind. In his original concepts, the titular robot was “Energer Z”, which was controlled by a motorcycle that was driven up its back and into its head (an idea which was recycled for the “Diana A” robot). However, with the booming popularity of Kamen Rider, Nagai replaced the motorcycle with a hovercraft as the vehicle that merges with the robot's head. He later redesigned Energer Z, and renamed him “Mazinger Z” to evoke the image of a demon god. The word “Majin” literally means “Demon God” (Ma, 魔, meaning demon and Jin, 神, meaning god). So literally, the robot can be called "Demon God Z". The motif of the Hover Pilder docking itself into Mazinger's head also borrows from Nagai's 1971 manga Demon Lord Dante (the prototype for his more popular Devilman series), in which the titular giant demon has a human head (of Ryo Utsugi, the young man who merged with him) in his forehead. Interestingly, Mazinger Z's pilot, Koji Kabuto, takes his surname (the Japanese word for "helmet") from the fact that he controls the robot from his head. Mazinger Z not only has great strength and endurance, but also has a large assortment of powers and weapons at his disposal, making him the first super robot invented, and predating Voltron and others by several years. The TV show introduced an iconic theme song performed by Ichiro Mizuki. The story in the show focused on the adventures of Koji Kabuto as he pilots Mazinger Z to fight against armies of evil robots created by Dr. Hell. The robot was created by Koji's grandfather Juzo Kabuto, who bestows his grandson with the responsibility to pilot the robot for the sake of world peace. The series was a major success in Japan, and it was even popular in other countries from around the world including places like Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central America. The show ran from 1972 to 1974, and lasted for a total of 92 episodes. Making it one of the longest running cartoon series in the history of anime. The show didn't come to the United States until 1985, when it was dubbed, edited, and renamed Tranzor Z. The show was popular in America, but not quite as popular as Voltron was back in the day. In fact, some Voltron purists called Trazor Z a rip off of Voltron, even though Mazinger Z predated Voltron by a single decade. But still, to this day, Mazinger Z remains one of Go Nagai's most well known and critically acclaimed creations of all time. And I'm glad to have known it since my childhood. It was one of those series that made a big impact on my life.

3. Shin Tetsujin 28:
Known as "The New Gigantor" in America, Shin Tetsujin 28 (新鉄人28号 Shin Tetsujin Nijuhachi Go) was a remake of a classic TV series from the 1960s. Tetsujin 28 was the first giant robot mecha that Japan has given us, predating Mazinger Z by a whole decade. Making him the grandfather of giant robots. The "Shin" in the title means "New". While "Tetsujin" means "Ironman". So literally, "New Ironman 28". The premise of this show once again features Shotaro Kaneda as the robot's operator. But unlike most other giant robot series were the pilot operates the robot from a cockpit, Shotaro controlled Tetsujin with a portable remote control device. The show was first released in Japan in 1980, and then in North America in 1993. And believe it or not, this was the show that introduced me to the franchise. I first came across the show on the Sci-Fi channel in 1995 when I was still a kid. And man was I hooked on it. Needless to say it left quite an impression on me. The show was animated in a unique style from the original 60s series. It featured redesigns for the characters, and even the titular robot was redesigned. This is the only continuity where Dr. Shikishima is revealed to have a daughter named Makiko (Bonnie in the English dub), who acts somewhat like a sister or even a possible love interest for Shotaro. The series also featured a catchy and addictive as hell theme song called "Taiyo no Shisha" (Messenger of the Sun), which plays in the show's intro. Being an 80s cartoon, Shin Tetsujin 28 featured a pretty solid soundtrack that was definitely reminiscent of the time it was made in. But since I'm an 80s child, I find the soundtrack to be pretty soothing, and it fits well with the atmosphere of the show. Though, the English dub is cheesy as hell. But what can you expect? Interestingly enough, this show was said to have taken place at the beginning of the 21st century, which by 1980 was only 20 years away. This was quite contrary to the manga which takes place shortly after World War II. In this series, Tetsujin 28 fought against not only the typical run of the mill villains, but also evil forces from outer space. And it featured some futuristic elements which were not seen in the original 60s show. In the episode "The Robot Who Could Think", we are reintroduced to Black Ox (Blue Jackal in the English dub), and Dr. Franken (Dr. Graybeard in the English dub). Shin Tetsujin 28 was also a darker take on the story, and even featured some dramatic and heartbreaking episodes with character deaths which really set the mood and theme for the show. At the end of the episode that introduced Black Ox, his creator dies, we experience a moment of sadness from his death. In Japan, the series ran from 1980 to 1981, and lasted for a total of 51 episodes. Another thing I found interesting is that in the English dub, the original Japanese theme song was replaced with the Gigantor theme for both the intro and outro sequences. In the Japanese version, whenever Tetsujin engages in battle with an enemy towards the end of each episode, the song "Taiyo no Shisha" would play through the scene. But in the English version, only a tiny fraction of the original theme song is heard before it's replaced by the Gigantor theme. Only in the Japanese version can the original song be heard in its entirety. The show lasted 51 episodes.

4. Robotech:
This is one of those shows that I've known my whole life. And though I haven't reviewed this show yet, it still has a great deal of nostalgic value for me to this day after 30 years later. It's one of my favorite anime franchises of all time, and this is a show that me and my brother used to watch back in the heart of the 80s. Yes, my brother was into Robotech as well, and we collected a lot of the toys, model kits, and merchandise that came along with it. The franchise began with an 85-episode science fiction anime TV series produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production Co. Ltd. and first released in the United States in 1985. The series shares a lot in common with Transformers in the sense that it featured transformable mechas and vehicles. Only in this show, the robots were not sentient beings, and they required human operators to control them. The series was adapted from three original Japanese television series; Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospedia. However, out of all three of these series, the Macross saga is the most well-known and remembered. But within the Robotech series adaptation, these series are refered to as the First, Second, and Third Robotech Wars. The First Robotech War (The Macross Saga) concerns humanity's discovery of a crashed alien ship and subsequent battle against a race of giant warriors called the Zentraedi, who have been sent to retrieve the ship for reasons unknown. In the course of this chapter, Earth is nearly annihilated, the Zentraedi are defeated, and humans gain knowledge of the energy source called protoculture. Humanity also learns of the Robotech Masters whose galactic empire the Zentraedi protected and patrolled. The Second Robotech War (Southern Cross) focuses on the arrival in Earth orbit of the Robotech Masters, who have come seeking what turns out to be the sole means in the universe of producing protoculture. Through a combination of mistrust and arrogance, their attempts at retrieving this meet with opposition from the humans and unleash a war that leaves the Masters defeated and Earth awash in the spores of a plant called the Flower of Life—the source of protoculture and a beacon to the mysterious Invid who scour the galaxy for its presence. The Third Robotech War (The New Generation) begins with the arrival on Earth of the Invid, who are lured by the Flower of Life and rapidly conquer the planet. References in the previous two chapters explain to viewers that many of the heroes of the First Robotech War had left Earth to seek out the Robotech Masters on a preemptive mission, and it is this Robotech Expeditionary Force that sends missions back from across the galaxy to attempt a liberation of their homeworld. The storyline follows one group of freedom fighters as they work their way towards the final battle with the Invid. To this day, Robotech is a series which I still have fond memories of. It was an important part of my childhood just as much as many other series were at the time. And therefore it still has a special place in my heart to this day.

5. Lion Voltron:
Another one of those gems of the 80s that is still remembered to this day after many years later. Known in Japan as "百獣王ゴライオン Hyakujuu-O Goraion" (Hundred Beast King Golion), this show was originally created by Toei Animation, and first aired in 1981. Originally, the show was not a big hit in its native country. But when it came to the United States in 1984 as "Voltron: Defender of the Universe", it's popularity exploded, and it became a worldwide phenomenon.  In this undefined future era, the Voltron Force was in charge of protecting the planet Arus (ruled by Princess Allura) from the evil King Zarkon (Daibazal) from planet Doom, his son Lotor (Sincline), and the witch Haggar, who would create giant mechanical monsters called Robeasts to terrorize the people of Arus. And at the end of each episode, the Voltron team would pilot their respective lions, and merge to form the titular robot Voltron to do battle with the robeast. And what I always loved about these giant robot battles is that the robot would always finish off an enemy by slicing him right in half with his sword. For me as a kid, that was SO epic. Now, while the show doesn't hold up that well due to the heavy editing, so-so voice acting, and corny dialogue, it still has a special place in my heart to this day. And of course, its understandable that in the first season of the show, heavy editing was involved since the Japanese version of this show was very gory and violent, and there were character deaths that were omitted from the English version. Although the show originally lasted 52 episodes in Japan, Lion Voltron became so popular and successful in America, that World Events Productions decided to make a second season to appeal to fans. And keep in mind, this was back when companies in the business actually cared about pleasing fans. Not like today when money is all that matters. While Sven was "brought back" through the use of his brother, both Haggar and Nanny would be absent for the last few episodes of the season until the show's United States exclusive second season aired, bringing them back to the forefront. And it was in the second season that introduced the character Queen Merla, who was voiced by Tress MacNeille. It's also thanks to World Events Productions that the show lasted for an overall total of 124 episodes. Making it one of the longest running TV series of the 1980s. And definitely one of the most remembered. In 1997, there was a show titled "Voltron: The Third Dimension", which featured the return of many familiar faces from the original cartoon along with their respective English voice actors. The CGI was not bad for its time, but it fades in comparison to the quality that was Toy Story. Sadly, The Third Dimension only lasted 26 episodes. Years later, there was a show called Voltron Force, an entirely Americanized version of the series that aired in 2011. Sadly, much like Third Dimension, it too only lasted 26 episodes before it bit the dust. Which is most unfortunate considering its innovations and potential. But even so, the franchise continues to go strong to this day, even after more than 30 years later.

6. Vehicle Voltron:
Known in Japan as Armored Fleet Dairugger XV (機甲艦隊ダイラガーXV, Kikō Kantai Dairagā Fifteen), this show soon followed after the success of Lion Voltron. Now, it's to my general understanding that this show is rather underrated. In fact, Vehicle Voltron was not as popular as it's Lion Voltron counterpart was back in the day. Based on what I remember, not many people liked the show, and it received a lot of negative bashing from fans who preferred Lion Voltron. To the majority of the fanbase, Lion Voltron is the real deal. The funny thing I remember is that both shows were were simply titled “Voltron” in their respective intro sequences. And not only that, but the show also had the same narrator (Peter Cullen), and it reused a lot of the same background music from the US version of Lion Voltron. In fact, they even made use of the iconic theme song as well. So to avoid confusion, the two shows have been dubbed "Lion Voltron", and "Vehicle Voltron". Based on what I've heard, some fans complained that they caught this show when they were expecting to watch Lion Voltron. Which is understandable considering that Lion Voltron was a lot more popular and successful back in the day. However, I'll admit that I was never biased against Vehicle Voltron like the majority of the fans were. In fact, I loved both shows equally. No matter which of these shows were on, I would watch it. It didn't matter to me if I caught either the Lion or Vehicle version. Just as long as it was Voltron, I would watch it. The story revolves around a team of space explorers traveling through outer space in a giant mothership headed by Commander Hawkins (voiced by Peter Cullen in the English version). The villains of this show were an alien race known as the Dule Empire. Their leader was Hazar (Teles in Japan, who kind of acts as the “Prince Lotor” of the series). The Drules are basically humanoid in appearance, but have purple skin, white hair, and red eyes. The Vehicle Voltron Force defends the Galaxy Garrison exploration fleet that is tasked with searching for new habitable planets to support an overpopulated Earth. And the Drule Empire tries to beat them to the punch each and every chance they get. Similar to how it was in Lion Voltron, Vehicle Voltron would be formed in the last few minutes of each episode to fight against a robeast, which he usually finishes off with his trademark weapon. A lot like Lion Voltron, Vehicle Voltron would always finish off an enemy robeast by slicing them in half with his sword. Now, unlike Lion Voltron's sword which is pretty detailed and has a unique design for the blade, Vehicle Voltron's sword has a basic shape for the blade, kind of like a traditional European broadsword. The crest in between the handle and the blade closely resembles a crucifix. But still, even though it's pretty basic, it's equally as powerful. Another interesting thing to note is that in the US version, Lion Voltron and Vehicle Voltron were said to be connected in the same saga. In fact, there are certain episodes I remember from Lion Voltron where some of the characters from Vehicle Voltron made brief cameo appearances. Mainly due to the show incorporating clips from the other. And not only that, but it was even stated that both the Lion team and the Vehicle team were acquainted with each other in the past, and were good friends who went to school at an academy. Keith was said to be friendly rivals with Jeff, and Hunk was said to have had a friendly rivalry with Rocky. And also, Chip (whose very similar to Pidge) was said to be Pidge's brother. However, in Japan, both series are unrelated, and not connected to each other in anyway. Therefore, Chip is not really Pidge's brother. At least not in the Japanese version. According to the US Voltron cartoon continuity, Pidge and Chip were adopted from an orphanage by the same family, so in that continuity they might share a last name, except that neither of the two series provided last names for any of the characters (Lion or Vehicle). Other sources say that they were separated at birth. Because according to the comics, Pidge and Chip did not know each other prior to their teams' formation.

7. Saint Seiya:
Known in Japan as (聖闘士星矢 Seitōshi Seiya), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1990, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989. However, this show didn't come to America until many years later when it aired on Cartoon Network around the late 90s and early 2000s. For this reason, some American audiences called this show a rip off of Ronin Warriors. But Saint Seiya actually came two years before Ronin Warriors. Although both shows do share a lot in common despite being made by two different companies. The story follows five mystical warriors called the "Saints" (聖闘士(セイント) Seinto, or "Knights" in some adaptations) who fight wearing sacred armors named "Cloths" (聖衣(クロス) Kurosu), the designs of which derive from the various constellations the characters have adopted as their destined guardian symbols, and empowered by a mystical energy called "Cosmo" (小宇宙(コスモ) Kosumo). The Saints have sworn to defend the reincarnation of the Greek goddess Athena in her battle against the other Olympian gods who want to dominate Earth. Saint Seiya began to be known in the West as Knights of the Zodiac after it became successful in France in 1988, where it was given the name of Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque; this was also the first foreign release of the series. Both the original manga and the anime adaptation were very successful in Japan and several Asian, European and Latin American countries however, none of them were translated into English until 2003. Four animated feature films were shown in Japanese theaters from 1987 to 1989. The anime was cancelled and left unfinished in 1989, leaving one arc of the manga non-animated. However, in 2002, Toei Animation continued the anime in the form of three OVA series (the final one ended in 2008)in order to adapt the remaining manga story arcs, and following this revival of the franchise, a fifth film was screened in 2004 and a sixth was screened in 2014. Since 2006, author Kurumada has resumed the publishing of the manga, starting from the conclusion of the original work, continuing the story in Saint Seiya: Next Dimension.

8. Samurai Pizza Cats:
This is a show I neglected to talk about because I seemed to have forgotten all about this show until I saw it again on YouTube. But yes, this is yet another anime cartoon show that I saw in my youth. Known in Japan as "Kyatto Ninden Teiyande" (キャッ党忍伝てやんでえ, Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee), this show was written by Mayori Sekijima and Satoru Akahori, and directed by Kunitoshi Okajima. The series originally aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from February 1st 1990, to February 12th 1991. The series lasted for a total of 54 episodes. Saban picked up the North American rights to the series in 1991, and produced an English dub "Samurai Pizza Cats" that became a cult hit among anime fans due to its rapid-fire pop culture references and more farcical nature. The series was basically a slapstick comedy show with a classic good vs. evil premise. The series is set in the city of Edoropolis (a portmanteau of "Edo" and "metropolis"), a mechanical city which fuses feudal Japanese culture with contemporary and futuristic culture, and is populated by cybernetic anthropomorphic animals "animaloids", or animal androids. The city is notionally led by Shogun Iei-Iei Tokugawa, but as he is a doddering eccentric, the city's actual leadership lies in the hands of his daughter Tokugawa Usako and a council headed by the ambitious prime minister Kitsunezuka Korn-no-Kami, a fox who constantly plots to overthrow the Shogun with the help of his trusted advisor Karasu Gennari-sai, and Karamaru, the leader of an army of ninja crows. Unknown to the prime minister, council member Inuyama Wanko-no-Kami, the commander of the Palace Guard, learns of his designs on leadership, but is unable to prosecute him for treason because of the plausible deniability he maintains. Instead, Inuyama enlists the services of Yattarou, Pururun and Skashee, three cat ninjas who work in the city's pizzeria, along with their operator Otama. Known collectively as the Nyankī, they are assigned to stop Korn-no-Kami and his evil henchmen's plans to take over Edoropolis. The three main protagonsist of this show were Speedy Cerviche (Yattaro), Polly Esther (Pururun), and Guido Anchovy (Sukashi). Speedy was the leader of the trio, and his trademark weapon was a magical katana known as the Ginzu sword (Masamasa), whose power is unleashed in almost every episode as Speedy's special attack, the Cat's Eye Slash. When things were too much for the trio to handle they had a back up team who served as their allies and helpers. This team was known as the "Rescue Team" or Otasuke Ninja as they were called in Japan. This team consisted of General Catton (Rikinoshin), Batcat (Meitoru), Meowzma (Gotton), and Spritz T. Cat (Nekki).

9. Speed Racer:
I knew I would have to talk about this show sooner or later, since it too was apart of my childhood. Even though it came 20 years before my time. Well anyway, as far as I know, Speed Racer is perhaps one of the most well-known anime franchises of all time. Known in Japan as "Mach Go Go Go" (マッハGoGoGo), the series was created by Tatsunoko Productions, who also gave us Casshern, Gatchaman, Hurricane Polymar, and lots of other shows that come to mind. Speed Racer first aired in Japan in 1963, and lasted for 52 episodes. But even long after the series ended, it continued to be shown on reruns throughout the course of time from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and more recent years. In 2005, I started collecting DVDs of this show for the sake of nostalgia. The story in this series revolves around a young man literally named "Speed Racer" (Go Mifune in the Japanese version), who is a professional race car driver. He is known for his love of racing and valuing his family. He drives the Mach 5 (as well as other cars, such as the Mach 6 in the 1993 movie) and always manages to wind up in extreme danger with either his younger brother Spritle or his girlfriend Trixie. Speed misses his older brother, Rex, who ran away from home years ago. Unknown to Speed however, Rex is still alive, and is disguised as the mysterious figure Racer X, who helps him in his adventures. Speed wears a blue shirt with an orange "G" (standing for his Japanese first name, Gō) with a white collar, a red racing bandanna around his neck, white pants, red socks, brown loafers and yellow gloves. He has a brown, almost black, pompadour, and his eyes are brown (in the anime version they are blue). In racing, he sports a white open-face helmet with an M (representing Mifune Motors) on top. In the anime, on special occasions, Speed wears a red blazer with a yellow "G" embroidered on it. In the live action film, he wears a white leather racing jacket unzipped over his classic outfit. He wears his classic outfit (without the embroidered "G") in the first half of the Casa Cristo 5000. To strengthen character back-story continuity between Speed and his older brother Rex, Speed's red socks were considered "lucky socks. What I always loved about Speed Racer is that he was not only a race car driver, but he also fought crime. And in many episodes of the series, he often fought against criminals and solved mysteries with the help of his allies, which in my opinion added flair to the show's originality. In 1997, Tatsunoko produced a modernized version of the series which aired on TV Tokyo, but sadly only lasted 34 episodes. The 1997 series is not quite as well-known or as remembered as the original 60s series. But it was still a good reboot though. I enjoyed it considerably when I first saw it back in 2002. Strangely enough, there was a live action movie based on Speed Racer which was released in 1993. But I'm not so sure if its as well-known as the more recent 2008 film which received mostly negative bashing from critics and fans of the original TV series. But still, Speed Racer continues to go strong to this day after literally 50 years later. And I praise its popularity and success. It just goes to show that even back in the old days, anime has had a powerful impact on the world of entertainment.

10. 8-Man:
I've talked about this guy a lot from time to time. So I guess he needs no introduction. But for those of you who haven't read my review of the two films he's appeared in, let's start from the beginning. 8-Man was created by story writer Kazumasa Hirai and manga artist Jiro Kuwata. Like many other anime series, 8-Man started off as a manga, which was first published in 1963. Later in the same year, the manga was adapted into an anime TV series that lasted for 56 episodes. The manga was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine and ran from 1963 to 1966. The anime series, produced by Eiken with the TCJ Animation Center, was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System. The story revolves around a Japanese police officer Hachiro Azuma, who was killed by a gang of criminals, and was revived by Professor Tani as the cyborg superhero known as 8-Man. As far as records go, 8-Man is perhaps Japan's oldest existing cyborg superhero, predating Tatsunoko's Casshern by a whole decade. He is considered by American audiences to be the inspiration for Robocop due to his similar backstory. And of course, I've already mentioned that 8-Man appeared in two movies back in the 90s, one that was a life action film simply titled "8-Man: For All Lonely Nights", which was released in 1992, and an animated film titled "8-Man After", which aired a year later in 1993. The character has even appeared in his own side scrolling action game in 1991 that was made by Neo-Geo. In recent years, a newer manga series called "8-Man Infinity" is being authored by Kyoichi Nanatsuki under Kodansha, which is being serialized under Kodansha's Magazine Z. Not much is known about this current saga. All I know is that it's a modern day take on the 8-Man franchise that started back in 2005, and it's currently an ongoing series. Because information regarding this manga is a bit hard to come by, there's not a whole lot I can say about it because most likely, the manga is only being released in Japan.

11. Great Mazinger:
Only two years after the success of Mazinger Z, Go Nagai produced the sequel to the series; Great Mazinger (グレートマジンガー Gureitto Majinga). Despite some of the obvious differences between the two shows, the titular mecha of this series looked virtually identical to Mazinger Z in appearance. However, the robot had his fair share of differences that separated him from his predecessor. He had pointier edges, he was an excellent swordsman, and he had several other powers which Mazinger Z didn't possess. But because they were both created by Go Nagai, I often refer to them as the “Mazinger Brothers”. Like Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger is a super robot who had a number of powers and abilities at his disposal. The robot was piloted by Tetsuya Tsurugi, who in this show is the main protagonist and the center focus. Later in the series, he is revealed to be the adoptive son of Kenzo Kabuto (Koji's father and the creator of Great Mazinger), and Koji and Shiro's adoptive brother. The show featured some returning faces such as Boss, Nuke, Mucha, and Shiro. Tetsuya's girlfriend is Jun Honoo, who pilots the robot "Venus A". Great Mazinger's debut appearance was in the final episode of Mazinger Z, which introduced the Mycenae Empire, headed by Ankoku Dai Shogun (暗黒大将軍 Great General of Darkness). The Mycenae Empire was a race of warriors who appear to be somewhat organic and somewhat robotic. Possibly cybernetic. Their warriors are called “Sentojuu” (literally Battle Beasts). In the final episode of Mazinger Z, Koji Kabuto once again pilots Mazinger Z to do battle with the invading forces of the Mycenae Empire, only to get his ass handed to him big time. And just when they were about to finish him off, Great Mazinger shows up, and makes short work of the Battle Beasts, saving his brother in the process. Thus marking the end of Mazinger Z, and the beginning of Great Mazinger. In a different TV special, Great Mazinger's introduction was different. Ankoku Dai Shogun sends two Battle Beasts named Gratonios and Piranius to ravage the Earth and to attract the attention of Mazinger Z. And the same thing happened, Mazinger Z gets his ass kicked, and Great Mazinger comes in to clean house. In both continuities, Koji moves over to the United States, and remains absent for most of the series until towards the end when he returns with a fully rebuilt Mazinger Z. In the last episode, Koji and Tetsuya must put aside their petty differences to defeat the Mycenae Empire once and for all. The series lasted 56 episodes. Also in 1974, the special titled “Mazinger Z vs. The Great General of Darkness” (マジンガーＺ対暗黒大将軍 Majingâ Zetto tai Ankoku Daishôgun) was broadcast on Japanese television. There was even a show called Getter Robo, which was created by Ken Ishikawa, a close friend of Go Nagai.

12. Ginga Gagareboshi Gin:
Written in Japanese as “銀牙: 流れ星 銀”, the title translates as “Silver Fang: Shooting Star Silver”. It is a manga series that was written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Takahashi, and published by Shueisha in 1983. From what I heard, the manga was based on an actual story about wild dogs roaming around the streets of Tokyo around the time when the manga was first written. The series lasted for 18 issues. Although it has not been published in the United States, fan-translated chapters have appeared on some manga websites. The manga has even been released for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch at Apple's iTunes App Store, and it is also available in English. In 1986, the manga was adapted into an anime TV series by the famous Japanese company, Toei Animation. The show first aired in Japan on April 1st, 1986, and ended on September 22nd of the same year. The series only lasted for a single season, and only 21 episodes were produced. But in this case, it doesn't matter, because at least the series was given a proper ending before it bit the dust. Which is more that can be said for some other shows I know of. The story revolves around a young Akita-Inu pup named “Gin” (Japanese for Silver), and his adventures with a group of wild dogs as they journey throughout Japan to battle rival dog packs, and savage murderous bears who attack on sight. As you would probably expect from an anime cartoon, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin is not your typical cartoon that you'd see nowadays. The series is pretty dark and violent, but that's not all there is to it though. There's also a bit of humor and drama in it as well, which gives the series its flair and its value. However, I didn't know about this show when it first aired in the 80s. Because as you can imagine, this is one of those shows that was never released to America, and it was never dubbed in English for that matter. Hence its rarity and obscurity. However, fanart of this series can be found here on Deviant Art. And also, fan subbed episodes of the anime can also be seen on YouTube, where it has become a popular subject of video mash-ups and parodies. The animation in this show is well... Not bad really. Not exactly the best I've seen, but it's pretty good for its time, and it fits well with the atmosphere of the show. In fact, it's actually a lot better than some other cartoons that came out that year. Interestingly enough though, the anime was extremely popular in the Nordic countries (particularly Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden). The series has been dubbed in Korean, Thai, Finnish, Hungarian, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. The Finnish dub, “Hopeanuoli”, was created by Golden Voice OY and became wildly popular. However, it was highly censored in those European countries due to the amount of violence and gore that's involved in certain episodes. Not to mention their were certain character deaths that were removed from the series, similar to what World Events Productions did with Voltron. Characters who die in the series simply disappear, and they are never seen or referenced again. In 2003, an uncensored and non-dubbed version of the anime was released in Finland and Sweden as a 5 disk DVD box set. A corresponding DVD set was released in Denmark and Norway on October 3, 2006. The Finnish publisher Punainen Jättiläinen released all 18 issues of the manga with the first volume published in May of 2010.

13. Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics:
Known in Japan as "Grimm's Masterpiece Theater" (グリム名作劇場 Gurimu Meisaku Gekijou) this show was bascially a series of different stories based on a variety of different old fairy tales. Now why have I listed this one in this meme might you ask? Well its quite simple; even though this show is somewhat obscure and unheard of in the English speaking world, Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics is yet another show that I saw in my youth. The show first aired on October 21st, 1987, and ended on March 3rd 1988. The show originally aired for a total of 24 episodes. The New Grimm Masterpiece Theatre (新グリム名作劇場 Shin Gurimu Meisaku Gekijō) aired between October 2, 1988 and March 26, 1989, totaling 23 episodes. It was also localized under the series' English name. Now, I remember a handful of episodes from this show. But one of the episodes I remember most fondly is the one based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood for the big bad wolf character, who I found to be rather cute for a character who was intended to be the main antagonist of that story. But he's one of the reasons why I still remember this show today even after many years later. He really stood out for me as a character. Even though the wolf only had one appearance in the entire show (due to what I assume was his presumed death at the end of the episode), he still stands out for me as a lovable and charismatic character. And in recent years, I gave him proper treatment through my fanfiction.

14. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs:
This is yet another underrated anime of the 1980s that I've known since my childhood. This show aired in the same year as Voltron, but unlike the latter, it did not receive the same level of popularity or critical acclaim. Known in Japan as "Star Musketeer Bismarck" (星銃士ビスマルク Seijuushi Bismarck), this series was given to us by Studio Perriot, who also gave us Area 88. Interestingly enough, the series was adapted into English and brought over to the United States by World Events Productions, who also gave us Voltron.

The story is set in the distant future, when humans have spread beyond living on Earth and have colonized planets across the universe, creating a New Frontier of man. In order to protect these new settlers and maintain law and order in the New Frontier, Earth's Cavalry Command was created. Cavalry Command is a military organization that maintains an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier and the residents of the planets within it known as Settlers. Within Cavalry Command is a unit of special operatives known as Star Sheriffs that function as the organization's field agents, investigating any crimes and plots that threaten the security of the New Frontier. The main foe of Cavalry Command and the Star Sheriffs is a race of non-human creatures known as Vapor Beings (also sometimes called Outriders) that have jumped into our dimension in order to conquer it. They attack the Settlers, destroy settlements, and kidnap humans in order to mine various metals or crystals from the soil of various planets. Outriders are superior to humans in battle technology. They control a legion of gigantic robots with weapons greatly superior to the weapons and defenses of the space-going fleets of Cavalry Command. In response to the Outriders' threat, Cavalry Command develops a prototype spaceship known as the "Ramrod Equalizer Unit" (or simply just Ramrod) that has the ability to transform from a spaceship into a powerful robot that can fight the Outriders on equal terms. Interestingly enough, the Ramrod's voice was provided by Peter Cullen, who we know as the voice of Optimus Prime from Transformers, and as the narrator from Voltron.

15. Ronin Warriors:
Now this is definitely one of my favorite anime shows by far. In fact, I did a review of this show a while back for those of you who haven't read it yet. But I'll just explain it here. Known in Japan as Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (鎧伝サムライトルーパー, Legendary Armored Samurai Troopers), the series was created by Hajime Yatate, and produced by Sunrise. It was first released in Japan in 1988, and then in North America in 1995. So it didn't come to the United States until literally seven years later. Now, what is there to say about Ronin Warriors? It was one of my favorite anime shows as a kid back in the 90s. And it still has a great level of nostalgic value for me to this day. Like many other shows I've come to know, it has influenced my imagination greatly, and it re-sparked my interest in anime and the Japanese culture in general. Of course, since the show didn't come to the United States until seven years after its broadcast in Japan, many American fans considered it a 90s cartoon at first. But as I've already pointed out, Ronin Warriors actually came out in the 80s. So technically its not a 90s cartoon. But age doesn't really matter in this case. So anyway, when it first came to America, Ronin Warriors was first shown on several channels including the USA Network and UPN 20. The channel known as UPN 20 was where I first learned about the anime. And I have to admit Ronin Warriors sure had me hooked. Hell, I watched the entire series through and through, and I ended up loving it. The show ran two seasons, and lasted for a total of 39 episodes. There were even Ronin Warriors action figures which were localized and sold in stores in America to accompany the series' US release. Not too long after its run on the USA Network and UPN 20, the show was then brought over to Cartoon Network in 1999, just shortly before the dawn of the 21st century. The series was released on DVD in 2002, and came with the English dub on one side of the disk, and even includes the original Japanese version with English subtitles on the reverse side of the disc. Today, Ronin Warriors has a huge fanbase even though the series hasn't been touched in a number of years. There was even a line of toys with much better quality than the ones we got back in 1995. In the early 90s, there was three OVAs, Kikoutei Densetsu, Gaiden, and Message. The OVAs were alright, but not exactly what fans were expecting.

To some people, Ronin Warriors was considered to be the "male equivalent" to Sailor Moon. Some people told me that the show attracted more female audiences than male audiences. But I doubt that's true. Because I know for a fact that this show has as many male fans as well. And I just so happen to be one of them. Ronin Warriors in my point of view was like the samurai version of Power Rangers and the Super Sentai series. Only without the vehicles that merge to form a giant robot. But this show is quite special and unique, and it has its fair share of defining moments that really stood out for me. Like a lot of other anime shows that were out at the time, Ronin Warriors had a very catchy and addictive soundtrack with it's J-Pop and 80s style rock and roll music. Which is to be expected since this anime came out in the 80s. Besides, rock music is a rarity these days. One of my favorite songs in the entire soundtrack is "Stardust Eyes", performed by Mariko Uranishi, which plays in the intro for the Japanese version. Now, one interesting thing worth pointing out is that the term "Ronin" in the US title (浪人), refers to a masterless or unemployed samurai. So literally, the Ronin Warriors would be called "The Unemployed Warriors" or "The Masterless Warriors". One thing I really loved about this show besides the music and the animation, are the characters. In fact, this show featured characters who were pretty likable, sympathetic, and relatable, which is quite unusual seeing as most anime cartoons from the last several years or so had characters who are either emo dicks or complete assholes (a good example being Inuyasha). Ronin Warriors is one of those rare exceptions were the characters were actually likable and tolerable. One of the elements of this show that really struck my fancy is the concept it had about the mystical suits of armor that the good guys and the bad guys wore. The Ronins and the Warlords both had what is called "subarmor", which covers almost their entire bodies except for their heads and their faces. They also have "full suits of armor" which they can summon by calling out the name or their armor and their virtues, and striking a dramatic pose. This is often accompanied by a flashy display of Japanese wallpapers which spring out in all directions on a black background, and then turn into cherry blossoms. The armor magically appears on the characters, and then they strike dramatic poses taken from different camera angles. In fact, as I stated in my "Top 7 Overused Anime Cliches" list, Ronin Warriors is one of those shows that makes use of the "Long Transformation Sequences". Not that it's a bad thing of course; I just felt like pointing that out. One interesting thing worth mentioning is that in the English version of the TV series, they would chant the name of their armor, and then shout out their virtue as they donned their suits. For example, when Ryo summons his Wildfire Armor, he says "Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!" However, in the Japanese version, he says "Bussou! Rekka!" which loosely means the same thing in English, but translates slightly differently. In the OVAs however, this was replaced with "To Arms!" which I thought was weird.

The story of Ronin Warriors involves the classic good vs. evil premise. It all began back in the feudal era during the age of the samurai, when Japan was ruled by a Demon Emperor named Talpa (Arago in Japan). Cruel and ruthless, Talpa has slaughtered many warriors who dared to oppose him. But in his quest to rule the world, he was defeated by the Ancient One (Kaos in Japan), and was bannished to the Nether Realm. However, even though the Ancient emerged victorious, Talpa's armor remained in the world of the living. But it was from his armor, that nine mystical suits of armor were created. The Ancient had even bestowed upon them the several Bushido virtues; Benevolence, Justice, Faith, Respect, Wisdom, Loyalty, Piety, Elderly Reverence, and Endurance. After a thousand years of exile, Talpa returned from the Nether Realm to reclaim the world as his own, starting with the city of Tokyo by enslaving its inhabitants, and leaving the city dark, deserted, and desolate. Four of the suits of armor which were forged from Talpa are worn by the four Dark Warlords (魔将, Masho - Demon Generals) who serve him; Anubis, the Warlord of Cruelty, Sekhmet, the Warlord of Venom, Cale, the Warlord of Corruption, and Dais, the Warlord of Illusion. But the other five suits of armor are donned by five young warriors known as the "Ronins" (鎧戦士, Yoroi Senshi, Armored Warriors, or Samurai Troopers as they're called in the Japanese version). Though, how and where the Ronins obtained the suits of armor is never revealed to the audience. One interesting thing to note is that the Ronin's virtues reflect the code of Bushido deliberately. While the Warlords have virtues taken from Confucian philosophy.

16. Wild Knights Gulkeeva:
Some of you might have heard of this show, and some of you may not have. But believe it or not, this is yet another TV show created by Sunrise. Yes, that's right; Sunrise produced their very own superhero anthro animal show. But sadly, this show was never released outside of Japan, and nor was it dubbed in any other languages other than Japanese. Known as Beast Warrior Gulkeeva (獣戦士ガルキーバ Juu Senshi Garukiba) in its native country, this series first aired on April 4th, 1995, and ended on September 26th of the same year. The story takes place mostly on planet Earth (which is called Earthside in this show), which exists along with three other inhabited worlds, Nosfertia, Heavenstia, and Eternalia. When beings known as Darknoids descended from Nosfertia and began their assault on Earthside, Heavenstia sent 3 Animanoids (beast-humans) to prevent an invasion. Meanwhile, the protagonist, Touya, who believed himself to be a human discovered that he was actually a being of Eternalia. With this in mind, Touya fights beside a trio of Animanoids to defend Earthside. The trio includes Grayfas (a wolf), Beakwood (an eagle), and Gariel (a gorilla). Later on in the series, we are introduced to a bear named Tedium, who joins the heroes in their battle against the Darknoids. The show only lasted for 26 episodes. But I have to admit I really enjoyed this show even though it never received a US release. Hweover, the show was broadcast on YouTube, which was the only place were I could watch the show. And I have to say this is quite an awesome show for 1995. And now, after nearly 20 years later, it still holds up. It has withstood the test of time. Though, when I first learned about this show a few years ago, I only saw bits and pieces of information on it. And it wasn't until 2010 when I started seeing it on YouTube. But the first video I came across had inaccurate subtitles that were pure nonsense. But thankfully, someone posted all 26 episodes of the show in great quality picture, and more accurate subtitles, so that way I could understand what was going on in the story. Again, this show may be obscure and underrated as hell. But it deserves to be mentioned here. Becuase like I said before, it's a great show. And I would recommend it to you if you're into anthros and anime like I am.

17. Cowboy Bebop:
Out of all the anime shows that came out around the late 90s and early 2000s, Cowboy Bebop was perhaps one of the most popular titles of that time. Although admittedly when I first learned about it, I had mixed feelings about it. But as time went on, it grew on me, and I made peace with it pretty much. Although there are a few things about this series that I kind of find annoying. One of them being the obnoxious characters. My most disliked character in the entire show is Faye Valentine. By God in heaven do I find her annoying. The main protagonist, Spike Spiegel, is not much better. He comes off as a whiny bitch sometimes. But to his credit, when he isn't complaining, he's kicking ass, taking names, and looking awesome while doing it. Though, I find his partner Jet Black to be somewhat of a hypocrite. He tells others not to complain, while he himself does a lot of complaining as well. And he's not really much of a team player when push comes to shove, as shown by his indifference towards Faye when she gets in trouble. Then again, Faye is a bitch anyway so I guess I can't blame Jet more or less. But to be fair, I complain myself sometimes. I'll admit that. But I do my best not to overdo it. So anyway, while I do have mixed feelings for this series, Cowboy Bebop is without a doubt one of my favorite anime shows of the late 90s and early 2000s. The series was created by Shinichiro Watanabe, and produced by Sunrise. The show lasted for only one season, and it only ran for a total of 27 episodes. While the series is rather short, at least they gave this show a proper ending before it came to its end. The show first aired in Japan in 1997, and then in North America in 2001. By then, the first and only animated feature length film based on the franchise was made. The story of Cowboy Bebop is set in the year 2071, when humanity has colonized the entire Solar System through the use of "Phase Difference Space Gates", which allow for swift travel in space. These Gates made it possible to deliver vast amounts of materials and energy, including sunlight, to distant planets, consequently making it immensely easier to make these worlds suitable for human habitation (known as terraforming). What I love about Cowboy Bebop is its detailed animation style, it's action scenes, and its memorable soundtrack. And boy does this show have some of the most impressive animation and action scenes I've ever seen. I can only imagine the budget for both the TV show and the movie must have been pretty big.

In 2022, a catastrophic accident occurred in the Earth's orbit during the development of the Gates, damaging both the planet and the Moon. The Earth's surfaces became heavily irradiated, forcing most of mankind to evacuate via the Gates and leave for the planets and moons of the Solar System. Old governments and ethnic groups were forgotten, and were soon replaced by new allegiances and affiliations as new communities formed. The difficult times eventually brought rapid developments and the economy recovered. However, the widening gap between the rich and poor created a boom in criminal activity, leading to the rise of numerous criminal syndicates. As time passed, the planets and satellites became independent states, and a new generation grew up with no memories of the Earth. Gate technology became a trusted part of everyday life, and a necessary tool for the people. Interplanetary crime fell under the jurisdiction of the Inter Solar System Police (ISSP), an organisation which also introduced a bounty reward scheme. Once registered, bounty hunters were licensed to bring criminals to justice in exchange for high rewards. This created a new class of bounty hunters, also known as "cowboys". Cowboy Bebop became a critical and commercial success both Japan and the United States, it garnered several major anime and science fiction awards from Japanese publications, and received universal praise for its style, characters, story, voice acting, animation and soundtrack. In the years since its release, critics and reviewers, from the United States in particular, have hailed Cowboy Bebop as a masterpiece and frequently cite it as one of the greatest anime series of all time. Credited with helping introduce anime to a new wave of Western viewers in the early 2000s, Cowboy Bebop has also been labelled a gateway series for the medium as a whole.

18: Ruroni Kenshin:
Ruroni Kenshin is a series that I overlooked at first. But I eventually started to open up to it as time went on. And aside from some of the goofiness associated with this show, I actually came to like it and regard it with a great sense of respect. In Japan, the show is also known as Rurōni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚" Ruroni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story). And it is alternatively known as Samurai X in North America. manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, named Himura Kenshin. After his work against the bakufu, Hitokiri Battosai disappears to become Himura Kenshin: a wandering samurai who protects the people of Japan with a vow of never to take another life. Watsuki wrote this series upon his desire of making a shōnen manga different from the other ones that were published at the time, with Kenshin being a former assassin and the story taking a more serious tone as it continued. The manga revolves around themes of atonement, peace, and romance.

The manga initially appeared in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from April 11, 1994, to November 4, 1999. The complete work consists of 28 tankōbon volumes, while years later it was reprinted into twenty-two kanzenban volumes. Studio Gallop, Studio Deen and SPE Visual Works adapted the manga into an anime TV series which aired in Japan from January 10, 1996 to September 8, 1998. Besides an animated feature film, two series of original video animations (OVAs) were also produced. The first adapted stories from the manga that were not featured in the anime, while the second was a sequel to the manga. Several art and guidebooks for Rurouni Kenshin have been published and writer Kaoru Shizuka has authored three official light novels which were published by Shueisha. Many video games have also been released for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable consoles. A successful live-action theatrical film adaptation was released in 2012, with limited international screenings.

The manga, as well as the first light novel and first guidebook, has received a complete North American release by Viz Media. Rurouni Kenshin is subtitled "Wandering Samurai" in some English releases. The TV series was later licensed in North America and released on DVD by Media Blasters. The first two seasons aired on the United States Cartoon Network as part of the Toonami block, while the third season was only featured on DVD. The English-language versions of the OVAs, as well as the film, were originally released as Samurai X in North America, although the original name was included on the later DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases. The Rurouni Kenshin manga has over 70 million copies in circulation as of 2014, while its anime has ranked among the 100 most watched series in Japan multiple times. The series has received praise and criticism from various publications for manga, anime and other media, with both having received good response on the characters' designs and historical setting.

19. Ninja Scroll: The Series:
This show is based on the 1993/1994 animated film of the same name. And it serves as a sequel to the said movie. Speaking of Ninja Scroll, that's a movie that I might do a review of later on. But for now, I'm going to be talking about the series. Known as Jubei Ninpucho (獣兵衛忍風帖) in Japan, Ninja Scroll is without a doubt one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed titles in anime history. The show first aired in Japan in 2003, but sadly only ran for 13 episodes, much like some other show I know of. The series is partly written by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, but remains only a spiritual sequel to the film because the story stands alone; however, many references suggest that it is indeed a continuation from the movie. In the series, Jubei gets caught in the middle of a battle between the Kimon clan and the Hiruko clan. He meets up with the Light Maiden Shigure, a young lady whose village was destroyed by the Kimon clan and whom Jubei was charged with delivering a Dragon Stone to. The duo are joined by Tsubute (a young thief) and Dakuan (Tokugawa shogunate spy), and together they try to find out why both the Kimon and the Hiruko clan are after her and why the Dragon Stone she carries is so important to them. The show was directed by Tatsuo Sato (Martian Successor Nadesico), with character design done by Takahiro Yoshimatsu (Trigun). The series is not bad. But not quite as memorable as the movie its based on.

20. Dragon Ball Z: (No info yet)


21. Gatchaman:
The full title is "科学忍者隊ガッチャマン Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchman". And as you can imagine, this is yet another anime series I knew in my youth. A lot like Mazinger Z, Gatchaman was among the several anime titles that was first shown in its native country in the 70s, but wasn't brought over to the United States until the 80s. It was first released in Japan in 1972, and then in North America in 1986 as "G-Force". There was even an uncut release in 2005 by ADV Films. During the series' original run in the 70s, there was a sequel series titled "Gatchaman II", which came out in 1978, followed by "Gatchaman Fighter" in 1979. In the 1996, episodes from both Gatchaman and Gatchaman II were stitched together and dubbed in English with a completely different cast of actors. This version of the show was called "Eagle Riders". Both series (G-Force and Eagle Riders) were heavily edited when it came to the adaptation process, with controversial elements removed, as well as the characters undergoing name changes and the entire soundtrack being replaced. As with previous English adaptation of Gatchaman, character names and terms were also changed in the localization. In 1994, there was an OVA series based on the franchise simply titled "Gatchaman", which was basically a retelling of the original story with more up to date animation, new voice actors, and a completely different series of events from the source material. Gatchaman centers around the adventures of five teens; Ken Washio, Joe Asakura, Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu Nakanishi. Now I know what you're thinking; "Ryu and Ken? How can you NOT think Street Fighter?" Well, since Gatchaman originated in the 70s, and Street Fighter in the late 80s, then it's only fair to say that Gatchaman beat Street Fighter to the punch when it came to using those names, because Gatchaman came out a whole decade before Street Fighter. So anyway, Gatchaman was a very special series from the usual. For one, they were a team of ninja-like superheroes similar to Batman in the sense that they were experts in hand to hand fighting, acrobatics, espionage, and dressed in superhero-esque costumes. Only in this case, they dressed as a variety of different species of birds. Ken dressed as an Eagle, Joe dressed as a condor, Jun dressed as a swan, Jinpei dressed as a swallow, and Ryu dressed as an owl. They were employed by Professor Kozaburo Nambu of the fictitious International Science Organization to oppose an international terrorist organization of technologically advanced villains known as Galactor who are trying to control Earth's natural resources. The leader of Galactor is an androgynous, masked antagonist named Berg Kattse, who is later revealed to be a shape-shifting, mutant hermaphrodite acting on the orders of an alien superior known as Sosai X. In recent years, Ken the Eagle and Jun the Swan appeared as playable characters in the fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. For me, Gatchaman is one of the most memorable anime series of all time. Because unlike many of the other shows that introduced me to anime (Voltron and Robotech), the main protagonists didn't need a giant robot to fight evil. But rather, they fought their enemies head on, using their wits, their skills in martial arts, and their own ingenuity. This is especially backed up by the fact that most of their enemies were of normal proportions and didn't tower over them in size. Proving that you don't have to have a giant robot to be badass. No, Gatchaman did things legitimately. And that's one of the reasons why I loved this show so much as a kid growing up. Don't get me wrong, I love giant robots. But there are instances where the subject has to change. And believe me, Gatchaman fits the bill.

22. Yu Yu Hakusho: (No info yet)


23. Big O: (No info yet)


24: Mushrambo:
Known as Shinzo in North America, this show was produced by Grouper Productions and loosely based on the Chinese folklore story "Journey to the West". In the series, creatures known as Enterrans take over Earth and rename it in their own image: Enterra. Now three Enterrans have to protect the last human in order to restore the human race. The anime focuses primarily on the adventures they undergo while working to accomplish this task. Mushrambo first aired in Japan and in North America on Februrary 5th, 2000, and ended on September 23rd of the same year. The show lasted for 32 episodes. The story centers around Yakumo, a young human girl who is befriended by three Enterran warriors named Mushra, Sago, and Kutal.

25. Initial D: (No info yet)


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