Pokémon
Alternative Names: Pocket Monsters
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Episodes: 1,200 +
Stream available on: Partially on: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, RTL+, Apple TV
The colorful beings known as “Pokémon” inhabit the whole world and are loved everywhere. Many try to collect them and find the strongest Pokémon of all time. Among these Pokémon trainers is Ash Ketchum (“Satoshi”), who receives his first Pokémon – Pikachu – on his 10th birthday. However, this one shows little enthusiasm for him, causing more than just a rough start.
But Ash doesn’t let that stop him and begins his journey to defeat the great Pokémon trainers and eventually become a master himself – accompanied by some friends who join him and always closely followed by the shady “Team Rocket,” who want to steal particularly powerful Pokémon and exploit them for their own purposes.
Paul says: Pokémon has fascinated me since my childhood. I will never forget the incredible joy I felt when I received the Red Edition back then. Charmander as my first starter has held a special place in my heart until today. I will also always remember the pride of completing the Pokédex in Pokémon Blue, receiving an original Celebi from Nintendo, and my first trained lvl. 100 Pokémon.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Alternative Names: Shinseiki Evangelion, NGE
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Episodes: 26 (+ movies)
Stream available on: Netflix
15 years have passed since the “Second Impact” forever changed the world. A large part of humanity was wiped out, and the rest lives in modern cities that can be turned into bunkers in emergencies. However, regular attacks occur from large, god-like beings called Angels.
The organization NERV tries to fight against these beings but needs children who can symbiotically operate the specially created “EVA” combat robots. One such chosen child is 14-year-old Shinji Ikari, selected as a pilot. While he fights not only for his own survival but also for the survival of the whole world, he must simultaneously process deep traumatic experiences, overcome his own shadows, and gradually find out how much greater the threat from the Angels is and what the true nature of the EVAs is.
Leya says: When the anime came out, I was just entering puberty and struggling with loneliness and bullying.
Neon Genesis Evangelion was the first work for me that dealt with such intense themes as depression, grief, and trauma. Back then, I couldn’t label all this very well, but I could empathize with the emotions behind it and found in the protagonist Shinji someone I could strongly identify with.
Moreover, the anime shaped my love for the Kaijū genre, which refers to the portrayal of giant monsters. The action scenes with the mech suits captivated me in front of the screen. It took a few years for me to understand that the entire fighting symbolizes the characters’ inner conflicts.
To this day, I occasionally watch the anime or browse through the manga to reflect on my own demons.
Kanon (2006)
Alternative Names: Kanon Remake, Kanon 2006
Genre: Drama, Romance, Supernatural
Episodes: 24
Stream available on: Currently, no streaming provider known.
As a child, the young Aizawa Yuuchi often visited his cousin – but after a dramatic incident, these visits ended. Many years later, he returns to this town and has few memories of what happened back then. While wandering through the town in search of his past thoughts and befriending various girls, he gradually uncovers that he seems to have a very special connection with all of them.
Only slowly do memories return, revealing many secrets that may have been better left hidden…
Mira says: As a child, I watched the usual animes on RTL 2 and similar channels, and they were a big part of my childhood. But it was only in my late teenage years that I discovered an anime that really took me with it. I stumbled upon Kanon on YouTube and discovered my love for slice of life animes there. During a not-so-rosy time, Kanon taught me what it means to see the fates of others that are not recognized as such at first glance. Not always is one person’s happiness the happiness of another. Kindness and goodness are often a wall that hides the underlying problem. For even if one wants to forget the past, it will eventually catch up with you.
All of this is what I associate with this anime, and that’s why I occasionally rewatch it. Whenever the intro starts, I have to hold back a tear, no matter how many times I’ve seen it.
Deep and compassionate, Kanon can definitely be! With a little sprinkle of heartbreaking and painful.
Wolf’s Rain
Alternative Names: Wolf Rain
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Episodes: 26
Stream available on: Currently, no streaming provider known.
The world is dying. But there is a legend: At the end of the world, the gate to paradise opens, which can only be entered by wolves. Wolves are long considered extinct, yet some disguise themselves as humans and now live among them.
The solitary wolf named Kiba is drawn to the irresistible scent of Freeze City, a destitute town in the grip of Lord Orkham. As Kiba discovers more wolves in the city, the group slowly follows the scent that should lead them to the promised land – but in doing so, they also discover others with much darker intentions who have their own motives for paradise.
Lydia says: Wolf’s Rain fascinated me from the very first moment. Compared to the afternoon anime, it was more mysterious and darker. The characters seemed more mature and just really cool.
I didn’t quite understand the plot back then. That might be because I watched the series on YouTube, in English, and probably not in the right order. But I loved the wolves and was touched by their longing for paradise in their cold, desolate world. To this day, Wolf’s Rain thus holds a special place in my heart.
Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne
Alternative Names: Phantom Thief Jeanne, Jeanne the Kamikaze Thief
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural
Episodes: 44
Stream available on: Currently, no streaming provider known.
On the outside, Kusukabe Maron is an ordinary high school student, but in truth, she is the reincarnation of Joan of Arc. With the help of an angel, she sets out at night to banish demons from artworks that feed off the weak hearts of their owners. As the paintings disappear after her exorcism, she is seen as a thief and is sought everywhere.
Things get even more complicated when the thief Sinbad starts contesting her art pieces, and Maron’s best friend turns out to be the daughter of the detective who aims to capture her…
Linda says: Well, the question of which my favorite anime is was quite difficult to answer. Because the child in my mind was screaming: Sailor Moon, One Piece, Digimon, Dragon Ball! Toradora and Durarara!! were also in the running.
However, after a bit of thought, I definitely had to choose Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne. Why? There were enough magical girl animes before, and most of them excited me too. But Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne always captivated me just a bit more. Back then, I thought it was so great that she was secretly out at night and was regarded more as a thief in society. Her whole demeanor as Jeanne always felt a bit cooler than the other magical girls. How she transformed the abilities she possessed as a normal girl to use them in battle was so cool, and I always imagined that I could do that too, if I just had a little magical support.
On top of that, the story has such a plot twist that surprised me as a child and was somehow a bit darker and more mysterious.
Samurai Champloo
Alternative Names: /
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Episodes: 26
Stream available on: Currently, no streaming provider known.
When the young waitress Fuu Kasumi accidentally spills tea over one of the customers of the teahouse, she unwittingly unleashes chaos. The samurai present harass her until she seeks help – the samurai Mugen defeats the troublemakers with an unusual fighting style. But afterwards, Mugen tangles with another fighter, the samurai Jin, who turns out to be tougher than his previous opponents.
In the ensuing battle, they destroy the entire teahouse and accidentally kill the magistrate’s son, leading the two to be sentenced to death. Although Fuu manages to free them from prison, the three of them must now roam the world, and Fuu has her hands full trying to prevent the two from killing each other.
Niko says: No anime has such a vibe as Samurai Champloo. The journey of the 3 protagonists, who could not be more different, has a wonderful mix of episodes about philosophical approaches, completely silly episodes with zombies, and always beautifully choreographed action. Moreover, the soundtrack by Nujabes is absolutely fantastic and is responsible for the Lo-Fi genre.
I watched the anime when I had to figure out what I want to do after high school and what my future should look like. The many themes in the anime impressed me so much that I could forget all my fears about the future. The soundtrack from Nujabes still reminds me of a carefree time.
What are your all-time hits in anime? Which have influenced and shaped you? Let us know in the comments!
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