Anime, like any medium, is one filled to the brim with classic stories. Between action-packed shows likeNarutoandOne Piece, shows with a romantic bend likeInuyashaandToradora!, and shows that essentially defined their genres likeDragon BallandSailor Moon, there are plenty of anime that have been the biggest around for decades, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
There are countless classic anime for someone to watch that they’re bound to love more often than not, and modern anime isn’t falling behind in the slightest. Thanks to modern writing and production practices, anime is only getting better both visually and narratively, and with how big some modern anime have gotten,many modern anime are already so big that they’re undoubtedly going to go down as classics. A few anime like that are especially worth highlighting, as each one has done something to define modern anime and will continue to do so for years to come.
In Studio Trigger’sDelicious in Dungeon, the adventure party of series protagonist Laios is wiped out by a dragon, with Laios’ sister, Falin, even being eaten alive. Laios and what remains of his party need to hurry back through the dungeon to revive Falin, and to deal with a lack of funds, they resort to eating the monsters they encounter in the dungeon, something Laios is all but stated to have just been looking for an excuse to do.
Between its hilarious storytelling, engaging worldbuilding, and the gorgeous animation to complement it all,Delicious in Dungeonis easily one of the best fantasy anime in recent years and a welcome change of pace from the overabundance ofisekaianime. It’s already become one of the best fantasy anime a person can watch, and whenDelicious in Dungeonseason 2finally premieres, that point will become even clearer.
CloverWorks’Bocchi the Rock!stars Hitori Gotoh, a girl with crippling social anxiety who’s suddenly recruited to be the new guitarist in the band Kessoku Band. Now, as Hitori—now with the nickname Bocchi—commits herself to the band, she’ll find herself slowly but surely gaining the exact life she hoped for.
In addition to having some of the most gorgeous and creative visuals in modern anime,Bocchi the Rock!’s great comedy, combined with its surprisingly heartfelt narrative about social anxiety, always makes it fun to watch. It’s one of the biggest anime to come out of the 2020s, and withBocchi the Rock!season 2 officially in development, it’s only going to get bigger.
Wit Studio and MAPPA’sVinland Sagais a fictional account of the life of Thorfinn Karlsefni, the first Viking to form a major settlement in North America, i.e. Vinland. When Thorfinn watched his father be killed in cold blood, he devoted his life to killing the man responsible, and when that story concluded, Thorfinn was forced to grapple with the sins of his past and the uncertainty of what he should do next with his life.
Vinland Saga’s incredible action is one thing, but more importantly,Vinland Sagais an incredible anime because of its masterful character writing and how great a job it does of telling a philosophical and emotional human drama, even when action is the main focus. The anime is currently unfinished at just two seasons, but even with what little has been adapted, it’s sure to go down in history as one of the greats.
Wit Studio’sSpy x Familytakes place in a fictional Cold War setting and stars Twilight, a secret agent tasked with starting a family to get close to someone who could disrupt the delicate peace between the nations of Westalis and Ostania. The people he chooses as his wife and daughter, however, are an assassin and telepath, respectively, and the daughter, Anya, is the only one of the three ever aware of what everyone is truly up to.
Spy x Familyhas long since made a name for itself for its incredible comedy and surprisingly heartfelt writing surrounding the Forgers and other characters, and Wit Studio’s always amazing animation only serves to make that even better at every turn. It’s one of the biggest stories to come out of theShonen Jumplabel, by far, and onceSpy x Familyseason 3comes out, it’s only going to get bigger.
Science Saru’sDandadanstars Momo Ayase and Okarun, two teenagers obsessed with aliens and the supernatural who end up permanently changed by an encounter with both, with both teens gaining supernatural powers and Okarun losing his genitalia. Momo and Okarun work together and with others to get them back while fighting any supernatural threat they come across, all as a budding romance begins to develop between the two.
Dandadanwas one of the biggest anime of 2024 thanks to its clever writing and incredible art and animation courtesy of Science Saru, and thanks to that, the entire franchise was quick to grow from a relatively cult hit into a mainstream phenomenon.Dandadanseason 2premieres in summer 2025, and if it’s even half as good as season 1, it will cementDandadan’s legacy for years to come.
Madhouse’sFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endstars Frieren, the virtually unaging elf mage of the adventurer party that defeated the demon lord. While Frieren initially didn’t think much of her time with everyone, the death of the Hero, Himmel, made her realize how much she cared about them, and her regret over letting Himmel die without seeing that pushes Frieren to go on a new journey to learn how to better understand people.
Between its gorgeous art and animation and a narrative that never fails at selling its emotional beats,Frieren: Beyond Journey’s Endis easily the best fantasy anime to come out of modern anime for how effortlessly it balances impeccable visual and narrative storytelling. Few anime of the past few years are as iconic asFrieren, and withFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endseason 2 officially in development, there’s no telling how far it will go.
In MAPPA’sJujutsu Kaisen, Yuji Itadori is a boy with abnormal physical abilities who one day learns of the existence of evil supernatural beings called curses. An incident with a curse forces Yuji to become a vessel to Ryomen Sukuna, the most powerful and evil curse user in history, and thanks to his unexpected ability to suppress Sukuna’s power, Yuji is tasked with becoming a sorcerer and fighting curses until his superiors can execute him along with Sukuna’s soul.
Jujutsu Kaisenis one of the most iconic anime to come out of the 2020s, and overall,Jujutsu Kaisenmore than earns its stellar reputation thanks to its fun character writing and for boasting some of the greatest animation in modern anime. Few anime right now are as big asJujutsu Kaisen, and wheneverJujutsu Kaisenseason 3comes out, it’s only going to get bigger.
Wit Studio and MAPPA’sAttack on Titantakes place in a world where humanity has spent the past century living behind massive walls in fear of man-eating monsters called Titans. One day, though, the Titans finally break through the walls and slaughter countless lives, including the mother of one Eren Yeager, and now Eren has taken it upon himself to destroy every Titan in the world, even if the truth behind everything slowly becomes more complicated than he could have imagined.
Attack on Titanis one of the biggest anime of the past decade thanks to its great animation, dynamic character writing, and engaging mystery plot, and even with both the anime and manga finished, there are few franchises with more popularity and relevancy.Attack on Titanessentially defined modern anime, and it’s bound to be held in high regard for many more years to come.
Bones’My Hero Academiatakes place in a world where superheroes have long since become a part of everyday life thanks to the emergence of superpowers called Quirks. Izuku Midoriya is one of the rare people to be born Quirkless, but he still wants to be a hero, and after a chance meeting with his idol, All Might, Izuku is put on the path toward becoming the world’s greatest hero.
Between its great fight scenes, its thought-provoking writing, and the colorful cast of heroes and villains that bring it to life at every turn,My Hero Academiahas succeeded with both visual and narrative storytelling since day one and is the best story to come out of the superhero craze of the 2010s. The manga might be finished, but withMy Hero Academia’s final season andMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesin 2025, there will always be more to enjoy.
Ufotable’sDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibatakes place in a world where Japan is plagued by man-eating demons. When Tanjiro Kamado’s family is slaughtered by a demon and his sister Nezuko is turned into one, he makes it his mission to become a Demon Slayer to cure Nezuko and help rid the world of demons once and for all.
It’s one thing forDemon Slayer’s simple, yet effective writing style to make its cast and overarching narrative easy for anyone to enjoy, but thanks to being produced by Ufotable,Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibahas consistently had some of the greatest animation and overall direction of any modern anime, leading to a truly meteoric rise in popularity in less than a decade. Few anime have had anything close toDemon Slayer’s success, and there’s no better contender for amodern anime that’s a classic in the making.
