---
title: 'After Watching 1000+ Anime, Here''s My Real Top 20'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=66bog9zH45c'
video_id: '66bog9zH45c'
date: 2026-06-14
duration_sec: 1352
---

# After Watching 1000+ Anime, Here's My Real Top 20

> Source: [After Watching 1000+ Anime, Here's My Real Top 20](https://youtube.com/watch?v=66bog9zH45c)

## Summary

The creator shares his personal top 20 anime list, reflecting on how each series shaped his life and tastes. He emphasizes the difficulty of ranking favorites and saves his top three for the end.

### Key Points

- **Favorite Anime Question** [0:06] — The creator is often asked for his favorite anime, but making a list is difficult.
- **Parasyte** [0:49] — Philosophical horror with dubstep soundtrack; explores humanity through Shinichi and Migi's relationship.
- **Rainbow** [1:49] — A story about seven boys facing abuse and corruption, teaching brotherhood and resilience.
- **Dr. Stone** [2:53] — Science-based shonen where the protagonist uses knowledge to rebuild civilization; celebrates human ingenuity.
- **Frieren: Beyond Journey's End** [4:06] — A melancholic meditation on time and loss, focusing on life after the hero's journey.
- **JoJo's Bizarre Adventure** [5:12] — Celebrates absurdity and tactical battles; each part reinvents the genre.
- **Monster** [6:15] — Slow-burn psychological thriller about a surgeon who saves a sociopath; explores the nature of evil.
- **Your Name** [7:19] — Body-swap romance that captures longing and emotional ache; praised for music and visuals.
- **A Silent Voice** [8:27] — Redemption story about bullying and self-hatred; uses visual metaphors like X's on faces.
- **Naruto** [9:25] — Nostalgic gateway anime; flawed but emotionally impactful, with legendary arcs and soundtrack.
- **Gintama** [10:33] — Comedy with emotional depth; uses absurd humor to deliver heartfelt stories about found family.
- **Jujutsu Kaisen** [11:42] — Modern shonen with high-stakes action and horror elements; unafraid to kill characters.
- **Durarara!!** [12:34] — Narrative chaos with multiple perspectives; captures the electric feeling of a city full of secrets.
- **Death Note** [13:29] — Psychological thriller with iconic cat-and-mouse game; first half is legendary.
- **Vinland Saga** [14:25] — Anti-war story about a Viking's journey from revenge to pacifism; season 2 is a masterpiece.
- **Steins;Gate** [15:34] — Time travel story focusing on the emotional toll of changing the past; raw voice acting.
- **Mob Psycho 100** [16:45] — Wholesome story about accepting weakness; real strength comes from self-acceptance.
- **Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood** [17:50] — Gold standard of anime; complete package with perfect pacing, world-building, and themes.
- **Fate/Zero** [18:49] — Dark battle royale with historical figures; explores utilitarian ethics and tragedy.
- **Hunter x Hunter** [19:40] — Deconstructs shonen tropes; Chimera Ant arc is a philosophical debate on humanity.
- **Attack on Titan** [20:33] — Centerpiece of his fandom; complex political drama with a controversial but fitting ending.

### Conclusion

The creator's top 20 list reflects his personal journey with anime, from nostalgic favorites to profound masterpieces. He invites viewers to share their own lists and promises more deep dives in future videos.

## Transcript

[music]
>> I've been watching anime ever since I
can remember and doing what I do, one
question I get asked is, "What's your
favorite anime?" How does one answer
that, hey? Making a favorites list is
[music] really a nightmare. It's like
trying to choose your favorite child,
except your children are 2D drawings
that have consumed thousands of hours of
your life and ruined your social skills,
but here we are. These are the 20 that
made me who I am. However, I am a man of
theatricality, so while the order is
mostly loose, I'll save my absolute top
three, the holy trinity of my existence,
for the very end.
I'm starting with the show that made me
question my own humanity while blasting
dubstep. Parasyte perfectly balances
philosophical horror with early 2010's
edge and I eat it up every time. I love
between Shinichi and Migi. It's the
ultimate buddy cop duo, except the cop
is a cold, logical alien living in your
right hand who thinks emotions are
stupid. One of my favorite character
progressions in the medium is watching
Shinichi slowly loses empathy while Migi
gains life. It doesn't drag. It tells a
tight, complete story about survival and
what it actually means to be alive.
Plus, seeing a guy fight shape-shifting
blade monsters while the soundtrack
sounds like a Skrillex concert, that's a
specific vibe I didn't know I needed
until I found it. It's gruesome and it's
thoughtful.
>> [laughter]
>> Okay, I'm going to be real with you.
This show, it broke me.
>> [laughter]
>> If you want to feel bad about the state
of the world, watch the news. If you
want to feel bad, but then feel an
overwhelming, chest-tightening sense of
brotherhood that makes you want to hug
your friends, then you watch Rainbow. A
story about seven guys facing the
absolute worst humanity has to offer,
abuse, corruption, and humiliation. The
color palette is 50 shades of brown and
gray, reflecting the misery of their
reality, but then you have Sakuragi.
He's the big brother we all wish we had.
You'll watch these guys crawl through
mud, literally and metaphorically, just
to carve out a sliver of their own
happiness, which is more inspiring than
any power of friendship laser beam I've
ever seen. It is difficult to watch at
times, mainly because it's gritty and
ugly, but the payoff is a master class
in emotional release. It taught me that
even in the gutter, you can still look
at the sky.
>> [clears throat]
>> Battle shonen usually solve problems by
punching them harder. Dr. Stone solves
problems by inventing antibiotics,
glass, and electricity, and somehow that
is infinitely more hype.
I never thought I'd be on the edge of my
seat screaming, "Let's go!" while
watching a guy make ramen from scratch
in the Stone Age, but oh well, here we
are. This show turns science into a
superpower without making it feel like a
chemistry lecture, which I wish happened
back when I was in college. Oh.
I adore Senku as a protagonist because I
somehow connect with how he operates on
pure, unfeeling logic, yet his ultimate
goal is the most sentimental thing
possible, saving every single person on
Earth regardless of their utility. It's
an optimistic celebration of human
ingenuity in a genre obsessed with
destruction. Dr. Stone is obsessed with
creation. It taps into that primal
Minecraft urge to build something from
nothing. It makes you look at a
lightbulb or a smartphone and think,
"Humanity is actually kind of awesome."
It's educational in the weirdest way and
it's 10 billion percent exhilarating.
Fantasy anime usually focuses on the
grand quest to kill the demon king. We
all know how it works. However, Frieren
is different. Frieren fascinated me
because it starts after the credits
roll. It's a show about the after, the
quiet moments that happen when the war
is over, and honestly, it ruined me.
It's a slow, melancholic meditation on
the passage of time and how we take
moments for granted. Madhouse absolutely
flexes on the production here. Even
simple scenes of walking through a
forest look like movie-quality cinema. I
really appreciate how the anime lets the
silence speak volumes. It doesn't need
to scream to get your attention. It
invites you to sit down, breathe, and
reflect on the people you've lost and
the memories you keep. When you watch
Frieren, an elf with a near-infinite
lifespan retracing steps to understand
the friend she outlived is a narrative
device that yields infinite emotional
damage. It's cozy, but it carries a
heavy heart. I have a video essay
talking about this on ViniiTube Kai and
I'll link it in the description. You
should check it out after this video.
>> [groaning]
>> Trying to explain JoJo to a normal
person makes you sound like a conspiracy
theorist off their meds. So, there are
these Aztec fitness gods and then
breathing gives you sunlight powers and
then punch ghosts named after classic
rock bands fight the Italian mafia. It
makes absolutely no sense and that's
exactly why I love it.
JoJo is an experience. It's a
celebration of the weird, the fabulous,
and the hyper-masculine absurdity of
manga. I love it because every part
reinvents the wheel. You go from
Victorian horror to a murder mystery in
a small town to a prison break in
Florida. It never gets stale because
Araki forgets his own rules constantly.
But beyond the memes, and there are so
many memes, the battles are tactical
genius. It's not about who's stronger,
it's about who can outsmart the other
person in the most convoluted way
possible. It's stylish, colorful, and
unapologetically itself. It taught me
[music] that posing is a valid form of
communication.
We need to talk about Johan Liebert. In
the pantheon of villains, you have guys
who want to rule the world, then you
have Johan who just wants to watch it
crumble while he smiles politely.
Monster is a slow-burning thriller that
feels less like an anime and more like a
prestige HBO drama. It's grounded,
gritty, and terrifyingly realistic. The
story follows Dr. Tenma, a surgeon who
saves a boy's life only to realize he
saved a sociopath. The cat-and-mouse
game that ensues spans across Europe and
dives deep into the psychology of evil.
It doesn't rely on jump scares, it
relies on atmosphere. It asks
uncomfortable questions about the value
of life and whether monsters are born or
made. Now, I'm going to be honest with
you here. It requires [music] patience.
It's 74 episodes of slow tension, but
the payoff is a master class in
storytelling. It's chilling in a way
that sticks with you long after the
screen goes black. It's a look into the
abyss of the human soul.
I know, I know. Putting your name on a
favorites list is like saying your
favorite food is pizza. It's the basic
choice.
But you know what? I love pizza and I
absolutely adore this movie. I remember
when I saw this, I went into it
expecting a HIGH-BUDGET FREAKY FRIDAY,
A GOOFY body-swap rom-com with some
[music] pretty clouds. Instead, I got
hit with a spiritual disaster thriller
that fundamentally altered my brain
chemistry. For me, it's not about Makoto
Shinkai's obsession with hyper-realistic
sunsets, it's about how he captures the
abstract feeling of longing. I've never
seen a piece of media so perfectly
articulate that sensation of waking up
from a dream and missing someone you've
never met. [music] It's an ache that I
actually felt in my bones.
And I have to talk about the music, too.
The second the guitar riff in Sparkle
kicks in during the climax, now, that's
a core memory for me. Your Name might be
mainstream, but it earned that status by
making me care about two teenagers and a
comet more than I care about my own
real-life friends. This movie is a
weapon designed to destroy your tear
ducts.
>> [music]
>> Kyoto Animation decided to flex their
lighting and character acting to tell a
story about redemption that feels
[music] painfully real. It's not exactly
a romance, it's a dissection of
self-hatred. Ishida's journey from bully
to social outcast to someone trying to
find a reason to live is handled with
such delicate nuance. The visual
direction, specifically the X's on
people's faces that represent Ishida's
anxiety, is absolutely brilliant
storytelling. It conveys isolation
without saying a word. It tackles
bullying and disability without being
preachy, focusing instead on the messy,
awkward path towards forgiveness. It's
uncomfortable at times because it forces
you to look at your own flaws, but by
the end, when the X's fall away and the
sound returns,
you feel that release physically in your
chest. It's a film that tells you it's
okay to like yourself and I think that's
a message that we all need to hear.
>> [screaming]
>> This is the entry fueled by pure,
unfiltered nostalgia. Naruto is the
reason I'm here and also the reason I
met my wife. It's the show that dragged
me back into battle shonen when I
thought I was too cool for anime. Is it
perfect? No. The war arc is a mess,
there are way too many fillers, pacing
can be a mess in some arcs, and the
animation is inconsistent, but the
chunin exams, the Pain arc, I mean,
that's legendary status. It built a
world that felt vast and full of
history. Watching Naruto go from the kid
on the swing to the Hokage is a journey
that we all took together. It taught an
entire generation about the will of
fire. The soundtrack alone, sadness and
sorrow, can trigger a Pavlovian
emotional response in millions of
people. It's the gateway drug, isn't it?
It's got arguably the best fights in
shonen history and moments that define
the media. It is flawed, but it's
family. You don't choose family, you
just love them. Now, let me tell you
this, okay? We legit played Naruto's
theme song on our wedding day. That's
how much this anime means to me.
I honestly don't know how to explain
Gintama without sounding like I've lost
my mind. This show is a professional
shitpost that accidentally became a
masterpiece. It's the only anime that
dares to spend an entire episode
apologizing for not having a budget,
joke about getting sued for copyright
infringement by other jump authors, and
make a dick joke about a Neil Armstrong
cyclone jet Armstrong cannon, all while
being hailed as one of the greatest
stories ever told. But, the reason
Gintama is on my list isn't just because
it's funny, it's because of the
emotional whiplash. It tricked me. I
spent 50 episodes laughing at a lazy
samurai picking his nose, only to be
suddenly hit with a bloody visceral
sword fight about PTSD and found family
that rivals the best of Rurouni Kenshin.
Gintoki is my favorite protagonist
because he has zero ambition. He doesn't
want to be the pirate king, he just
wants to pay his rent and drink
strawberry milk. And yet, watching him
fight to protect his useless everyday
life hit me harder than any destined
hero speech ever could. It's a fever
dream with a soul of gold, and I miss it
every single day.
If Naruto is the classic rock of shonen,
JJK is the modern punk scene. It's
slick, it's stylish, and it's got zero
respect for your feelings. [music] Mappa
turned the animation dial to 11 and
ripped the knob off. The combat system,
cursed energy, is complex enough to be
interesting, but flashy enough to look
cool on TikTok. But, you know what I
really and truly liked about this anime?
The horror element. It's not afraid to
kill characters. It raises the stakes by
showing that the good guys don't always
win, and even when they do, they lose
pieces of themselves. It feels
dangerous. It's pure adrenaline
distilled into 20-minute episodes. Plus,
Gojo Satoru exists, and the collective
internet thirst for that man is a
cultural phenomenon on its own. It's
pure style, but it has the substance to
back it up.
>> [screaming]
>> Honestly, Durarara!! is the kind of
narrative chaos that I just can't get
enough of. I'm struck by how insane the
lineup is. You've got a headless
dullahan on a motorcycle, a bartender
who throws vending machines like they're
frisbees, and an information broker who
loves humanity in the most twisted way
possible. The storytelling acts like a
giant living web. I'll watch a single
event unfold from three different
perspectives until that aha moment
finally hits and the full picture clicks
into place. [music] It's one of those
rare shows that actually rewards me for
paying attention to the details. Between
the jazz fusion soundtrack and the way
the anonymous chat room bleeds into
reality, the whole thing feels
incredibly ahead of its time. It
perfectly captures [music] that specific
electric feeling of being in a massive
city where everyone is hiding a secret
and your life can collide with a
stranger's in the weirdest, most violent
ways. It's total controlled chaos, and I
absolutely love getting lost IN IT.
>> [screaming]
[groaning]
>> LOOK, LET'S ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE
ROOM HERE, OKAY? Does the quality drop
after that character kicks the bucket?
Yeah, sure it does. Do I care?
Absolutely not. Because the first 25
episodes of Death Note are arguably the
tightest, most adrenaline-pumping run in
anime history. I mean, this show somehow
turned scribbling names in a notebook
into an Olympic sport. The mental chess
match between Light and L isn't just
good, it's iconic, operatic even. I
mean, I still get chills thinking about
that dramatic choral music swelling
while a guy literally just eats a potato
chip. For me, this was the show that
legitimized anime for so many people who
thought anime was just for kids. Light
Yagami is the ultimate protagonist
villain. I found myself rooting for him
just to see how far he'd push the
envelope, even as I watched him morph
into a total monster. It's a
psychological thriller that actually
respects my intelligence, and for the
first half alone, it deserves its
legendary status. Just as planned is
permanently etched into my brain.
This is a story about how violence
destroys the soul wrapped in a Viking
epic. Season 1 is a revenge tragedy
showing Thorfinn consumed by rage. It's
brutal and action-heavy, but season 2,
now that's where it becomes a
masterpiece. It takes the boldest risk
I've ever seen, stripping away the
action to focus on farming and pacifism.
Hmm, I have no enemies. That line is the
thesis statement. Watching Thorfinn
learn to build instead of destroy is
profound. It challenges the very idea of
what it means to be a warrior. Wit
Studio and Mappa treated this adaptation
with such reverence. The backgrounds,
the music, the character growth, it all
feels like literature. It's a mature,
slow-burning fire that warms you rather
than burns you. It's an anti-war story
that actually understands the cost of
war, not just on the body, but on the
mind.
>> [music]
>> Steins;Gate completely pulled the rug
out from under me. What starts as this
goofy slice-of-life comedy about a
chunibyo mad scientist slowly morphs
into the most stressful, heartbreaking
thriller that I've ever experienced. I
honestly connect with Okabe Rintaro more
than any other protagonist I've watched.
Not because I harbor delusions of being
a mad scientist, but because I know that
visceral feeling of desperation. You're
trying to fix something over and over
again, and only to keep failing.
Watching his persona crack until he's
just a broken man begging for help was
absolutely gut-wrenching. Mamoru
Miyano's voice acting here isn't just a
performance, it feels like a raw nerve
being exposed. It's a story about the
terrifying weight of consequences, and
it left me staring at my ceiling at 4:00
a.m. completely and emotionally
exhausted. To me, it's the only time
travel story that actually cares about
the traveler than the time itself.
I almost didn't watch this one because
of the art style. I personally thought
it looked like a messy doodle. I was an
idiot. Yes, I was. In a medium obsessed
with being special or the chosen one,
this series looked me in the eye and
said, "Having powers doesn't make you
better than anyone else." Now, that hit
me. I resonate so deeply with Reigen
Arataka, not just because he's
hilarious, but because he represents
that terrified adult part of me. Yeah,
he becomes the greatest mentor in anime.
When I watched Mob struggle to express
his emotions, it kind of felt like
watching my own teenage years on screen.
And I'm sure it may just be true for you
watching this video, too. It's a visual
acid trip, sure, but beneath the psychic
battles, it's a warm, gentle reminder
that it's okay to be weak. It's okay to
run away, and that real strength comes
from accepting who you are. It's the
most wholesome thing I've ever seen.
>> [screaming]
>> This is the gold standard, plain and
simple. The yardstick I measure
absolutely everything else against. To
me, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is
the most complete package on this list,
and I'd argue it has zero weaknesses.
It's amazing how the world-building, the
alchemy, the political intrigue, and the
characters are all tightly woven into
this perfect [music] narrative circle. I
was really impressed with how it manages
to balance goofy slapstick humor with
heavy topics like genocide and war
crimes without ever giving me tonal
whiplash. The Elric brothers' journey
feels perfectly paced, and the ending is
actually satisfying, which is a rarity
in a medium full of fizzle finales. It
doesn't rely on cheap cliffhangers or
mystery boxes, it just trusts its solid
writing. This is the one show I force on
friends who claim they don't watch anime
because it works every time. It's a
story about the cost of ambition and the
value of humanity, and in my book, it
nails every single beat.
>> [screaming]
>> I rarely meet people who enjoy watching
Fate series as much as I do. I know it's
confusing and you never know where to
start, but if there's one exception,
watch Fate/Zero. Written by the Urobuchi
Gen, the man who feasts on tears, this
is a battle royale where everyone loses.
It takes historical figures, makes them
fight to the death for a wish-granting
cup, and treats it with the seriousness
of a Greek tragedy. Kiritsugu Emiya is a
fascinating lead, a utilitarian killer
who wants to save the world by murdering
the few to save the many. The clash of
ideologies between the servants is just
as gripping as the fights. And the
fights? Ufotable, you beauty. It looks
gorgeous. It's dark, cynical, and
visually spectacular. It takes the
concept of heroes and drags it through
the mud to see what's left. It is
depressing, but I got to say, it's also
beautiful.
This is the show that ruined other
battle shonen for me. Hunter x Hunter
looks like a colorful Saturday morning
anime at first, but it's a dense,
complex deconstruction of what it means
to be a hero and a monster. I love it
because it refuses to hold my hand. The
power system, Nen, is one of the best in
fiction, but it's the morality that
hooks me. The Chimera Ant arc is, in my
opinion, the greatest arc in anime.
Watching Gon, the happy-go-lucky kid,
descend into absolute darkness while
Meruem, the literal monster, finds his
humanity through love. That dynamic
challenged me. It forced me to ask who I
was actually rooting for. It's not just
a fight, it's a philosophical debate
happening at the speed of sound. It's
dark, it's uncomfortable, and it treated
me like an adult. It's a master piece
that I'm constantly chasing the high of.
>> [cheering]
>> When I look back on my life as an anime
fan 10 years from now, Attack on Titan
is absolutely going to be the
centerpiece. I still vividly remember
the visceral zombie horror shock of
season 1 feeling like humanity was just
cattle only to be completely floored by
the jarring shift into a complex
political war drama by the end. I love
it because Hajime Isayama acts like a
total lunatic genius planting seeds in
the very first episode that didn't bloom
for a literal decade. That basement
revealed didn't just answer my
questions, it fundamentally changed the
entire genre of the show. And then
there's Eren Jaeger, easily the most
divisive, complex protagonist I've ever
followed. Watching his agonizing
transformation from a loudmouth victim
into a cold-blooded oppressor felt like
a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions
to me. It captures the cycle of hatred
and the terrifying cost of freedom
better than most history books. And when
you combine that narrative weight with
Hiroyuki Sawano's apocalyptic
soundtrack, music that makes the end of
the world feel beautiful, you get
something that transcends anime. Now, I
know the ending is controversial and
totally split the fan base, but
honestly, I respect the messiness. A
story this complex couldn't [music] have
a clean, happy bow on top, and I'm fine
with that. It's violent, it's
controversial, and without a doubt, it's
my number one.
For all the times people have asked me,
"What's your favorite anime?" this video
is it. I know, I know, "Where's One
Piece? Where's Evangelion?" Look,
[music] the comment section is right
there. Go ahead and roast my taste, but
these are the ones that really stuck
with me. Now, I'm planning more personal
videos for this channel breaking down my
absolute favorite anime arcs and doing
deep dives into specific characters that
I just can't stop thinking about. So, if
you want to see me cry over fictional
backstories for 20 minutes,
stick around.