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What shows from the last 5 years will become classics?
I haven't watched anime in a long time (since 90s, 2000s), looking for the good stuff.
I haven't watched anime in a long time (since 90s, 2000s), looking for the good stuff.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Anime_television_series_by_year
So here's what we're working with, 700-800 shows, so here's what I have so far...
That's what I got from the past 5 years. Pick something that interests you, if you like it, its probably classic since a lot of this is subjective.
EDIT: For everything I didn't cover, there's the chart. Don't forget to pace yourself.
I 100% back Durarara!! All the other anime on this list are great too, but my god Durarara!! is so unique and extraordinary that it will stay with you for a long time.
Hmm I should get back on it. Watched like 10 episodes but then dropped it because I felt like it wasn’t going anywhere..
I love Zombie Land Saga! One of the funniest anime's I've seen (ep 4 and 5 are funniest)
Also, Devilman Crybaby. The show that proved Netflix can do anime, and second only to Neo Yokio in their catalog.
Made in Abyss and Mob Psycho 100 are both contenders I think. One Punch Man looked promising, but I think season 2 will probably prevent it from being considered a classic.
I hope Uchuu Kyoudai is one day considered a classic, but I don't think it will ever reach that level of recognition.
Classic is kindof vague though, as it could mean really popular, or really high quality. I know there are a number of anime considered classic that also aren't great.
Going by popularity, I think My Hero Academia will be considered a classic at some point.
I'm surprised and saddened that Made in Abyss is not very popular here in Japan (just on my impression as far as merch and advertising I see around). Even walking around akiba it's really hard to find Made in Abyss DVDs/BDs or random figurines.
It's probably my favorite show and manga, but it doesn't seem to be as appreciated here in Japan as much.
I think this might be because Made in Abyss manga is in hiatus now and then.
I don't know if popularity amounts to being a classic. I mean, is Naruto a classic? One Piece has been massively popular for a long period of time, and I don't think anyone thinks of it as a classic.
Dragon Ball Z is considered to be a classic to many, but I'm not really sure if it's because it's legitimately good or because it's something a lot of people grew up with. On the other hand, you could say that it's a cultural classic, being a "gateway anime" for most American fans. That's one way I don't think My Hero Academia fits, though, since the only people I hear talking about it are already anime fans.
I think the thing that makes any given cultural object "classic" status is a cross-section between how many people see it (in other words, popularity is still an ingredient), how unique the content is, and how emotionally resonant it is to the average person. MHA definitely has the first one, but I think the other two are arguable. Personally speaking, I don't like it very much, it fails my own barometer for emotional resonance, but that doesn't really mean anything. Its certainly got a lot of creativity behind it, but at the same time my limited experience has shown the plot to be fairly formulaic.
I'm not sure why I'm spending so much time dissecting this concept. But to put my thoughts in a nutshell: "Maybe". :P
I like the concept of 'cultural classic,' and I think that's where shows like Naruto fit as well. I know that My Hero Academia hasn't managed to gain anywhere near the level of popularity as something like Naruto or Dragon Ball Z, but in my experience it's one of the most popular mainstream anime within the last 5 years. It's a long-running series, so it has plenty of time to catch up as well. MHA may not entirely be a gateway anime, but it seems to be an anime people tend to watch after watching a gateway anime, which could be enough.
That's just anecdotal evidence of course, but I think it may become a classic because of it's current popularity, and it's intersection with the popularity of other superhero content like the Marvel movies. Furthermore, while it isn't a masterpiece by any means, it's creative and a well executed member of it's genre, it knows what it's trying to do and does it pretty well.
Because its an American production IDK if it's considered anime, but Netflix Castlevania is definitely one the best things I watched in the last 10 years and has all the potential to become a classic, even more so because it's part of a beloved IP.
Violet Evergarden. Because practically everything Kyoto Animation does is "classic". Besides that, it's easily one of their best, IMHO. Every single episode had me crying.
Wolf Children may be a bit too old for this list, but it really deserves to be on it.
I asked my wife, since she's much more into these types of shows than I am and she said Yuri on Ice is probably the best show of the last five years.
We watched Aggretsuko together and both loved it. It's a good gateway anime show. I wouldn't be surprised to see it showing up on lists of the best shows to introduce your friends to anime in the coming years.
Surprised to see no one mention movies in their list.
From the top of my head, any of Shinkai's works, Koe no Katatchi, Mirai would stand out very well to be classics in the long run.