Best Anime Ever: MyAnimeList Ranking Sparks Nostalgia vs. Modern Debate

Best Anime Ever: Akira vs. Modern Rankings

A MyAnimeList ranking of the top 32 anime, with Sousou no Frieren at the top, has sparked a generational war where veterans accuse the list of being created by "millennials" who ignore the medium's history. The list, combining the highest-rated, most popular, and most favorited titles, excludes works that defined a generation: neither Akira, Mazinger Z, nor Astroboy, nor Heidi appear in any of the three categories. The gap is not just about taste: it is about memory.

The List Ignoring Anime's Foundations

The list begins with Sousou no Frieren, a recently aired series, trinc by modern classics like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Steins;Gate, and Shingeki no Kyojin. The three categories—best rated, most popular, and most favorited—total 64 titles but exclude Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Mazinger Z, Astroboy, Heidi, Marco, Hellsing, Ranma, Berserk, Candy Candy, and Saint Seiya, among others. The most repeated complaint is that the ranking favors the recent and mass-market, not the foundational.

Some argue that Akira was a turning point in the West: "We went from Hannah Barbera, Disney, and Warner cartoons to something that blew our damn minds," summarizes a veteran. For those who lived through the 90s, Katsuhiro Otomo's film was not just a movie: it was anime's coming of age in Europe. Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop complete that pantheon of serious animation that the modern ranking seems to have forgotten.

Evangelion, Monster, and the Uncaducating Canon

Among the titles that do appear, Evangelion takes the top spot in favorites, trinc by Violet Evergarden, Madoka Magica, and Chainsaw Man. But the conversation quickly turns to what is missing: Monster, Paranoia Agent, Serial Experiments Lain, Ergo Proxy, Kaiba, Trigun, and Kino's Journey are mentioned as unforgivable absences. "Anime production is almost infinite, and some of the titles that appear there are practically an insult to intelligence," states an analyst.

The debate over Shingeki no Kyojin occupies several exchanges. One sector defends it as "the number 1 anime" for its epic scale and ability to connect with adult audiences. Another responds that it is "the shonen of the moment for each generation" and that Fullmetal Alchemist, within the same genre, is "the most adult." The discussion turns into a clash of ages: some accuse young people of having seen nothing prior to 2010; young people respond that veterans confuse nostalgia with quality.

The Problem of Measuring the Best Anime with a Single Platform

Choosing MyAnimeList as the sole source is another open front. The platform weights the average rating of its users, but its demographic is skewed toward young and Anglo-Saxon audiences. Hence, Gintama appears 17 times (once per season), Shingeki no Kyojin is broken down into multiple entries, and Dragon Ball Z appears as a single series when it is actually two distinct stages. The proposal to value "the whole set" clashes with the platform's mechanics, which favor fragmentation.

The result is a ranking that measures popularity and average rating, not historical influence. One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach occupy high positions due to vote volume, while works that defined the medium—Ashita no Joe, Mushishi, Great Teacher Onizuka—are relegated to the bottom or excluded entirely. The paradox is that the best anime in history, if it exists, probably is not on any list made by popular vote.

The Generation That Grew Up with Akira Does Not Vote on MyAnimeList

The generational gap is the true axis of disagreement. Those who experienced the anime boom in the 90s do not participate in digital platform votes, and those who vote have not seen the works that defined the medium. "If you are under 40, you cannot have the faintest idea of what Akira meant for the West," summarizes a veteran. On the other side, the response is equally blunt: "I am over 15, which is why I can understand that there are people with different tastes without it being the end of the world."

The exchange heats up when accusations of immaturity cross paths. One sector defends that Dragon Ball Z is "a show aimed at pre-adolescent children" and that watching it as an adult is ridiculous. Another responds that Fullmetal Alchemist is "a children's series with adult themes and emotions" and that Shingeki no Kyojin is "the Holocaust explained for children." Neither side yields, and the debate turns to the eternal question: can the quality of a work be measured by a poll?

The list, meanwhile, remains there. Sousou no Frieren at the top, Akira nowhere. Is it a faithful portrait of contemporary taste or collective amnesia disguised as a ranking?