Founded in 1990, IMDb has cultivated a potent reputation as an impressive resource for movies, television, and anime, alongside growing an impressive community. It stands among the top 40 most-visited sites in the world, with 653.6 million visits in November 2025, sitting just below Apple and OpenAI’s websites. This stands as a testament to its value to its worldwide users.
But IMDb’s user base was grown out of a different era, supported by a wave of Generation X and older Millennials, with its audience scores often pointed to as one of the best aggregates for a movie or series’ quality. In the case of anime, IMDb’s best offerings differ reasonably from MyAnimeList or Crunchyroll’s rankings, but remain undeniably valid.
The best anime on IMDb, one may also notice, often hails from a different era, although not without a handful of wonderful exceptions. It points to a healthy combination of new-gen hits and classics from the past several decades, although not without a significant skewing toward shonen and seinen series. Regardless, any of these anime easily make a solid recommendation.
9.1 Stars (238k Votes)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, unlike on MyAnimeList, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood still reigns supreme on IMDb. It’s not surprising why, either, thanks to animation from Studio Bones that continues to age well. That said, FMAB is not without its criticisms; the early parts are notably more brisk in their pacing than the original Fullmetal Alchemist.
But watching the anime all the way through is uniquely rewarding, not simply because it’s complete, but to assess the sum of its parts. Its entire cast of characters is well-utilized, it boasts poignant and morally complex themes, and its storytelling is tight, without lingering on plot beats that slow it down, with almost zero filler.
2
Attack on Titan
9.1 Stars (670k Votes)
Easily one of the most controversial placements in the eyes of communities elsewhere, Attack on Titan continues to thrive on IMDb. No doubt it’s due to the compelling narrative and strong animation from Wit Studio’s initial offerings. After all, Attack on Titan became a modern gateway anime upon its inaugural season in 2013.
Even considering the anime fandom’s misgivings, they clearly haven’t translated to over half a million voters on IMDb. The high production values, even if feeling lacking by the time MAPPA took over, resonated with audiences alongside its fascinating characters and excellent music. Love it or hate it in the end, Attack on Titan is still an important anime.
3
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
9.0 Stars (183k Votes)
It’s wholly unsurprising that Yoshihiro Togashi’s iconic work features among the public’s most-adored anime of all time, and for good reason. Animated by Madhouse, despite the manga still being ongoing, Hunter x Hunter’s 2011 remake is made to be a complete, satisfying viewing experience. Its power system is world-class, and it’s willing to go to surprisingly dark places.
Hunter x Hunter is adored by the general public, but even fellow manga artists practically worship Togashi’s work on the series, with cute tributes like One-Punch Man’s Saitama drawn reading it. It is one of anime’s foremost modern hits of the new millennium, and its best arcs, like the Chimera Ant Arc, continue to spawn imitators years later.
4
Death Note
8.9 Stars (458k Votes)
Despite being saddled with the task of bringing Takeshi Obata’s immaculately-detailed artwork to life, Madhouse knocked Death Note’s 2006 anime out of the park. The saga features Light Yagami, who discovers the eponymous notebook granting him the power to take the lives of those whose names he writes within.
Joined by Ryuk, the bored Shinigami who dropped the Death Note, Light carries out his twisted mission in this iconic Shonen Jump anime. Death Note boasts an exceptional cast of deep, complex supporting characters. It’s a more thrilling, cerebral offering than the usual action-heavy fare for which its home magazine is known, but not without its own absurd, meme-worthy moments.
5
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
8.9 Stars (60k Votes)
It’d be far too reductive to say that Frieren’s analog-adjacent style, filmic color palette, and video effects like film grain, create a nostalgic experience to appeal to IMDb’s aging user base. In fact, these same qualities help set it apart, and are wonderfully executed, composing a warm atmosphere wholly more engrossing than virtually all new-gen anime out there.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a once-in-a-generation hit. It follows the titular elvish mage Frieren on her quest to reflect on her past adventures, including visiting the resting soul of the possible love of her life. A powerful lesson on not taking anything for granted with the ephemeral nature of life, Frieren’s message is timeless.
6
Cowboy Bebop
8.9 Stars (164k Votes)
A defining original series for millennials in particular, Cowboy Bebop is Shinichirō Watanabe’s most iconic, genre-bending mastepiece and a cornerstone of 1990s anime. Its episodic nature differs sharply different, tighter storytelling than the typically serialized, overblown anime common of its era, allowing a comparatively more digestible experience.
However, Cowboy Bebop’s episodic nature builds out its distinctive cast of characters, telling their individual stories while remaining engaging enough not to intimidate newcomers with a larger overarching story. It also exemplifies neo noir aspects in anime, with its aesthetic practically immortal nearly 30 years later. Boasting an excellent English dub, there’s no excuse not to watch Cowboy Bebop.
7
One Piece
9.0 Stars (336k Votes)
From its humble 1999 origins as a run-of-the-mill shonen anime in terms of production values, one might not have suspected its glow-up in the modern era. One Piece, ever since the Wano Arc in particular, made use of emerging talents such as Megumi Ishitani and Vincent Chansard to create a fittingly ultra-premium animation experience.
A distinctive case where it might appear as an error, One Piece ranking lower despite having a nine-star rating is due to the IMDb’s weighted scoring system factoring for regular, trustworthy users to prevent score manipulation.
Character animation and cinematic direction of One Piece differs vastly from its earliest episodes, with lifelike facial movement and head swaggles, as well as massively impactful fight scenes. While skeptics raise valid concerns about One Piece’s pacing being wildly intimidating to newcomers, One Piece‘s depth and expert world-building pay off immensely for those sticking around.
8
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War
9.0 Stars (71k Votes)
Freshly devoid of filler and benefiting from Pierrot’s refreshing production model shift, Bleach has never looked as good as its return in 2022. Thousand-Year Blood War details the final arc of Tite Kubo’s Shonen Big Three anime with far more polish than its original ending, capping it off the way the series deserved. The new Fortnite tie-in doesn’t hurt, either.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War exemplifies the new seasonal format and production values adopted by Studio Pierrot in the hopes of capturing similar magic to that of Ufotable’s Demon Slayer. It’s gotten to the point that fans of other Pierrot projects awaiting their return, like Boruto and Black Clover, understandably crave a similar product.
9
Dragon Ball Z
8.8 Stars (173k Votes)
While much of IMDb’s top-ranked anime is certainly indicative of an older audience, Dragon Ball Z’s anime is still iconic in the present. It’s well-produced, features genre-defining fights, and has a more passionate fanbase than most franchises could ever dream. While IMDb technically lists two instances of Dragon Ball Z, they boast near-identical ratings for the US and Japanese releases.
Dragon Ball Z, despite being a sequel anime adapting Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga, thoroughly outclassed the original in terms of worldwide popularity. It’s in this anime where the world witnessed the truly epic battles and transformations that would define and shape the franchise for decades to come.
10
Vinland Saga
8.8 Stars (122k Votes)
A truly deserving anime in its own right, Vinland Saga owes its brilliant success both to Wit Studio and MAPPA’s careful animation, adapting the humanistic historical epic manga by Makoto Yukimura. It’s far more than a sword and sandal tale of Vikings and conquest, with its central character, Thorfinn, finding himself rejecting the cycle of war he once idealized.
At points a coming-of-age anime, and at others verging on psychological horror in its depictions of the lingering torment and trauma of Thorfinn’s upbringing as essentially a child soldier, Vinland Saga is a haunting viewing experience. Yet, as he grows and processes his actions, Thorfinn matures into a fine young man with a striking sense of uncompromising pacifism.
- Release Date
-
2019 – 2023
- Network
-
Netflix
