Japanese Anime Favorites to Watch
Japanese anime is known for fantastic themes, colorful characters, and stellar graphics. It is considered a diverse art form that uses distinct methods and techniques in the production process that continues to evolve with new technologies.
The anime industry in Japan is composed of more than 400 production studios in the country alone, and it has continued to gain significant international success over the years.
A recent survey by website Mynavi Woman asked Japanese anime fans what anime was their favorite that they can watch over and over again without getting bored. The top anime favorites included:
My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ Tonari no Totoro) – a 1988 fantasy produced by Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Hayao Mizayaki. The anime is a tale set in post-war rural Japan, about two young daughters of a professor and how they interact with friendly wood spirits.
Crayon Shin-chan (クレヨンしんちゃん Kureyon Shin-chan) originally a manga series written and illustrated by Yoshito Usui and later adapted into anime series that began airing on TV Asahi in 1992. It follows the adventures of a five-year old boy named Shin Nohara and his parents, baby sitter, dog, friends, and neighbors in Kasukabe city.
YuYu Hakusho ( (幽☆遊☆白書) “Ghost Files” or “Poltergeist Report,” originally a manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi initially serialized in Shueisha Inc.’s Weekly Shōnen Jump (a weekly shōnen manga magazine), from December 1990 to July 1994. It tells the story of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who was struck and killed in an automobile accident while he was attempting to save a child. Koenma, the son of the ruler of the afterlife, presented Yusuke with a number of tests and was subsequently revived and appointed an “Underworld Detective” where he investigates cases involving apparitions and demons in the human world.
Laputa: Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta) – an adventure anime written and directed yet again by Hayao Mizayaki, produced by Studio Ghibli and released in 1986. The backstory tells us that human civilization built flying cities that were destroyed by a catastrophic event. This led survivors to live on the ground except for Laputa who remained in the sky and is concealed within a powerful thunderstorm.
Detective Conan (名探偵コナン Meitantei Conan ) – originally a Japanese detective manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama and later adapted into anime by Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation and TMS Entertainment. The story follows the adventures of the amateur detective, Jimmy Kudo, who transformed into a child while investigating the Black Organization (primary antagonists of the series).
