Ask John: What is the Best Anime Series Ever?

Question:
In your opinion, John, what do you think is the best anime series ever? In my opinion, I think Evangelion is the best.

Answer:
Any answer to a question such as this will instantly be wrong to a certain number of readers, and any answer is bound to cause controversy and discussion, but that’s what the AnimeNation Forum is for. By the strict qualifications of the question, most of the Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki films are out of contention. The only ones that qualify as part of “series” are those that have at least two entries in the franchise, meaning only Lupin and Totoro (which has the upcoming Mei & the Nekobus sequel). Furthermore, the particular generality of the question allows for different classifications of “best.” Therefore I’ll take the easy way out and provide several nominations.

In the spirit of the question, the search is for the ultimate, most brilliant, affecting and compelling anime series ever created. Although I may be criticized for my choice, I would argue that Shoujo Kakumei Utena be slightly superior to Evangelion on account of its originality. Evangelion is of course, the popular choice, but at heart, Evangelion is simply an expansion of the giant robot genre that’s existed for 30 years. There is absolutely nothing else in existence quite like Utena. While the roots of Evangelion are clearly traceable to the super robots of Go Nagai and Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam- the story of a boy who must pilot a mecha built by his father to protect the world- it’s impossible to identify an originating source for Utena. Stylistically, both Utena and Evangelion are excellent examples of cinematic style and individual directorial vision. And philosophically both Evangelion and Utena provide ample source for analysis, discussion and debate.

In terms of technical production quality, it’s difficult to suggest a better work than Cowboy Bebop, which features a world-class musical score, action and characterizations that transcend language, and state of the art animation, but Cowboy Bebop fails to reach the level of pure excellence because of its weak character development and script. The characters are quirky, to be sure, but their characterizations, dialogue and actions never make a viewer empathize with them or feel “one” with them, unlike the dynamic Evangelion and Utena.

If we consider alone the power to affect a viewer, few anime series can match the raw emotional power of Ima Soku ni Iru Boku (Now & Then, Here & There), but like Cowboy Bebop, Imaboku generates sympathy but not emotional attachment (although that could be said to be the point of Imaboku). As a harsh, brutal war story, the point of Imaboku is urge consideration and thought, not necessarily to be entertaining. Watching Imaboku leaves a viewer feeling beat up and drained, a feeling exceeding rare for an animated program to be able to accomplish: exceptional, but not in-and-of-itself worthy of peerless superiority.

On the other hand, if we change the emphasis of the question from greatest “series” to greatest “anime,” Dirty Pair immediately comes to mind for its instant representation of everything that anime itself represents. Every anime characteristic- big eyes, wild hair, girls with guns, robots, sci-fi, hyper-kinetic action, mature themes, intelligent writing, violence, bright colors- everything used to identify Japanese animation is present in Dirty Pair. Dirty Pair could be called the single best representation of what anime is, in a single example.

But of course, the universally accepted, undeniable “best” anime series ever created is one that hasn’t been created yet. It’s still something we can look forward to someday in the future. For the present, I’ll choose the originality of Utena over the genre revolutionizing Evangelion as “best” anime series available.