One could joke endlessly about collective taste and how choices on social media often stray far from ideal, but there are places and polls where the results turn out to be quite respectable. Members of the anime section on Reddit conducted a poll to determine the best titles in the history of Japanese animation, and the top picks were established through a two-stage process.

First, users listed their 20 favorite anime films and series, which created a comprehensive list. Next, they were asked to rate the titles on a five-point scale, skipping any they hadn’t seen. More than 2,000 people participated in the survey.

The resulting ranking sorted anime by the percentage of top ratings each title received. At the top was Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. The top three also included Steins;Gate and Vinland Saga. The top ten even featured Perfect Blue by the legendary Satoshi Kon. 

The full top-10 list of the best anime:

  1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
  2. Steins; Gate
  3. Vinland Saga
  4. Legend of the Galactic Heroes
  5. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
  6. Hunter x Hunter
  7. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
  8. The Monogatari Series
  9. Ping Pong The Animation
  10. Perfect Blue

While entries like Madoka Magica or Monogatari in the top ten might raise some questions, the Reddit community’s choices offer a solid foundation. Not every anime will appeal to everyone, and some are more niche, but all of these titles stand out distinctly from the mainstream.

Main image: x.com

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