The Best Anime of Every Year of the ‘90s

The 1990s were a hugely important time for anime. Many of the most popular anime series first appeared during this decade, and they started gaining fans around the world, introducing a lot of people outside of Japan to the medium. Today’s hits like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen owe some of their success to these earlier, groundbreaking shows that built anime’s popularity from the late 1980s to the 2010s.

Here’s a list of the best anime from each year of the 1990s. Since some shows ran for many years, we’ve based our choices on when a series first started airing – this applies to shows with multiple seasons, like Sailor Moon.

1990

Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

This adventure takes place in 1889, in a world different from our own, and centers around Nadia, a teenager, and Jean, a French inventor. As new scientific breakthroughs are happening all around them, a villain named Gargoyle is determined to rebuild the lost empire of Atlantis, even if it means using force. Nadia, Jean, and Captain Nemo team up on a submarine to stop him and save the world.

I’m so excited about Nadia! It’s a really unique anime series created by Hideaki Anno, but the story actually has a fascinating history. The initial concept was dreamed up way back in the 1970s by none other than Hayao Miyazaki! He envisioned something inspired by classic adventure novels like Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days. Though it didn’t get made then, the rights stayed with Toho. Fast forward a bunch of years, and Gainax tried to get it off the ground with NHK, originally with Hiroaki Inoue at the helm. But things got a little messy internally at Gainax, and ultimately, Anno took over the project.

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Making Neon Genesis Evangelion was expensive and resulted in significant financial losses for Gainax, and ultimately, they didn’t even own the rights to the show. Originally, the series was intended to be connected to the world of Nadia, but when Gainax couldn’t obtain the necessary rights, they created Evangelion as a completely new story – a process that was often difficult. Group TAC asked Gainax to create a film based on the series, but Gainax later pulled out, and TAC completed it on their own. Although the series itself was popular, the follow-up movie was poorly received.

In the United States, this series was initially available on DVD and VHS through ADV Films and also broadcast on Anime Network. Afterwards, Sentai Filmworks obtained the distribution rights. Most recently, GKIDS re-licensed the series and released it in 4K Blu-ray.

1991

Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai

The story centers on Dai, a young boy raised on tales of the hero Avan’s battle against the Demon King Hadlar, a conflict that ushered in a decade of peace. But peace is shattered when Hadlar returns, and Dai, determined to become a hero himself, sets out on a journey to overcome the rising darkness.

This anime series is adapted from a manga with the same title, created by Riku Sanjo and Koji Inada. The manga itself is inspired by the well-known Dragon Quest video game franchise, though it doesn’t follow the story of any specific game. The anime was a hit when it originally aired and was distributed in various countries across Asia, Europe, and Latin America during the 1990s, but it has never had an official release in the United States.

I noticed something interesting while learning about this series. In a lot of countries, the character Dai’s name was actually changed to “Fly.” Apparently, the original Japanese pronunciation sounded a bit too much like the English word “die,” even in places where English wasn’t commonly spoken! Plus, a new version of the show came out in 2020 and ran until 2022. You can find it streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix, and it might be available on other platforms too.

1991 also saw the release of other notable anime like a follow-up to Minky Momo and City Hunter ’91. While The Adventure of Dai shares similarities with many action-adventure anime, its heartwarming story and impressive animation for the time make it a standout and arguably the best anime of that year. It’s just a really enjoyable show to watch.

1992

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon began as a manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi, published in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine from 1991 to 1997. The story centers around Usagi Tsukino (known as Serena in the first English version), a typical student who discovers she’s actually Sailor Moon—the reincarnation of a lunar warrior—after meeting a talking cat named Luna.

After that day, Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon to battle evil forces. She soon teams up with other girls, and together they fight as a heroic team, much like a superhero squad. The show follows their adventures as magical heroes alongside their everyday lives as students, mixing action, drama, romance, and even some frightening moments.

1992 was a big year for anime, launching two more incredibly popular series. One was Yu Yu Hakusho, and interestingly, its creator, Yoshihiro Togashi, later married Sailor Moon‘s creator, Naoko Takeuchi. The other was Crayon Shin-chan, which became a long-running and beloved comedy franchise in Japan. Both Sailor Moon and Yu Yu Hakusho were highly influential and received excellent anime adaptations. However, Sailor Moon‘s impact was so significant – it essentially redefined the magical girl genre – that it’s hard to imagine anything else from 1992 being quite as impactful.

1993

Slam Dunk

Slam Dunk is a hugely popular basketball manga and anime series known worldwide. Unlike many other sports stories, it doesn’t center around a naturally gifted player or someone deeply passionate about the game. Instead, it follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a rebellious gang leader and freshman at Shohoku High. Initially, Sakuragi dislikes basketball, considering it a sport for the weak, but he joins the team simply to get the attention of a girl he likes. As the story unfolds, he gradually falls in love with the game itself.

I remember when the Slam Dunk anime first came out in Japan – it was a huge hit! In 1993, it really stood out as the best new anime, though Sailor Moon R was also popular that year. Even now, it’s considered one of the greatest sports anime ever made. There were other good shows too, like Miracle Girls, Ninjaboy Rantaro, and Mobile Suit Victory Gundam. More recently, in 2022, they released a movie called The First Slam Dunk, which was incredibly successful and broke a lot of records, but it hasn’t really stuck around in the public consciousness since.

1994

Magic Knight Rayearth

Magic Knight Rayearth is a popular anime from the 1990s that gained a following both in Japan and around the world. It’s a key example of the ‘isekai’ genre, where characters are transported to another world. The story centers on three schoolgirls who find themselves in a magical realm with a mission to save a princess. The series also includes giant robots, or mecha, in its action sequences. It’s based on a manga with the same name, created by the group CLAMP.

The show boasted impressive animation for its time and led to multiple original video animations, as well as a recently announced remake set to premiere this year. It was the standout release of 1994, surpassing other popular series like Macross 7, Captain Tsubasa J, and Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals.

1995

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

Gundam Wing takes place in a separate timeline from the original Gundam series (Gundam 0079). The story centers on a large-scale war between Earth and its space colonies, and follows five teenage pilots who fight back against a powerful organization called the United Earth Sphere Alliance. Because it’s set apart from the existing timeline, it’s a good series for newcomers to the Gundam franchise, and it’s likely one reason why it became so popular worldwide. In fact, it’s arguably more popular in the United States than in its home country of Japan, though it was successful in both places.

1995 was a landmark year for giant robot anime, with both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam Wing debuting. It’s hard to say which is better – they’re both fantastic. Evangelion delves deeply into the characters’ feelings and motivations, while Gundam Wing delivers more intense action alongside a complex story of politics and the realities of war.

1996

Dragon Ball GT

Dragon Ball GT continues the story of Dragon Ball Z, but with a lighter, more comedic feel. After a wish gone wrong, Goku is accidentally turned back into a child. He, along with Trunks and his granddaughter Pan, then embark on a space adventure to gather the Black Star Dragon Balls and restore Goku to his adult form.

While it’s a controversial pick for some, Dragon Ball GT was a significant investment by Toei Animation, aiming to recapture the adventurous spirit of the original Dragon Ball anime – similar to what DB DAIMA is doing now. Despite being disliked by many Dragon Ball fans, GT has garnered a dedicated following. Although other shows like Boys Over Flowers, Detective Conan/Case Closed, and Saber Marionette J also debuted that year, it’s difficult to argue that any of them had a bigger impact than Dragon Ball GT, even if some viewers prefer their storylines (plus, DBGT is simply a lot of fun to watch).

1997

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Revolutionary Girl Utena is a magical girl anime from the 1990s that really shook up the genre. It’s known for cleverly twisting traditional magical girl themes. The story centers around Utena Tenjou, a girl who prefers acting like a boy, and gets caught up in strange sword fights held on the school grounds. Whoever wins these duels gets to marry Anthy Himemiya, known as the Rose Bride, and supposedly gains the ability to change the world.

Utena doesn’t fully understand the situation, but she begins to care for Anthy and wants to shield her from those who would harm her, hoping to eventually help Anthy escape her difficult position. Throughout the story, Utena also learns about herself, though she sometimes falls victim to others’ schemes.

1997 saw a lot of great anime releases in Japan, including popular series like Pokémon, the first Berserk anime, and a remake of Doctor Slump. But Utena stands out. Its unique and complex story about growing up, combined with beautiful animation and well-developed characters, makes a strong case for it being the best anime of that year.

1998

Initial D First Stage

Initial D is an anime series based on a popular manga about street racing. It centers around Takumi Fujiwara, who honed his driving skills over years delivering tofu for his father. He drove a Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno – nicknamed the ’86’ – and surprisingly became a well-known racer, defeating more experienced drivers with his seemingly basic car.

1998 saw a lot of great anime and manga, including popular titles like Cardcaptor Sakura, Cowboy Bebop, and Serial Experiments Lain. But Initial D stands out. Although movies like The Fast & the Furious later brought street racing to a wider audience, Initial D actually came first and helped define the genre. The animation is solid, and the unforgettable Eurobeat music makes the series even more exciting.

As a huge anime fan, 1998 was an incredible year! Not only did we get a ton of amazing classic titles, but it also saw the birth of Animax – the very first TV channel that aired anime 24/7. It was a total game changer!

1999

Digimon Adventure

Digimon is a popular franchise created by Bandai Namco and Toei Animation. It began with the anime series Digimon Adventure (also known as Digimon: Digital Monsters Season 1), which tells the story of seven children unexpectedly sent to the Digital World. There, they learn they are the ‘DigiDestined’ – kids chosen to use special devices called Digivices and team up with Digimon, the digital creatures who live in that world.

While discovering this new world, the group draws the attention of Devimon and his dangerous followers. They soon realize a strong link exists between their world and the Digital World, and they must work together to prevent both from being destroyed.

Although Digimon wasn’t as consistently popular as it once was, the original series was incredibly successful in both Japan and around the world. It was often compared to Pokémon, but usually in a good way, with many people appreciating its thoughtful themes, well-developed characters, and more grounded storytelling.

1999 also saw the release of popular shows like Medabots, Great Teacher Onizuka, Magical DoReMi, Hunter x Hunter from Nippon Animation, and Yu-Gi-Oh! from Toei. However, Digimon truly stood out as a leading example of the ‘monster’ genre at its height. It was remarkable for its high-quality animation and its surprisingly complex world and storyline, qualities that are rare in children’s programming today.

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2026-04-17 21:13