Summary
- Takt Op. Destiny is a visually striking series with a unique storyline set in a world devoid of music.
- Trigun Stampede is a brilliantly rebooted classic with stunning 3D animation and vibrant action sequences.
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a captivating fantasy series filled with loss, love, and gorgeous animation.
It could be considered that anime has been in its golden age for the last decade, with thousands of series releasing frequently and reaching new audiences every anime season. The anime community has also grown vast and vocal, hyping up their favorite shows that check all the boxes, from story to animation.
There have been phenomenal series released by talented authors and studios who come together to make something truly special. The work that goes into making a series is an uphill battle, as bringing life to sequential art takes time, effort, and dedication. When lightening strikes in the proper place, a series that raises the visual bar of anime appears and becomes an instant hit. Here are some of the best-looking anime of the 2020s, so far.
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8 Takt Op. Destiny (2021)
A Magical Mesh Of Animation And Sound
Takt Op. Destiny
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2021 - 2021-00-00
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC, BS TV Tokyo
- Directors
- Takahiro Kaneko, Yasuhiro Geshi, Katsuya Shigehara, Tomoko Hiramuki, Hiromi Nishiyama, Akihito Sudo
- Cast
- Atsushi Ono, Koki Uchiyama, Inori Minase, Riho Sugiyama, Shion Wakayama, Seiyuu Fujiwara, Kaede Hondo, Mai Nakahara, Natsumi Haruse, Yoshihito Sasaki, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Chinatsu Hirose, Ryota Suzuki, Haruka Shiraishi, Nobuo Tobita, Ikuto Kanemasa, Toshiki Iwasawa, Yuji Murai, Mitsuru Miyamoto, Sayuri Sadaoka, Hiroshi Naka, Kouichi Souma, Gara Takashima, Youhei Hamada, Kozue Saito
- Main Genre
- Anime
Takt Op. Destiny is set in a dismal world devoid of music due to the invasion of extraterrestrial creatures called D2s, which are attracted and enraged by sound. In this world, a select few unique individuals obtain bizarre abilities revolving around musical frequencies called conductors.
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A young boy and girl named Takt and Cosette become embroiled in the country's survival, as their fates become intertwined when they become Conductor and partner after a D2 attack. Takt Op. Destiny is an incredibly well-crafted series with a unique shine to its color, which pops off the screen thanks to the brilliant skill of Mappa and Madhouse.
7 Trigun Stampede (2023)
An Incredible Reboot Of A Classic Series
Trigun Stampede
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2023 - 2023-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Maaya Sakamoto, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yumiri Hanamori, Junya Ikeda, Yoshimasa Hosoya
The original Trigun anime was a fan favorite during the 90 and has retained its sizable fanbase since then. The series was rebooted recently, and Studio Orange breathed fresh creativity into the series. Trigun Stampede is one of the first 3D anime to receive such high praise.
The show tells the story of Vash the Stampede and his journey across the terraformed wasteland on which the human race now resides. Vash is an artificially-created human on a mission to find his brother, who crashed the colony ship carrying the last of the human race on a desolate planet. Now, in a lawless new world, Vash tries to shoot his way out of violent encounters without taking a single life. Trigun Stampede is a colorful rush of action with seamless sequences that make it stand out from traditional anime series.
6 Chainsaw Man (2022)
A Dark And Gritty Masterpiece
Chainsaw Man
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2022 - 2022
- Cast
- Kikunosuke Toya, Tomori Kusunoki, Shogo Sakata, Fairouz Ai, Mariya Ise, Karin Takahashi, Taku Yashiro, Kenjiro Tsuda, Haruo Satou, Eri Saito, Kouki Miyata, Mitsutoshi Shundo, Yuhko Kaida, Takehiro Hasu, Maaya Uchida, Natsuki Hanae, Yamato Kinjo, Ayumu Murase, Chikahiro Kobayashi, Kozue Saito, Yuuya Uchida, Hironori Kondo, Yoshihito Sasaki, Hitomi Ueda, Sara Matsumoto, Motoki Sakuma, Kousuke Oonishi, Tadashi Muto, Takashi Uezumiya, Masao Komaya
- Creator
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.47
Chainsaw Man is a member of the Dark Trio of shonen, featuring a mature story set in a bleak world where devils roam the earth. Devils are manifestations of human fear; they embody objects, entities, or concepts that humans fear the most. Denji, a young transient, reaches the end of his rope and becomes entangled in a violent war of man versus devil.
Becoming a devil himself, Denji is drafted into a defense organization. However, the road to salvation places Denji and the new family that has adopted him in constant danger. Mappa has proved itself to be one of the most talented animation studios in the world, delivering a spine-tingling series that leaves an impression with every frame.
5 Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2023)
A Gorgeous Magical Adventure
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- September 29, 2023
- Cast
- Atsumi Tanezaki, Kana Ichinose, Chiaki Kobayashi, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Hiroki Touchi, Yoji Ueda, Kento Shiraishi, Sayumi Suzushiro, Cho, Keiichi Sonobe, Eiji Hanawa, Hiroki Yasumoto, Shunsuke Sakuya, Tarusuke Shingaki, Yuichi Nakamura, Ayana Taketatsu, Kanae Ito, Takuya Eguchi, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Azumi Waki, Tadashi Miyazawa, Haruka Terui, Hana Sato, Taito Ban, Takayuki Nakatsukasa, Satoru Ito, Seiyuu Fujiwara, Kaori Nakamura, Marie Ôi
- Studio
- Madhouse
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 9.31
- Creator(s)
- Tsukasa Abe, Kanehito Yamada
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End was an unforeseen, astounding success that tells a fantastical fantasy story. Set in a young world where magic and swords are the standard tools of adventures, Frieren is a near-ancient elf who once saved the world as a part of the Party of Heroes. The story follows her as she begins to live again after most of her friends from her previous life have aged or passed away, and explores how her character deals with her vast lifespan.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a lush and colorful series that tells a magnificent story of loss, love, growth, and curiosity. Madhouse knocks it out of the park again with this superb animation, with interesting character designs and breathtaking action sequences.
4 Wind Breaker (2024)
An Action-Packed Thrill Ride
Wind Breaker
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2024 - 2025-00-00
- Cast
- Yuma Uchida, Shoya Chiba, Koki Uchiyama, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Ryota Suzuki, Yuichi Nakamura, Chiaki Kobayashi, Yohei Matsuoka, Ikumi Hasegawa, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Kengo Kawanishi, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Gen Sato, Masaaki Mizunaka, Kikunosuke Toya, Yuuichirou Umehara, Junya Enoki, Atsushi Tamaru, Taishi Murata, Chiharu Sawashiro, Ko Bonkobara, Tatsumaru Tachibana, Shoya Ishige, Ryota Osaka
- Studio
- CloverWorks
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.74 (Season 1)
- Creator(s)
- Satoru Nii
Wind Breaker is a recent release that has filled the big shoes of martial arts anime, like the classic series Air Master. A young high school ruffian, Sakura, becomes a rising star of a local school gang, which aids him in his goal of becoming the strongest. On his journey, Sakura finds exactly what he's looking for: a slew of strong opponents to test his skills. However, Sakura gets more than he bargained for and is adopted into a makeshift familial brotherhood, something he is direly lacking.
Wind Breaker has some of the best animated hand-to-hand fight scenes and never fails to blow expectations out of the water. The latest season of Wind Breaker is currently airing and has received high marks from anime fans worldwide.
3 Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
A Dark, Twisted Animated Marvel
Jujutsu Kaisen
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- October 3, 2020
- Cast
- Junya Enoki, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuma Uchida, Asami Seto, Takahiro Sakurai, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kenjiro Tsuda, Tomokazu Seki, Yoshiki Nakajima, Kenji Sugimura, Naoko Komatsu, Shouta Morino, Junko Oka, Kim Hyangri, Setsuji Sato, Aya Nakamura, Yuichi Karasuma, Akiha Matsui, Kenji Fukuda, Daichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Kanao, Joichiro Yoshida, Yuki Inoue, Masato Niwa, Ikuto Kanemasa, Genta Nakamura, Momoko Taneichi, Hiromichi Tezuka
- Studio
- MAPPA
- Creator
- Gege Akutami
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.57 (Season 1)
Itadori Yuji's life changes forever when he is pulled into a fight against a living curse and digests an ancient cursed object that melds his body with the soul of the most evil sorcerer ever to live, Sukuna. Itadori finds himself the vessel to the most dangerous sorcerer in history and is taken under the wing of the strongest sorcerer of modern times.
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Jujutsu Kaisen is a brutal story with volatile twists and turns that do not lead to happy endings. Mappa has handled the series masterfully, with incredibly well-choreographed action and detailed facial expressions, making it one of the best-looking anime shows currently airing.
2 Demon Slayer Season 2 (2021)
A Stunning Series By Legends In The Industry
Demon Slayer
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
- Creator
- Koyoharu Gotoge
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.26 (Hashira Training Arc)
Demon Slayer is a fan favorite among the anime community that dives into an organization of skilled sword masters that take on a supernatural threat of demonic beings. Tanjiro, the main character, is the sole survivor of his family's slaughter at the hands of demons.
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Seeking retribution and a way to turn his little sister back into a human, Tanjiro enlists with the demon slayer corps and sets out to slay the origin of all demons, Muzan. Demon Slayer has some of the best animation on the market, with the crispest and most sublime frames among most anime on the list.
1 To Be Hero X (2025)
A Phenomenal Culmination Of Creativity And Artistic Vision
To Be Hero X
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- April 6, 2025
- Network
- bilibili
- Cast
- Nie Xiying, Liu Xiaoyu, Shuang Zhao, Chang Rongshan, Titus Jin, Qiao Shiyu, Zhuang Miao, Zhao Mingzhou, Gu Jiangshan, Nianru Shen, Shuai Guan, Guo Haoran, Sun Lulu, Liu Beichen, Ajie, Jin Xian, Shuiyu Tang, Xu Jiaqi, Ling Zhenhe, Jinwen Chen, Haiting Cai, Xing Chao, Cong Liu, Wenxiao He, Qian Chen, Yang Tianxiang
- Studio
- Pb Animation Co. Ltd., LAN Studio, Paper Plane Animation Studio
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.56
- Creator(s)
- Li Haoling
To Be Hero X is an incredible series that came out of nowhere and made a massive impact on the anime community. As a story by Chinese creators, it is a joint production with both Chinese and Japanese studios. The story starts with Lin Ling, a struggling marketing agent who must step into the role of one of the greatest superheroes in the city after a tragic event.
The series features multiple different art styles, including 2D, 3D, and sketch styles that elevate the story's depth and themes. To Be Hero X is easily the anime of the year, as it has been meticulously crafted to perfection.
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