What Are the 20 Best Anime of the 2020s So Far?

It's 2025. The decade is already almost halfway through, making it a good point in time to take stock of how the decade is going so far. For anime, the 2020s might be remembered as the era when the medium gained true ubiquity; no longer being a niche source of entertainment for what has long been believed to be the target: overzealous Japanophiles ("weeaboos") and individuals who shriek when light enters their dimly lit bedrooms.

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into isolation, many people who had never given the medium a crack wound up learning of its brilliance. With the decade now halfway through, it's time to take a look back at some of the anime that may go down as the titles that defined the 2020s so far. The incoming list is based primarily on the author's opinion.

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By  Mark Sammut

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

The Only Accepted Usurper of MAL's Infamous #1 Spot

• Airing Date: October 2023 – ongoing
• Episodes: 28
• Genres: Fantasy, Slice-of-Life
• Studio: Madhouse

In Fall 2023, the world was graced with the anime adaptation that would go on to change anime history. Sousou no Frieren, translated directly to "Frieren, The Slayer" and titled "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End", is a brilliant fantasy that follows the titular character, an elven mage who was part of the four-person party that defeated the Demon King and saved the world prior to the events of the series. Being set in the aftermath of the victory and not in the journey leading up to the Demon King encounter, the series subverted expectations of what a fantasy title should do, and its slice-of-life approach to the titular character's journey as she remains relatively unchanged as time lurches forward.

It is a brilliantly animated series produced by Madhouse, a legendary studio loved by anime fans, and it contains some of the best character writing, and depictions of the flow of time around an immortal subject the medium has to offer. Frieren was very popular when it was airing, and its single most shocking reality is perhaps the fact that the series is so good that fans of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood; the anime that has unanimously been the highest-rated anime of all time on MyAnimeList.net for over several years, who would normally downvote anything that threatened FMA's pole position, simply didn't do that this time. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is an incredible series and a definite contender for anime of the decade, but right now what gives it a certain mythic status in the "cult" of anime is the fact that FMA:B fans accepted defeat for the very first time because of it. The cherry on top for older fans of the medium is the fact that such an amazing anime came from none other than Madhouse, a legendary production studio.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War

The Vindication of a Fanbase

Ichigo Returns to Seireitei – BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Episode 6

• Airing Date: October 2022 – ongoing
• Episodes: 52
• Genres: Action, Supernatural
• Studio: Pierrot, Pierrot FILMS

The greatest comeback in anime history. After the original anime ended in 2012, and the manga in 2016, the BLEACH fandom was in a tough spot as the series' reputation suffered greatly over the years, with many even questioning its status as one of Shōnen Jump's The Big Three, for some reason. Prospects for the series' future were bleak, and the fans craved an adaptation of the manga's climactic final arc. The rumour mills were especially active about the return of the series in 2020, and by 2021, it was confirmed to be part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the manga's serialization, and by October 2022; 10 years after the original anime ended, BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War aired, boasting a brand-new visual identity and incredible animation, a new director, and series author Tite Kubo's close involvement in production. With three of the four cours done, the return of BLEACH is almost over, and looking back, this will be remembered as the greatest comeback story in the history of the medium, and the vindication of an entire fanbase.

Vinland Saga Season 2

The So-Called Farming Simulator

• Airing Date: January – June 2023
• Episodes: 48
• Genres: Action, Adventure, Historical
• Studio: MAPPA

An adaptation that was actually incredibly late, as Makoto Yukimura's Vinland Saga has actually been around since 2005, and has since garnered acclaim, but the first season of its anime adaptation by MAPPA would only become a reality in 2019, with the second season, which many disgruntled fans seeking a bloodbath have described as a "farming simulator", becoming massively famous for its groundbreaking portrayal of one of anime's greatest examples of profound character development and writing. Thorfinn's journey as a character being contrasted to Einar made for some truly incredible moments, and the fact that the series' far less action-packed second season is so greatly appreciated by fans is a testament to the overall brilliance of the series.

Fruits Basket Finale

The Proof That Reboots Can Be Better Than the Original

• Airing Date: September 13, 2022
• Episodes: 13
• Genres: Romantic Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Supernatural
• Studio: TMS/8PAN

One of the most exemplary reboots of a classic the world has ever seen, Fruits Basket returned in 2019, but the final episode ran in 2021 and was quickly rated one of the very best shows every year it aired. The original series ran in 2001, and it is already considered an influential title in anime and manga, but the reboot completely blew the original out of the water, showing that it is possible to have a brilliant reiteration of a beloved idea, especially one that, like a good deal of other anime of the 2000s, didn't fully adapt the source material and thus left fans wanting more. The original Fruits Basket, while remembered as a classic, diverges from the story told in the manga, while this version, while it may have begun in 2019, the final season is especially deserving of acclaim for its darker and more faithful exploration of Natsuki Takaya's manga.

The Apothecary Diaries

Easily One of the Decade's Most Prominent Historical Fictions

• Airing Date: October 2023 – ongoing
• Episodes: 48
• Genres: Mystery, Historical
• Studio: OLM

One of Fall 2023's prettiest shows, The Apothecary Diaries is an OLM production and incredibly well-made, while its medical, historical and mystery leanings rapidly turned it into one of the most-watched titles of Fall 2023, with its currently airing second season being highly anticipated after the end of its highly successful first season. The combination of its fictionalized Chinese setting, compelling mysteries and the brilliance of Maomao as a protagonist all come together to give The Apothecary Diaries the potential to go down as one of the most important anime titles of the 2020s.

Attack on Titan: The Final Season

"Never Gonna Give You Up..."

Falco Grice – Attack on Titan The Final Season ED

• Airing Date: December 2020 – November 2023
• Episodes: 35 + 2 specials
• Genres: Action, Dystopian, Mecha, Thriller,
• Studio: MAPPA

Attack on Titan took the world by storm when the anime first hit the scene in 2013, but there was a major change in pacing and atmosphere in the 2020s as The Final Season, the ending of which was beginning to feel nigh-asymptotic as it gained several new installments, each purported to be more "final" than the last. It would be three years before the final Attack on Titan: The Final Season would finally air, but each installment was an incredible addition to the franchise in a finale to a series that will go down as one of the greatest pieces of fiction, not to mention TV, ever made. The change in atmosphere brought on by the change in production studio from WIT to MAPPA didn't initially go down well with the fandom; however, there was simply too much to celebrate about it as it progressed, unraveling Hajime Isayama's incredible writing and capping off a series that was instrumental in the current ubiquity of anime and its establishment as a truly mainstream form of entertainment.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train

The Litmus Test That Came Back Positive

• Airing Date: October 2020
• Genres: Action, Supernatural
• Studio: ufotable

Speaking of titles being instrumental to the current ubiquity of anime, there's simply no talking about the sheer appeal of anime in the current era without bringing up ufotable's adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which might be singlehandedly responsible for the rise in anime theatrical releases. Following the success of the first season of the anime, the Mugen Train film would be a theatrical sequel, something that wasn't the norm for a major Shōnen Jump adaptation. The film was shown in theatres across the globe, and for many, it was the first time in a long time, if at all, that an anime film had been shown at their local movie theatre.

The Demon Slayer: Mugen Train movie was a test to see just how embedded in the zeitgeist anime had become, particularly coming after the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many who hadn't been exposed to the medium finally gave it a shot. The rest was history: the film went on to gross over $507 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2020. It was the first time a non-American film topped the annual box office, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, smashing the record previously set by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away in 2001. Veteran anime fans saw Demon Slayer showing in theatres, saw all the hype surrounding the event, and, after finding a moment of quiet, shed a silent tear at the realization that anime is finally, truly, undoubtedly mainstream.

We used to dream of days like this.

Oshi no Ko

The Mystery of the Decade

• Airing Date: April 2023 – ongoing
• Episodes:
• Genres: Drama, Psychological, Slice-of-Life
• Studio: Doga Kobo

Oshi no Ko can be described as a foray into various branches of the Japanese entertainment industry wrapped up in an incredibly well-written tale of an obstetrician-gynecologist's reincarnation as one of the twin babies of his last patient: Ai Hoshino, one of the biggest idols in Japan, who sought to give birth in secret, while hiding the identity of her children's father. In a disturbing twist of fate, Dr. Goro Amamiya is murdered by an overzealous fan of Ai's the day before she was due, and he finds himself reincarnated alongside a patient whose loss changed him forever, the true identity of either unbeknownst to both of them.

They live a life of bliss as children of their favourite idol until that happiness is ripped away from them when Ai is murdered by the same fan who killed Goro. Oshi no Ko is incredibly written, with the pen of Kaguya-sama Love is War author Aka Akasaka and the artistic brilliance of Scum's Wish author Mengo Yokoyari adapted by character designer Kanna Hirayama coming together on TV to go down as one of the best mystery anime of the 2020s as Goro, now Aquamarine Hoshino, dedicates his life to finding the one person most likely to be responsible for Ai's murder: his father, whoever that might be. Oshi no Ko features cogent explorations of the dark underbelly of various aspects of the entertainment industry, while also delivering a brilliantly convoluted whodunnit set up by one of the best pilot episodes, and one of the most streamed openings anime has ever seen.

DANDADAN

Shōnen's First Big Hero of the 2020s

• Airing Date: October 2022 – ongoing
• Episodes: 12
• Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Supernatural
• Studio: Science SARU

Science SARU's adaptation of Yukinobu Tatsu's hit manga that famously blends sci-fi and supernatural elements was by far the most anticipated anime release of 2024. Despite having its first six episodes leaked in an unfortunate leak incident that might be the very worst in anime history, DANDADAN absolutely smashed it from week to week in Fall 2024, doing more than just living up to fan expectations and being exemplary when it comes to animation production, not to mention having the catchiest song of 2024 as the opening. While the ending might have been a disappointment, it was more so in light of how good the series had actually been up to that point. Perfect adaptations are possible, and we are once again aware of this fact because of Science SARU's DANDANDAN.

The First Slam Dunk

The Greatest Sports Team in Anime History Returns

• Airing Date: November 2022
• Genres: Sports
• Studio: Toei Animation

Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk is one of the main titles remembered as part of the greatest ever era in the history of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and shonen manga in general, with its 1995 anime adaptation hailed as one of the best sports anime of all time. The 2022 movie reboot, The First Slam Dunk, divided opinion with its 3D approach to animation, not to mention its completely fresh cast. However, any concerns were very quickly crossed up, and left with broken ankles as the film became known as an achievement in 3D animation in anime, with Toei Animation, who also released the 3D animated Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, showed once again that beautiful 3D animation can be done. It could even be said that Toei is the one studio that could give Orange (Trigun STAMPEDE) a run for their money when it comes to 3D animation. The First Slam Dunk went on to gross over US$279 million, winning the 2023 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, the sixth-highest grossing Japanese film of all time, and the highest-grossing basketball film of all time. To top things off, series author Takehiko Inoue served as director.