90s anime series have an aesthetic that we all want to make a comeback today in the era of clean modern animation. They have this grainy lo-fi feel which makes the anime feel more intimate and tangible. If you want to dip your toes into some classics of anime that shaped and paved the way for what we have today or if you simply want to revel in nostalgia, we have compiled this 90s anime series list for you so you can do just that.
Berserk
The 90s Berserk is the best Berserk adaptation we got and nothing’s surpassed it since. Though it still doesn’t hold a candle to the original manga by the late Kentaro Miura (RIP), it can definitely stand on its own with Guts (see what we did there?) as one of the best animes to have come out among the ’90s anime series.
Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin was so well written and conceptualized on screen that Kenshin is still to this day considered one of the most if not the most skilled swordsmen in anime even though all of Bleach exists and Zoro still travels across the anime multiverse. This is the premium, original samurai action anime. This is so popular that it’s getting a remake which is airing right as we speak but they can never replicate the iconic 90s anime series aesthetic it had back then.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
If you enjoy mecha anime today, then you have Mobile Suit Gundam Wing to thank for all of that. This is one of the first mecha animes after the likes of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy which popularized the genre of mecha and sci-fi in anime. While they don’t compare to the animation we have today, it’s still mindblowing how these were animated even back then.
InuYasha
Inuyasha, despite being a shonen anime with typical shonen tropes, has lately become wildly popular with women due to all the ikemen or beautiful men in the series. While it was never meant to be a shoujo anime, it has elements of it that make it popular among girls and women alike. Even the iconic sword of Inuyasha is iconic as one of the most popular anime swords in the history of anime.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho is written and illustrated by the same Togashi who gave us Hunter x Hunter. Many anime fans still consider Yu Yu Hakusho to be the best long-form 90s anime series and we can see why. It’s so highly acclaimed that it too recently got a decent live-action adaptation on Netflix- even going so far as to surpass the likes of One Piece live-action in terms of action and choreography.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
All the depressed and coomers memes aside, Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best 90s anime series if you’re looking for a psychological thriller. The anime also blends sci-fi, mecha, and other philosophical themes that you only read in big books. The series stood the test of time because of its wide appeal and balanced elements of action, character-driven storytelling, and philosophical commentary.
Trigun
If you think Cowboy Bebop is overrated then this must be your 90s addiction instead. Trigun is the classic premium gunslinger anime we all want more of today. It got a 3D adaptation by Studio Orange recently and we love it. Vash’s tagline- “Love and Peace” is something we can all learn from today. The anime is fun, gritty, and full of great characters and storylines so give it a shot if you’ve already rewatched Cowboy Bebop multiple times.
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon paved the way for magical girls to be a mainstream genre in anime. All magical girls and magical girl transformations owe their popularity to Sailor Moon. In fact, if Dragon Ball was the Father of modern Shonen then Sailor Moon was the Mother. Before the era of the Big 3, it was the era of Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon in the Shonen sphere.
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball and its more popular sequel Dragon Ball Z defined the 90s anime series. The late Akira Toriyama’s (RIP) iconic Dragon Ball franchise built the anime industry we know and love today. It’s the reason why Naruto and One Piece exist and is the basis for all of modern battle shonen mangas. The influence of Dragon Ball Z on the older generation of anime fans cannot be understated so it’s no surprise that it would be featured on this 90s anime series list.
Cowboy Bebop
If the first anime series that comes to mind when we say 90s anime series is Cowboy Bebop then you know it’s done something right to be so iconic even today. Even modern anime fans go through Bebop to be inculcated into the classic 90s anime series roster. Spike Spiegel was so cool that even today he remains one of the most attractive male characters in all of anime.
- Also Read: Top 10 Animes To Watch In Spring 2024
If you’ve been intricately following modern anime hubs and conversations you’d know that recently there’s been an increased demand for a return of the 90s anime series aesthetic. We all love the way the men and women were drawn and animated back then. The grainy feel of the animation also feels aesthetic in this modern age. We hope the ’90s anime series aesthetic gets a comeback too.
