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Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Top 20 Anime you must watch before you die
Image: Ranker With thousands of anime series across genres, it can be overwhelming to decide what to watch. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned fan, some anime titles stand out for their storytelling, characters, and emotional impact. This curated list of 20 must-watch anime covers everything from psychological thrillers and action-packed adventures to heartwarming dramas and sci-fi epics. These shows not only define what makes anime unique but also leave a lasting impression. Watching them will give you a solid foundation to explore the vast and diverse world of anime storytelling. From Attack on Titan to Naruto: 20 iconic anime to stream, curated by Ranker 1. Death Note Studio: Madhouse A high school student discovers a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. As he takes justice into his own hands, a brilliant detective races to stop him. A gripping battle of wits and morality. 2. Hunter x Hunter Studio: Madhouse Gon Freecss aims to become a legendary Hunter like his father. Along the way, he faces deadly trials, complex friendships, and secrets that challenge everything he believes in. 3. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Studio: Bones Two brothers use alchemy to try to resurrect their mother—at a terrible cost. Their journey to restore what they lost unravels a deep conspiracy and tests their ideals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40+ Say This Wrinkle Serum "Really Delivered' (Shocking Results) The Skincare Magazine Undo 4. Attack on Titan Studio: Wit Studio In a world overrun by giant humanoid monsters, humanity's survival depends on a dwindling military force. This series delivers powerful storytelling with shocking twists and stunning action. 5. Naruto Studio: Studio Pierrot Naruto, a young ninja with dreams of becoming Hokage, faces prejudice, rivalry, and personal loss. His growth from a misfit to a hero is filled with powerful lessons and epic battles. 6. My Hero Academia Studio: Bones Born powerless in a world of superheroes, Izuku Midoriya inherits an incredible quirk and enrolls in a top hero academy. A new-age shonen packed with emotion and explosive action. 7. Haikyuu!! Studio: Production I.G Shoyo Hinata may be short, but his passion for volleyball is sky-high. This sports anime captures the thrill of competition and the joy of teamwork. 8. One Piece Studio: Toei Animation Monkey D. Luffy sets sail to find the fabled treasure known as One Piece. With humor, heart, and hundreds of episodes, it's a timeless adventure of friendship and freedom. 9. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Studio: Sunrise Lelouch gains a power to control anyone and launches a rebellion against a tyrannical empire. A complex story of strategy, ambition, and moral conflict. 10. Steins;Gate Studio: White Fox A group of friends accidentally invent time travel and face unforeseen consequences. A gripping, slow-burn sci-fi that blends emotion with intellectual thrills. 11. Cowboy Bebop Studio: Sunrise A team of bounty hunters drift through space on the ship Bebop. With noir vibes, cool jazz, and existential undertones, it's a stylish classic. 12. Your Lie in April Studio: A-1 Pictures A piano prodigy, broken by grief, finds inspiration in a free-spirited violinist. A beautifully animated story about love, music, and letting go. 13. Neon Genesis Evangelion Studio: Gainax Teenagers pilot giant robots to save Earth, but the real battles are psychological. A haunting, cerebral take on the mecha genre that challenges viewers to think. 14. Gintama Studio: Bandai Namco Pictures Aliens rule Edo-period Japan, and an eccentric samurai takes on absurd jobs to survive. Gintama masterfully blends slapstick comedy with deep emotional arcs and epic action. 15. Monster Studio: Madhouse Dr. Tenma saves a boy who becomes a serial killer. As he hunts the monster he created, the show explores fate, morality, and madness. 16. Mushishi Studio: Artland Ginko wanders a world where spirit-like beings called Mushi influence nature and humans. A tranquil, poetic series about the mysteries of life. 17. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Studio: Production I.G In a world of cyberbrains and digital consciousness, Major Kusanagi leads a team fighting tech crimes. A philosophical sci-fi thriller with visionary themes. 18. Clannad Studio: Kyoto Animation A high school boy finds meaning through new relationships, especially with the fragile Nagisa. The sequel, After Story, delivers one of anime's most emotional narratives. 19. FLCL Studio: Gainax / Production I.G This six-episode fever dream combines rock music, teen angst, and surreal sci-fi. Fast, funny, and unforgettable, it's unlike anything else. 20. March Comes in Like a Lion Studio: Shaft Rei Kiriyama, a shogi prodigy, battles loneliness and depression while connecting with a kind family. A gentle, powerful series about healing and personal growth.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Anime that predicted the future – From AI to global pandemics
Credits: Ranker In recent years fans have noticed uncanny parallels between sci‑fi anime and real life. Some anime seem to have predicted today's news – from neural implants and smart cities to viral outbreaks. For example, the classic Akira (1988) showed Neo-Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympics, a detail echoed when Tokyo actually held the Games (albeit delayed by COVID‑19). Likewise, popular shows like Ghost in the Shell and Psycho-Pass envisioned future tech that now has real‑world counterparts. We look at key anime predictions – both famous and obscure – that mirror modern advances in AI, virtual reality, and even global pandemics. Cybernetic minds and AI futures Anime often envisions humans merging with technology. In Ghost in the Shell (1995), Major Kusanagi is a cyborg whose cybernetic brain can be hacked. That idea of a 'brain chip' is no longer pure fantasy. In January 2024, Elon Musk's Neuralink confirmed the first successful human implant of a brain‑computer interface. The device lets a paralyzed patient move a cursor just by thinking, eerily similar to sci‑fi. Ghost in the Shell even warned of the dangers: Kusanagi's upgrades make her vulnerable to hackers, a cautionary parallel to today's cybersecurity concerns in neural tech. Another prophetic anime is Psycho-Pass (2013), which imagines a dystopia where all citizens get a 'Crime Coefficient' score based on brain scans. People flagged as high-risk can be hunted by police before they commit any crime. This premise has real echoes: researchers at the University of Chicago built an AI model that predicts crimes a week in advance with about 90% accuracy using public data. In other words, predictive policing – once a dark fantasy – is already being tested. These examples show how anime foresaw the rise of powerful algorithms and surveillance tech long before they appeared in the news. Virtual worlds and dreams Virtual reality and the internet are other themes anime got right. The cult classic Serial Experiments Lain (1998) centers on 'the Wired' – a vast virtual world linked to everyone's minds. It portrayed teenagers so engrossed online that the boundary between reality and the internet breaks down. Decades later, we live in a world of social media, VR games and online avatars that make Lain's vision feel prophetic. Similarly, Satoshi Kon's Paprika (2006) imagined a device that lets therapists enter and share people's dreams. In the film a 'dream terrorist' causes fantasy and reality to merge. Strikingly, today entrepreneurs are developing lucid‑dreaming technology. One startup's prototype headset can record brain activity during sleep and even help users shape their dreams – a real-world echo of Paprika 's plot. Even lesser‑known anime made accurate guesses. Den-noh Coil (2007) follows schoolkids wearing AR 'cyber‑glasses' that overlay games and data onto the real world. Set in 2026, it portrays a society where augmented reality (AR) is ubiquitous – a scenario now unfolding as smartphones and smart glasses bring AR apps to life. In short, many sci‑fi anime foresaw virtual and mixed realities years before they arrived in labs or on store shelves. Pandemics and post‑apocalypse Credits: Dazed Many anime also tackle disasters and disease. For instance, the horror manga Virus Fang (1997) – though not an anime – vividly depicted a global viral outbreak long before COVID‑19. Fans note how its 25‑year‑old story about pandemic panic reads like a prophecy today. In anime series, sudden plagues often become monster outbreaks. Highschool of the Dead (2006) starts with a mysterious virus that turns people into zombies, stranding classmates in their school. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (2016) imagines a 'Kabane' virus transforming humanity into undead creatures, forcing survivors into fortified trains. These apocalyptic visions – from zombie hordes to frozen-in-time worlds ( King of Thorn has a 'Medusa' plague) – resonate with our real fears about contagion and collapse. They remind us that anime often explores what society would do in a global crisis. It's worth noting, however, that not every spooky coincidence holds up. For example, internet rumors claimed Akira showed the World Health Organization warning about a disease. In reality, fact-checkers confirm Akira never mentions any pandemic or WHO. The film's 'apocalypse' is a psychic bomb in 1988, and the bit about Tokyo 2020 was only a backdrop – there's no virus plot. So while many anime have frighteningly accurate details, others are still just fiction. When fiction meets reality From neural implants to virtual nightmares to viral plagues, anime has covered a lot of ground. These stories can feel prophetic: Akira 's Tokyo Olympics setting, Ghost in the Shell 's brain chips, or Psycho-Pass ' crime algorithms all arrived on screen years before similar realities. As we develop new technologies and face new threats, anime fans enjoy spotting predictions in their favorite shows. Whether by coincidence or inspiration, the sci-fi anime foresight on display gives us a fun way to compare fiction with fact. And who knows – the next great anime may already be plotting tomorrow's headlines. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
