#3 – Neon Genesis Evangelion
You know how they say you never forget your first time? Well that applies to me with this anime; Neon Genesis Evangelion was the first anime series that I ever really got into. The show had an addicting combination of action, drama, and suspense. I had to keep watching in order to find out what would happen to the characters that I had come to be attached to. The series did a fantastic job at progressing the characters throughout the series, especially through the rough moments. As a viewer, I felt for the main characters as they went through the challenges that the story put them through.
If you haven’t ever heard of Evangelion, it’s a pretty awesome show, though very depressing in the end. The basis is the world is recovering from a global catastrophe known as second impact, and according to sacred documents known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, powerful creatures known as angels are going to be coming to attack. A military organization known as NERV takes the front in the defense of mankind. Their weapon? Mysterious, yet powerful, humanoid robots known as the evangelion, or eva for short. Their pilots have to be carefully picked, as not just anyone can be a pilot to one of these monsters. The main three pilots are all teenagers, chosen for their various reasons and for more specific ones that you learn about later in the series. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei are the main three pilots that make up the story.
#2 – Log Horizon
This anime is pretty much my obsession at this point. No, seriously, I listen to the theme song on the way to and from work every day. This anime series did a fantastic job of explaining the world that the characters are in. By doing this, they kept the audiences interested in the bigger picture, rather than just who fighting who at what time and place. This lead to a much bigger immersion into the anime. I felt as if I was a part of the world, going through the challenges that the characters were going through. It is another anime about people being stuck in a game, but no other anime comes close to explaining the world that they are trapped in. This anime also does an amazing job of explaining the political side of the game. Not everything is adventure and action, most of it, actually, is trying to keep this world, that they find themselves in, running smoothly and peacefully.
So what’s the basis of Log Horizon? Elder Tale is a hugely successful MMORPG that has swept across the world. However, after their latest update, some players, more than a thousand in various servers, find that they are actually in the game. The players, known as adventurers, must learn how to survive and adapt to this new world. They know the game, but it is much different when it is your actual body and you aren’t staring at a computer screen. The series follows a brilliant strategist known as Shiroe, who ends up being the one behind uniting some of the most powerful guilds in the game to establish an order in this world.
#1 – Sword Art Online
There it is! My all time favorite anime series! Sword Art Online is a combination of everything I love to see in an anime. It has plenty of action, a sense of adventure, strong friendships, and blushing romances. The series has become widely popular, and I’m excited to say that I can’t wait for the new movie and also the third season. There is something special about the first arc, which spans about the first 14 or so episodes. This arc, known as the Aincrad arc, is when they are trapped inside the game and fighting for their lives. The way we get to see the main character progress from being a loner, to gaining friends, and eventually falling in love is truly amazing. Even after this arc, the viewer gets to follow along on plenty of adventures and gets to meet all sorts of new characters.
So you haven’t heard about Sword Art Online yet? Wow! This anime series starts out with the launch of a brand new Virtual Reality MMORPG, allowing the player to completely immerse themselves inside of the game. However, the players soon discover that this is a trap set up by the creator, and they can’t log out. If they die in the game, they die in real life. We follow Kirito as he fights in the world of Aincrad to try and clear all 100 levels and return to the real world. Along the way we meet a lot of great, supporting characters such as Asuna, Klein, Liz, and many more!
There you have it! My list of top anime series is based off of my personal experience with each series and as an anime fan. I have watched a lot of anime in my day and can say that these three truly take the top, at least for me. There are plenty of other good anime series out there and I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts.