Dragon Ball Z, One-Punch Man, Yu Yu Hakusho, Naruto, & FLCL are considered by many as some of the greatest anime TV shows of all time. My personal favorite is Yu Yu Hakusho. Here recently I found some old boxed sets of the Yu Yu Hakusho series and had a blast reliving some of my favorite moments of the series. As I sat there enjlying episode after episode, I got to thinking. What makes a great anime series? Is it the suspense and drama?, is it the art of the humour and timing the right jokes at the right time? Well to be honest, I honestly don’t know just yet, so let’t explore this topic and find an answer, shall we?
DragonBall Z is considered by many as THE SINGLE greatest anime of all time. If you didn’t know, Goku (voiced by Sean Schemmel in the Funimnation version) is the main character in the series. He beat the likes of Frieza, Nappa, Majin Buy and many other villainous foes. He fights for good, always seems to have an uncanny appetite and 9 times out of ten is always the one who ultimately saves the day, while the other Z Fighters… meh. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love watching Goku beat up some punk while shitting on them by being so “happy go lucky” and lighthearted as much as the next guy, but why does it always feel like even when another Z Fighter wins, they really didn’t?
One-Punch Man is a cool show. I think Saitama is a trip and despite the fact that I think Genos can be a bore at times, he still has his moments. Where I think this show really shines you ask? The visual department. It’s really cool to look at in my opinion. Would I watch it over watch an episode of One Piece you ask? No.
Naruto made me tear up more times than I can count and I’m not afraid to say that. One of the most emotional moments of the series that stood out in my opinion was when Rock Lee went up against Gaara. Lee put up a neck of an effort but after feeling Lee had all he could take Guy (Lee’s sensei) stepped in and stopped the fight. After that Lee can be seen standing up seemingly ready to fight, but it is revealed that he is not even conscious. That moment brought tears to my eyes. To see all the Lee went through, and then to see him fight so valiantly get knocked out and still be able to stand symbolized what kind of person he truly was.
So what makes a great anime series you ask? To me a great anime series is unpredictable and keeps me coming back due to the fact that I can’t predict what will happen next. A good anime series knows to throw in comic relief and when it’s time to be series. A good anime reaches into my soul and pulls me into that screen, so that if someone walks in and sees that I’m getting emotional, I won’t care about what they think because for that moment, my life is a cartoon.
Charles Osborne
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