1995 was a major year for Anime. It was a time of ground breaking titles that
changed the medium forever while new franchises were laying ground and familiar
favorites were taking their popularity to a whole other level. Actually, now that I think about, I’ve looked
at every since title on this list and they’re all personal favorites of mine,
shows and movies that have shaped me as an Anime fan, maybe not since 1995 but
still. As we edge out of August and into
September, with summer coming to an end, let’s look at these 5 game changing
blockbusters from one of the biggest years of Anime ever. These are my Top 5 Anime Turning 30 in 2025.
Shows like Konosuba and Those Who Hunt Elves owe a lot to
the adventures of Lina Inverse and her rag team of effective screw ups.
The blend of Dungeons and Dragons action and
top notch humor is still one of Fantasy Anime’s gold standards.
Slayers also introduced us to one of the
greatest Anime heroines of all time: Lina Inverse.
Short in stature with a shorter fuse on her
temper, Lina is one of the most powerful Sorcereses whose ever lived (and honestly
I think she’s pretty hot too).
It may
not be the best season of Slayers overall (we wouldn’t get amazing mainstay
stand outs like Xellos until Slayers Next) but it’s a solid start that led the
way to four other seasons between 1996 and 2009 along with 5 movies and 2 OVAs
during the TV Series’ run.
#4-Golden Boy
Golden Boy is easily one of the funniest Anime ever made
and a title that had been held high in circles of shows I couldn’t watch at a
younger age.
Fast forward to Katsucon 2016
when I got to catch Episode 3 and I left the con the next day with the full
series in hand.
The adventures of
Kintaro Oe are a laugh out loud riot from Episode 1 to Episode 6.
It’s a series that does get a bit repetitive
but the variations compensate and the show doesn’t overstay its welcome even if
you want to keep riding along with Kintaro to his next adventure.
The borderline hentai humor is one of the earliest
closest to mainstream examples you can find.
Also the English Dub from the former ADV is one of the best ever made
hands down.
#3-Ghost in the Shell
Based on the Manga by Shirow Masamune, Mamoru Oshii’s
1995 masterpeice trades the Manga’s bizarre sense of humor for a serious
introspective at what it means to be who you are in an age when the line
between Man and Machine is blurring on a daily basis.
Ghost in the Shell quickly became a new
cornerstone of the Cyberpunk genre on the same level as Blade Runner and Akira
and it’s influence can be felt not just in the realm of Anime but in US filmmaking
as well.
James Cameron holds it in high
regard and the Wachowski Sisters have openly acknowledged Ghost in the Shell as
a key influence on The Matrix.
While the
franchise has expanded with Stand Alone Complex, Arise and a forthcoming new,
more Manga faithful iteration in 2026, the original Ghost in the Shell remains
a nearly untouchable scifi classic.
#2-Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Debate it’s positives and negatives all you want, Gundam Wing
is still one of THE most important entries in the entire Gundam franchise.
It’s success in Japan is borderline dwarfed
by its runaway success when it arrived in the US on Toonami 5 years after it
originally aired.
Wing gained a
worldwide fan base of more than just Gundam and Mecha fans thanks to it’s more
adult and politically centric storylines, a cast of young men girls swooned
over, and some of the coolest Gundam designs of all time.
Not only was it the first Alternate Universe
Gundam series to get a direct sequel in Endless Waltz, but Wing continues to be
celebrated on the world stage.
One need
look no further than it’s SDCC Panel that was nothing short of a love letter to
the American fans that have helped Gundam Wing endure for 30 years and more
(and hoping that special Animated Anniversary Video is a small sample of
potential things to come).
#1-Neon Genesis Evangelion
Few Anime have accomplished what Evangelion has in it’s
30 year existence. It continues to be
beloved as much as controversial, as influential as it is overplayed, and as
large a marketing juggernaut as Star Wars or the MCU. Beyond it’s dizzyingly incredible merchandising
legacy, the actual Evangelion Anime forever changed the landscape of Mecha
Anime and Anime as a whole. It went beyond
the Giant Robots vs. Kaiju first impressions and dove deeper than most Anime
before into the tortured psyche of those chosen to protect the planet from the
Apocalypse. Theres still so much about
the TV Series still talked about today from its themes to who is Best Girl
between Asuka, Rei and Misato, and it’s controversial finale that would get
even more so with The End of Evangelion a couple of years later. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an Anime legend
that can be enjoyed by fans of all ranges and even non Anime fans alike. It's that kind of accessibility that’s kept
it pretty high up on the list of most fans’ Greatest Anime of All Time Lists,
my own included.
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