Great animation is something we crave from anime, and these will satisfy this request for sure.
Normally, when people mention great-looking anime, otaku either think of insane fight scenes like those of Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer, or high-budget movie productions of Makoto Shinkai and Hayao Miyazaki. However, an anime doesn’t have to be an action series or a theatrical release to look great — and here are the top 10 TV anime that are visually spectacular despite not being focused on fights.
The currently airing Frieren already amassed a significant fanbase, and currently is ranked the #1 rated anime on MyAnimeList — and it deserves the love it gets. The anime’s vibe and interactions of its cast are unmatched, and in addition to all of that, it’s a visual treat. In the age of production issues, it’s a miracle that Frieren is getting such a high-quality adaptation, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on it.
9. Sonny Boy
Sonny Boy is… complicated. It’s an original anime that feels like a treatise on a number of complicated philosophical questions, drawing inspiration from many other works. To this day, fans can never agree on what it was really about. One thing all of them can admit, however: it looked unique — but great. With strong direction and high-quality animation, it’s worth watching just for that, and perhaps you can draw your own conclusions from it if you pick it up.
8. Mushoku Tensei
Nowadays, isekai anime get criticized for many things. Mushoku Tensei, in a sense, was one of the earliest novels in the modern incarnation of the genre. Yes, it can occasionally feel trope-y, but it’s still a tale of epic proportions, covering an entire life of Rudeus. One thing that is unquestionably true, though, is the fact that it looks amazing. With Studio Bind originally being established to produce it, it’s obvious that they got the experienced and passionate staff to work on it.
7. No Game No Life
Ah yes, the original answer to the “what anime deserves a second season the most?” question. No Game No Life was popular before the isekai craze of the late 10s and early 20s, and for a good reason. Extremely fun and quirky, it’s a very easy yet memorable watch. Moreover, it’s often praised for its detailed backgrounds and crazy color scheme — neither of which we see much in anime these days.
6. Sound! Euphonium
Technically, it would probably be possible to fill the entire top with Kyoto Animation anime, but where’s the fun in that? Regardless of that, Sound! Euphonium (Hibike! Euphonium) is one of their strongest production. A very realistic, down-to-earth drama focusing on the members of a music club, it’s usually remembered for its character writing, and its animation is often taken for granted — and it's the icing on the cake. The series definitely deserves to be watched, and the third season is coming out soon.
5. Mononoke
Mononoke is a somewhat underrated anime from 2007 dealing with several stories about youkai. Drawing heavily from Japanese mythology, it flies under the radar of many fans because of its lack of action and obscure themes — but it’s a great watch. One thing in particular that makes it so good is the unique art style it has — there’s quite literally nothing that looks like it, and it deserves a mention for that alone. The art, while unique, is great and very much fits the tone of the anime.
4. The Tatami Galaxy
Anime directed by Masaaki Yuasa often feel very different from norm — Devilman Crybaby and Ping Pong The Animation being some of the examples. The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei) isn’t an exception; however, the effort put into animating it is undeniable. While it may be somewhat hard to get into due to a confusing beginning and very fast-paced dialogue, it’s considered one of the best anime ever by many seasoned fans and is often mentioned on different recommendation charts.
The Monogatari series is probably the most iconic anime by studio Shaft nowadays. It’s noted for its confusing watch order (which is actually easier than it looks) and its highly esoteric dialogue full of puns in Japanese and obscure references. It also boasts the trademark studio Shaft look, originating from the style Akiyuki Shinbou developed in the late 90s and early 00s, inspired by French arthouse movies. While not everyone is a fan of the franchise, at least virtually all otaku agree it looks amazing.
Violet Evergarden’s anime is a curious case. Kyoto Animation often heavily changes the content of the works it adapts, and this one is no exception. However, most of the time, the changes are seen in a positive light. In the case of Violet Evergarden, there was more criticism than usual, although the ultimate conclusion is that the anime is still great. Some find it boring, but that’s only true if you’re not used to slow-paced series built around character development — Violet Evergarden absolutely excels at that. And regardless of that, it’s worth watching for its art and animation alone.
Hyouka combines the slice-of-life and detective genres, focusing on a group of students figuring out the mysteries of mundane events. It’s an essential watch for anyone who is a fan of either genre, being very cleverly written and having an amazing cast of characters. And, as you might have already guessed, it’s animated by KyoAni — and is arguably their best production ever. With many scenes that look so great that it feels like they came straight out of a dream, it looks better than many movies and action series, and deserves the top spot of the list for sure. The team behind it really went all out on this one.
Great animation is something we crave from anime, and these will satisfy this request for sure.
Normally, when people mention great-looking anime, otaku either think of insane fight scenes like those of Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer, or high-budget movie productions of Makoto Shinkai and Hayao Miyazaki. However, an anime doesn’t have to be an action series or a theatrical release to look great — and here are the top 10 TV anime that are visually spectacular despite not being focused on fights.
The currently airing Frieren already amassed a significant fanbase, and currently is ranked the #1 rated anime on MyAnimeList — and it deserves the love it gets. The anime’s vibe and interactions of its cast are unmatched, and in addition to all of that, it’s a visual treat. In the age of production issues, it’s a miracle that Frieren is getting such a high-quality adaptation, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on it.
9. Sonny Boy
Sonny Boy is… complicated. It’s an original anime that feels like a treatise on a number of complicated philosophical questions, drawing inspiration from many other works. To this day, fans can never agree on what it was really about. One thing all of them can admit, however: it looked unique — but great. With strong direction and high-quality animation, it’s worth watching just for that, and perhaps you can draw your own conclusions from it if you pick it up.
8. Mushoku Tensei
Nowadays, isekai anime get criticized for many things. Mushoku Tensei, in a sense, was one of the earliest novels in the modern incarnation of the genre. Yes, it can occasionally feel trope-y, but it’s still a tale of epic proportions, covering an entire life of Rudeus. One thing that is unquestionably true, though, is the fact that it looks amazing. With Studio Bind originally being established to produce it, it’s obvious that they got the experienced and passionate staff to work on it.
7. No Game No Life
Ah yes, the original answer to the “what anime deserves a second season the most?” question. No Game No Life was popular before the isekai craze of the late 10s and early 20s, and for a good reason. Extremely fun and quirky, it’s a very easy yet memorable watch. Moreover, it’s often praised for its detailed backgrounds and crazy color scheme — neither of which we see much in anime these days.
6. Sound! Euphonium
Technically, it would probably be possible to fill the entire top with Kyoto Animation anime, but where’s the fun in that? Regardless of that, Sound! Euphonium (Hibike! Euphonium) is one of their strongest production. A very realistic, down-to-earth drama focusing on the members of a music club, it’s usually remembered for its character writing, and its animation is often taken for granted — and it's the icing on the cake. The series definitely deserves to be watched, and the third season is coming out soon.
5. Mononoke
Mononoke is a somewhat underrated anime from 2007 dealing with several stories about youkai. Drawing heavily from Japanese mythology, it flies under the radar of many fans because of its lack of action and obscure themes — but it’s a great watch. One thing in particular that makes it so good is the unique art style it has — there’s quite literally nothing that looks like it, and it deserves a mention for that alone. The art, while unique, is great and very much fits the tone of the anime.
4. The Tatami Galaxy
Anime directed by Masaaki Yuasa often feel very different from norm — Devilman Crybaby and Ping Pong The Animation being some of the examples. The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei) isn’t an exception; however, the effort put into animating it is undeniable. While it may be somewhat hard to get into due to a confusing beginning and very fast-paced dialogue, it’s considered one of the best anime ever by many seasoned fans and is often mentioned on different recommendation charts.
The Monogatari series is probably the most iconic anime by studio Shaft nowadays. It’s noted for its confusing watch order (which is actually easier than it looks) and its highly esoteric dialogue full of puns in Japanese and obscure references. It also boasts the trademark studio Shaft look, originating from the style Akiyuki Shinbou developed in the late 90s and early 00s, inspired by French arthouse movies. While not everyone is a fan of the franchise, at least virtually all otaku agree it looks amazing.
Violet Evergarden’s anime is a curious case. Kyoto Animation often heavily changes the content of the works it adapts, and this one is no exception. However, most of the time, the changes are seen in a positive light. In the case of Violet Evergarden, there was more criticism than usual, although the ultimate conclusion is that the anime is still great. Some find it boring, but that’s only true if you’re not used to slow-paced series built around character development — Violet Evergarden absolutely excels at that. And regardless of that, it’s worth watching for its art and animation alone.
Hyouka combines the slice-of-life and detective genres, focusing on a group of students figuring out the mysteries of mundane events. It’s an essential watch for anyone who is a fan of either genre, being very cleverly written and having an amazing cast of characters. And, as you might have already guessed, it’s animated by KyoAni — and is arguably their best production ever. With many scenes that look so great that it feels like they came straight out of a dream, it looks better than many movies and action series, and deserves the top spot of the list for sure. The team behind it really went all out on this one.
