Every good story is, in a way, an attempt to briefly escape the dull reality of everyday world and lose yourself in some kind of a captivating adventure. And what’s a better place for escapism than a world with magical powers? Here we’ve made a top 5 list of magic-related anime that includes all the best the genre has to offer.
Released in 2013, Log Horizon offers a popular take on the idea of what would happen if a bunch of MMORPG players got physically sucked into the fantasy world of their game without an ability to log off or go offline. While not bringing anything entirely new to the table genre-wise, Log Horizon does stand out among its peers for at least one important reason — its focus on politics and cunning.
Instead of revolving entirely around the main hero’s martial prowess, Log Horizon presents its protagonist — a college student Shiroe — as a master strategist who is willing to and capable of finding very unconventional solutions to any kind of problem he is faced with. Ultimately it makes the story a lot more resembling Code Geass rather than The Slayers — which, if anything, definitely makes for an interesting watch.
Looking for a light-hearted adventure in a magical world? Well, look no further — Fairy Tail’s fantasy universe with its enchanted Kingdom of Fiore, wizard guilds, treasure hunts and a cast of rowdy but very likable characters has got exactly what you’re after. Unlike some of the other entries on this list Fairy Tail will not be impressing you with a complex and multi-layered story that deals with a variety of complex issues. No. But what it’s got in an ample supply is simple fun.
As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry famously said: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” And Fairy Tale is a perfect example of that — it is an engaging but very easy-to-digest magical story that doesn’t demand much from the viewer and has no unnecessary elements.
3. Kiki’s Delivery Service
First aired in the distant year of 1989, Kiki’s Delivery Service is a textbook example of a “feel good” story and also one of the best titles ever created by the now legendary Studio Ghibli. It was the first Japanese anime to receive a major theatrical release in the US by the Walt Disney Studio and that’s saying something.
It is a story of a young teenage witch, struggling to find her place in life both metaphorically and physically. Forced to embark upon a journey into the unknown, she learns the value of friendship and responsibility on the way to earning her true independence. Ultimately, it is a story of growing up that pits an inhabitant of a magical world against the real world problems, so very familiar to us, which makes the story both relatable and appealing.
2. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
Premiered in 2011, Shaft Studio’s Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is responsible for pretty much reinventing the entire magical girl subgenre and gathering enormously widespread critical acclaim in the process. Over the years it has received an extensive list of awards including a whole bunch for its unique visual style, brought to life by Shaft studio’s mad genius Akiyuki Shinbo.
Madoka is a Shaft studio’s product through and through — and, for those who know what Shaft is about, it is already saying more than enough. Apart from stunning visual style, Madoka brings to the table an equally unforgettable story that starts with little girl wizards and talking cats and then somehow evolves to bloody battles, horrible and unexpected deaths, teeth-clenching horror sequences and questions of counteracting the spread of entropy. It is a wild ride that any anime fan would be foolish not to experience.
For those who have not been living under a rock for the past decade and a half, it really should not come as a surprise to see Fullmetal Alchemist on any kind of ‘best’ list. It is a pretty damn good anime that tells an incredibly powerful story of an unbreakable bond between two brothers forced to travel a dangerous magical world in search of a powerful artifact to correct their past mistakes. If this summary does not get you hooked then, frankly speaking, we do not know what will.
There are a lot of impressive anime titles that come and go, but, speaking from the metaphorical high ground of the year 2023, we have to say that Fullmetal Alchemist definitely stood the test of time. And that is mainly due to the perfect alchemical formula from which it was brewed. Take a cast of memorable characters and mix it with intricate world building, add some iconic moments and thrilling fights, spay it with timeless themes of love, loyalty and family values and here you have — that’s Fullmetal Alchemist for you.
Also, it is the best anime of all time according to IGN and MAL. They say that even a broken clock is right at least twice a day and that is exactly the case here — they might be wrong about pretty much everything else, but at least they managed to get this right. Good for them.
All kinds of worlds with all kinds of characters.
Every good story is, in a way, an attempt to briefly escape the dull reality of everyday world and lose yourself in some kind of a captivating adventure. And what’s a better place for escapism than a world with magical powers? Here we’ve made a top 5 list of magic-related anime that includes all the best the genre has to offer.
Released in 2013, Log Horizon offers a popular take on the idea of what would happen if a bunch of MMORPG players got physically sucked into the fantasy world of their game without an ability to log off or go offline. While not bringing anything entirely new to the table genre-wise, Log Horizon does stand out among its peers for at least one important reason — its focus on politics and cunning.
Instead of revolving entirely around the main hero’s martial prowess, Log Horizon presents its protagonist — a college student Shiroe — as a master strategist who is willing to and capable of finding very unconventional solutions to any kind of problem he is faced with. Ultimately it makes the story a lot more resembling Code Geass rather than The Slayers — which, if anything, definitely makes for an interesting watch.
Looking for a light-hearted adventure in a magical world? Well, look no further — Fairy Tail’s fantasy universe with its enchanted Kingdom of Fiore, wizard guilds, treasure hunts and a cast of rowdy but very likable characters has got exactly what you’re after. Unlike some of the other entries on this list Fairy Tail will not be impressing you with a complex and multi-layered story that deals with a variety of complex issues. No. But what it’s got in an ample supply is simple fun.
As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry famously said: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” And Fairy Tale is a perfect example of that — it is an engaging but very easy-to-digest magical story that doesn’t demand much from the viewer and has no unnecessary elements.
3. Kiki’s Delivery Service
First aired in the distant year of 1989, Kiki’s Delivery Service is a textbook example of a “feel good” story and also one of the best titles ever created by the now legendary Studio Ghibli. It was the first Japanese anime to receive a major theatrical release in the US by the Walt Disney Studio and that’s saying something.
It is a story of a young teenage witch, struggling to find her place in life both metaphorically and physically. Forced to embark upon a journey into the unknown, she learns the value of friendship and responsibility on the way to earning her true independence. Ultimately, it is a story of growing up that pits an inhabitant of a magical world against the real world problems, so very familiar to us, which makes the story both relatable and appealing.
2. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica
Premiered in 2011, Shaft Studio’s Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica is responsible for pretty much reinventing the entire magical girl subgenre and gathering enormously widespread critical acclaim in the process. Over the years it has received an extensive list of awards including a whole bunch for its unique visual style, brought to life by Shaft studio’s mad genius Akiyuki Shinbo.
Madoka is a Shaft studio’s product through and through — and, for those who know what Shaft is about, it is already saying more than enough. Apart from stunning visual style, Madoka brings to the table an equally unforgettable story that starts with little girl wizards and talking cats and then somehow evolves to bloody battles, horrible and unexpected deaths, teeth-clenching horror sequences and questions of counteracting the spread of entropy. It is a wild ride that any anime fan would be foolish not to experience.
For those who have not been living under a rock for the past decade and a half, it really should not come as a surprise to see Fullmetal Alchemist on any kind of ‘best’ list. It is a pretty damn good anime that tells an incredibly powerful story of an unbreakable bond between two brothers forced to travel a dangerous magical world in search of a powerful artifact to correct their past mistakes. If this summary does not get you hooked then, frankly speaking, we do not know what will.
There are a lot of impressive anime titles that come and go, but, speaking from the metaphorical high ground of the year 2023, we have to say that Fullmetal Alchemist definitely stood the test of time. And that is mainly due to the perfect alchemical formula from which it was brewed. Take a cast of memorable characters and mix it with intricate world building, add some iconic moments and thrilling fights, spay it with timeless themes of love, loyalty and family values and here you have — that’s Fullmetal Alchemist for you.
Also, it is the best anime of all time according to IGN and MAL. They say that even a broken clock is right at least twice a day and that is exactly the case here — they might be wrong about pretty much everything else, but at least they managed to get this right. Good for them.
