Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu

Worldbuilding - "the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe." These kinds of shows are usually set in a fantasy and/or sci-fi world, and excel at establishing & showcasing the rules/history/economy of their fictional universe. List was created through collective data from multiple websites of people's answers as to what shows are considered to have great world building.

Critics & Connoisseurs was a club that was founded in 2008 and ended club activities on the 31st of 2022.

The goal of the club was to come up with a list of highly recommended quality shows that are exemplary either within its genre or universally. An anime needed a 70% approval rate in our voting to get on the relation list. The following anime are all part of said list.

You can see the club page here:
https://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=2913

Anime Relation List Part 2: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/328
Manga Relation List: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/334

After watching just about all of the OVAs released in the 1980s, I rated (or plan to rate) all of these OVAs a 7 or above and consider them to be the best of the bunch.

Anime with great worldbuilding, or the development of the fantastical environment and world! None of these anime take place in what you would call 'our universe', rather taking place in an alternative universe or fantasy/ sci-fi setting with amazingly well-tailored and fitting details in technologies and architecture that makes every world unique.

Akio Sugino is hailed as one of the most prominent animation directors and character designers in the industry, known in Japan as one half of anime's "golden combo" alongside Osamu Dezaki. Their frequent collaborations led to many of the early defining works in the medium, and are iconic masterpieces that have significantly held up over time. Sugino's output was integral to legitimizing anime as an art form and turning itself more distinct from Western animation, evolving and reimagining his Mushi Pro, Tezuka-inspired roots.

Sugino's character art replicates Greek sculptures of the old, appropriating its design philosophy to Japanese animation by paying heed to anatomical correctness. Sugino's characters have imposing presences that are accentuated by their long limbs, broad shoulders, and chiseled facial features. Upon seeing a Sugino-designed character you are immediately given the impression of a walking legend, an almost mythical feeling to their appearance on the screen.

This interest stack tracks down his iconic career and features a selection of his most valuable contributions as a character designer. Works are in chronological order.

Additional Sugino sources:
A 6-part interview that focuses on his career: https://karageko.com/2019/07/14/the-other-half-of-the-golden-combo-akio-sugino-interview-mushi-production-era-part-1/
A shorter interview that also talks about Dezaki: https://karageko.com/2022/02/16/akio-suginos-brief-reflections-on-a-long-career/

Series that are not BL but have a rich BL potential and fanbase. Includes some popular shippings and shipping potential between the two male leads.

These animes were the landmarks in anime industry. Critically acclaimed shows and popular for its story, characters, development, and the amazing experience that the audience might feel. Some of them are old and modern, but it has the same level of "masterpiece" that I've seen so far.

We've all experienced that frustrated feeling of enjoying an anime, only to find out that the rest of the show will never be fully animated or it has a horrible, rushed, incomplete, unsatisfying ending. Here is a list of anime with endings that are so fulfilling and complete that they will leave you with nothing but a heart full of contentment and/or bittersweetness. List was created through collective data from multiple websites of people's answers as to what shows are considered to have satisfying endings.

The new anime release format that appeared in the mid-80s brought new opportunities for studios and various works began to be released on videotapes. Some of them were frankly terrible, but some became classics with a recognizable style and aesthetics. I bring to your attention works worth viewing.

This is the kind of stuff you'll want to show to your older relatives or a friend / significant other who isn't into anime in particular but is open to new experiences. Not necessarily to hook them on anime but simply to share a good time together.

What helps an anime end up on this list:
* either subdued or distinctly avant-garde appearance that transcends common anime design sensibilities;
* mature, adult-life-related themes;
* well-crafted, compelling story and character interactions;
* fresh and daring ideas or their execution;
* being otherwise remarkable as an art piece;
* moderate length.

What DOESN'T help an anime end up on the list:
* referencing or pandering to otaku culture, incessant fan service, and all that crap;
* slow-burn slice-of-life narrative;
* overly random, absurdist, reference-heavy humor;
* being too long or narratively incomplete;
* being too tropey;
* not being very good in general (regrettably, this includes bad and mediocre adaptations of good manga/LNs, so no Berserk, My Home Hero, or Golden Kamuy on the list).

These aren't absolute rules but they're hard enough that I would only consider minor exceptions. There is most certainly not enough room for every single piece that fits the bill, so take this as my personal, heavily curated top-50. If there is a sequel or a side-story that also deserves attention (or, conversely, one you should skip), I will mention it in the annotations, so please watch them.

List is subject to revisions and reordering.

Or somewhere else

Classic 20th-century series and films that most old-school otaku have heard of and many older fans will cite as the reason they became a life-long weeb in the first place. Some have gotten sequels or modern reboots, while others have been relegated to the past and stand alone as fondly-remembered products of their time. If you want to take a journey through anime history, these shows are the place to start!

Additional info as requested by MAL staff:

Definition of classic: "A work of art of recognized and established value."

Criteria for this list: Were popular or well-known at some point during the 20th century, or were based on well-known source material of the time.

What I look for the most in an anime above everything else is high-quality writing. That's not to say that manga, visual novel, and light novel adaptations are written poorly; in fact, there are some that have incredible, masterfully-crafted storylines. I have simply personally found that some of the most unforgettable series for me have been novel adaptations.

Given that there currently exists no anime search option for this, the basis of this interest stack is to provide a list of full-length novels that have been adapted into series or movie format.

*Disclaimer: not enough space to add children's classics to this, go check out Nippon Animation's studio page if you want more!

Series that emphasise the presentation of struggle and dramatic event(s) through culminating the portrayal of the experience to that point visually or by some other means.

Prime examples of what I mean when I say "Best battles + strategic fights + cool characters sorta animes" are 'World Trigger' and 'Kingdom'.
But some of the titles I've included are more prominent in one of these aspects, like 'March comes in like a lion' being more strategic heavy.
All the animes that are included are super interesting and worth the watch.

if you've seen everything here tell me where you have so much time