The world of anime is full of disputes and controversial opinions. Therefore, it's not a simple task to create the list of the best anime of all time. There are lots of anime for every taste. If you want to get acquainted with the total list of anime, we suggest you visit MyAnimeList.
But our list of anime is unique since we made it according to the actual statistics of Google search queries. Also worth noting that we included only anime series in the list. The feature-length anime is the subject for another article. In addition, we excluded from the list such anime as Baruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc. since they don't fit the conception of our rating.
Our primary goal was to create the list of anime series, which are trending now, regardless of their release date.
Darling in the FranXX
This anime premiered in winter of 2018. But already now, the series rating on MAL is 8.12/10, according to > 93,000 votes. Darling in the FranXX is a typical mecha anime, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic future.
The giant creatures known as klaxosaurs threaten the humankind. In an attempt to escape the Earth surface, people moved to mobile fortress-cities known as Plantations. Children born here have only one primary mission, to pilot the giant mecha, known as Franxx, being split into boy-girl pairs.
The story revolves around Hiro, a prodigy pilot, who was unlucky to fail the tests. But the fortunate encounter with a female Franxx pilot, Zero Two, has changed his entire life.
Violet Evergarden
Violet Evergarden is a long-awaited fantasy anime series, which debuted Jan 11, 2018. Right now, the rating of the series on MyAnimeList is 8.60/10, according to about 130,000 votes.
The story centers on the so-called Auto Memory Dolls introduced by Dr. Orland who wanted to assist his blind wife in writing her novels. The series heroine is Violet, a young woman who lost both her arms because of The Great War. When Violet's arms were replaced with advanced metallic prosthetics, she decides to join the rows of Auto Memory Dolls to realize the meaning of the words “I love you.”
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
This romantic comedy anime series premiered in 2013. The series current rating according to MAL is 8.11/10 > 311,000 votes.
The storyline focuses on two protagonists. Hachiman Hikigaya is a 17-year-old loner and cynic, who refuses friendship and love. Having no idea how to reassure Hachiman, his teacher, Shizuka, convinces him becoming a member of the school's Service Club initiated by beautiful Yukino Yukinoshita. The anime thereby is about various social situations the students face every day in a high school.
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Even though this anime has not impressive rating on MyAnimeList, 7.83/10 ~ 351,000 votes, it possesses an army of fans. The keyword “danmachi” is a subject of 373K search queries a month [1].
Set in in the fictional city of Orario, the storyline focuses on Bell Cranel, a young man who is going to become the greatest adventurer in the land. By chance, he meets the lonely goddess, Hestia, who is about to assist Bell in his intentions. Thanks to the patronage of Hestia, Bell embarks on a journey to the unknown world of the “Dungeon.”
Akame ga Kill!
Akame ga Kill! Season 1 kicked off on July 7, 2014. The series rating on MAL is 8.05 ~ 47,000 votes. For many years, the fans have been waiting for the sequel. But the White Fox studio has yet to announce Season 2.
The series protagonist named Tatsumi went to the Capital in an attempt to earn some money and rescue his village from poverty. However, upon arrival, Tatsumi faced with the world of injustice, corruption, and crime. The cause of state issues is the depraved Prime Minister who manipulates the young Emperor.
Tatsumi almost becomes a victim of regime himself. However, a group of assassins known as Night Raid rescued him. As a result, Tatsumi joins the team of a Night Raid whose mission to eliminate corruption.
The Saga of Tanya the Evil
This military anime series debuted in 2017. The rating of the anime is 8.14 > 134,000 votes, according to MyAnimeList.
This story is about a man whose soul is locked in the body of a young girl named Tanya Degurechaff. As a result, the girl personalizes the cruel commander who doesn't see any barriers along the way.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Nanatsu no Taizai kicked off fall 2014. According to MAL, the series holds a score of 8.28/10 ~ 400,000 votes. Because of its popularity among the US viewers, the series has been acquired by Netflix, which owns exclusive streaming rights to the anime.
Set in a world similar to Medieval Europe, the series focuses on the adventures of Elizabeth, the third princess of Britannia, whose mission is to find a group of knights known as The Seven Deadly Sins who were once exiled from the kingdom while being suspected in the revolt.
Made in Abyss
Made in Abyss debuted in July 2017. This anime is exceptional thanks to its well-performed graphics. That's why nothing is surprising in the fact that Made in Abyss holds a score of 8.91 (177,000 votes) on MyAnimeList.
The immense cave system, known as The Abyss, the only unexplored spot on Earth. No one knows how deep is the hole. The only clear thing is that the unknown, mysterious creatures inhabit the Abyss. Many adventurers called the Divers have been trying to descend deeper in the hole.
The story focuses on an orphan named Riko who is dreaming of becoming the Diver as her mother.
The Ancient Magus' Bride
Mahoutsukai no Yome manga had become a hit yet in 2013. However, the television adaptation appeared on small screens only in fall 2017. The series has a score of 8.54/10 > 12,200 votes.
The storyline centers on Chise Hatori, an unfortunate orphan. Her life was unlucky, and she is only 16. Chise opted to sell herself via auction hoping that someone could take her in the place which she might consider as home. Her buyer is Elias Ainsworth, a magus who looks like a humanoid demon with a skeleton-like face.
Kill la Kill
This anime is a television adaptation of the eponymous manga released in 2013. The anime series premiered on September 3, 2014. The score of the series on MyAnimeList is pretty high, 8.19/10, according to approx. 420,000 votes.
The story revolves around Ryuuko Matoi, a girl who wanders with the Scissor Blade in her hand in an attempt to discover the man who killed her father using the second half of the scissors.
Yona of the Dawn
Akatsuki no Yona is another top-rated anime which still has no Season 2. The anime holds a score of 8.19/10 ~ 170,000 votes.
Yona is a princess of the Kingdom of Kouka who live carefree life under the guardian of her father, King Il, and protection of her bodyguard, Son Hak. However, during her sixteenth birthday, Yona discovers that her childhood friend, Soo-Won killed her father in an attempt to dethrone him. Yona and Hak escaped to the Village of Wind, seeking for an Oracle named Ik-Soo, who reveals them the legend about the Four Dragon Warriors who are capable of restoring order in the kingdom.
Noragami
This anime series started off on October 7, 2014. But the series is still popular among the fans. Like other popular anime, Noragami still has no sequel. On MyAnimeList, Noragami has a score of 8.15/10 based on over 500,000 votes.
This story is about Yato, a deity who has no worshipers. Yato calls himself a “Delivery God.” He dreams about millions of followers and own temple. But he is forced, nonetheless, to spend his days doing a useless job. One day, a middle school girl named Hiyori Iki rescues him from a car accident. However, Hiyori has become a victim, as a result. Now her soul is capable of coming out of the body. To return everything back, she reluctantly accepts the offer of Yato to assist him.
One-Punch Man
One-Punch Man is the incredibly popular action superhero anime series, which premiered in 2015. An overall score of the anime on MAL is 8.72/10, according to over 706,000 votes.
Saitama possesses a unique feature. He is capable of striking down any opponent with just one punch. Saitama lives in the world full of superheroes and villains. But he can't find at least one worthy rival. That's why he looks like a weary bald man, though he is young.
Log Horizon
Log Horizon holds a rating of 8.09/10 on MyAnimeList based on about 300,000 votes. This adventure anime series premiered on October 5, 2013.
It is a story about a group of gamers trapped inside their avatars in the popular MMORPG game. The series protagonist Shiroe is trying to exit the game. However, over time, he realizes that it's better to adapt to the new reality. Accompanied by the group of unfortunate friends, Shiroe explores the unique world of the game.
No Game No Life
This anime developed by the studio Madhouse has become the hit of 2014. The anime adapts the Yuu Kamiya's light novel series of the same name. On MyAnimeList, No Game No Life holds a score of 8.40 ~ 634,000 votes.
The storyline revolves about Sora and Shiro, the siblings and experienced gamers who thrown a challenge to The mysterious god named Tet, who invited them in the world, where every conflict could be solved thanks to a game.
My Hero Academia
Boku no Hero Academia is another superhero anime. Unlike One-Punch Man, the series protagonist is deprived of super powers. The anime kicked off on Apr 3, 2016, and aired for three seasons. On MyAnimeList, the 1st season of Boku no Hero Academia holds a score of 8.44 based on about 513,000 votes.
In the world where everyone possesses “quirks,” or super powers, Izuku Midoriya is the only one who has no supernatural abilities. In fact, there are other people who have no super powers. But unlike them, Izuku is dreaming of becoming a superhero. Izuku's hard workouts give no results. But one day, his idol All Might endows Izuku with a unique superpower, which allows him to enroll in UA High, a prestigious academy for superheroes.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 is a psychedelic anime about a guy with paranormal abilities. The series premiered Summer 2016. On MAL, Mob Psycho 100 keeps a rating of 8.51 > 281,000 votes. The anime series is based on the eponymous Japanese web manga created by ONE.
Mob Psycho 100 is the story about Shigeo Kageyama, a seemingly ordinary middle school boy, nicknamed Mob, who is, in fact, a powerful esper. The problem is that Mob can't control his super power. However, a con artist named Arataka Reigen knows how to use Shigeo's skills for his needs.
Highschool of the Dead
About 472K [2] search queries in Google is devoted to one topic, the anime series titled Highschool of the Dead. Even though the series was released in 2010, it remains incredibly popular. On MAL, Highschool of the Dead holds a score of only 7.36/10 based on about 485,000 votes. Nonetheless, according to the organic traffic from Google, this anime is still actual.
If we take a look at the Wikipedia stats [3] of this page, the trend of traffic is quite steady, excepting the sharp splash of visitors in April 2017.
The storyline of Highschool of the Dead focuses on a group of high school students who try to survive the zombie apocalypse. Their primary goal is to get to the elementary school, which is considered to be a safe place.
Code Geass
Code Geass was a success within two seasons, and has been renewed for a third round. The first season of the anime titled Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch holds a score of 8.78/10 based on approx. 635,000 votes, according to MAL. The second season possesses even more impressive rating of 8.95/10 > 550,000 votes.
Set in the fictional Holy Britannian Empire, which conquered the whole world, Code Geass reveals the story of Lelouch Lamperouge, the exiled prince of Britannia, who has been endowed with the power called Geass by a mysterious girl called C.C.
Tokyo Ghoul
Another successful Japanese franchise titled Tokyo Ghoul consists of three parts. The first anime in the series holds a score of 8.0/10 > 671,000 votes, according to MAL. The two next seasons of the anime have a rating of 7.44/10 and 7.58/10, respectively.
The story focuses on Ken Kaneki, who is an outcast. Ken was an ordinary college student. But one day he was unlucky to encounter Rize Kamishiro, a ghoul. As a result, Ken has been delivered to the hospital in critical condition. After a surgery, Ken realizes that he has become a half-ghoul. To survive, Ken is forced now to eat human flesh. Thus, two entities struggle inside him.
Overlord
About one million people [4] type in Google the keyword Overlord each month all around the world. This anime series is incredibly popular, and it concludes the TOP 3 of the best trending anime series. The two installments of Overlord hold a score above or equal to 8.0/10 on MyAnimeList based on > 281,000 and ~ 110,000 votes, respectively. By the way, Overlord will be back for its third installment on July 10, 2018 [5].
Unlike Log Horizon, Overlord follows only one guy who decided to remain in the game after the servers were shut down. As a result, Momonga turned into the powerful skeleton-like creature, the ruler of the game, known as Overlord.
Sword Art Online
Two million times each month the fans type in the Google search string the keyword “sword art online. [6]” Isn't it a reason to place this anime at the 2nd place on our list? That's why we don't believe any other ratings. These ratings don't reflect the real popularity. We regard MyAnimeList as the incredibly reliable resource. However, according to their metrics both installments of SAO have quite average ratings, 7.63/10 (>927.800 votes) and 7.20/10 (~ 540,000 votes), respectively. Nevertheless, the keyword research gives us more reliable data about the popularity of this anime.
Sword Art Online has the same idea as Overlord and Log Horizon. The story takes place in 2022 when virtual reality becomes a part of life. Thousands of people joined the game on November 6. However, it turned out that there is no ability to exit the game. The story follows Kazuto Kirigaya, nicknamed “Kirito,” who is going to interact and cooperate with other players in order to quit the game.
Attack on Titan
Finally, it's time to name the winner. About two million people type in Google Attack on Titan every month. Unlike SAO (378K), 677K [7] fans type this keyword in the united states. The franchise has three installments, three OVA, one special, a feature-length film, and millions of fans all around the world. On MyAnimeList, AOT surpasses its primary rival SAO in the ratings (8.49/10 and 8.47/10, respectively). Therefore, according to our chart, AOT (shingeki no kyojin) is the best anime series you must see if you have not done it yet.
For centuries, people repelled numerous attacks undertaken by the giants who like to eat human flesh. In order to resist the attacks, humans erected three concentric walls. The story focuses on three young protagonists, Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert who once lived in the town of Shinganshina, the cadets that devoted their lives fighting with titans.