When Plato said, that “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”, I’m sure he had either our products, or some 90s anime in mind. Of course, the anime industry has gotten better. It now produces anime with better plots and graphics but that doesn't mean retro anime produced in the 90s is out of the picture. There are still some 90s anime that are still very relevant to this very day.
1. Hunter x Hunter
This anime recently made its way back to the limelight when an announcement about its sixth arc being in production was made. But currently, with five arcs, it tells the story of Gon Freecs and his adventures with the three friends he made on his mission to become a Hunter.
And since it was first released in 1999, it's had over 60 episodes, OVAs, and games. But the primary factor that makes it still relevant to this very day is that the graphics keep getting better. The thrill and suspense keep you glued, so it remains a fan favorite.
2. Detective Conan (Case Closed)
You may not be a fan of watching the CSI series but one thing you'd find is that Shin'ichi Kudo is the animated version of Sherlock Holmes. Detective Conan is the type of anime you'd watch numerous times because of the thrills and charismatic ways the main character works behind the scenes to help Kogoro solve cases.
You cannot disagree that all the crimes, humor, personalities, and thrills of the show are outstanding and are not even shadowed by its grainy 90s graphics. And although the graphics of the show isn't what 21st-century anime fans are used to, kids still talk about having smart gadgets like Detective Conan and solving crime like him!
3. Pokémon
Even before you see the anime, there's certainly no way you could've missed any of the Pokémon merchandise, which ranges from bags, notes, shoes, t-shirt designs, toys, and even make-up kits! The name Pokémon is as old as time itself (just kidding, but seriously the anime is pretty old).
And really, Pokémon is that one anime that introduced a more significant majority of today's weebs to Japanese animation. And it is still very much relevant because the toys (the pocket monsters) are just a literal asset of almost every kid in the world.
4. DragonBall Z
DragonBall Z is a fantastic anime series. Without question, this is among the most popular series that has contributed to the global expansion of anime. The first DragonBall was entertaining, but the characters have matured in DBZ, and this maturity can be felt across the series.
No doubt the graphics of the first run of this anime makes people feel that "it's for kids." Still, taking a look at how the characters have evolved and how catchy the graphics of succeeding seasons is, it just won't be enough until you've seen the whole series itself. And even after the latest season ended in 2018, it's still making waves as one of the most favorite anime people watch.
5. Yu Yu Hakusho
Altogether, Yu Yu Hakusho is a very engaging and fun series. This anime is not for everyone; however, most people should be able to find something that interests them. It is not a DBZ clone, nor is it a dumb pretext for dramatic action sequences.
For an anime that made its first broadcast in 1992, Yu Yu Hakusho has its fingers gripping onto time and fame, as it's failed to become a thing of history, forgotten alongside some other anime we can barely even remember.
6. Rurouni Kenshin
No matter how hard you try, you can't get over how awesome this anime is. It is just so interesting they had to make parts of the movie, and even the latest part of the movie was released in 2021. And in case you didn't know, Rurouni Kenshin means "Wandering Swordsman."
It had a charming narrative (which provides a beautiful combination of action, humor, drama, and touching moments). The characters in this anime were very lovable and intriguing, and they were well developed. The animation begins off mediocre but improves as the series progresses (maybe that's why it's still relevant today, isn't it?)
7. Great Teacher Onizuka
This anime is a relative example that immediately comes to mind when you mention the word "redemption." As it is fondly called, GTO features everything you'd expect from an anime: humor, action, romance, and drama.
One of my favorite anime tunes is the opening and closing theme. The anime follows Onizuka, who is characterized as a 'pervert' and became a teacher to be able to spy on young girls.
And the way it's combined all these elements to entertain its audience is probably one of the reasons it's still relevant to this very hour.
8. Berserk
I’m sure you remember 300, Rise of an Empire, right? Now imagine an animation having all the gore and blood like you saw in that movie.
If you ignore the non-21st-century animation, this anime is rather nice. Exactly what I was hoping for in a sequel to the first series. The atmosphere is still gloomy and harsh, if not darker. Guts is as badass as ever, plus you can see a few old characters that aren't only in flashbacks.
9. Cowboy Bebop
For an anime that premiered in the Spring of 1998, Cowboy Bebop went far into the future than some 21st-century anime have gone. Its adoption of sci-fi went beyond its timeline. Even though it wasn't among the greatest hits of the time, it's stood its ground and still tends to compete with most sci-fi-based anime of today.
10. One Piece
Most retro anime from the 90s have either stopped airing or stopped productions a long time ago, but this one keeps coming like an endless stream of stories and new stuff to feed us with. And that's true - with 1,019 episodes and counting, One Piece has no known end yet!
The name "Monkey D. Luffy" from One Piece started attracting much recognition since One Piece first aired in 1997. Even after 25 years of steady production and airing, it has refused to go into the shadows. Instead, it keeps coming back out stronger and better.
Conclusion
Of course, there still are other retro anime that’s still relevant till this very day out there. But the above listed are the top ten that’s still gaining attention in that category. Please feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions and comments!
