Throwback to a time when we had to dial a phone number to use the internet when Netflix was just a DVD rental and anime wasn't as easily accessible as it is today. Also, some of the 90s anime we saw back then were only available in awkwardly dubbed versions. While the dubbed versions sound pretty bad today, they thrilled us deeply then and certainly stir nostalgia now.
We've compiled a list of our favorite 90s anime series from our carefree childhood years that will remind you of those after-school afternoons as you anxiously wait for your favorite anime series to air on TV.
1. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995 – 1996)
Gundam Wing is the sixth installment in the Gundam franchise, which is regarded as one of the most important in the mecha genre. The struggle between Earth and its orbiting colonies in outer space is chronicled in Gundam Wing, which is set in the 2200s.
Earth uses her military strength to oppress her space colonies, who seek independence under the banner of a peaceful leader until he is slain. Gundam Wing made the Gundam series popular in the West. Asides that, it was the first Gundam series to be broadcast on American television, making it popular among audiences outside of Japan.
Afterwards, it has been adapted into comics, light novels, and video games on numerous occasions.
2. Sailor Moon (1992 – 1997)
The Moon Prism's Power! Makeup! The spectacular metamorphosis images, as well as the classic line over, will bring back memories for most kids who grew up in the 1990s. Usagi Tsukino, a brave 14-year-old snip, finds a magical talking cat named Luna in Sailor Moon. Usagi is granted the ability to transform Sailor Moon, a magical girl clad in a sailor's uniform, by Luna.
Usagi must master the Dark Kingdom's dark forces and deliver Princess Serenity, the moon queen, using her newfound abilities. The series' dazzling metamorphosis scenes and ample pixies in seaman uniforms have become faddish culture icons in their own right, and many 90s kids still remember it fondly.
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995 – 1996)
The planet has been destroyed by tremendous angels, enormous extraterrestrial entities with devastating powers, for the past 15 years. The majority of Japan's population resides in Tokyo-3, a futuristic and heavily protected city that can quickly transform into a large emergency refuge for civilians. Because it explores the pilots' emotions and psychological difficulties, Neon Genesis Evangelion is far more than a typical mecha anime.
It goes even further, touching on topics like the meaning of human existence, religious iconography, and psychoanalytic theories. Evangelion is widely regarded as one of the most influential anime series of all time, and it is credited with revitalizing the dying anime industry and otaku culture. At the end of the day, many people still enjoy the 1990s series.
4. Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai (1996 – 1998)
Hitokiri Battousai, the feared assassin from the Bakumatsu War, has been missing for 11 years. He was named for his lightning-quick technique of murdering someone with a single draw of his sword, which was literally translated as a sword-drawing slayer. The assassin changes into a traveling swordsman who loves peace. Kenshin's journey in the fight for peace and love is the focus of the series.
It takes place against the backdrop of the Meiji government's rough beginnings as Japan moved from a feudal to a federal administration. Kenshin is also known as Samurai X in the West, thanks to his characteristic X-shaped scar on his face. It features a number of spin-off shows and films, as well as live-action film adaptations that are faithful to the source material.
5. Digimon Adventure (1999 – 2000)
Digivices snatched seven youngsters into the digital realm in 1999. There, they meet digital Digimon creatures with the ability to fight off foes and discover that they are destined to save the digital world. Kids can use their Digivices to digitize Digimon into stronger forms in order to fight more powerful enemies.
The children search for a means to save the digital world and return to their motherland with the help of their friends and the Digimon. The series also follows the youngsters and their Digimon friends on their journeys.
6. Yu Yu Hakusho (1992 – 1994)
Yusuke Urameshi is a brooding, modern-day 14-year-old street thug, not your typical preppy protagonist. Yusuke was killed by a car after performing a surprisingly selfless act to save a child. Yusuke's brave act impresses Koenma, the son of the underworld's ruler, down in the underworld. He lays out a series of tests for Yusuke to pass in order for him to return to the human world.
Back on Earth, Yusuke is assigned the duties of a ghost detective. Yusuke, who can fire Reiki (spirit energy) from his index finger, must investigate supernatural activity and keep the spirit, human, and demon worlds in balance. One of the dark action series is based on one of the best-selling shonen manga of the ‘90s and was voted the best anime of the year in 1994.
Fun Fact: The series only came second to Sailor Moon at the 1993 Anime Grand Prix.
7. The Kindaichi Case Files (1997 – 2000)
Hajime Kindaichi, a 17-year-old high school student, is like any other teenager: lethargic and perverted. Kindaichi is a cunning operator with a Command of 180 and outstanding deducible reasoning who goes by the alias of an ordinary adolescent. With the help of his musketeers and colleagues, Kindaichi solves a series of allegedly unsolvable crimes and mystifications in closed rooms.
The series' villains are portrayed as sympathetic victims of tragic conditions rather than as three-dimensional antagonists. The Kindaichi series is based on a manga of the same name. At the start of its run, which lasted from 1992 to 2000, it was awarded the most popular series. Weekly Shonen Jump's reputation as a manga hustler and the best-selling manga magazine of the 1990s was undoubtedly assisted by it.
CONCLUSION
For many of the 90s kids, anime was the only Japanese content available while growing up, and it certainly did a fine job of making our childhood super swinging. Whether you grew up watching those 90s anime or are a zoomer in search of classics, rest assured that these series still pack a serious punch.
