The 1990s was a great decade for anime with incredible series Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelionand others are leaving their mark on the anime community. It wasn't such a bad decade for shonen anime either. While they like classic titles Dragon Ball and Ranma ½ premiered in the 80s and aired into the 90s, there were tons of great anime released sometime between 1990 and 1999.
However, not all of these anime have managed to stay in the public eye over the years. Taking a look back at some of the decade's biggest titles reveals some incredible series that might otherwise go under the radar.
1990: The Three-Eyed One
Osamu Tezuka is often referred to as the “Godfather of Manga” because he wrote a wide variety of series and served as an influence on countless mangaka who came after him. Although series like Astro Boy and Black Jack are among his most famous, Tezuka has released many great series over the years for fans to enjoy. One that is often overlooked is Three-eyed.
The series follows Sharaku Hosuke, a young boy who transforms into an evil sorcerer capable of wielding incredible power, who is set on conquering the world if he opens his third eye. Sharaku wears an eye patch to avoid this and is unaware of his sinister alter ego or their plans. This is actually the second TV movie adaptation of the series, Akuma Tou no Prince: Mitsume ga Tooruwas published in 1985.
1991: City Hunter '91
City Hunter was one of the biggest franchises of the 1980s, and like many other popular titles of its era, its success bled into the 1990s with the release of various films and several sequel series. City Hunter '91 was the only series that actually premiered in the 1990s, airing a year after the last episode City Hunter 3 and the following City Hunter: Bay City Wars and City Hunter: Million Dollar Conspiracy.
As a series, City Hunter '91 is more or less the same as its predecessors. It has the same style, but occasionally adds some more comedic elements, which some fans may or may not like. The final episode is quite divisive among fans, but overall it's a great final entry to the anime series.
1992: Yu Yu Hakusho
One of the greatest anime of its time, YuYu Hakusho is a typical 90s anime. You can't go through the greatest series of the 90s without mentioning the incredible adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi's groundbreaking manga. The series definitely has a dedicated fan base, but I always feel like it gets overlooked when discussing some of the best shonen of all time.
The series mixes martial arts with supernatural elements. It's a great battle lit up with some amazing fights, and the world and lore do a great job of drawing you in. It's a near perfect series from start to finish and an absolute must see for anime fans.
1993: Slam Dunk
The release of The First Slam Dunk in 2023 could serve as an introduction to the series for many. It's an incredible film with great visuals and a strong, condensed narrative. But that doesn't mean the original 1993 series isn't worth watching.
Slam Dunk may be one of the best sports anime of all time. It's a classic underdog story with an incredible cast of characters who all get a chance to develop and shine throughout the series. If you're looking for something exciting outside of the usual battle shonen hits, Slam Dunk is a unique series that you will not regret watching.
1994: DNA²
The 90s had a lot of creative series, but you won't find many as strange and interesting as DNA². The series follows Junta Momonari who, due to an “allergy” to women, vomits whenever she is aroused by a member of the opposite sex. Things take an unexpected turn when a girl named Karin claims to have traveled from the future to stop the Junta, who has apparently become a massive playboy, from fathering 100 children and causing the world to overpopulate. But when Karin inadvertently turns him into a playboy with a DNA-altering bullet, he tries to fix the situation before it's too late.
DNA² is a wild series that serves as a great time capsule of the era it comes from. Romance anime can be pretty straightforward at times, but DNA²it has an interesting hook that helps it stand out from its peers. A sequel OVA came out in 1995, and while the series itself is fine, the OVA is a great watch.
1995: H2
While titles like Slam Dunk, Hajime no Ippo, and Captain Tsubasa get a lot of love and recognition, there are plenty of other great sports series that don't always get the attention they deserve. H2 is one of them.
Due to an elbow injury, Hiro Kunimi decides to give up baseball after entering high school, despite being one of the best players in high school along with his best friend Hideo Tachibana. While Hideo attends another high school with his childhood friend Hikari, Hiro enrolls at Senkawa High School and joins their soccer team. However, when Hiro meets Haruka Koga, the manager of their school's unofficial baseball team, he decides to switch and pursue baseball again.
1996: Case closed
Case closed is one of the longest-running anime, having aired 1,174 episodes since its premiere in January 1996. In the nearly three decades that this series has been around, it has become one of the most famous anime and manga.
The series follows Shinichi Kudo, a famous high school detective who works with the police to solve various complex cases. But when Shinichi is ambushed by members of a crime syndicate called the Black Organization and forced to swallow a strange drug, he ends up turning into a 7-year-old boy. Still as sharp as ever, Shinichi adopts the moniker Conan Edogawa and sets out to learn more about a mysterious black organization in hopes of reversing the effects of the drug.
1997: The Young Kindaichi File
Case closed may be one of the most famous mystery anime, but there are tons of other great mystery series that are often overlooked. One of them is 1997 The Young Kindaichi File. The series follows high school student Hajime Kindaichi, an incredibly talented young detective whose grandfather was considered Japan's greatest detective. Hajime solves all sorts of cases, from creepy girls to brain-destroying locked room mysteries.
Mystery novel fans' ears may perk up a bit when they read the name “Kindaichi”. Hajime's grandfather is said to be none other than Kosuke Kindaichi, a famous detective created by legendary mystery novelist Seishi Yokomizo. Hajime definitely lives up to his birth name, p The Young Kindaichi File featuring tons of memorable cases that both fans of Yokomizo's novels and mystery series in general would love.
1998: Trigun
Trigun is definitely up there in the discussion of the greatest anime of the 90s. The series received a recent adaptation with 2023 Trigun Stampedeand the continuation of the season, Trigun Stargazeit is to be released in 2026. However, the original title still reigns supreme for many.
The series follows Vash the Stampede, an outlaw with a $60,000,000,000 bounty and a bad reputation. The only problem is that Vash isn't the madman his reputation suggests he is. Insurance agents Milly Thompson and Meryl Stryfe follow Vash around the planet Gunsmoke, but the trio find themselves in a difficult situation when a group of legendary assassins target them.
1999: One Piece
The One piece the anime took off in the late 90s and has been going strong ever since. The story of Monkey D. Luffy's journey to become the Pirate King and find One Piece has resonated with millions of people over the years, and One Piece is now one of the biggest anime in the world. While the success of the manga is a big reason, don't overlook the impact that Toei's long-running anime adaptation had.
The One piece the anime has some moments where it needs to be punched, with the pacing definitely being an issue. The series is set to become seasonal, with the end of the Egghead Arc marking the end of the original format. The recent episodes are already some of the best the series has released, but with this new approach, it looks like the One Piece anime can continue for years to come.
One piece
- Release date
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October 20, 1999
- Network
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Fuji TV
- directors
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Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imayomura, Yashiôhiro Mayuū Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
- Writers
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Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
