My Ultimate Anime Recommendation List

Steins;Gate

Steins;Gate is that time travel anime everyone knows about, and regarded as one of the best anime of the decade. It has a good story, that introduces interesting subjects and handles them perfectly. The characters are well made, with mostly good designs. If you dont like the first two episodes then dont bother watching it.

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan

TTGL is about a world in which civilizations live underground. Simon and Kamina are one day digging caves and find a mystrerious key that is an ignition key to a mecha. It gets good in ep 7, and from there it goes uphill. Every scene is epic, some characters have good stories, Gainax made it, so it has awesome artsyle. And its very fast paced.

Shinsekai Yori

Shinsekai Yori is probably the best dark anime out there. I watched it a year ago and it has been my top anime ever since. The characters are very good, the story is excellent and has some awesome plot twists, the art is something people dislike about the series. In my opinion its great and it fits the series quite well. Maybe you will think the first episodes don't look that good, but trust me, it gets better further ahead.
It is about a civilization about a thousand years after ours. It emerged after psychological powers appeared in a minority of the population, which lead to a wipe out of the past world. They established a new and strict rules for the kids growing up, hiding the truth from them.

Panty and Stocking

Panty and Stocking is pure madness made by Gainax. The "story" is about 2 angels that basically fuck and eat all day, and sometimes do what they have to. It is full of sexual jokes, random monsters and craziness. Each episode consists of 2 parts, directed if im not mistaken, by different directors.

The Tatami Galaxy

It is not for everyone, it tells the story of a boy who joins different clubs in order to meet a certain girl he looks up to. He is stopped by his friend Ozu everytime. The end is epic and when everything comes together it is satisfying. Slow and with a different artstyle.

Casshern Sins

I got into it very recently and i love it. It has a very similar feel to Mushishi in its way of telling stories, but in my opinion, it does it better. The characters are good, even side ones have very good stories and the art is amazing. A bit slow, and dark. Definitely worth it.

Gosick

Gosick is a detective anime centered in 1920, I think. The mysteries arent very difficult, but the characters are awesome, and the story itself is too. Also it gets a bit darker in some episodes. Some are really memorable and the setting is well represented, mostly.

Nichijou

Nichijou is a random crazy nonsensical anime. No joke makes sense, so if you are not into this pure random comedy anime, then you will definitely hate it.

Fate/Zero

Its about a big magical event that occurs (i dont remember how often), in which its competitors fight alongside their Heroic Spirits (important historical or fictional people) to obtain the Holy Grail, and be granted any wish. To watch it, the order I recommend is /Zero 1 & 2, then /UBW 1 & 2, and if you like it the studio deen adaptation.

Cowboy Bebop

Cowboy Bebop is a classic. Wanted to open the list with one. It is about the space travels of Spike and his "friends". Its episodic, but that doesnt mean that its story is bad. This gives it the opportunity to explore different themes and it does it very good. A must watch for any kind of anime fan, though you probably already did.

Zetsuen no Tempest

Yoshino Takigawa, an ordinary teenager, is secretly dating his best friend Mahiro's younger sister. But when his girlfriend Aika mysteriously dies, Mahiro disappears, vowing to find the one responsible and make them pay for murdering his beloved sister. Yoshino continues his life as usual and has not heard from Mahiro in a month—until he is confronted by a strange girl who holds him at gunpoint, and his best friend arrives in the nick of time to save him.

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

HxH is the best long-running shonen anime out there. The story is Gon's journey to find his dad, and in the process, become a Hunter. The animation is beautiful, as almost always regarding Madhouse quality. The character also are, and the fights and powers are too. The arcs are all good. Nothing like Naruto, DBZ, Fairy Tail or even One Piece. Truly solid shonen. 8/10

Kill la Kill

After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities.

Dennou Coil

My favorite type of anime are those that explore interesting ideas and execute them nicely. They can be very experimental or not that crazy but, as you will see, I love them. Dennou Coil is one of them. The main idea is that there are glasses that allow the characters to connect to a cyber world, where cyberpet and all sort of cool ideas exist. I already love the concept, but then it gets darkerm which makes it even better for me. At some points it gets episodic, but it works in favor to the explaining of some parts of the anime.

KonoSuba

Konosuba looks like the generic getting stuck on an rpg anime, but its not. Its about an otaku called Kazuma, who after dying of shock is sent to a new world with whatever he desires, to save the world from the Devil King. The story if a parody of the genre, and it has a cool cast, full of funny moments.

Death Parade

After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered.

Prison School

Prison school is about 5 guys who join an all-girl high school. They are captured while watching the girls bathe, and the student council forces them to either be in prison at school for some time or be expelled.

Kuragehime

Tsukimi loves jellyfish to the point of obsession, which is why she can’t bear to see a jellyfish being mistreated in a local pet store. When the socially awkward Tsukimi fails to speak up for the jellyfish, a beautiful woman steps in, sparking the beginning of an extremely unlikely friendship.

Shokugei no Souma

Shokugeki no Soma is a shonen, which replaces fights for food fights. The comedy is good and the characters are well designed. Also, the food is drawn super realistic, it is extremelly good. Just to spend time or have some fun.

Bakuman

Bakuman is about to mangakas that draw to fullfil their promise. In high school, Mashiro proposed to Miho his love, and when he gets an anime adaptation, they will marry. Together with Takagi, we get to see how the manga industry works. Not only that, the relations and problems are very good, characters and moments too. Its done by Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Obha

Claymore

Humans coexist with demonic predators called Yoma. These demonic beasts feast on human innards and can blend into human society by taking on human appearance. As a counter force, a mysterious organization created half-human, half-Yoma warriors known as Claymores.

Space Dandy

The universe is a mysterious and strange place, full of even stranger and more mysterious aliens. Dandy's job is to hunt down unclassified aliens and register them for a reward.

Ping Pong the Animation

Definitely the best sport anime out there. Many people are turned off by the art, but after episode 1 you get used to it and you will see it was worth it. The story is about ping pong players in their youth. But it is more than that. It treats their problems in life, not only of the main cast, but also of their adversaries.

Psycho Pass

Psycho Pass is one of the best detective stories. It has a great female lead and badass main guy, awesome cases and story. Not much to say. If you liked Death Note, Shinsekai Yori or Ghost in the Shell you will love it.

Serial Experiments Lain

Lain is a weird anime. You understand but at the same time not until late in the series. Its about the wired, a place within the internet thats kind of a sub world. I don't want to say much since i will spoil something. Its good, nice art, decent animation, good story. Once you finish it you might want to check an explanation online.

Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo is about the travels of Jin, Mugen and Fuu, in their search for the Sunflower Samurai. It has awesome animation and characters.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Evangelion is probably one of the most renowned anime from the 90s. Its a bio-mecha anime packed with action and character problems. If you dislike mecha you should check this out anyways, I did too, and loved it. It doesn't feel like they are piloting the Evas and its just awesome.
After the second impact Nerv has been developing Angel countermeasures called Evangelion. They are bio mecha that need high compatibility to be used. The main character Shinji, is the son of Nerv's director and is sent to headquarter to pilot one.

Death Note

You probably already know what Death Note is. About a guy that acquires a Death Note, which allows him to kill anyone he wants. A detective investigates him in order to know his true identity.

Planetes

It is about space debris collectors. But more importantly, about their relations. Planetes has probably the best character development in an anime. Art is incredible and animation is too. Even if space isn't your thing, you should check it out.

Ima, Soko ni Iru boku.

Shun is a typical boy, always full of energy and friends. One day he sees a girl sitting on a smokestack and his life is changed. They are teleported to another world, where he is imprisoned. Despite being beat up, his goal is to go meet the girl he saw, and save her.
The art in the series is childish at first, but it gets darker by episode and the story is sublime. Don't let this pass if you like good stories with dark elements.

Berserk

About a swordsman that joins the Band of Hawks, and together they rise to be very important. Its pretty dark, especially towards the end. If you like Claymore definitely check it out.

Inferno Cop

Trigger's joke anime?

Plastic Nee-san

Just a comedy ONA

FLCL

FLCL is totally crazy. It keeps throwing shit at you and its awesome. It does make sense, but probably not the first time. 6 ep OVA by Gainax.

Gunbuster: Aim for the top

The first season of Gunbuster is awesome. We get to see the character development very well, there are great moments and it has a good end, nothing like Diebuster in my opinion. If you like mecha anime give this a shot, its just a 6 ep OVA.

Memories

It is a series of three short movies. In my opinion the first two stand out more. The first one is directed by Satoshi Kon, and it's also about space debris collectors. This time they find a signal coming from an abandoned place and decide to investigate. Visuals are amazing and as expected from Kon, story too. The second one is Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. It is about an employee that takes accidentally pills that make him emit a gas that he can't see, which corrupts his surroundings. This story is comedic but still his a very high level of quality.

Golden Boy

Golden Boy is by far the best ecchi harem out there. Not so much on the fanservice side like To Love Ru Darkness, but more with the characters. The story follows Kintarou, a guy that takes different jobs to study. Each and every main character has a nice story and good looks. It also has one of the best comedies to be found, even when it is just 6 episodes long.

Tsukimi no Ie

In a flooded town where the waters are ever-rising, an old man must constantly build new floors onto his home in order to keep dry. But when his favorite smoking pipe falls into the watery abyss beneath him, he dives into the depths of not only his house, but memories of years past. Its a short 12 minute anime with stunning art and quite a touching story.

Afro Samurai

Dont go expecting anything to serious, but more of a comedic Samurai Champloo, with its serious bits. There exist two headbands: number one and two. The one who has number two can be challenged by anyone, and he who has number one, is a god, and can be only challenged by number two.

Rain Town

It's a 10 minute short about a girl that lives in a town where rain doesn't stop. The animation is ok, but the backgrounds are awesome and so are the characters. If you have that time, consider this short movie.

Little Witch Academia

Kagari Akko, joined Witch Academia in the hope of someday becoming as spectacular as Shiny Chariot. She is determined to become a graduate of Witch Academy and make her dream come true despite not being from a lineage with witchcraft and wizardry.

Sword of the Stranger

In the Sengoku period of Japan, a young orphan named Kotarou and his dog Tobimaru steal from unsuspecting villagers in order to make ends meet. However, Kotarou is forced to remain on the run when he finds himself being hunted down by assassins sent by China's Ming Dynasty for mysterious reasons not involving his petty crimes.

Summer Wars

OZ, a virtual world connected to the internet, has become extremely popular worldwide as a spot for people to engage in a large variety of activities, such as playing sports or shopping, through avatars created and customized by the user. OZ also possesses a near impenetrable security due to its strong encryption, ensuring that any personal data transmitted through the networks will be kept safe in order to protect those who use it.

Akira

Akira is a classic anime movie. It's Katsuhiro Otomo magnum opus. 30 years after WW III have passed. The story is set in Neo Tokyo, and the main characters are part of a bike gang. By accident a child with psychic powers involves them in a top secret investigation.
If you liked Akira you should read the manga, I did before watching the movie and I can say for certain that the manga is ten times better.

Tenshi no Tamago

Angel's Egg is directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell). His work in this movie is in my opinion the best he has done so far. It is a very dark story, with very few dialogues. The art is beautiful and the backgrounds made by Kimura Shinji fit it perfectly. The music is also epic. Themes aren't explored in the movie, but left for you to interpret.

Metropolis

Metroplis was created by Ozamu Tezuka (Astro Boy) and the script is by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira). That alone is promising but there is more. The story is set in a future where robots and humans fight daily. Kenichi, along with his grandpa and a robot visit Metropolis on a mision.
The art and animation are glorious, and you won't realise it was made in 2001 at all.

Ninja Scroll

Its about a swordsman-for-hire. In his journey he meets a member of the Devil of Kimons. He ends up being hunted by the other members and joins a party with a girl and an old man.

Dead Leaves

Dead Leaves is similar to Panty and Stocking in its art and way of progressing the story. Its the story of

Perfect Blue

Satoshi Kon's best work and my favorite film ever. It is psychological and very dark. If you are searching for a good movie watch it now, without reading my synopsis, it will be better. The story follows Mami, an idol at the top of her career. Problems start to appear when she leaves her group to become an actress. Her life becomes a mix between reality and dreams and she no longer identifies what is going on.

Paprika

Paprika is very weird but good at the same time. At first you just don't understand whats going on but while the story unfolds, you get to know what everything means. In a lab scientist created a machine that lets you enter into another person dreams. One is stolen and problems begin.

Sennen Joyuu

Millenium Actress is told in a very peculiar way, but at the same time cool. An interviewer and his co-worker go to Chiyoko's house, a renowned actress at her time. Now old, she tells us her story. Its a very emotional story, filled with different eras of Japan. She chases a man she met when young in her tales. Super touching, his second best work in my opinion

Hotaru no Haka

Redline

JP is a driver who is competing in the YELLOW LINE in order to get into the RED LINE. Its more than just a racing anime. Totally worth it even if you dont like racing anime.

Sakasama no Patema

Patema Inverted tells the story of Patema, a girl that has lived in an underground civilisation for years until the falls on an endless pit. The exit leads to the outside world, which is upside down. In the outside, people believe that inverted people are sinners, who end up being consumed by the sky.

Studios I recommend

Gainax is my favorite studio next to MADHOUSE. They have created several of my most favorite anime. Generally the go for mecha anime, and they have their own style stablished. My recommendations from them are NGE, FLCL, Gunbuster, TTGL, and Panty and Stocking.

Madhouse is also my favorite studio. They put up extreme quality work most of the time. My recs from them are: anything by Kon, Tatami Galxy, Casshern Sins, Death Note, Death Parade, Claymore, Redline, Summer Wars, Hunter x Hunter, Overlord and OPM

Trigger is a studio created by former members of Gainax. They also have a style stablished and im always exited by what they are putting up. My recommendations from there are Inferno Cop, Kill la Kill, Little Witch Academia and Space Patrol Luluco.

White Fox doesnt have many interesting ones up yet, but I think they will put good ones in the future. Steins;Gate, Re:Zero and Hatarakou are my recs.

Bones is a very good studio that has made many good anime. My favs are Gosick, Sword of the Stranger, Soul Eater, Zetsuen no Tempest, Space Dandy.

IG does have a some good anime, those are: Psycho Pass, Ghost in the Shell and Dead Leaves. Also they worked on End of Eva and FLCL.

Hideaki Anno

He is the director of every Evangelion movie and the series. He also directed some other minor works and did the key animation in lots of anime.

Satoshi Kon

He did 4 movies and a TV series. Perfect Blue, Millenia Actress, Paprika, Tokyo Godfathers and Paranoia Agent He is an awesome director that created awesome stories. He was also a mangaka at the beginning, he made Dream fossil, Kakisen, Opus, World Apartment Horror and Seraphim. I have seen Perfect Blue, Millenia Actress and Paprika. I can say he was the best director.

Masaaki Yuasa

Has a very particular style and almost never uses the "normal" artsyle. He has made Ping Pong, Tatami Galaxy, Kaiba, Kemonomuzume, Mind Game and other smaller ones.

Takeshi Obata

The illustrator for Death Note, Bakuman, Hikaru no Go and other works. His art is amazing, he makes everything he draws look so good. I bought his artbook Blanc et Noir, and I have to say it is amazing, specially the white and black girls.

Katsuhiro Otomo

The creator of Akira. Havent seen that much from him. Only Akira, Metropolis, Memories and maybe other. His work is amazing, super detailed and high quality.

Other mangakas

Makoto Yukimura (Planetes and Vinland Saga), Kentaro Miura (Berserk), Takehiko Inoue (Vagabond, Real and Slam Dunk), Yusuke Murata (Eyeshield 21 and OPM), Inio Asano ( Goodnight PunPun, A girl on the Shore and Solanin), Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20 century boys, pluto)