Just as nothing is perfect, there is nothing that doesn’t have its share of hate. But even in anime, one of the most toxic communities, exist relatively beloved series. Shows such as One Piece and Attack on Titan are universally praised for their creativity, story, originality, and entertainment value, but as some of the most popular anime series ever, they have an equal amount of hate that comes with their praise.
It seems that everything has its haters nowadays, especially when something gets popular, then the haters suddenly appear to spread their dislike. However, there are a handful of universally beloved anime series, and this list will rank the seven of them based on how little hate they get, how much love they get, creativity, writing, animation, consistency, critical acclaim, and overall quality. Of course, even these anime get some hate, but it is hard to come by when compared to the majority of shows. Note that this list will only contain popular anime series that are beloved, and will not include lesser-known shows.
Edward Elric preparing a transmutation move in Fullmetal Alchemist: BrotherhoodImage via Crunchyroll
It is only natural for some of the most popular anime series to have a lot of negativity tied to them, but one show that has best avoided that is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Brothers Ed (Romi Park) and Al (Rie Kugimiya) lose parts or all of their bodies in a taboo experiment, which prompts them to search for the philosopher’s stone. However, when they uncover a government conspiracy, the duo must stop it before it consumes the entire world.
Out of all the anime listed here, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood does get some hate or claims of it being overrated, just because it is regarded by many as the greatest anime series of all time. Still, the massive amount of love proves that this anime has something for everyone, whether it be the action, story, comedy, drama, mystery, romance, worldbuilding, or well-written characters. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and for those who haven’t seen it, watching it will surely make them a fan.
6
‘Azumanga Daioh’ (2002)
Girls in a music class in the anime series ‘Azumanga Daioh’Image via TV Tokyo
Comedy in anime isn’t for everyone, which is why when a good one comes along, it is often remembered for decades and goes down in history as a staple of the community. Azumanga Daioh follows a group of high school girls and the daily shenanigans they get up to. However, when an elementary student is fast-tracked because of her genius, she joins this group and changes the dynamic instantly, getting along with this eccentric, yet opposite bunch of endearing characters.
In a community untouched by hate and a show that is so fun, goofy, and wholesome that nobody could dare say anything bad about it, one hater does exist: the creator. It is ironic that the only hater of Azumanga Daioh is the manga author, who did not appreciate or enjoy the anime adaptation one bit. Either way, this anime is still a beloved comedy classic that features an eccentric group of characters and the hijinks that they get up to. Azumanga Daioh is silly and nonsensical, but that is exactly why so many people adore it.
5
‘Haikyuu!’ (2014–Present)
Karasuno volleyball team celebrating on the court with a sparse crowd watching in Haikyu!!Image via Crunchyroll
Volleyball isn’t the most riveting sport out there, but if one show will change the minds of fans, it is Haikyuu! Hinata (Ayumu Murase) may be undersized, but he has big aspirations of becoming a star volleyball player at his new school. However, he instantly clashes with a prodigious rookie setter known for being stubborn. The only thing they share in common is their goal of being the best, and the two will have to work together if they want to make this former powerhouse school relive its glory days.
The sports genre is one of the best in anime, constantly delivering exhilarating action and tense drama for fans to fall in love with. Haikyuu is the ultimate underdog story, and the way it develops characters, shows their flaws, and highlights their dynamics with others is a spectacular aspect that fans can agree is what this show does perfectly. Haikyuu doesn’t just show volleyball; it teaches it, allowing fans to learn with the characters, which builds a stronger bond between anime and fandom.
4
‘Mob Psycho 100’ (2016–2022)
Mob pointing at a bunch of glowing spirits in Mob Psycho 100 Season 3.Image via Bones
ONE is a prolific author best known for One Punch Man, but after its most recent season, it is definitely not beloved. However, his other work, Mob Psycho 100, is universally acclaimed. Shigeo (Setsuo Itō) is the world’s strongest psychic, but despite his overwhelming strength, he only wants to have an average high school life and win over his crush. But because he suppresses his emotions, his psychic powers explode when he is overwhelmed, making life difficult for him, his friends, and his enemies.
Finding someone who dislikes Mob Psycho 100 is difficult because even if they aren’t a fan, it is rare for anyone actually to hate this anime. Mob is such an endearing character with some of the best character development in anime. But he isn’t the only adored character, as the entire cast is brimming with personality, especially Reigen (Takahiro Sakurai), whom the anime fandom universally agrees is one of the best side characters. Mob Psycho 100 is a modern masterpiece that excels at everything it does: animation, characters, action, comedy, and story, making it a flawless and beloved classic.
Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
3
‘Gintama’ (2006–2018)
It is difficult for a long-running battle shōnen to remain universally beloved because the longer it goes on, the more flaws and mistakes it opens itself up to. However, Gintama managed this perfectly and established itself as a legendary anime. Set in an alternate version of Japan where aliens took over, Gintoki (Tomokazu Sugita) is a former samurai who spends his days doing odd jobs with Kagura (Rie Kugimiya) and Shinpachi (Daisuke Sakaguchi). However, taking on these jobs puts them face-to-face with terrorists, the police, aliens, and space pirates on a daily basis.
Gintama has its fair share of flaws, including the slow opening that resulted in many viewers dropping it. However, this anime picks up in a big way, instantly becoming one of the funniest pieces of media fans will ever see. On one side, its style of referential, parody, satirical, and goofy humor creates a hilarious atmosphere, and on the other side, it is a gripping action series with political intrigue and grand fights. Gintama is a rare anime that achieves so much, cementing its legacy as a beloved classic that appeals to comedy, action, and story lovers.
2
‘Yu Yu Hakusho’ (1992–1995)
Group picture of Team Urameshi from ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’Image via Pierrot
Yoshihiro Togashi is an influential manga author best known for Hunter x Hunter, a series that still hasn’t ended, constantly going back and forth between publishing and hiatus. While that show has some haters, his other work doesn’t: Yu Yu Hakusho. Yusuke (Nozomu Sasaki) is a street punk who uncharacteristically sacrifices himself to save a kid. The underworld doesn’t know what to do with him, and therefore gives him a second chance at life, now working as a spirit detective who must keep the balance between the human world and the supernatural.
If there is even a morsel of hate towards Yu Yu Hakusho, it comes from the atrocious ending that suddenly concluded the series, with fans missing over half of the fights. It is a terrible conclusion, but even that wasn’t enough to tarnish its name, with Yu Yu Hakusho being the most beloved long-running battle shōnen out there. Older fans love it because they grew up with it, and many toxic newer fans haven’t seen it yet, making it a perfect time capsule of the 1990s that is untouched by the haters of the community. Yu Yu Hakusho is a defining anime that has earned its reputation as a universally loved series.
1
‘Gurren Lagann’ (2007)
The cast of Gurren Lagann standing against the backdrop of a beautiful sky.Image via Gainax
Every anime has its haters, but this list contains the few shows that are mostly exempt from this, especially Gurren Lagann. Simon (Tetsuya Kakihara) and Kamina (Katsuyuki Konishi) live in a subterranean village with dreams of one day going to the surface. This dream comes true when they discover an ancient mech that drills them into the light of day. However, their ambition doesn’t stop there, with the duo planning to pierce the heavens and create a lasting family in this world.
The anime community at large adores Gurren Lagann, with many going years before seeing anything negative about this masterpiece. Maybe haters are scared to display their dislike because they know so many people love it, but the likely scenario is that this anime is just universally beloved. Gurren Lagann is an easy binge-watch, portraying a highly entertaining story with high-octane action that has mechs throwing galaxies at each other. Any amount of praise underscoring Gurren Lagann‘s overall popularity and collective love is because that amount of positivity around this anime is unheard of. But this just proves that Gurren Lagann needs to be on everyone’s watch list, because it might just be their new favorite anime.
