1950s: Osamu Tezuka stuff, like Tetsuwan Atom/Astro Boy. Stiff and choppy compared to what came later.
1960s: Mach GoGoGo/Speed Racer. Not much more animated than the above, but in color.
1970s: Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers and Mobile Suit Gundam. Stiff in places, especially early on, but the evolution was showing.
1980s: Akira, Gunbuster. Katsuhiro Otomo's movie and Hideaki Anno's six-episode OVA revolutionize the medium, and still look amazing today.
1990s: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax somehow turn limitations into art that has endured for 30 years. I came into it only two years ago, yet it now may be my favorite anime of all time. Sailor Moon and (most of) Dragon Ball Z less so, but only because Toei forced them to do one episode a week, EVERY week, 52 weeks a year, like they still do with One Piece today.
2000s: Gurren Lagann. The last hurrah for Studio Gainax before it all went to hell for them and so many split to form Studio Trigger, but at least they went out with the biggest of bangs.
2010s: Kill la Kill and anything else done by Studio Trigger. Also anything done by Kyoto Animation...which is why I'm still so pissed that Shinji Aoba murdered 36 of them in his arson attack.
2020s: Still ongoing, can't make a judgment here yet, especially since I haven't seen so much of the new stuff yet, including Freiren.
Hurry up and watch Frieren. They assembled a team of legends to work on it, included the creator in every step of the process. Everyone involved cared about the project & it shows.
Se.02 in Jan '26!
Anime took the reverse path.
1950s: Osamu Tezuka stuff, like Tetsuwan Atom/Astro Boy. Stiff and choppy compared to what came later.
1960s: Mach GoGoGo/Speed Racer. Not much more animated than the above, but in color.
1970s: Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers and Mobile Suit Gundam. Stiff in places, especially early on, but the evolution was showing.
1980s: Akira, Gunbuster. Katsuhiro Otomo's movie and Hideaki Anno's six-episode OVA revolutionize the medium, and still look amazing today.
1990s: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax somehow turn limitations into art that has endured for 30 years. I came into it only two years ago, yet it now may be my favorite anime of all time. Sailor Moon and (most of) Dragon Ball Z less so, but only because Toei forced them to do one episode a week, EVERY week, 52 weeks a year, like they still do with One Piece today.
2000s: Gurren Lagann. The last hurrah for Studio Gainax before it all went to hell for them and so many split to form Studio Trigger, but at least they went out with the biggest of bangs.
2010s: Kill la Kill and anything else done by Studio Trigger. Also anything done by Kyoto Animation...which is why I'm still so pissed that Shinji Aoba murdered 36 of them in his arson attack.
2020s: Still ongoing, can't make a judgment here yet, especially since I haven't seen so much of the new stuff yet, including Freiren.
Hurry up and watch Frieren. They assembled a team of legends to work on it, included the creator in every step of the process. Everyone involved cared about the project & it shows.
Se.02 in Jan '26!