If you’re coming to this post from the world of fandom, you’re already familiar with the term canon. In the world of decade-spanning multimedia franchises, canon refers to the interconnected works that are considered to be “true” within the setting. But the canon I’m talking about today is of the literary variety.
A canon in literature is a list of essential books. This simple concept is naturally a source of lots of academic debate because to list essential works is to call the works not on the list non-essential. You need only check out the Wikipedia article on the Western canon to see just how wholly unprepared I am to step off into this subject matter. Literary canons ask a lot of questions that will always have controversial answers because they are inherently exclusionary (not that being exclusive is innately a bad thing).
But canon can also be useful. It can provide a starting point for learning about a vast web of interconnected works and authors, patterns of influence and change and what makes a story “good.”
When I started this challenge, what I really wanted was a canon for anime. I wanted to find essential works that would show me the development of the medium as well as its high points as an art form. But as with books, there are plenty of “Top 100” lists and lists of essentials out there that don’t really explain their methodology or goal.
That in mind, I’ve been working on a list of essentials to add to the pile. I’m not going to call it a canon, because I don’t have the knowledge to structure an anime canon. But it’s a step in the right direction. The methodology and goal got a little lost on the way, and I’ve tried to correct for that. The goal of this list is a sort of EPCOT tour of anime. I’ve tried to hit all the highlights in 50 shows and movies, and I think most of them will also be broadly accessible and fun to watch. I’ve also tried to keep everything under 40 episodes, selecting arcs and episodes from longer running but important shows.
I am definitely interested in feedback, and I plan to explore some of the items on this list during the remainder of the challenge. I expect this list to change over time as I watch more and continue with this blog. Without further ado, here’s the list:
| Show | Arc | # of Epi | Year |
| Astro Boy | The Birth of Atom (Episode 1) | 1 | 1963 |
| Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro | Movie | 1 | 1979 |
| Uresei Yatsura | Episodes 1-39 | 39 | 1981 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam | Compilation movie trilogy | 3 | 1983 |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | Movie | 1 | 1984 |
| Dragon Ball | The Tournament Saga (Episodes 14-28) | 14 | 1986 |
| Grave of the Fireflies | Movie | 1 | 1988 |
| Akira | Movie | 1 | 1988 |
| Ranma 1/2 | Digital Dojo | 18 | 1989 |
| Dragon Ball Z | The Frieza Saga (Season 3) | 33 | 1991 |
| Porco Roso | Movie | 1 | 1992 |
| Sailor Moon | Episodes 1-22 | 22 | 1992 |
| Tenchi Muyo! | Original OVAs | 6 | 1992 |
| Ninja Scroll | Movie | 1 | 1993 |
| Yu Yu Hakusho | Dark Torunament Saga (Episodes 26-66) | 40 | 1993 |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion | Series | 26 | 1995 |
| Perfect Blue | Movie | 1 | 1997 |
| Rurouni Kenshin | Kyoto Arc (Season 2) | 35 | 1997 |
| Revolutionary Girl Utena | Series | 39 | 1997 |
| Cowboy Bebop | Series | 26 | 1998 |
| Pokémon: The First Movie | Movie | 1 | 1998 |
| Outlaw Star | Series | 26 | 1998 |
| Trigun | Series | 26 | 1998 |
| Serial Experiments Lain | Series | 13 | 1998 |
| FLCL | OVA Series | 6 | 2000 |
| Spirited Away | Movie | 1 | 2001 |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | Season 1 | 26 | 2002 |
| Azumanga Daioh | Series | 26 | 2002 |
| Samurai Champloo | Series | 26 | 2004 |
| Paprika | Movie | 1 | 2006 |
| The Melancholoy of Harumi Suzumiya | Series | 28 | 2006 |
| Ouran High School Host Club | Series | 26 | 2006 |
| Sword of the Stranger | Movie | 1 | 2007 |
| Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann | Series | 27 | 2007 |
| Toradora! | Series | 25 | 2008 |
| Summer Wars | Movie | 1 | 2009 |
| Redline | Movie | 1 | 2009 |
| Princess Jellyfish | Series | 11 | 2010 |
| From Up on Poppy Hill | Movie | 1 | 2011 |
| Puella Magi Madoka Magica | Series | 12 | 2011 |
| Chihayafuru | Season 1 | 25 | 2011 |
| Hunter x Hunter | Hunter Exam Arc (Episodes 1-26) | 26 | 2011 |
| Sword Art Online | The Aincrad Arc | 14 | 2012 |
| Berserk: The Golden Age Arc | Movie trilogy | 3 | 2012 |
| JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure | Season 1 | 26 | 2012 |
| Attack on Titan | Season 1 | 25 | 2013 |
| Haikyu!! | Season 1 | 25 | 2014 |
| One-Punch Man | Season 1 | 12 | 2015 |
| Your Name | Movie | 1 | 2016 |
| My Hero Academia | Season 1 | 13 | 2016 |
You will not like everything on this list. I don’t like everything on the list. Some of it is here because it’s important to the medium. Some of it is here because it’s important in anime culture right now. I’ve tried to provide a sampler with a little something for everyone. Some shows could use a more specific arc recommendation and others may be on the verge of being removed from the list.
It’s an ostentatious task for anyone, much less a dabbler like me, to look at several decades of animation and say “this is the important stuff.” I haven’t seen all of this. Some of it I know only by reputation and recommendation, and I’m still going to be working my way through this list months after this challenge is through.
If you find something you like, watch more of it or more by its director or creator or studio. This is just the starting point. Until tomorrow.
P.S. This list would have been totally impossible without the attention, advise and criticism of friends Dave, Sawcy, Nik, Cleghorn and Kianna. To them I award No-Prizes.
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