Greatest Anime Series Licensed by Aniplex of America
Aniplex of America Inc. or Aniplex USA is the U.S. distribution enterprise for Aniplex, owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which was established in March 2005 in Santa Monica, California, in order to reinforce their license business in the North American international anime market.With lists of the greatest anime series licensed by certain anime licensing companies such as Funimation Entertainment, Viz Media, and Sentai Filmworks having already been published here on TheTopTens, now I feel it is my duty to create a list of the greatest anime series licensed by Aniplex of America.
Though infamously known for having skyrocket-high prices for most of their licensed anime, Aniplex of America is abundant in quite a great amount of anime series. Now as everyone who views this list comes to vote and comment on these items, please try to be civil and respectful of other people's opinions on this list including my opinions as well, whether they be users from TheTopTens or anonymous visitors.
If you don't see an item that you wanted on my first 10 items of this original list, please feel free to add more items that you believe should belong on the list of Greatest Anime Series Licensed by Aniplex of America. Please be mindful that I couldn't fit every anime series Aniplex of America licensed when I first made this list.
If you don't agree with some of the items on here, I highly encourage looking for other items you may agree with instead of just coming here to bash on them. Also, if you don't agree with certain rankings of the items, all you have to do is vote or get a TheTopTens account and remix the list to get certain items higher or lower. I'm sure there will be something for everybody on this list.
And remember, if you want to add new items to this list, they have to at least be anime series licensed by Aniplex of America! It's okay if they're also licensed by other companies such as Funimation, but they have to meet the requirement of being licensed by Aniplex of America. Now without further ado, I hope everyone enjoys this list.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an anime series adapted from the Fullmetal Alchemist manga by Hiromu Arakawa. ! Yes! I love this show! It definitely is a great show! Thank you Aniplex America for licensing it!
I haven't even finished it yet but ITS FRIGGN AWESOME and sort of messed up but it's beautiful in its own alchemy way
This is one of my most favorite anime series. Good stuff to watch
This is my favourite anime of all time
Fate/Zero is a series of light novels written by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi, and is a prequel to Type-Moon's visual novel, Fate/stay night. An anime adaptation of Fate/Zero was jointly produced by Aniplex, nitroplus, Type-Moon, Seikaisha, and Ufotable that ran from 2011-2012. Out of all the installments in the Fate series, Fate/Zero might seem to be the one that anime fans love the most. After having seen the entire anime series with my own eyes, now I can see why lots of people love Fate/Zero. Gen Urobuchi, the original creator of Fate/Zero, pulled no punches when it came to giving this show its dark and tragic writing and storytelling. There were so many moments from Fate/Zero that had my eyes glued to the screen as I was anticipating out of suspense what would happen next and when the next tragic plot twists or major character deaths would pop up and leave a meaningful impact on me and anyone who has seen this masterpiece. In addition, ufotable did quite a glorious job with animating this anime, in terms of both computer and traditional animation. That, and there were so many legendary battles and well-choreographed fights that occurred throughout the anime. Toss in ideology clashes, family feud, a battle for recognition between teacher and pupil, and a ...more
Oh yeah daddy this anime pleases me a lot
Sword Art Online is a series of Japanese light novels written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. In 2012, it received an anime adaptation produced by A-1 Pictures and the SAO Project, and is directed by Tomohiko Ito . The first season is divided into two arcs known as "Aincrad" and "Fairy Dance". It has also received a second season, titled Sword Art Online II. If you like SAO, then you like dull and crappy characters along with tedious, arbitrary, and horribly told stories.
I bet the only reason why anyone likes this pile of crap anime is cause it makes them get the warm fuzzies when they see stupid romantic subplot being driven more than the actual plot. I can't believe I even made myself watch this dreadful anime along with the Gun Gale story arc. In my own experience, I have concluded that this anime has a fan base of edgy young teenagers who only enjoy insipid and shallow plot lines and would rather sacrifice all the fundamental elements of brilliant story telling for the sake of watching a tedious, pretentious, and completely overrated love story anime.
Screw Sword Art Online.
I really liked this anime. I think it garners too much hate from the anime community. I wouldn't really consider it overrated if it's over-hated nowadays. The fights were gorgeous and I liked the relationship between Kirito and Asuna. The conclusion to the anime is pretty satisfactory as well and I hope Season 3 will be good.
I fell in love with this anime a couple years ago. Very good concept and a great action, even made me by an Asuna wall scroll
It's actually not that bad. Sure, the anime isn't perfect, but I really enjoyed it! Can't wait for the new movie and Season 3!
Sword Art Online II is the second season of the Sword Art Online anime series, produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Tomohiko Ito. It is divided into the "Phantom Bullet", "Calibur" and "Mother's Rosario" arcs. It is amazing
'Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story' (るろうに剣心 明治剣客浪漫譚, Rurōni Kenshin Meiji Kenkaku Rōmantan), also known as 'Rurouni Kenshin' and 'Samurai X,' is a Japanese anime based on a manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Formerly licensed by Media Blasters, Rurouni Kenshin is a well-respected anime series licensed by Aniplex of America, at least from my perspective. Personally, I haven’t watched Rurouni Kenshin yet, but from what I’ve heard about the anime series and a few clips that my sister watched, I can rest assured that Rurouni Kenshin is a phenomenal and well-crafted anime. Also known as Samurai X, Rurouni Kenshin takes place in the Meiji Era of Japan. In Meiji Era-Japan, Rurouni Kenshin follows the story of main protagonist Himura Kenshin, formerly known as a merciless government assassin named Hitokiri Battousai, who acts as a lone wanderer until he stumbles upon the Kamiya Dojo, where he finds the chance to seek redemption for his past actions in the Japanese Revolution of the Bakumatsu era. Having received praise for the character designs and historical setting, Rurouni Kenshin has been famous for it's themes of atonement, peace, and romance as Himura Kenshin now tries to abandon being a ruthless killer in place of being a protector of the weak. I must say, a premise like that is something that really draws me to Himura Kenshin’s character. Only spanning about 95 episodes in the original anime series along with two OVA series with four episodes and two episodes respectively, I think anyone including me can take some time out of their life to watch Rurouni Kenshin. And I’m sure they’ll enjoy this incredible samurai anime, including me as well.
Gurren Lagann, known in Japan as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, is an anime series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It was also directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by veteran playwright Kazuki Nakashima. Just what the hell do you think this show is? Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann just so happens to be one of my most favorite anime ever! I remember only watching the first episode when I was younger on Crunchyroll. Unfortunately, from that point on until I decided to finish the series when I got older and remembered that I forgot to finish the series, I don’t know why I never continued on from the first episode immediately, because Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is one badass epic mecha thrill ride that will have your drill be the drill that will pierce the heavens! Also known in English as just simply Gurren Lagann, Gurren Lagann tells the tale of a man who has yet to realize what his destiny is, as this man, who is named Simon, lives under the Earth’s surface in a deep, underground village with his bro Kamina, who dreams of one day reaching the surface. One day, they happen to find a special ignition key that they use to activate the Gunman they find that they name Lagann. They then use ...more
This is one of few Mecha anime that I actually enjoyed. I loved every moment, and every character had an important role.
Ever wanted to see robots fight? No? Too bad
Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a 2011 Japanese anime television series produced by Shaft and Aniplex, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, written by Gen Urobuchi, music by Yuki Kajiura, opening sang by ClariS, ending by Kalafina (sometimes by the seiyuus) and original characters by Ume Aoki. This is my favorite anime ever! Beautiful, tragic, and intriguing all in one!
I had watched all 12 episodes of this masterpiece, and I gotta say, the ending was tragic thanks to Gen Urobochi.-Vestalis
It was so sad and epic
I love this anime!
The Seven Deadly Sins is a Japanese fantasy manga/anime series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki. Great anime the best
Kill la Kill is an anime television series produced by Trigger. In Kill la Kill, Ryuko Matoi transfers to a new high school in order to find her father's murderer. Don't lose your way with this epic anime! Produced by Studio Trigger, whose employees used to work for Gainax, and created by the same creators of the groundbreaking anime series Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill is a great roller coaster theme ride filled with breathtaking fighting scenes and action sequences, an epic original soundtrack by the same composer for Blue Exorcist and Attack on Titan, an awesome cast of characters, a little bit of some comedy thrown in for good laughs, a surprisingly interesting and deep plot premise and story, loads of fan service, and much more in store! Now a lot of people might argue Gurren Lagann was better than Kill la Kill, but in my honest opinion, I actually love both of them a lot! Seriously, they’re both rated a 10 on my MAL profile! If I could describe the anime series Kill la Kill in the simplest way possible, I would call it a mature magical girl anime aimed at adults. That’s how I would put it. Then again, maybe there’s even ...more
Blue Exorcist is an anime series directed by Tensai Okamura and produced by A-1 Pictures, which adapts the Blue Exorcist manga written and illustrated by Kazue Kato. Season 2 has finally started. Looks like the Kyoto Saga is going to be a blast.
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works is a 2014–2015 action, thriller, fantasy anime based on the visual novel Fate/stay night produced by Type-Moon. Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works adapts the Unlimited Blade Works route from the Fate/stay night visual novel. Forget about that movie adaptation of the same name made by Studio Deen in 2010. If you want a proper adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route from the original Fate/stay night visual novel, look no further than ufotable's 2014-2015 anime adaptation of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. Being the animation studio who previously adapted Fate/Zero, I’m sure many Type-Moon and Fate fans were screaming for joy when they heard that ufotable was going to come back to work on Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. And at least for me, this anime series not only lived up to the expectations that I had for it, but I also truly enjoyed it as well! Though the premise and story isn’t something really original, what I really liked about Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works were not only the godly animation and music produced, but also how the story progressed and how much it differed from the Fate route. Though I’m sure many people would say that they would prefer the Fate route ...more
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (Japanese: マギ, Magi) is a Japanese fantasy adventure manga series written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka. It was serialized by Shogakukan in the shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from June 2009 to October 2017, with its chapters collected and published into 37 tankōbon volumes. The manga is licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media... read more This anime is amazing.
God Eater is an anime adaptation of the God Eater video game series. It is animated by Ufotable and began airing on July 12, 2015 after a one-week delay. Not the best ufotable has to offer, but I relatively enjoyed this anime adaptation of the God Eater video game series. I'm wondering if they'll ever make a second season. Anyways, if you crave tons of action and gore and you're into cyberpunk post-apocalyptic anime, I highly recommend checking this one out.
Your Lie in April, known in Japan as Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso or just simply Kimiuso, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa. The series was serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine from April 2011 to May 2015. When the original manga source of Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, known in English as Your Lie in April, is great enough to even make the One Piece manga author Eiichiro Oda jealous of it, that already tells you right there that Your Lie in April is a masterpiece. Though I have yet to watch it (I really need to put Your Lie in April on my “Plan to Watch” tab on my MAL profile after making this list), a lot of people really seem to love it a lot. I never really see a lot of hate going on for Your Lie in April, so could it be the next Clannad minus the excessive hate? Either way, I really want to watch Your Lie in April considering I’ve heard great things about its animation and art style, music, romance, and great characters. The premise of Your Lie in April revolves around a young male pianist named Kousei Arima, who loses the ability to hear the sound of his own piano playing after his mother passes away, forcing him to give up piano playing. Two years later, he meets a beautiful ...more
Airing initially in 2009, this anime series is based on light novels by Nisio Isin. The series employs unconventional storytelling techniques to narrate the experiences of a high school student encountering various oddities. Known for its unique visual style and dialogue-heavy episodes, it has captivated a wide audience. There's a ton of lore around this series and you really have to change the way you think to really understand this anime. If you think like a Japanese person, which is very hard to do, then you will love this bizarre series.
Debuting in 2015, this anime series was created by Jun Maeda. The story follows a group of teenagers with supernatural abilities, examining the ethical dilemmas they face. The show is acclaimed for its narrative twists and complex character development. I LOVE CHARLOTTE! I love how the main female character isn’t girly and I loved it when she kicked the main male character!
I'm just going to say right now that all 7 anime movies and the epilogue along with Mirai Fukuin are arguably one of the best works to be pumped out by TYPE-MOON and ufotable. The animation truly delivers in fluidity and execution of its choreography of the action scenes and fights. In addition, from the same composer who gave us the phenomenal soundtracks for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, and Sword Art Online, Yuki Kajiura and her vocal group Kalafina presented us with a masterful composition throughout the movie and incredible ending songs respectively. Not to mention Shiki Ryougi's character and relationship with Mikiya Kokutou are well-developed. If you're a TYPE-MOON fan like me, best to check out this underrated gem.
Angel Beats! is a 13-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A.Works and Aniplex and directed by Seiji Kishi. Sorry to say this, but this is technically licensed by Sentai Filmworks. Angel Beats! is produced by Aniplex, but it's not licensed by Aniplex of America.
Premiering in 2010, this anime series is an adaptation of a light novel by Ryohgo Narita. Set in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, the show weaves multiple storylines involving supernatural entities and gang wars. The series has garnered a strong following due to its intricate plot and ensemble cast. Looks interesting, so hopefully I can see it as soon as possible after watching Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga.
Naruto: Shippuden is the ongoing sequel to the original Naruto anime and covers the Naruto manga from volume twenty-eight on. The TV adaptation of Naruto: Shippuden debuted in Japan on February 15, 2007 on TV Tokyo. It is developed by Studio Pierrot and directed by Hayato Date. I love Naruto and Naruto Shippuden
Honestly I don’t get it.
People told me this is horrible and I shouldn’t watch it but I still did and I loved it.
It just proves a loser can be as great as a leader like Naruto Uzumaki is. Before you think about talking bad about an anime why don’t you watch it yourself. It does have a lot of filler epsidodes but who said it wasn’t allowed? I love this anime and whenever I think of Naruto I think of friendship. This anime has a lot of friendship and I think this is what makes Naruto and Naruto Shippuden special if you don’t like this then leave it and find another anime because if you talk bad about it you might make other people not want to watch it even though they might like it when they watch it and secondly you are seriously wasting your time when you could be watching anime.
Debuting in 2014, this anime series is based on a manga by Naoshi Komi. The plot centers around two high school students who pretend to be in a romantic relationship to maintain peace between their feuding families. Noted for its romantic comedy elements, the show enjoys a large fan base.
In this 12 episode long psychological thriller 29 year old Satoru Fujinuma is sent back in time 18 years to prevent the events leading to his mother's death, which began with a series of kidnappings in his 5th grade year.
From what I read, Aniplex hasn't licensed Kiznaiver yet. Matter of fact it has yet to be licensed for North America.
Black Butler is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures. It premiered in October, 2008. It was based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Yana Toboso. The series follows Ciel Phantomhive, the twelve-year-old Earl of Phantomhive serving as the Queen's Watchdog. He is tasked with solving crimes in the underworld of Victorian-era London. Ciel has formed a contract with demon Sebastian Michaelis, who disguises himself as his butler, to seek revenge on those who tortured him and murdered his parents. In exchange for his services, Sebastian will be allowed to consume Ciel's soul. Again, it's produced by Aniplex, but not licensed by Aniplex of America.
How is this show not in the Top 10?! One of my favorite anime of all time.
Fullmetal Alchemist is an anime series adapted from the manga of the same name by Hiromu Arakawa. It is about two brothers, Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric, trying to restore their bodies after failing at bringing their mother back to life. It aired in 2003 and was remade as Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood in 2009. This should honestly be #1. While I think both this and Brotherhood are equally amazing, 2003 had a better first impression and was a better first watch than Brotherhood, not to mention I love the darkness it presents and many characters are better done here than Brotherhood such as Hughes, Lust, Nina, and more. Conclusion:Put this masterpiece #1! -TheDarkOne_221b
P.S. WATCH THE SHOW KITSADA!
Okay, now I can confirm that the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist anime adaptation has been licensed by Aniplex of America. So now it can be on this list.