Summary

• Some of the best anime are adaptations of popular manga.
• Some adaptations thrive on how much they enhance the original source material with stellar animation.
• Others excel simply through the competency with which they adapt their stories.

While there are plenty of great original anime out there, adaptations are typically the ones that get the most attention. Since they're typically adapted from works with pre-established fanbases, people already know what to expect from them, and anime studios, in turn, will put a lot of extra effort into them to further sell them to old and new fans alike.

Upon being picked up, a manga adaptation can either go very poorly or it could hopefully end up enhancing the source material, earning a favorable reception from readers and viewers alike.

The best manga adaptations are usually the ones where the studios can confidently translate what was on the page and onto the screen, not just through how much flair they add to the series, but through their basic competency, as well. Some adaptations have done a better job of this than others, and a few, in particular, are especially worth highlighting.

15 Dragon Ball Z is a Timeless Classic That Has Aged Gracefully

Anime series by Toei Animation; Based on the manga by Akira Toriyama

Few anime share the iconic legacy of Dragon Ball Z. While the original Dragon Ball manga by Akira Toriyama is undeniably one of the single most influential pieces of modern literature, the anime adapting that series' latter half is no slouch either. The series picks up a little while after the original Dragon Ball anime ended, with Goku having settled down with Chi-Chi to start a family. Unfortunately, a series of increasingly powerful world-ending threats require the attention of Goku and his friends.

What makes Dragon Ball Z such a great adaptation of Toriyama's manga is how much the anime adds to the original. The animation, sound, and acting are all iconic for good reason, as they're all handled with a deft hand despite a misstep here or there. TDragon Ball is dynamic enough on its own, but with animation, the fights come to life in a way that's burned into every fans' mind.

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14 My Hero Academia Proves Shonen Action & Superheroes Are the Perfect Combo

Anime series by Studio Bones; Based on the manga by Kohei Horikoshi

Starting in an era when superheroes were bigger than ever, it's no wonder that My Hero Academia's manga was a huge hit. Even with the series' meteoric rise though, Studio Bones' adaptation of the series is still impressive. Bones has taken on a wide variety of high-profile anime adaptations before My Hero Academia, but none are quite on the scale of global phenomenon as the most famous superhero shonen anime.

The result of this notoriety is a series that looks like the maximum amount of effort was put into it. Bones clearly put a great deal of thought into making My Hero Academia vibrant and full of life. The result is that My Hero Academia is consistently one of the best-looking anime every season that it airs. Few anime series are as consistently exploding with action and personality as My Hero Academia.

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13 Chainsaw Man Takes Shonen in a Horrific New Direction

Anime series by MAPPA; Based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto

It's no understatement to say that few anime adaptations understand their source material quite like Chainsaw Man's. As made clear by Chainsaw Man's movie homage-filled opening, MAPPA's adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's smash hit horror shonen is a love letter to the original manga and its enigmatic creator.

What makes Chainsaw Man truly stand out from the pack is its direction. Shots are framed to give the maximum emotional impact, and the soundtrack adds a great deal of character to the already robust series. More than anything else though, there is a grasp on the characters, themes, and setting that truly sets Chainsaw Man apart as an adaptation. Fujimoto's manga is one of the freshest manga series in recent memory, so it's reassuring to see the anime series so effortlessly replicate that unique energy.

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12 Berserk is Still One of the Best Dark Fantasy Anime of All Time

Anime series by OLM; Based on the Manga By Kentaro Miura

Berserk has exploded in popularity recently, naturally leading many potential fans to seek out the series' first anime adaptation. Any who did are in for a true treat, as 1997's Berserk anime is truly an unparalleled masterpiece. The series follows a mercenary named Guts as he s the Band of the Hawk, led by the mysterious Griffith. Unfortunately, though Guts' time with the Band of the Hawk and Griffith are some of his best years, it is doomed to end in tragedy during the cataclysmic eclipse.

More than just a faithful adaptation, Berserk adds to the source material with incredible direction and moving animation. Susumu Hirasawa's soundtrack for Berserk is also an undeniable standout, managing to go from haunting to epic to tragic in a matter of seconds. If there's one mark against Berserk's 1997 anime it's the series' infamous lack of an ending. Still, any fan wanting more Berserk simply needs to pick up Kentaro Miura's original masterpiece to know how the story continues after the Golden Age.

11 Spy X Family Is A Modern Anime Classic

Anime series by Wit Studio & Studio CloverWorks; Based on the manga by Tatsuya Endo

Wit Studio and Studio CloverWorks' Spy X Family is set in a Cold War-esque setting and stars Twilight, an elite agent of the spy organization WISE tasked with investigating Donovan Desmond, a man who could potentially destroy the fragile peace between the East and West. To do so, Twilight must take on the guise of Loid Forger and take on a fake family to get close to Donovan, but unbeknownst to him, the people he chose as a wife and daughter are secretly an assassin and a telepath, respectively.

Spy X Family has more than proven that it has become a classic in the anime community with its 60s Cold War spy aesthetic and showcasing the duplicitous natures of each main character as they individually strive for world peace. Hammering home to make the world look as real as a fictional '60s East Berlin would while never holding back when the action demands it and slowing down for the drama to catch up when needed. It's a competent adaptation of a popular manga series and its success is hardly showing any signs of slowing down.

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10 Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War Revolutionizes Romance Anime

Anime series by A-1 Pictures; Based on the manga by Aka Akasaka

A-1 Pictures' Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War is centered around Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane, the heads of the student council who have not only developed feelings for one another, but they are all but certain that their feelings are reciprocal. Both are too prideful to be the ones to ask the other out, however, so they constantly engage in mind games to try and force the other person to confess their feelings, with the people around them continuously oblivious to what they're doing.

Kaguya-sama has received tremendous praise since its premiere, and it's easy to see why that is. The constant mind games Kaguya and Miyuki engage in, combined with the anime's creative and fluid animation and a persistent self-awareness in its writing make it a great adaptation in of both visuals and story from start to finish. Romance and psychological drama are two genres that would seem incompatible, but Kaguya-sama does a great job of making them work together.

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9 Attack On Titan Is The Face Of Modern Anime

Anime series by Studio MAPPA; Based on the manga by Hajime Isayama

Studio MAPPA's Attack On Titan is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has lived in fear of man-eating Titans for 100 years. A sudden assault by the Titans makes the young Eren Yeager realize just how terrible the world they live in is, and he vows to be the one to rid the world of Titans, all the while being unaware of just what his quest would reveal and how it would change him.

Attack on Titan has quickly become not just one of the most popular anime of all time, but one of the most popular shows, in general. Attack on Titan's world-building, writing, and animation have been some of the best in anime from start to finish, and even as it switches between genres, themes, and studios, there's a level of competency to it that other anime tend to lack. Attack on Titan has essentially been the face of modern anime, and it's easy to see why that is.

Attack on Titan's first three seasons were animated by Wit Studio before production was shifted to Studio MAPPA.

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8 Gintama Is Still A Timeless Anime Comedy

Anime series by Studio Sunrise; Based on the manga by Hideaki Sorachi

Studio Sunrise’s Gintama takes place in an alternate history to our own where aliens invaded Japan during the late Edo period and transformed it into a land where samurai are outlawed and aliens reign supreme. Gintoki, a former samurai who fought in the war with the aliens, is now living as an eccentric freelancer, and after unwittingly taking on an apprentice in Shinpachi, his freelancing becomes a full-fledged business known as the Yorozuya.

What makes Gintama such a great series is how it balances its extremely different tones. From start to finish, Gintama always knows how to effortlessly balance serious action and absurdist comedy, so no matter what type of writing a person prefers, they're always bound to find something to enjoy. There are few anime that are better for comedy and action lovers, and that’s a big part of why Gintama has maintained such an enduring legacy.

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7 One Piece Is The Undisputed King Of Anime

Anime series by Toei Animation; Based on the manga by Eiichiro Oda

Toei Animation's One Piece tells the story of a world in the midst of a Great Age of Piracy as pirates search the world for the One Piece, the legendary treasure that will make anyone who obtains it the King of the Pirates. Among the people looking for it is Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with a straw hat and a body made of rubber, and despite how new he and his crew are to everything, Luffy will show everyone that he can't be ignored in the race to become king.

One Piece is the biggest anime franchise in the world, and it's easy to see why that is. The goofy nature of One Piece's world and characters, combined with the great writing and fight scenes, has made for consistently great entertainment for 25 years, and the most recent seasons are top contenders for having the best visuals in all of animation. One Piece and anime have essentially become synonymous with one another, and the overwhelming quality of the series perfectly justifies that.

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6 Jujutsu Kaisen Has Redefined Action Anime

Anime series by Studio MAPPA; Based on the manga by Gege Akutami

In Studio Mappa’s Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuji Itadori is a boy with abnormal physical abilities who one day learns of the existence of evil supernatural beings called curses. An incident with a curse forces Yuji to become a vessel to Ryomen Sukuna, the most powerful and evil curse in history, and thanks to his unexpected ability to suppress Sukuna’s power, Yuji is tasked with becoming a sorcerer and fighting curses until his superiors can execute him along with Sukuna’s soul.

Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the biggest anime to come out in recent years, and it’s easy to see why that is. Not only does the story feature a great cast of entertaining characters for both the heroes and the villains, but Jujutsu Kaisen always features incredibly fluid art, animation, and overall direction that leads to some of the best fight scenes to ever be in an anime. There are few manga to have as meteoric a rise to fame as Jujutsu Kaisen, and the anime does an incredible job of conveying how and why that came to be.

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