All About Anime: 90s Anime You Should Definitely Watch (Again)

Do you ever feel like re-watching the shows from your childhood? Do you remember those days where you want to go home right after school or wake up early in the morning, so that you don't miss any episodes? If you are a 90s kid, you probably grew up watching animes and attempted memorizing the catchy opening theme songs in the process. Or, you probably tried to learn them so that you can play them on a musical instrument of your choice! This blog gives our list of 90s animes that we recommend, which is not for the sake of reminiscing for those who grew up with these alone, but for everyone to give them a try. Read on!

1. 1997: Clamp School Detectives

With the goal of assisting all of the women in the world with their problems, three famous elementary school students created their own detective agency. The protagonists are not only rich and smart school council members. They all have their own unique talents. One of them excels in cooking, the other in martial arts, while their president excels in procrastination in paperwork for the school council.

If you are into mystery, we recommend that you (re)watch this!

What do you think of the anime? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image reference: Clamp School Detectives [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amazon.co.uk/CLAMP-SCHOOL-DETECTIVES/dp/B01FZ91EKA

2. 1996: Dragon Ball GT

Dan dan kokoro hikareteku

Sono mabushii egao ni

Hatenai yami kara tobidasou

hold my hand . . .

If you have watched Dragon Ball GT before, you may have probably sang the lyrics above. Did it sort of make you cry because you remember your childhood memories of growing up with Goku? Do you still remember the plot of Dragon Ball GT? If not, worry not. Here is the synopsis!

Join Trunks, Goku and his granddaughter, Pan, on their adventures as they collect the Black star dragon balls along the way. Remember Baby? The most annoying antagonist in Dragon ball? Well, there is also the Good Buu (Majin Buu), who is absolutely lovable. Also, let us not forget the nice and fatherly side of Vegeta and the genius Bulma.

Even though you know the ending of Dragon Ball Grand Tour (GT), it is still worth watching, seeing how the protagonist's journey evolves and unravels as the series progresses.

What were your favourite moments of the show? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image reference: Dragon Ball GT [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139774/mediaviewer/rm649724416

3. 1992: YuYu Hakusho

If only we can put all of the intro songs for every anime listed here. It would be amazing!

Anyway, the story is about Yusuke Urameshi (the guy wearing a green uniform on the poster on the left). He died from having saved someone else's life.

Did he get reincarnated in a video game and meet super hot girls, like the plots of most of the animes these days? Not necessarily. Instead, he just went on a series of tasks as a spirit detective to get his life back. He has this raygun (like Gege no Kitarou has) to help him remove bad spirits. Along his journey, he is accompanied by Kazuma Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama.

Further, this anime is one of the shows wherein we are stuck in the middle because we would want it to have a sequel due to some cliffhangers. Tell us in the comments below if you prefer a sequel or a remake of the show!

Image reference: Yu Yu Hakusho [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185133/mediaviewer/rm2196128512

4. 1999: Hunter x Hunter

From what I remember, this anime tv series version was not completely based on the manga and therefore, a remake of the anime aired a little over 10 years later.

The 1999 version covers until the time when ... oops, that was close. That would have been a spoiler, had the sentence continued. As a whole, the graphics of the anime really gives a 90s vibe and a great plot, filled with awesome characters, battle scenes and adventure!

What do you think of Hunter x Hunter? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image reference: Hunter x Hunter [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2098220/

5. 1999: One Piece

Undoubtedly one of the best animes in history!!!!

This is one of those animes that showed the evolution of anime graphics from 1999 until today and we absolutely love the story of each arc. Even the fillers (With which have a bit of a love-hate relationship)!

Admittedly, there were episodes we skipped because they were painful to watch (if you know what I mean *wink*). But, as the show progresses and as we get more roped into the anime, its awesome battle scenes, adventures, comedy and the backstories of each character, we ended up having some questions of our own: How many crew members does Luffy really want? Who will Luffy end up with? Can devil-fruit users have two devil fruit powers? What is the devil fruit of Gold D. Roger, if he had any?

Tell us what you think of the anime in the comments below! Also, for those who are currently watching the anime, what were your favourite moments? Let us know!

Image reference: One Piece [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://myanimelist.net/anime/21/One_Piece

6. 1997: Flame of Recca

This anime is about Recca, who pretends that he is a ninja and tries his best to save his love interest Yanago from villains (It is really hard to write the plot without spoiling the story). The anime has the same setting as Dragon Ball, Yuyu Hakusho, Hunter x hunter and One Piece: Dressrosa Arc, where competitors fight in a stadium to win and get information to solve a bigger problem. Overall, the anime is really good and the opening song is really catchy.

What do you think of Flame of Recca? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Flame of Recca [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2160200/

7. 1995: Fushigi Yuugi

If you are into time travel, then you should watch this! Now that we think about it, it is almost similar to Inu Yasha, where a girl travelled through time because of a mission she has in the other world, where she fell in love with someone.

What do you think of Fushigi Yuugi? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image reference: Fushigi Yuugi [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81Ji0VVY2kL._RI_.jpg

8. 1993: Slam Dunk

One of the best sports animes there is. If you want to learn about basketball, then you need to watch this! Sadly, the author died, but there is a new one releasing this year!

Comment below if you are excited about this and tell us what you think of the show!

Image reference: Slam Dunk [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ebay.com/itm/DVD-Japan-Anime-SLAM-DUNK-Complete-Series-VOL-1-101-End-4-MOVIE-BOX-SET-FREE-SH-/231313270323

9. 1996: Detective Conan

If you are into mystery, Detective Conan/Case Closed is definitely for you! The series also gives facts about Japanese history and the world. This anime is a fun way to learn new things. Fun fact: Did you know that there are some countries that count to ten starting from the thumb, whereas other countries count from the index finger?

Apart from the show, we highly recommend you to watch the movies! They are all amazing!

Tell us what you think about the anime, and which movie, or movies, you like the most, in the comments section below!

Image reference: Detective Conan [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/7/75199.jpg

10. 1997: Magic Knight Rayearth

This is one of Clamp's amazing work (in our opinion, at least).

Three girls were chosen to travel to a different world to save it from destruction. The girls are very different from each other, but they appreciate each other's strengths and weaknesses. Also, their costumes are really cute (and yes, we like them).

What do you think of the anime? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Magic Knight Rayearth [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Knight-Rayearth-Economy-Box/dp/B0007UVXAE

11. 1997: Great Teacher Onizuka

GTO is about an ex-gangster who wants to be the best teacher. He faced criticisms from society because of his past, but it did not affect him because of his focus on his goal and on his students' well-being.

This anime also discusses different issues faced by students, so to all aspiring teachers out there, this is a good anime for you!

What were your favourite moments of the anime? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Great Teacher Onizuka [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Teacher_Onizuka#/media/File:GTO_volume_1.jpg

12. 1999: Monster Rancher

This anime is about a young boy being transported to the video game world. Their main goal is to get the disc for the Phoenix to save the monsters they value and to save them from the villain (which we forgot the name, mue? If you remember, please comment below).

What were your favourite moments of the show? What's your opinion of Monster Rancher? Feel free to comment below!

Image reference: Monster Rancher [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amazon.ca/Monster-Rancher-Complete-Season-3/dp/B00KB3PZ4W

13. 1999: Digimon Adventure

At first glance, one may think that this anime is similar to Pokemon due to the monsters being able to evolve. However, this is not necessarily the case. DigiMon means digital monsters. The plot is also different and to funnily point this out, the characters aged compared to the characters in Pokemon.

From what we recall, with regards to the plot, the protagonists were in a camp and were transported to a digital world, where they met cute digital monsters and were attacked by some not-so-friendly monsters. These digital monsters became their companions, evolved and protected the protagonists, who, in order to leave the digital world, need to defeat the monsters they were attacked by.

What do you think of Digimon? Have you noticed other similarities between the show and Pokemon? What are your favourite moments and monsters? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Digimon [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://digimon.fandom.comwikiDigimon_Adventure?file=Digimon_Adventure.jpg

14. 1997: Pokemon

Pokemon. An absolute classic for those who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, filled with adventure, laughter and of course, cute Pokemon.

Pokemon follows the journey of the main protagonist, Ash (10 years old), whose goal is to be a Pokemon master and, in order to reach this, engages in battles (gym and otherwise) in the regions along his journey with his starter Pokemon/best friend, Pikachu, and his other Pokemon that accompany him on the way, which vary as the series progresses. In addition to the gym battles and the different Pokemon he meets/befriends/catches, he meets people with whom he establishes a bond and some of whom accompany him on his journey. For example, in the first five seasons of the series, two gym leaders, Brock, leader of the Pewter gym, and Misty, leader of the Cerrulean gym, became his travel companions. Join Ash, his Pokemon (or his friends) and his travel companions on their adventure, where they encounter gym battles or battles that help them grow as Pokemon trainers and where they usually run into Team Rocket and Meowth, who constantly put together a scheme to catch Pikachu.

The series is highly popular, even up to the present, and has, since its debut, released many games on many consoles and movies, in addition to the trading cards, plushes and various merchandise!

If you grew up with the show, have you found yourself memorizing the first opening of the show? Have you memorized the chant thatTeam Rocket recites every time they appear to Ash and his team? What are your favourite Pokemon? What was your favourite season? What was your favourite Pokemon game growing up? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image note: Indigo League is the very first season, out of 10+ seasons, of Pokemon.

Image reference: Pokemon [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Pokemonseason1DVDBoxSet.jpg/225px-Pokemonseason1DVDBoxSet.jpg

15. 1998: Cowboy Bebop

This anime is a cross between the space and detective genres. The setting of this anime was in 2071, where humans have occupied most of the celestial bodies. The main plot is about Spike and his enemy, Vicious. Along Spike's journey, he meets other people and they become bounty hunters.

*Spoiler alert* We have a love-hate relationship with the ending, but we still love the anime regardless.

What do you think of the show? What were you favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Cowboy Bebop [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213338/mediaviewer/rm3317628928

16. 1999 Medabots

Medabots is a super cool anime. It uses a disc to communicate with bots. This anime was so cool in our eyes as kids that we wanted to have these as our best friends.

We would definitely re-watch this show! Such a unique concept, in our opinion.

What were your favourite moments of the anime? What do you think of Medabots? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Medabots [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amazon.ca/MEDABOTS-SEASON-ENGLISH-DUBBED-SDBD/dp/B07YTDYF8R

17. 1996: Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin, or Samurai X, is a show that you should definitely watch or re-watch. This anime follows the adventures and battles that Kenshin, who was formerly known as an assassin and now strives to atone for the acts he committed, and his friends engage in from time to time. This anime also gave us some information on Japanese history and on the Art of Samurai.

The show has a great mixture of adventure, action, moments of comedy and some facts of Japanese history. A definite must-watch!

What do you think of the anime? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Rurouni Kenshin [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kenshin.fandom.com/wiki/Rurouni_Kenshin:_Meiji_Kenkaku_Romantan_-_J%C5%ABy%C5%ABshi_Inb%C5%8D_Hen?file=Rurouni_Kenshin_Meiji_Kenkaku_Romantan_-_Juuyuushi_Inbou_Hen_%28SCPS-10048%29_%28Front%29.jpg

18. 1997: Kindaichi Shounen No Jikenbo

Kindaichi follows Hajime Kindaichi, the grandson of a famous detective, Kosuke Kindaichi, who possesses a high IQ. Though, his antics sometimes imply otherwise. With his intellect and friends by his side, one of whom includes his childhood friend, and crush, Miyuki, he solves cases, ranging from easy to complicated ones.

The show resembles Detective Conan/Case Closed and has mystery and detective elements. Also, several years after the release of this anime, a sequel was released, giving fans another chance to join Hajime, as he solves many cases.

What do you think about the anime? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image reference: Kindaichi [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kindaichi_Case_Files#/media/File:KindaishiCaseFiles_vol1_Cover.jpg

19. 1998: Cardcaptor Sakura

This is included in the Tsubasa Chronicles. Sakura Cardcaptor, which, according to what we read, takes place in an alternate timeline, is about the beginning of Sakura and Syaoran in the Tsubasa Chronicles. In this series, Sakura was chosen to be a true master of Clow Cards. She is tasked with collecting the missing cards from the book of the previous card master, Clow Reed. Before she can successfully capture the cards, she needs to defeat the cards that have become alive.

What do you think of Cardcaptor Sakura? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Cardcaptor Sakura [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221735/mediaviewer/rm119745792

20. 1999: Zoids: Chaotic Century

This anime is a blend of the space and mecha genres.

Van, in order to protect his family from bandit Zoids, travelled around the world. On his travels, he met an Ancient zoid, Fiona, who fixes the zoids whenever they are broken.

Join Fiona and Van on their journey as they find Zoid Eve!

What do you think of the anime? What were your favourite moments? Let us know in the comments below!

Image reference: Zoids: Chaotic Century [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.retrotvmemories.com/products/kids-zoids-chaotic-century-complete-series-8-dvd-set-anime-2001

Did we miss out on any classic 90s anime or any other 90s anime that was a part of your childhood? Do you have some 90s anime recommendations for us to try out? Would you like us to release another blog of anime recommendations? Let us know in the comments below!

Thank you for reading and stay safe, everyone!