It's a topic I've wanted to discuss for a long, long time. Probably ever since I created that Top Ten Comic Book Movies list (which you can read here). I would say it's the hardest list for me to come up with, but, actually, that falls under the movie category. So if you ever see that, prepare your popcorn!
Okay how many readers did I lose with that pun?
Still here?
Then let's move onward!
As usual, I'll feature my Honorable Mentions before counting down into the Top 10. Several shows on your own list may or may not make it onto mine, because I watch a myriad of TV shows. And I also don't want the ones that usually win Emmy's, like House of Cards or True Detective. Nah, gimme more anime and super-heroes, baby!
Also, as an aside: Attack on Titan should have won an Emmy for best animated show. And I can never forgive you for what you've done.
Thus, without further ado, let's get into the Honorable Mentions with no specific order!
H1: Thomas the Tank Engine (& Friends)
For little kids? Yes. Kinda dumb? Maybe. The show that probably grafted me into what I am today at an early age? You betcha! The misadventures of Thomas, Percy, James, and the rest of the crew on Sodor Island were tales I can never forget, and is precisely why I'm a writer, I'd say. Each episode is only about five minutes long and usually spins a tale in which one of our engines (sometime Berty the Bus or Harold the Helicopter) gets themselves into a jam, and they have to find a way out. While looking back, watching the episodes (on DVDs that, yes, I still buy for nostalgic value), I realize that the plots were fairly simple.
But as a little kid, I feel that it's probably the most essential show I could have watched. I can't say I never heard the same story twice because I've re-watched episodes countless times, but the more episodes that were released the more I realized that I never got around to saying, "Hey, this episode is like this one." The show always kept situations fresh and always made sure to put a smile on your face, even in it's darkest hours. Even Henry took off with The Flying Kipper, even when Percy was scared by Thomas and the Dragon, and EVEN WHEN DONALD AND DOUGLAS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT DEPUTATION MEANT. You gutted out those moments because the show told enthralling tales for six year-olds and it will forever hold a special place in my heart as the show I first got obsessed with and haven't gotten over since.
H2: Power Rangers Time Force
It's time for Time Force! After In Space, I don't really recall watching much of Power Rangers, just kind of collecting the toys and watching Red Rangers be cool. Then came Time Force, and oh man, was it awesome. Yes, the Red Ranger was awesome. But the Pink Ranger was the leader! :O Talk about unorthodox. Not only that, but Eric, the punk cop who hated the team, was the freaking Quantum Ranger! And, the show was legit serious about itself, not messing around like the editions nowadays.
It dealt with loss and tragedy. Once you learn Ransik's backstory, you don't necessarily feel for him, but you at least get why he hates humans, and it's not just so he can take over the world and become the mutant leader of everything. He's not Magneto. Not only that, but the Rangers themselves are displaced from their time-line, having to adapt to 2001's culture and evils.
This show also had, probably, one of the most tight-knit groups of Rangers. Wes, Jen, Katie, Trip, and Lucas (as well as Circuit, the robot owl who was our Alpha) were all pretty good together, never having to get in silly arguments and want to go solo. Sure, there was clashing when everyone but Jen was trying to have fun, but she still had fun and even fell in love. Bringing on Alex, the meta-Wes from the future, was a great twist, too, and added a lot of depth and meaning to the rest of the show moving forward as it solidified the team.
Because of all this, it's one of the most dramatic seasons Power Rangers has to offer. Heck, a Ranger dies in the very first episode, and the trauma of the loss sticks with the team. And, the best part is that the main story even continues on in the Wild Force crossover "Reinforcements from the Future" parts 1 and 2. It was so good it could even leak into another show!
H3: Batman Beyond
Hey, speaking of shows that leaked into another show, here we have the Batman from the future. Set in a world where Bruce Wayne is too old to done the cape and cowl, young Terry McGinnis takes it up and owns it. Big time. As the first long-term Batman kids of my generation saw, DC didn't have much room to mess this up. Terry was also the first Batman on television to not be Bruce Wayne, so they had to live up to all that.
What they gave us was a surprising gritty, adult-ish show of the time that was still kid-friendly. The villains were silly but as I got older I saw the connections to previous DC villains and it made the show all the more memorable. Not to say that it didn't have it's own cast of original villains, but in order to keep it all together there had to be some continuity. Like the Mr. Freeze episode, or the Return of the Joker movie (featuring the legend himself, Mark Hamill).
The tone of the show was what I liked about it most as a kid. I remember watching it being enthralled by how much it took into consideration it's audience but still trekked on as if it were the animated Batman series from a few years prior. Not as bright and colorful as later shows would be but dark enough to where having it on near the same time as Toonami made a whole lot of sense, Batman Beyond was just one of those shows you never forgot about, even if it was short-lived.
H4: Fairy Tail.
WHAT MORE FAIRY TAIL? Well, I mean...it's one of my favorite shows so it has to go on the list. I'll keep it brief though, so if you want to see more of my thoughts on Season 1, Season 2, or Season 3, you can go ahead and click those links.
Basically Fairy Tail is a very funny, very action-y show that really knows how to play on all your emotions. It can be heart-warming, it can be emotional. It's the anime that, despite the high episode count, you won't stop watching. You'll plow through the filler, since it's actually pretty good, you'll love all the openings (since most of them are memorable), and you will jam out to the music for days to come, as the show has, in my opinion, one of the best soundtracks in anime. The other? Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out.
In my opinion, Fairy Tail is this younger generation's DBZ, so with that kind of statement, you really do have to check it out, just to see how right, or wrong, I am.
H5: Fate/Zero
Yet another anime I've reviewed, though not too recently (which you can read here), this show was one that left a rather huge mark on me. In my opinion, it's the most visually stunning anime I've ever laid eyes on, which is quite the proclamation given what we've gotten since it released in 2011 (I think). And the remake of it's prequel looks to be just as gorgeous, releasing shortly!
Anyway, the show centers on a battle between spirits and their human masters to obtain the Holy Grail. What follows is a both physical and mental conflict over what is to be done of it. How far are you willing to go to get the perfect wish, the one that has no restrictions? Are you willing to sacrifice a life, are you willing to put your life on the line? Why do you want the Grail, what do you hope to gain from it? Simple questions, you may think, but the show has a way of saying that everything action has a consequence, even the ones with the greatest intentions. Our protagonist (protagonist? yeah, sure) Kiritsugu Emiya's wish is to save the world, yet, why is he always so tortured over it? Or what about Kariya Mato, who just wants to save a little girl's life from his family? Look at his deadly transformation.
This is a show with a rather simple premise that turns into all-out war in Fuyuki City and really makes the viewer question right and wrong. Wisely, the show doesn't answer it for you. It shows the humanity of everyone, though, even the most noble of characters like Saber or Lancer (Lancer is da bomb, judge me I dare you). And with the gorgeous animation to back it up, it's definitely worth being on the list. And, fantastic dub cast. Having Matthew Mercer and Crispin Freeman in the same show talking to each other is an automatic WIN.
So with the formalities out of the way...what's say we take this to the next level and get into the real Top 10? Let's rev it up!
10. Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds
Ha...see what I did there?
This was the show that singlehandedly got me back into the game of Yu-Gi-Oh!. I checked it out one Saturday morning on Cartoon Network and the fact that it wasn't as bright and flashy as GX was the thing that hooked me. Some guy Dueling in a sewer? Five Signers? What...what the heck was going on? It made me feel like a kid again, wondering what was going on in these early morning Cartoons that I was never up for to watch!
So I watched it and I fell in love, anticipating the second season like nobody's business. Heck, I had the show on my DVR, that's how serious I was about all of it. It was amazing!
It was goofy and over the top and full of typical cliches (such as the destiny draw and winning on that one card), but it was also full of brand new ideas. Splitting New Domino City into two parts and having one be a rathole was a brilliant idea, and paved the way for the hero to rise up and come into fame. Yusei is one of my favorite characters of all time because of his humble origins and how he drives himself out of the past and into the future, taking what's around him at the moment to build a better tomorrow.
The only thing that was a little off about the show was the length of the Duels and how flashback heavy they tended to be, specifically in the first season. But there are many, many Duels that are brilliant, such as the final battle with Goodwin, Yusei's sunset showdown with Kalin, the intensity that was Team 5Ds against Team Unicorn, and even Yusei versus the Nordic Gods was incredible.
By far, I feel, 5Ds was the most fleshed out of not only kids anime that was broadcast on Cartoon Network and Toonzai, but one of the most fleshed out kids anime of its time. Sadly, we didn't get the full, correct ending over here in North America, but, oh well. What we got was still great.
9. The Twilight Zone (1961-1963)
"You're stepping into another dimension..."
Bet you finished that intro, didn't you? I did. In my MIND.
The only episodic series on this list is also the one that gets into your head and makes you staying up at night asking yourself, "What corn field are those people sent to?" If you get that reference, you're amazing.
But in all seriousness, Twilight Zone is one of those shows that never lost its sparkle. Even over fifty years later, the show still continues to captivate me with each episode. There are certain classics I like to watch just, you know, because, but every time I see a new episode a new mystery comes up and I feel like my mind is further expanded. It's a smart show, Twilight Zone is, not one of those stupid shows about duck hunting or some little southern girl hogging attention on social media.
The themes that the Twilight Zone brought up were also ones that could really hit you in the core. Why did that man open the door to let the Devil escape? How would a lone man react if he was stuck in an empty town? Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and how much trauma do people with busy lives take for us to not know what's real and not? These are just some of the themes portrayed excellently in the show, among many other things.
While not necessarily a horror show by our standards, I feel it's safe to say that it's creepy. By now we're used to seeing creepy talking dolls, but in Twilight Zone it is much different. Because, for the most part, they are just dolls. But because of the dangerous psyche of their owners they become something more. The impending doom that the Cold War brought to society was also a big help to the show, with many shows gaining its source of tension from the threat of nuclear fallout. It's the show that will never, ever, get old. And if you don't think that's true, then you're probably in the Twilight Zone.
8. Black Lagoon
Revy.
7.
Nah I'm just kidding. But seriously, Revy is the main reason that Black Lagoon makes the list because she is one of the best anime characters I've ever got the privilege to watch shoot stuff and blow stuff up. Though not including much of a "story" and rather featuring the Lagoon Company gallivant across the East Asia Sea it does lead to some great character moments for Rock and Revy.
It's a very adult, show, too, not just because of the language but because of the various situations that the group finds themselves in. Some are political, some are in not-so-great parts of town (heck, Roanapur itself is not the happiest of places). That is what gives the show its power, though. It's a show that would work if it held back a little, but, it wouldn't be the great anime that it is.
Because it doesn't hold back on us and gives us everything it's got, it's much more memorable, whether you condone it or not. You will remember what's gone down, and you will remember the situations they were in, particularly in the second season. It's a show I've already talked a lot about, too, so if you're curious you can read EVEN MORE here!
7. Sword Art Online
I'm including both the first season and the second season that is currently running at the time of writing. Also, most of the praise here is going to the first half of the first season--and parts of the second season--though the second half of the first season, the ALO arc, is still pretty good. People consider it "bad" but only in comparison to the greatness that was the Aincrad Arc.
Featuring almost 10,000 gamers trapped in a videogame, Kirito must survive the game and complete the game in order to help all the surviving players. What ensues is a romantic adventure of the ages. This was the first anime, or even show, I watched that I was very emotionally invested in the romantic aspect. It wasn't built up too much but the drastic and perilous situations our characters found themselves in lent itself to the romance. That's not to take away from the action, though. Because our characters are trapped in a videogame, there are certain rules that they are allowed to take advantage of, even bend. Which is kind of the point of the show. Kirito and Asuna keep leveling up to get stronger and stronger in order to save everyone and power through it, finding strength in their avatars and in themselves.
Also, fantastic music throughout the show, even in the second season where it seems most of the songs are just more electronic versions of the orchestrated songs of the first season. The newest character to the show, Sinon, and the villain, Death Gun, are very formidable on their own and just improve an already amazing show.
6. Teen Wolf
A guilty pleasure show if there ever was one, this show was actually the one that inspired me to create my blog and my very first post way back when. Teen Wolf is loosely based off of the 80s movie but I would have to say that in the most recent couple of seasons the show has strayed away from its goofy origins into one that is actually quite mythological.
The show was cool when it was about werewolves but nothing really special. It was when they began to go into more of the mysticism of the lore that it became something more. Introducing new monsters like the Durach, the Kanima, and even giving new strength to werewolves through the likes of the Alpha Pack served to only enhance the show and give more character to our heroes. While there were some more stereotypical teen moments (because, you know, MTV audience and all), it definitely showed that its strength was actually coming from the writing and lore than anything else. The second half of the third season, which brought in Japanese mythology such as the presence of kitsunes, really empowered the show and probably changed everything.
The most recent season only helped that out, adding a far more serious tone to the show that can only see it press onward. It's also a funny show, not sacrificing decent action for humor. In my book, it's rather underrated, and worth looking at.
5. Game of Thrones
This is probably the most critically acclaimed show on this list and is definitely the one that's most adult, but in that respect it's also the most "epic." And when I say "epic" I mean in sheer scale, the show is huge, covering tons of different story-lines over years worth of time, it seems. The story itself is very intricate and seems it will never end, and with each season a new threat is added. Also, as it is famous for, more and more characters die with each passing season.
However it's not the major deaths that keep the show going for me, though it certainly is a cog in the greater machine. No, in fact it's the compelling characters and how they interact with the world that they are in. It makes it interesting when characters you couldn't see interacting end up meeting up, creating one heck of a cool clash. This fourth season played to that remarkably, and also had one of the more memorable duels in recent history...it was, eh-hem, head crushingly great. Too soon?
I got into Game of Thrones because I figured "Hey, I've read the Night Angel trilogy, so I can handle this." And because I'm of the slight belief that Night Angel will never make it to the big screen or television because of how intense it is, I'm very pleased to say that Game of Thrones is a solid spot for it on television. And it only gets better with every season.
4. Attack on Titan
Definitely the newest show on the list, this anime was just...mind boggling. I mean, it's just crazy. It's yet another show that I've talked about, never necessarily reviewed (more just recommended), and it's a show that I find myself struggling to stop talking about. There's just a lot to say about it because I feel that there's always something deeper.
The show, on the surface, looks like it's just about humans versus monsters. Okay, fair enough, it sounds cool, but, when you add in the conspiracies, the military struggles, the mystery of the origins of the Walls and the Titans, then you've got something a lot more. I've also discussed the possible metaphor of the Walls.
Since I've already talked up the show, I'll just mention briefly how amazing the animation is, able to move just as fast as the characters on the show are and keep up with them. If nothing else, it's a marvel to look at. And, probably one of the best parts about the show, is the soundtrack. It is, in my opinion, the best soundtrack I've ever listened to from a movie or TV show. Each song evokes in a different emotion, be it sadness, pride, or just wanting to walk into the world and absolutely own it.
The show does a great job of hooking you in early with various characters and the training that they have to go through that rather quickly develops our characters. By the seventh or eighth episode, you'll be hooked like it's nobody's business, I guarantee it.
3. The Walking Dead
I started TWD by watching the second to last episode of the second season, "Better Angels." I had hardly any idea what was going on, but I was very enthralled even without the prior knowledge. That should speak to how good the show is at hooking in a newbie like me. Ever since then, I haven't looked back. Though the show does have its pitfalls, I'll give it that, when it succeeds it excels.
The greater story is rather hopeless, given what we learn at the end of the second season. So it's interesting to see how all the characters press on in a doomed world and have to fight for every day in order to just survive. There is hardly ever peace on the show, and it's when you think things are going well that you know they are about to get really bad. For the most part, just thank the Governor for that, he's something of a jerk. But...he does have the eye-patch, so he's still pretty cool.
The characters themselves are interesting ones, continuing to develop as the world around them decays. They try not to become the walking dead, to not just wander until they die. They want to find purpose, to find the civilization that they lost. Because of this, you keep coming back. You keeping wondering when, or even if, it's possible that Rick and the gang are able to just kick it without having to worry in the long-term if they'll be forced out of their environment.
2. Arrow
Probably the best super-hero show we've ever seen, and even a show that rivals the great comic book movies we see nowadays, Arrow is just one of those shows that represents everything right that has been done to comic books in the medium of television and film. The stories of the first and second season are slow to open up but when they do it becomes a ride unlike anything else.
Plus, the fact that it's about a lesser known super-hero, Green Arrow, makes it all the better. It adds depth to the character and allows other characters, heroes or villains, to get time on the silver screen and get a name for themselves. Plus, it expertly places in small Easter Eggs about various DC characters or places, such as Coast City, the Question, and many more. Not only that, but the show opened up to the greater DC universe by sparking the origin of the Flash, introducing Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Assassins, and simply adding in Amanda Waller can lead to an entire world of names to be mentioned and people to be seen. Like Harley Quinn, just saying.
The drama in the show works very, well, too, not afraid to delve into some personal situations in the characters that may not be feasible in a monthly comic. With forty-two minutes compared to thiry-two pages, and episodes coming out weekly, it's easy to see how we can explore the world and situations easier than in a comic. Also, the interactions between the five years Oliver spent away from Starling City and his time int he present in Starling as the vigilante is very interesting, even more so in the second season where situations are essentially mirrored between past and present.
The real crux of the show is the action. The fight scenes in this show are absolutely incredible, especially for a TV show. You don't need grand special effects and buildings getting blown up by super-powered dudes to have amazing action. All you need is Green Arrow versus Deathstroke, which is the greatest fight scene I have ever seen in live-action...well, anything! It was so dang impressive to see the battle that I couldn't believe it. But there are other great fights, such as the battle against Malcolm Merlyn or the various fights against China White/ Bronze Tiger. The big names bring the big fights, kids, and it's way worth watching just for that.
Now, the next show, #1, was the definitive favorite and has been for well over probably a decade, now. It's one of the most popular anime and television shows of all time and is a show that I absolutely refuse to review because I just never could. I don't even know what I can say about it now. What is it? Should be obvious at this point.
1. Dragon Ball Z
Rock the dragon indeed. The show with the best fights, some amazing music, and all of that golden-haired screaming. You know DBZ even if you've never really watched DBZ. It's the source of a lot of parody because of how over-the-top it is. And, you know what, it is. I do take the show seriously and I get that people make fun of it.
What makes DBZ my favorite though is the fighting. If you come to this show for the drama you are in the wrong department. This show has battles that span entire seasons. No, seriously. The Cell Game arc (my favorite) is essentially all fighting about seven episodes into the twenty-nine episode arc. The Frieza Saga is just Krillin, Gohan, and Vegeta jumping from battle to battle. It's really great to see all of the characters get stronger and stronger with each passing fight. It isn't like some shows where they randomly get stronger. It's always explained beforehand how a character got to their current strength, such as how Gohan was able to ascend into a Super Saiyan 2 or how Goku was able to make the game-changing Super Saiyan transformation.
While the characters aren't the greatest of all time, there are a lot of complex ones. Gohan, pretty much fatherless and being raised by battle, has to come to terms with what it means to be a hero and save the whole solar system while Future Trunks has the weight of the apocalyptic future on his shoulders. Vegeta shoulders his Saiyan pride while constantly seeing people surpass him and becomes something of an anti-hero before finally becoming the hero that he's known for now.
It's also a very long show, so it does have a lot of filler, but for the most part it's pretty good. The filler in the Cell Games arc is interesting, with a lot of throwbacks to Dragon Ball, and then some of the filler in the three years in waiting for the Android is funny, such as Goku and Piccolo learning how to drive.
It's a show that's been remastered countless times on VHS, DVD, and Blu-Ray and will probably continue to be remastered because of how legendary an impactful it was to anime in the United States. For some people, like me, it was their first exposure to anime. Parents hated it for the action and kids loved it for the action, so families definitely remembered it. And it's a show that I'll always watch because it's one of the best ever made.
Like my list? It's probably a little random given what's on it. But if you liked, or disliked, what you saw here go ahead and sound off in the comments. If you want to read more of what I have to say, feel free to follow me on Google+ or various social media outlets to be notified when posts go up! On Twitter you can follow me @seanovan13 and on Instagram you can follow me @seanovan10.
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