Evangelion & 9 Other Anime Still Blowing Minds 30 Years Later
Anime is a constantly evolving industry, and hardly any modern fan would argue that the medium has ever been more accessible and varied than it is today. Despite the success of the modern anime landscape, many fans still look back to the ‘90s with nostalgic fondness. The 1990s were a pivotal decade for anime, marking its breakthrough in the West and the emergence of numerous eternal classics. Some of the medium’s all-time greatest shows and essential masterpieces date back decades, yet their age doesn’t affect their quality.
Among titles that have recently celebrated their 30th anniversary is mecha anime’s influential sensation, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and countless of its contemporaries had the same astounding impact on the industry and fans across generations. Many of the best ’90s anime, beyond or nearing their 30th anniversary, are still regarded as the medium’s gold standard.
Neon Genesis Evangelion Was a New Era For Anime
2025 marks 30 years since the premiere of one of anime’s most influential and passionately discussed classics: Neon Genesis Evangelion. A truly revolutionary series credited with revitalizing anime during a period of creative stagnation, Evangelion took the premise of a dark, apocalyptic mecha story and transformed it into a surreal psychological drama of unprecedented thematic depth.
Despite being released in the ‘90s, Evangelion isn’t just regarded as a nostalgic classic. New fans continue returning to this series not just for its cultural significance, but because the story of Shinji Ikari and the ideas explored within it are timeless. The Evangelion franchise also hardly concluded during the decade of its debut, with Hideaki Anno’s Rebuild of Evangelion movie series being a classic of the 21st century that, instead of overshadowing the original, serves as an excellent expansion of the Evangelion universe beloved by older fans and newcomers alike.
Macross Plus Still Looks, Feels & Sounds Fantastic
Macross emerged as a franchise in the early 1980s, serving as a more stylish and playful counterpart to Mobile Suit Gundam. Revered as an icon of ‘90s sci-fi, Macross Plus is a direct sequel to the original Macross series, taking its every virtue and amplifying it tenfold. At the heart of the OVA’s story lies a classic love triangle plot tangled with galactic warfare.
And, while the narrative of Macross Plus is competent yet simple, it’s everything surrounding the series’ storyline that still leaves viewers in awe. Macross Plus is a marvel of ‘90s animation, combining technically superb traditional visuals with then-groundbreaking CGI that looks splendid even by today’s standards. Of course, Macross is inseparable from its music, and Macross Plus’ soundtrack is phenomenal, elevating an already great series to all-time classic status.
Serial Experiments Lain Was Decades Ahead of Its Time
A techno-horror cult classic, Serial Experiments Lain is one of the most complex experimental anime series, not just of the ‘90s, but of all time. Following the strange tale of Lain Iwakura, an antisocial middle school girl who gets oddly entangled with the virtual reality of the Wired, Lain’s version of the internet, the series is filled with hard-to-parse symbolism and abstract philosophical contemplations.
However, Serial Experiments Lain’s convolutedness is hardly a flaw, as it still manages to hypnotize viewers close to 30 years later. Despite being created when the internet was still in its infancy, Serial Experiments Lain was near-prophetic in its interpretation of how it would influence communication, people’s self-perception, and mental health. Certain questions Serial Experiments Lain brings up might resonate with fans today even more than they did when the show first aired.
Studio Ghibli’s Entire Filmography Is Timeless – Including Whisper of the Heart
Studio Ghibli has been the benchmark of family-friendly animation in Japan for many decades, yet not all of its works are equally praised. Whisper of the Heart is a phenomenal Ghibli classic from 1995 that, while not as well-known as Spirited Away or Ponyo, is still adored worldwide.
A classy Ghibli coming-of-age fairytale, Whisper of the Heart narrates the adventures of a curious young girl, Shizuku, who is unexpectedly led to the world of fantastical escapades by her love of reading. Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, with a script by Hayao Miyazaki, Whisper of the Heart was Kondo’s first and last film before his tragic passing in 1998, yet its legacy lives on to this day, bringing joy to viewers of all ages.
Ghost in the Shell Is the Gold Standard of Japanese Cyberpunk
One of the most influential works of Japanese cyberpunk that still continues to impact sci-fi creators worldwide, Ghost in the Shell released the first anime entry in the now-massive franchise in 1995. The original Ghost in the Shell movie holds up as a perspicacious, genre-defining masterpiece, combining profound themes with dynamic action-thriller plot development.
Of course, the 1995 film isn’t considered the best entry in the Ghost in the Shell franchise by everyone, with many preferring Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series or even Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, the original movie’s 2004 sequel. Nonetheless, any fan of science fiction anime would testify to the expert quality of Ghost in the Shell 1995, and the version of a technologically advanced dystopia it brings to life only becomes more relevant as years go by.
Golden Boy Remains One of the Most Daring Yet Hilarious of Anime Comedies
Comedy is inherently subjective, and a lot of older anime comedies have to fear losing relevance as time goes by much more severely than other genres. Nonetheless, watching Golden Boy today is as hilarious as it was in 1995, even if some modern fans might find its humor a tad too risqué.
An erotic comedy about Kintaro Oe, a kindhearted but lustful college dropout who travels the country and does odd jobs for various attractive women, Golden Boy is still the best anime for fans of adult humor, and its inventive visual gags make viewers of today laugh just as hard as they did ‘90s kids. Despite being notoriously perverse, Golden Boy is also a rare erotic comedy that doesn’t purely rely on fan service, weaving in a surprisingly thoughtful coming-of-age narrative that, just like the show’s jokes, never gets old.
Revolutionary Girl Utena Is as Groundbreaking as It Was Almost 30 Years Ago
After establishing himself as a director on Sailor Moon, Kunihiko Ikuhara ventured out to create his original “magical girl” anime in the late ‘90s, Revolutionary Girl Utena, which, true to its title, became a timeless masterwork of genre deconstructions in anime. Despite starting off rather innocently, Revolutionary Girl Utena transforms into a twisted tale that dissects classic fairytale ideas like coming of age, gender expectations, and conventional power dynamics through a surrealist, introspective lens.
Since Revolutionary Girl Utena, many shows have attempted (at times successfully) to deconstruct similar concepts and narrative tropes, from Madoka Magica to The Witch from Mercury. Yet, few of them came close to the depth and artistic uniqueness of Revolutionary Girl Utena, which remains a classic for a reason.
Perfect Blue Remains the Gold Standard of Psychological Horror
The debut film of one of anime’s most legendary directors, Satoshi Kon, is nearing its 30th anniversary. However, Perfect Blue remains just as disquieting, intriguing, and relevant.
A reality-bending thriller about a former J-pop idol turned actress, Mima, and her gradual loss of self, Perfect Blue uses subtle horror to explore nuanced themes of perception, the confusion between reality and illusion, and the toxicity of celebrity culture, with the last concept being particularly relevant in today’s world. Kon returns to many similar ideas in his consecutive works, all of which are also prized as masterpieces. However, his debut film still stands as a highlight of his filmography, mesmerizing fans with its eerily breathtaking visuals, haunting storyline, and timeless astuteness.
Cowboy Bebop Will Never Stop Inspiring Awe
Arguably the most iconic anime of the ‘90s, Cowboy Bebop is so outstanding that some fans struggle to believe it was released nearly three decades ago. A timeless genre-bending space Western, Cowboy Bebop combines engrossing episodic storytelling with thematically profound narration, which underlines Spike and the Bebop crew’s zany adventures to, at the end, culminate in one of the most impactful finales in anime history.
Cowboy Bebop’s timelessness is a result of multiple factors. Its story is concise and no less powerful for its short length, targeting universal ideas that will forever remain relevant. And, of course, the series’ visual design and soundtrack are peerlessly excellent, with the show still looking more stylish than almost anything coming out today.
Memories Is a Rare Anime Anthology Peerless in Its Creativity
This list makes it abundantly clear that the ‘90s were an exceptional decade for sci-fi anime. And while Memories is not the most well-known work out of its science fiction contemporaries, it might be the most impressive from a production standpoint. Memories is an anthology film, combining three standalone stories directed by different anime industry legends and executed in different – yet equally remarkable – visual styles.
Of the three shorts, the first one, Magnetic Rose, is revered as the most outstanding, praised for its disquieting cosmic horror plotline and atmospheric aesthetic. The remaining two films, Stink Bomb and Cannon Fodder, are also spectacular, if a bit less so than the first entry. Anthologies are a rare treat in the anime medium, making Memories a one-of-a-kind marvel for fans of concise storytelling and innovative animation.
