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Sep 12, 2024 10:50 AM
#1

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Feb 2024
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Excluding movies and OVAs. I think Cowboy Bebop has the best animation.
Sep 12, 2024 10:55 AM
#2
🍅 Tomato 🍅

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Feb 2020
104854
Cowboy Bebop and Tanoshii Muumin Ikka.
Sep 12, 2024 11:11 AM
#3

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Jan 2021
192
The Vision of Escaflowne is really high up there.
Sep 12, 2024 11:38 AM
#4

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Sep 2016
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JoeChip said:
Excluding movies and OVAs

https://myanimelist.net/anime/1047/On_Your_Mark
DesuMaiden said:
Nobody resembles me physically because I don't even physically exist.
Sep 12, 2024 8:31 PM
#5

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Jun 2022
456
If we're excluding OVAs & films then I think Cardcaptor Sakura has the most consistently good animation I've seen in a 90s series. Cowboy Bebop also had some good moments.

However I personally think animation quality suffered a lot in the 90s, especially due to the Japanese economic crisis at the time. Even a lot of critically acclaimed TV series at the time such as YuYu Hakusho, Ruroini Kenshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Great Teacher Onizuka, and Revolutionary Girl Utena all had moments of lackluster or downright bad art, animation, and story boarding in my opinion.

In my opinion of you want to see well animated anime from the 90s you kind of have to turn to OVAs or films. Studio Ghibli made some great animation in the 90s such as "Whisper of the Heart" and "Princess Mononoke", and as Zarutaku commented "On Your Mark" is worth seeing as well.
Sep 12, 2024 8:51 PM
#6

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Mar 2021
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JoeChip said:
What 90s anime has the best animation.


JoeChip said:
Excluding movies and OVAs. I think Cowboy Bebop has the best animation.


You are excluding quite a lot when looking at the 90s if you won't count OVAs and Movies.

Though in my opinion I think the animation in "Trigun" far exceeds any other animation in an Anime series from the 90s. Madhouse was at one of it's peaks around the turn of the century during a time when Sunrise was experimenting with new ways to incorporate CGI. While Sunrise did a good job with the CG technology available at the time with "Cowboy Bebop", the way it was used in my opinion hasn't aged well where half of the action that takes place in outer space primarily relies on the CGI of the mid 90s. The most appealing thing about "Cowboy Bebop" for me to this day is the OST for the franchise which completely overshadows anything else about the series.

I recently had the privilege to experience watching a few episodes of the original "Trigun" series on Laserdisc. I have to say it completely blew my mind how amazing the quality was and completely changed my perspective of the entire series from the late 90s now comparing the experience of the DVD set I bought in the mid 2000s and even the few VHS tapes I still own from the same time period. The experience was basically night and day where the Laserdisc experience makes watching Early 2000s Anime on DVD like one was trying to experience watching some Anime bootleg on some VCD copy from the late 90s.
ColourWheelSep 12, 2024 9:41 PM
Sep 12, 2024 8:53 PM
#7
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Jul 2018
562356
Magic Knight Reyearth
Vision of Escaflowne
Blue Gender

For Ova

Gunsmith Cats
Record of Lodoss War
Sep 12, 2024 9:10 PM
#8

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May 2018
993
I'm watching record of lodoss war right now, and so far the art is the best thing about it. they make the women so pretty it has me questioning myself.

besides that... cowboy bebop, trigun, princess mononoke, and whisper of the heart also come to mind.
can't yuck my yum




Sep 13, 2024 10:15 AM
#9

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Feb 2024
1309
Reply to ColourWheel
JoeChip said:
What 90s anime has the best animation.


JoeChip said:
Excluding movies and OVAs. I think Cowboy Bebop has the best animation.


You are excluding quite a lot when looking at the 90s if you won't count OVAs and Movies.

Though in my opinion I think the animation in "Trigun" far exceeds any other animation in an Anime series from the 90s. Madhouse was at one of it's peaks around the turn of the century during a time when Sunrise was experimenting with new ways to incorporate CGI. While Sunrise did a good job with the CG technology available at the time with "Cowboy Bebop", the way it was used in my opinion hasn't aged well where half of the action that takes place in outer space primarily relies on the CGI of the mid 90s. The most appealing thing about "Cowboy Bebop" for me to this day is the OST for the franchise which completely overshadows anything else about the series.

I recently had the privilege to experience watching a few episodes of the original "Trigun" series on Laserdisc. I have to say it completely blew my mind how amazing the quality was and completely changed my perspective of the entire series from the late 90s now comparing the experience of the DVD set I bought in the mid 2000s and even the few VHS tapes I still own from the same time period. The experience was basically night and day where the Laserdisc experience makes watching Early 2000s Anime on DVD like one was trying to experience watching some Anime bootleg on some VCD copy from the late 90s.
@ColourWheel

Actually Trigun's animation quality drops quite a bit at times.
Sep 13, 2024 10:30 AM

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Jun 2019
4169
Looking at the list of 90's shows I've seen, none of them really stand except Cowboy Bebop and CCS (I've also got a fond spot for the backgrounds in Sailor Moon), which have already been mentioned. Apart from that most of the stand out animation and backgrounds is from OVA's like Record of Lodoss War, El Hazard, Macross Plus, Sol Bianca, Gunsmith Cats.

Also all the Ghibli movies and GitS.

I have an affinity for the simple but cheerful style of shows like Slayers, colourful with big expressive character designs, but I wouldn't say the animation or backgrounds were high quality.
Sep 13, 2024 10:34 AM

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Mar 2023
2818
I will say Serial Experiments Lain.
Sep 13, 2024 11:46 AM

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Apr 2019
4645
Sep 13, 2024 11:52 AM

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Dec 2016
6107
All the DBZ movies and the Cardcaptor Sakura movies as well.

Honorable mention specifically in TV to the Sailor Moon transformation sequences.
Sep 13, 2024 12:00 PM

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Aug 2012
443
Cowboy Bebop for sure! Same with Outlaw Star IMO. Cardcaptor Sakura is also a good one which was consistent!
Sep 13, 2024 12:06 PM

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Sep 2024
359
I would have typen Akira, but movies not allowed then Cardcaptor Sakura and Shinseiki Evangelion. Edit added Shinseiki Evangelion
Edit I would have also typed Kidou Senshi Zeta Gundam, but it was 80s anime rip.
Rosy_RoseSep 13, 2024 12:22 PM

“Everyone has a right to pursue a happy life. The difficult part is to be given that right.”
Frederica Bernkastel

Sep 13, 2024 1:39 PM

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Jan 2009
102583
vision of escaflowne gets my vote on this
Sep 13, 2024 2:00 PM

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Jan 2020
655
Yeah, Cowboy Bebop, probably. It doesn't look like a show from the 90's – it was ahead of its time.
Sep 13, 2024 6:25 PM
☆RetroRice☆

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Oct 2023
459
The ones on the top of my head

Flame of recca
Cowboy bebop
Trust and betrayal
Escaflowne
Princess Mononoke
Cardcaptor sakura
Sep 13, 2024 9:10 PM

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Feb 2016
12449
Reply to Inter_anime
If we're excluding OVAs & films then I think Cardcaptor Sakura has the most consistently good animation I've seen in a 90s series. Cowboy Bebop also had some good moments.

However I personally think animation quality suffered a lot in the 90s, especially due to the Japanese economic crisis at the time. Even a lot of critically acclaimed TV series at the time such as YuYu Hakusho, Ruroini Kenshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Great Teacher Onizuka, and Revolutionary Girl Utena all had moments of lackluster or downright bad art, animation, and story boarding in my opinion.

In my opinion of you want to see well animated anime from the 90s you kind of have to turn to OVAs or films. Studio Ghibli made some great animation in the 90s such as "Whisper of the Heart" and "Princess Mononoke", and as Zarutaku commented "On Your Mark" is worth seeing as well.
Inter_anime said:
However I personally think animation quality suffered a lot in the 90s, especially due to the Japanese economic crisis at the time. Even a lot of critically acclaimed TV series at the time such as YuYu Hakusho, Ruroini Kenshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Great Teacher Onizuka, and Revolutionary Girl Utena all had moments of lackluster or downright bad art, animation, and story boarding in my opinion.

There was a thread about a year ago asking the same question, which 90s TV anime had the best animation. Quite a few people answered with Evangelion and Utena, to my surprise. Perhaps because they were on the poll, and not Cardcaptor Sakura...
その目だれの目?
Sep 13, 2024 9:21 PM

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Jun 2022
456
Reply to Lucifrost
Inter_anime said:
However I personally think animation quality suffered a lot in the 90s, especially due to the Japanese economic crisis at the time. Even a lot of critically acclaimed TV series at the time such as YuYu Hakusho, Ruroini Kenshin, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Great Teacher Onizuka, and Revolutionary Girl Utena all had moments of lackluster or downright bad art, animation, and story boarding in my opinion.

There was a thread about a year ago asking the same question, which 90s TV anime had the best animation. Quite a few people answered with Evangelion and Utena, to my surprise. Perhaps because they were on the poll, and not Cardcaptor Sakura...
@Lucifrost Both Evangelion and Utena are still relatively popular amongst fans, and don't get me wrong they do have moments of good animation and art, but there some moments that had me thinking "c'mon, are you serious?" especially with those infamous still frame shots in Evangelion that last forever or that one scene of Utena walking up the stairs for two minutes that they loop every episode.
Sep 13, 2024 9:36 PM

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Jul 2015
610
I'll add Berserk 1997, HxH 1999, Yu Yu Hakusho ( I loved the animation in this ) & maybe Mobile Suit Gundam Wing ( it looks pretty good but not sure)
Sep 13, 2024 9:44 PM

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Feb 2016
12449
Reply to Zakception
I'll add Berserk 1997, HxH 1999, Yu Yu Hakusho ( I loved the animation in this ) & maybe Mobile Suit Gundam Wing ( it looks pretty good but not sure)
Zakception said:
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing ( it looks pretty good but not sure)

I think ∀ has the best Gundam animation of the decade, but they all looks decent except Victory.
その目だれの目?
Sep 14, 2024 10:28 AM

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Jan 2016
250
Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura (as a little girl, I adored watching magical girls)




Sep 15, 2024 9:59 AM

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Feb 2024
1309
Reply to Rosy_Rose
I would have typen Akira, but movies not allowed then Cardcaptor Sakura and Shinseiki Evangelion. Edit added Shinseiki Evangelion
Edit I would have also typed Kidou Senshi Zeta Gundam, but it was 80s anime rip.
@Rosy_Rose

Akira was made in the 80s though
Sep 15, 2024 10:01 AM

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Sep 2024
359
@JoeChip Oh I have forgotten that or didn't know thx for telling me.

“Everyone has a right to pursue a happy life. The difficult part is to be given that right.”
Frederica Bernkastel

Sep 15, 2024 10:12 AM

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Mar 2021
3086
Reply to JoeChip
@Rosy_Rose

Akira was made in the 80s though
JoeChip said:
Akira was made in the 80s though


Users perception of Anime in the West was skewed up till around the turn of the century because it's mostly due to a lot of stuff released even a decade earlier wasn't even officially available for them until up till 10 years later. Most Westerners only experienced Akira in on VHS in the 90s and those who did get the privilege to see it play on the big screen saw it on it's limited national run in North America in 1990. Only less than a couple of theaters 1989 got their hands on the film before the 90s in the West.
ColourWheelSep 15, 2024 10:15 AM
Sep 16, 2024 11:58 AM
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Sep 2024
16
I don't know about 90s anime, but Ragna Crimson has great animation!
Sep 17, 2024 1:12 PM

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Sep 2007
1728
Cowboy bebop and Princess Mononoke so far as I haven't seen alot of 90s anime.
Sep 17, 2024 3:50 PM

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Apr 2012
3415
Reply to Inter_anime
@Lucifrost Both Evangelion and Utena are still relatively popular amongst fans, and don't get me wrong they do have moments of good animation and art, but there some moments that had me thinking "c'mon, are you serious?" especially with those infamous still frame shots in Evangelion that last forever or that one scene of Utena walking up the stairs for two minutes that they loop every episode.
@Inter_anime It's all about how you interpret the question here. Both Eva and Utena save their animation budget for the moments when they really need it, which is generally quite a good idea, though more important on a limited budget. Compared with something like CCS which lavishly animates Sakura's staff-release in a different costume each week, is being able to do this necessary to be called the best, or is it just wasteful?
Oct 18, 2024 1:51 PM
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May 2024
35
In my completed anime list, Cowboy Bebop, Mononoke Hime, Perfect Blue, and Ghost in the Shell are.
Will 2025 be a good year?

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