Every year we review all the anime out there and append our list of "Required Reading" for otaku. These are not necessarily the best anime. They are not the most artistic anime. They are not the most popular, or the most heart-wrenching, or even the most beloved. These are the anime that every self respecting otaku should have seen, and should assume that other otaku are familiar with as well. Many of these are among the finest in animation, and many are indeed fan favorites, but that is not what got them on this list. All that said, if you are missing titles or are using this as a launching-point for your otaku carreer, you can look forward to some great animation!
Series/OVA (in no particular order)
Big O
Lupin III
DBZ
Macross
Utena
Tenchi Muyo
Lodoss War*
FLCL
CC Sakura
Evangelion
Lain
FMA
Kenshin
Gundam
Initial D*
Speed Racer*
Azumanga Daioh
Slayers
Death Note
Sailor Moon
Gurren Lagann
Escaflowne
Fist of the North Star*
Gunbuster
Excel Saga
Hellsing
Last Exile
Chobits
Ouran High
Fruits Baskets*
Detective Conan*
Love Hina
Fushigi Yuugi*
Mazinger*
Trigun
Cowboy Bebop
GITS SAC
Movies
-
Akira
Ninja Scroll
Vampire Hunter D
Ghost in the Shell
Perfect Blue
Memories
Metropolis
Royal Space Force: Wings of theHonneamise
Paprika
Directors/Studios
-
Studio Ghibli
Studio Gainax
Leiji Matsumoto
Osamu Tezuka
CLAMP
Rumiko Takahashi
Satoshi Kon
Mamoru Oshii
Go Nagai
Yoshiyuki Tomino
