The best anime that get better after a rewatch will have their audience on their toes regardless of the plot, and will boast a large collection of juicy details that surface and give greater substance to the show with every new realization. The enticing nature of the rewatch hinges on nostalgia, but some anime will double down and improve with every iteration.
Although an anime could be amazing on a casual first run-through, the first few episodes may have a hidden logo, ambiguous subtext, or a familiar character lurking in the background that answers lingering questions. The best series will not ground its coherence or interest value in these details, but will beckon the audience to return for a rewatch. The main content of the anime will be good enough to create nostalgia on its own, which in turn pulls the audience back to discover new details and new understandings.
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10 One-Punch Man is More Than Just Superheroes
Based on the manga by ONE and Murata Yusuke
On the surface, the anime produced by Madhouse and then by J.C. Staff, One-Punch Man, is about the strongest hero, Saitama, who takes the classic shonen role to the extreme. However, although Saitama defeats the strongest villains with one punch, he does not get the recognition he deserves, and has become so strong that the work has become boring.
The series is compact and laid back, but not unserious, making it perfect for a rewatch. Upon revisiting, it becomes clearer that the story isn’t about the daily grind or climbing social ladders, it’s about neglected talent, the unforgiving nature of the corporate world, loneliness, and much more.
WATCH ON Crunchyroll
9 Wotakoi Urges Otaku to Stand Tall
Based on the manga by Fujita
The 2018 hit romance, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, is an uplifting anime made for the perfect audience. The story follows Momose Narumi through corporate life as an Otaku, a lover of games, anime, and all things alike. Although she hoped to keep her hobbies a secret, old and new acquaintances lead her to embrace her interests, regardless of any stigmas.
Wotakoi speaks to the generation that spearheaded the popularization of anime, the millennials and older gen z, and draws audiences back through its unique premise and satisfying interactions. Each rewatch will only hit harder with the passing of time, as the life of an otaku becomes more nuanced.
WATCH ON Amazon Prime
8 Saiki K Always Brings New Laughter
Based on the manga by Asou Shuuichi
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is a 2016 gag comedy following overpowered esper, Saiki Kusuo. The anime finds unique ways to interpret humor structured for the static medium, using jokes that hit hard and run fast.
Upon rewatching, the level of detail in Saiki K surfaces, even with something as simple as naming. Saiki’s first initial is “K,” so when his full name is said it sounds like “psychic.” Less noticeable are Saiki’s friends’ names, such as Hairo Kenishi, which sounds like pyrokinesis, and Teruhashi, which sounds like telepathy. Digging even deeper, his relationships are metaphors for his willingness to use and his moral understanding of his powers, which makes this series very similar to Mob Psycho 100.
WATCH ON Netflix
7 Violet Evergarden Has Great Emotional Depth
Based on the light novel by Akatsuki Kana and Takase Akiko
The hit drama produced in 2018 by Kyoto Animation Violet Evergarden is a heartbreaking story that follows Violet through a post-war landscape as she reckons with the meaning of human emotions. Having been found abandoned as a child on the battlefield and utilized for war, Violet has a lot of hidden trauma, and garners widespread sympathy.
The depth of language and emotion in Violet Evergarden is truly unprecedented, and a rewatch only adds more to the story. Although there are not many Easter eggs or hidden details, the scenes themselves are what provide endless exploration. Violet’s brevity becomes profound, and her prosthetic arms transcend the metaphor.
WATCH ON Netflix
6 Assassination Classroom Is an Easter Egg Hunting Ground
Based on the manga by Yuusei Matsui
The action comedy that first aired in 2015, Assassination Classroom, is an anime that rationalizes one of the wackiest premises of its decade. With a classroom full of so-called delinquents, and a teacher who is a world-threatening alien, this series is a metaphor for modern education and its antagonistic nature.
On a first watch, Assassination Classroom, may seem like just a spin on shonen, but further analysis will expose the narrative on education and the value of a genuine mentor figure. The series also boasts a plethora of Easter eggs, cameos, and references that include but are not limited to Dragon Ball, Bleach, Kuroko’s Basketball, and Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.
WATCH ON Funimation
5 Durarara!! is a Complex Multi Narrative
Based on the light novel by Narita Ryohgo and Yasuda Suzuhito
Durarara!! is an action mystery that is well deserved of its two exclamation points, as the anime follows multiple exciting plots and subplots that sometimes spring up out of nowhere. The series follows, but isn’t restricted to, the premise of a modern-day dullahan – the legendary headless rider of Irish folklore – named Celty, who has lost her head.
The world of Durarara!! may be difficult to enter because of its deep and substantive cast of characters and backstories, but it is well worth the watch, and especially a rewatch. Among the chaos of gangs, Celty’s crusade, and the antics of Orihara Izaya and Heiwajima Shizuo, there is deliberate order and structure that provides many answers.
WATCH ON Crunchyroll
4 Silver Spoon Is an Agricultural Homestead
Based on the manga by Arakawa Hiromu
The 2013 comedy, Silver Spoon, is much more than meets the eye, as the anime follows Hachiken Yuugo, who decides to enroll in agricultural school while knowing close to nothing about agriculture. New experiences, relationships, and perspectives take form through the series’ unique and poignant portrayal of the food industry’s back end.
Upon rewatching, Silver Spoon’s scenes of comradery, hard work, and heartbreak will grow evermore touching. The runt-of-the-litter pig that Hachiken names and raises becomes more than a question of pet versus livestock, and dreams are realized and squashed, each hitting harder with the passing of time. It’s also worth noting that Silver Spoon was the first ongoing manga that Arakawa started working on after the conclusion of her hit series Fullmetal Alchemist.
WATCH ON Crunchyroll
3 Chihayafuru Is as Deep as its Poetry
Based on the manga by Suetsugu Yuki
Chihayafuru, produced by Madhouse, first aired in 2011, and is an anime unique in its standing as a literature-based sports drama. The series’ acclaim and appeal is persistent, with a long-awaited third season airing in 2019 following high audience demand.
The series focuses on the game of Karuta, which is a Japanese card game that is similar to Concentration. However, what is written on the cards are poems from Hyakunin Isshu, an anthology of 100 ancient short poems. The featured poems are not only the medium of the featured sport, but the mode of Chihayafuru’s thematic development. With every rewatch, the poems will ingrain themselves deeper into the narrative.
WATCH ON Crunchyroll
2 Akira Is a Cult Classic for a Reason
Based on the manga by Otomo Katsuhiro
Akira is a 1988 film directed by Otomo Katsuhiro based on his manga series of the same name, which has truly stood through the tests of time, becoming one of the most widely discussed anime in academia, restructuring the concept of cyberpunk, providing post-war reckonings, and doing much more. The story follows two young boys, Kaneda and Tetsuo, through their coming of age in a reimagined, post-war Neo-Tokyo ripe with chaos and gang violence.
Akira boasts uncountable micro and macro narratives that provide interpretations of topics ranging from government corruption to technological trepidation, and from atomic bombs to prenatal metamorphoses. Upon rewatching, these themes float to the surface, bringing with them even more mysteries to be uncovered.
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WATCH ON Hulu
1 Baccano! Has a Timeline Begging for Rewatching
Based on the light novel by Narita Ryohgo and Enami Katsumi
Baccano! is an anime that falls under genres ranging from mystery to comedy to historical realism, as its meticulously crafted narrative written by Narita Ryohgo weaves the stories of multiple characters across time and space. Baccano! is similar to Durarara!!, also by Narita Ryohgo, in their character-driven plots and chaos, but not much else.
The series starts in 1930s Chicago, but features jumps to the 1700s much like the best anime timeskips, creating a segmented timeline of seemingly unrelated stories, which, by the end of the show, fuse into one. A rewatch provides more character depth when least expected, and there is even the option of watching the series in chronological order for a fresh experience.
