Anime has been around for a long time, almost half a century, but new-gen anime series have started coming into its own. While early anime was highly experimental and niche, the medium has slowly come into its own over time, gaining popularity in both domestic and international markets. Series such as One Piece have even overtaken Western comic books in terms of sales, while the release of new seasons or manga chapters of My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and Demon Slayer take the globe by storm.
Each new decade has something to contribute to this anime boom, and the aforementioned three are some of the most popular among the new generation anime. Post-2010s, anime has achieved a new dimension among younger reader audiences, many of whom feel over-saturated by repetitive tropes of Western media and especially cartoons. In other words, these new-generation anime have gone on to fill up a much-needed entertainment void, proving to be as efficient in their storytelling medium as their visuals and soundtracks.
This list compiles the best 15 anime that we feel encapsulate the new generation. As such, there are many nuances and plot points that develop over time, but in order to avoid spoilers, we have only hinted at the synopsis.
Chainsaw Man, Oshi no Ko, and 13 other new-gen anime shows that one must be familiar with currently
Attack on Titan
The terrifying “Titans,” which were human-like monsters that first appeared hundreds of years ago, proved to be an existential menace as they preyed on any people they could find to satiate their seemingly limitless appetite. Humanity was unable to defeat the Titans, so they were compelled to fortify what may have been their last refuge in the world by building high walls around it.
Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert are three young children in the present who have grown up hearing tales of the wonders outside the walls and dream of experiencing everything the world has to offer. However, they are immediately thrown into a geopolitical thriller where nothing is as it seems after the unexpected invasion of a huge 60-meter Titan.
My Hero Academia
Eighty percent of people on the planet possess unique skills, or “quirks,” that have given many people the power to realise their childhood fantasies of becoming superheroes. Izuku Midoriya, regrettably, was one of the few people to be born without a peculiarity and experienced prejudice as a result. Izuku, however, is adamant about pursuing the seemingly unattainable goal of enrolling in the prestigious UA High hero training academy.
After an accidental encounter with All Might, the top hero and Izuku’s idol, though, everything changes. The helpless child participates in specialised training while exerting more effort than ever before after learning that his desire is not a dead end. This ultimately results in his gaining All Might’s power.
Demon Slayer
Tanjirou Kamado resides on a lonely mountain with his destitute family. He assumed the duty of providing for his family after his father passed away because he was the oldest child. He travels to the nearby village on a chilly winter day to sell some charcoal.
When Tanjirou eventually finds his way home, his biggest fear is realised. Except for his sister Nezuko, who has evolved into a flesh-eating demon, his entire family has been mercilessly murdered. Tanjirou embarks on a quest to exact revenge on his family and discover a means of transforming his cherished sister back into a human as he desperately attempts to stop Nezuko from harming other people.
Black Clover
Asta has no magic at all in a world full with magic. He still has ambitions to become the Wizard King, the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom, despite this. Yuno, a childhood friend and opponent of Asta, shares the same desire and is gifted with the skill to command strong wind magic. Even with this enormous distance separating them, Asta trains his body tirelessly every day in the hopes of someday awakening his magical skills and catching up to Yuno.
When a person in the Clover Kingdom reaches the age of 15, it is time for them to acquire their Grimoire, a tool that enables its user to use their magic to its utmost potential. Asta’s resolve to keep battling earns him his very own Grimoire, one with an unheard-of black five-leaf clover, while Yuno receives a Grimoire with a legendary four-leaf clover, signifying the remarkable strength of its wielder.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Unknown to the public eye, a long-running struggle continues. Powerful people known as “Jujutsu” sorcerers utilise mystical skills to eliminate supernatural creatures known as “Curse” that terrorise humanity from the shadows. Yuuji Itadori, a high school student, uncovers a dried-up finger belonging to the fabled Curse Sukuna Ryoumen and finds himself abruptly drawn into this horrific war. In an attempt to defend himself from a Curse drawn to the finger’s power, Yuuji takes a hasty decision that not only grants him the ability to fight Curses but also unintentionally reawakens the evil Sukuna.
Despite the fact that Yuuji can contain and enclose Sukuna within his own body, the Jujutsu world regards Yuuji as a high-level Curse that must be eliminated. Yuuji, who has been imprisoned and given a death sentence, encounters Satoru Gojou, a teacher at Jujutsu High School, who informs him that, despite his impending execution, there remains a choice for him. Being a special vessel to Sukuna, if Yuuji passed away, Sukuna would also pass away. Therefore, Yuuji’s execution would effectively exterminate the evil demon if Yuuji consumed the numerous other Sukuna remains.
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Holy Knights of Britannia defend their nation with unmatched magic and power in a world where injustice reigns. The “Seven Deadly Sins,” a gang of outlaws long regarded as the most powerful of Britannia’s Holy Knights, are their most desired targets.
Ten years later, the Holy Knights, in an ironic coup d’état of their own, capture the King of Liones and take control of the country. When Elizabeth Liones, the third princess of the realm, finds a pub run by Meliodas, the Dragon’s Sin of Wrath and the former commander of the disgraced knights, she embarks on a quest to find the Seven Deadly Sins and ask for their assistance. To search for the rest, they set out on an adventure.
Chainsaw Man
Denji has a simple dream: to live happily ever after and be in a committed relationship with a girl – you know, the usual. It’s a far cry from reality when the yakuza force Denji to slay devils in order to pay off his heavy debts. He employs his pet devil Pochita as a weapon since he will do anything for a little cash. He had sadly outlived his usefulness and was murdered by a devil working for the yakuza.
Denji is now able to wield his body’s parts as chainsaws, and he uses these new skills to swiftly and mercilessly eliminate his adversaries. He is offered employment at the Public Safety Bureau as one of the official demon hunters after catching the attention of those who arrive on the scene.
Haikyu!!
Shouyou Hinata, who is filled with wonder, observes the ace’s crow-like figure as his hero “The Little Giant” battles the formidably high net and the wall of blocks. Short-statured Hinata, who is motivated to reach great heights like the Little Giant, eventually succeeds in putting together a team and participating in his first volleyball competition in his final year of junior high school. Tobio Kageyama, the “King of the Court,” a great but tyrannical setter for the dominant school Kitagawa Daiichi, leads his side to a thrashing in their inaugural clash.
Hinata enrols in Karasuno High School with the purpose of inflicting retribution on Kageyama in an official high school match and imitating the Little Giant, but his plans are thwarted when he walks into the gymnasium and learns that Kageyama is one of his teammates. To overcome his flaws and realise his goal of dominating the high school volleyball globe, Hinata must now establish himself on the squad and collaborate with the troublesome Kageyama.
Blue Lock
After evaluating the current state of Japanese football, the Japanese Football Association chooses to hire the enigmatic and eccentric mastermind and coach Jinpachi Ego to help them realise their dream of winning the World Cup. Jinpachi establishes the Blue Lock, a unique setting where only the top 300 of talented strikers from high schools in Japan are segregated before they are pitted against one another. Jinpachi is of the opinion that Japan lacks an egotistic striker who is eager for goals. Blue Lock will determine who the striker for the national team will be, with the loser being permanently barred from the team.
Yoichi Isagi, a striker who failed to lead his high school football team to the national championship, was picked to take part in this risky venture. He couldn’t help but wonder whether the results would have been different if he had been more narcissistic after choosing to pass to a teammate who missed rather than scoring on his own. With this fantastic chance offered by the Blue Lock Project, Yoichi aims to allay his worries and work towards his ultimate dream of becoming the finest striker in the world and leading Japan to World Cup victory.
Hell’s Paradise
The icy and emotionless Gabimaru the Hollow, a ninja from Iwagakure Village, was set up by other ninja and is currently on death row. He wants to pass away because he is tired of killing and betraying others. In spite of Gabimaru’s seeming apathy, he is immune to all forms of death since he has a good reason to live. He wants to return to his wife because she was the reason he lost his composure and ceased to be a successful assassin. Therefore, he opposes death.
Sagiri Yamada Asaemon, a well-known executioner, notices this and comes up with a plan for the ninja. In exchange for Gabimaru’s participation in a quest for the elixir of life on the island of Shinsenkyo, she asks a complete pardon from the Shogunate alongside other Asaemons monitoring dangerous death row convicts. It is said that this island is Paradise, hence it is not just any island. The exploratory team, which is made up of those slated for execution, may not be fully prepared to handle the island’s many secrets. However, the question is – will they survive the quest?
Mob Psycho
Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, a student in the eighth grade, possesses exceptional psychic abilities. Mob chooses to hide his powers in public, nevertheless, because to their destructive and obvious nature. HTo keep his psychic abilities strong, he works for Arataka Reigen, a self-described esper wanting to use Mob’s abilities.
At Reigen’s request, Mob spends his days performing exorcisms with Reigen. Mob strives to improve himself with the simple goal of impressing his childhood buddy Tsubomi Takane. But problems never stop coming his way, gently releasing him from his emotional chains. There’s no telling what will occur once he hits his breaking point and his suppressed emotions start to bubble up.
Vinland Saga
For a young man his age, Thorfinn, the son of one of the greatest warriors of the Vikings, is among the best combatants in the merry band of mercenaries led by the wily Askeladd. Thorfinn, who has brought his family much misery, has pledged to slay Askeladd in a fair combat rather than joining the company because of the looting it entails. Thorfinn grows up among the mercenary group, honing his skills among the warlike Danes, for whom killing is just another aspect of life, on the battlefield. He is not yet skilled enough to overcome him, but he is unable to give up his vengeance.
When Askeladd learns that the Danish prince Canute has been kidnapped, he devises an elaborate plan that will determine who will rule England as its future monarch and fundamentally affect the lives of Thorfinn, Canute, and himself. Vinland Saga, which takes place in 11th-century Europe, is a brutal epic set in a time when bloodshed, lunacy, and injustice are unavoidable, offering a paradise to the battle-obsessed and a living nightmare to everyone else.
Dr. Stone
A mysterious light suddenly surrounds the earth, turning the human population into stone and rendering them petrified. Thousands of years later, the planet is alive with greenery, and proudly standing cities have been replaced by forests. Taiju Ooki, one of the first to leave their stone jail, discovers that his close buddy Senkuu, a talented young scientist, has been getting ready for his awakening. While Senkuu is motivated to find the reason for the bizarre phenomena and return the planet to its former splendour, Taiju is desperate to save the girl he loves.
But they discover that their new friend has other ideas when they free the renowned powerhouse Tsukasa Shishiou in an effort to take the upper hand against the threats in a strange planet. Free from the corruption and devastation caused by technology, Tsukasa sees their situation as an opportunity to start anew. He will do everything it takes to realise his dreams. Senkuu and his devotion to science will fight with Tsukasa and his primitive nature in what will undoubtedly be a war for the ages because neither side can agree on anything.
Oshi No Ko
Ai Hoshino, a talented and charismatic idol who is loved by her followers, is sixteen years old. She embodies the ideal of a youthful, virginal girl. However, there is more than meets the eye in this anime that highlights the corruption of the idol world in Japan via an absurdist fiction. Ai is greatly admired by Gorou Amemiya, a gynaecologist in the countryside. So when the pregnant idol shows up at his hospital, he is totally baffled. Gorou guarantees her a risk-free delivery. He claimed he had no notion that a casual meeting with a mysterious person would result in his premature death.
Gorou discovers that he has been resurrected as Aquamarine Hoshino—Ai’s infant son—when he opens his eyes in the lap of his cherished idol! He quickly discovers that the world of show business is littered with thorns and that talent does not necessarily translate into success after having his world flipped upside down. With the aid of an odd and unexpected ally, will he be able to preserve the smile that he loves so much on Ai?
Re: Zero
Subaru Natsuki is reborn in a bustling town filled with humans and demi-humans after leaving the convenience store. The town is obviously not the modern Japan he is used with, using dragons and carriages as form of transportation. Subaru, who spends his time immersed in video games and comic books, imagines himself to be the hero of this brand-new fantasy universe and to possess extraordinary magical abilities.
Unfortunately, that is not the case, as things swiftly spiral out of control when he runs into some goons. Fortunately, Satella, a silver-haired woman on the lookout for her missing insignia, comes to his aid. Subaru offers to assist with the hunt in return for her compassion, and this eventually takes them to a loot shop. Subaru enters the store in the hopes of negotiating with the owner about the stolen item, assuming that the insignia was traded for money. To his amazement, a vicious assassin who leads the two to their deaths instead than the insignia is what they find instead.
Subaru is startled to discover himself standing alone in the middle of the day, as if he never left the town in the first place, rather than waking up in the afterlife. His life in another universe therefore mysteriously starts over again.
