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Time Travel Anime

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Steins;Gate

Eccentric scientist Rintarou Okabe has a never-ending thirst for scientific exploration. Together with his ditzy but well-meaning friend Mayuri Shiina and his roommate Itaru Hashida, Okabe founds the Future Gadget Laboratory in the hopes of creating technological innovations that baffle the human psyche. Despite claims of grandeur, the only notable "gadget" the trio have created is a microwave that has the mystifying power to turn bananas into green goo. However, when Okabe attends a conference on time travel, he experiences a series of strange events that lead him to believe that there is more to the "Phone Microwave" gadget than meets the eye. Apparently able to send text messages into the past using the microwave, Okabe dabbles further with the "time machine," attracting the ire and attention of the mysterious organization SERN. Due to the novel discovery, Okabe and his friends find themselves in an ever-present danger. As he works to mitigate the damage his invention has caused to the timeline, Okabe fights a battle to not only save his loved ones but also to preserve his degrading sanity. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Re:zero -starting life in another world-.

When Subaru Natsuki leaves the convenience store, the last thing he expects is to be wrenched from his everyday life and dropped into a fantasy world. Things are not looking good for the bewildered teenager; however, not long after his arrival, he is attacked by some thugs. Armed with only a bag of groceries and a now useless cell phone, he is quickly beaten to a pulp. Fortunately, a mysterious beauty named Satella, in hot pursuit after the one who stole her insignia, happens upon Subaru and saves him. In order to thank the honest and kindhearted girl, Subaru offers to help in her search, and later that night, he even finds the whereabouts of that which she seeks. But unbeknownst to them, a much darker force stalks the pair from the shadows, and just minutes after locating the insignia, Subaru and Satella are brutally murdered. However, Subaru immediately reawakens to a familiar scene—confronted by the same group of thugs, meeting Satella all over again—the enigma deepens as history inexplicably repeats itself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

When tragedy is about to strike, Satoru Fujinuma finds himself sent back several minutes before the accident occurs. The detached, 29-year-old manga artist has taken advantage of this powerful yet mysterious phenomenon, which he calls "Revival," to save many lives. However, when he is wrongfully accused of murdering someone close to him, Satoru is sent back to the past once again, but this time to 1988, 18 years in the past. Soon, he realizes that the murder may be connected to the abduction and killing of one of his classmates, the solitary and mysterious Kayo Hinazuki, that took place when he was a child. This is his chance to make things right. Boku dake ga Inai Machi follows Satoru in his mission to uncover what truly transpired 18 years ago and prevent the death of his classmate while protecting those he cares about in the present. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tokyo Revengers

Takemichi Hanagaki's second year of middle school was the highest point in his life. He had respect, a gang of friends he could count on, and even a girlfriend. But that was twelve years ago. Today, he's a nobody: a washed-up nonentity made fun of by children and always forced to apologize to his younger boss. A sudden news report on the Tokyo Manji Gang's cruel murder of the only girlfriend he ever had alongside her brother only adds insult to injury. Half a second before a train ends his pitiful life for good, Takemichi flashes back to that same day 12 years ago, when he was still dating Hinata Tachibana. After being forced to relive the very same day that began his downward spiral, Takemichi meets Hinata's younger brother. Without thinking, he admits to his seeming death before flashing back to the past. Takemichi urges him to protect his sister before inexplicably returning to the future. Miraculously, he is not dead. Stranger still, the future has changed. It seems as though Takemichi can alter the flow of time. Given the chance to prevent his ex-girlfriend's tragic death at the hands of the Tokyo Manji Gang, Takemichi decides to fly through time to change the course of the future. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season

Re:zero -starting life in another world- season 2.

A reunion that was supposed to spell the arrival of peaceful times is quickly shattered when Subaru Natsuki and Emilia return to Irlam village. Witnessing the devastation left behind by the calamities known as Sin Archbishops, Subaru sinks into the depths of despair as his ability to redo proves futile. As the group makes their way to the Sanctuary in search of answers, Subaru has an unexpected encounter with the Witch of Greed—Echidna. Subjected to her untamed rhythm, he is forced to dive into the spirals of the past and future. At the same time, several mysterious threats set their sights on the Sanctuary, heralding a horrific fate for the hapless people trapped within. Everlasting contracts, past sins, and unrequited love will clash and submerge into a river of blood in the second season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu. Pushed to the brink of hopelessness, how long will Subaru's resolve to save his loved ones last? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2

Re:zero -starting life in another world- season 2 part 2.

After a stern yet compelling speech by Otto Suwen, Subaru Natsuki solemnly swears that he will successfully make it through this timeline and save everyone he can along the way. The first step toward achieving this goal is to help Emilia work through her past; however, that is easier said than done. Feeling as if she has been lied to by everyone around her, it will be difficult for Emilia to trust anyone, even Subaru, her self-proclaimed knight. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2 presents the culmination of Subaru's experiences with the Sanctuary and its people, along with his unwillingness to give up hope on saving them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Steins;Gate 0

The eccentric, self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe has become a shell of his former self. Depressed and traumatized after failing to rescue his friend Makise Kurisu, he has decided to forsake his mad scientist alter ego and live as an ordinary college student. Surrounded by friends who know little of his time travel experiences, Okabe spends his days trying to forget the horrors of his adventures alone. While working as a receptionist at a college technology forum, Okabe meets the short, spunky Maho Hiyajo, who later turns out to be the interpreter at the forum's presentation, conducted by Professor Alexis Leskinen. In front of a stunned crowd, Alexis and Maho unveil Amadeus—a revolutionary AI capable of storing a person's memories and creating a perfect simulation of that person complete with their personality and quirks. Meeting with Maho and Alexis after the presentation, Okabe learns that the two were Kurisu's colleagues in university, and that they have simulated her in Amadeus. Hired by Alexis to research the simulation's behavior, Okabe is given the chance to interact with the shadow of a long-lost dear friend. Dangerously tangled in the past, Okabe must face the harsh reality and carefully maneuver around the disastrous consequences that come with disturbing the natural flow of time. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Naho Takamiya's first day of her sophomore year of high school is off to an uneasy start. After waking up late, she receives a strange letter addressed to her. However, the letter is from herself—10 years in the future! At first, Naho is skeptical of the note; yet, after witnessing several events described to take place, she realizes the letter really is from her 26-year-old self. The note details that Naho's future life is filled with regrets, and she hopes that her younger self can correct the mistakes that were made in the past. The letter also warns her to keep a close eye on the new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. Naho must be especially careful in making decisions involving him, as Kakeru is not around in the future. With the letter as her guide, Naho now has the power to protect Kakeru before she comes to regret it once more. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kagome Higurashi's 15th birthday takes a sudden turn when she is forcefully pulled by a demon into the old well of her family's shrine. Brought to the past, when demons were a common sight in feudal Japan, Kagome finds herself persistently hunted by these vile creatures, all yearning for an item she unknowingly carries: the Shikon Jewel, a small sphere holding extraordinary power. Amid such a predicament, Kagome encounters a half-demon boy named Inuyasha who mistakes her for Kikyou, a shrine maiden he seems to resent. Because of her resemblance to Kikyou, Inuyasha takes a violent dislike to Kagome. However, after realizing the dire circumstances they are both in, he sets aside his hostility and lends her a hand. Unfortunately, during a fight for the Shikon Jewel, the miraculous object ends up shattered into pieces and scattered across the land. Fearing the disastrous consequences of this accident, Kagome and Inuyasha set out on a challenging quest to recover the shards before they fall into the wrong hands. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo

The girl who leapt through time.

Makoto Konno is in her last year of high school, but is having a hard time deciding what to do with her future. In between enduring the pressure of her teachers and killing time with her best friends, Makoto's life suddenly changes when she accidentally discovers that she is capable of literally leaping through time. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo follows Makoto as she plays around with her newfound power. However, she soon learns the hard way that every choice has a consequence, and time is a lot more complicated than it may seem. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi

Redo of healer.

When Keyaru acquired his powers as a Hero who specialized in healing all injuries regardless of severity, it seemed that he would walk the path to a great future. But what awaited him instead was great agony; he was subjected to years of seemingly endless hellish torture and abuse. Keyaru's healing skills allowed him to secretly collect the memories and abilities of those he treated, gradually making him stronger than anyone else. But by the time he reached his full potential, it was far too late—he had already lost everything. Determined to put his life back on track, Keyaru decided to unleash a powerful healing spell that rewound the entire world back to the time before he began to suffer his horrible fate. Equipped with the anguish of his past, he vows to redo everything in order to fulfill a new purpose—to exact revenge upon those who have wronged him. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

Vivy -fluorite eye's song-.

When highly evolved AIs set out to eradicate mankind, the carnage that ensues fills the air with the stench of fresh blood and burning bodies. In a desperate bid to prevent the calamity from ever occurring, a scientist bets everything on a remnant from the past. Turning the clock back a hundred years, AIs are already an integral part of human society, programmed with specific missions meant to be carried out for their entire course of operation. Vivy, the first ever autonomous AI, is a songstress tasked with spreading happiness through her voice. In a theme park where she hardly ever gets a proper audience, she strives to pour her heart out into her performances, bound to repeat it day after day—that is, until an advanced AI from the future appears before her and enlists her help in stopping a devastating war a hundred years in the making. With no time to process the revelation that flips her world upside down, Vivy is catapulted into a century-long journey to avert the violent history yet to come. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Summertime Render

Summer time rendering.

Since the death of his parents, Shinpei Ajiro had lived with the Kofune family and their two daughters—Mio and Ushio. Although he then left his home island to continue his education in Tokyo, Shinpei returns after Ushio tragically drowns during the attempted rescue of a little girl. During the funeral, his best friend informs him about bruises found around Ushio's neck, casting doubt over the cause of her death. Suspecting a murder has taken place, Shinpei reevaluates recent events, but strange incidents only continue to transpire. Disappearing people and other unexplainable occurrences lead Mio to recall an old folktale referring to entities called "Shadows," which may not be entirely fantasy. Supposedly, an encounter with one's Shadow foretells the person's impending demise. Facing the dark side of Hitogashima Island, Shinpei stands against his grim fate to fulfill Ushio's final will—to protect Mio. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei

The tatami galaxy.

One autumn evening at a mysterious ramen stand behind the Shimogamo Shrine, a lonely third-year college student bumps into a man with an eggplant-shaped head who calls himself a god of matrimony. Meeting this man causes the student to reflect upon his past two years at college—two years bitterly spent trying to break up couples on campus with his only friend Ozu, a ghoulish-looking man seemingly set on making his life as miserable as possible. Resolving to make the most out of the rest of his college life, the student attempts to ask out the unsociable but kind-hearted underclassman Akashi, yet fails to follow through, prompting him to regret not living out his college life differently. As soon as this thought passes through his head, however, he is hurtled through time and space to the beginning of his years at college and given another chance to live his life. Surreal, artistic, and mind-bending, Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei chronicles the misadventures of a young man on a journey to make friends, find love, and experience the rose-colored campus life he always dreamed of. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Steins;Gate: Oukoubakko no Poriomania

Steins;gate: egoistic poriomania.

A few months after the events of Steins;Gate, Rintarou Okabe and his group of friends are invited to tag along with their acquaintance Faris NyanNyan, who is participating in a Rai-Net battle event in the United States. There, they meet up with an old colleague: Kurisu Makise, who has been recalling fragmented memories of events that happened in the other world lines in the form of dreams. She confronts Okabe, questioning him as to whether these events—particularly the incidents between the two of them—did indeed happen. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shiguang Dailiren

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, it holds an infinite amount of secrets. These are secrets that only Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang are able to find. In a small shop called "Time Photo Studio," the two friends provide a special service: using their extraordinary powers that let them enter photographs, they jump into pictures brought to them by clients in order to grant their wishes. Through the eyes of the photographer, they live through the events surrounding the picture and try to decipher how to solve their client's request. But every time they jump into a picture, they take a great risk. One wrong move and they could alter the future of the person who took the picture... and possibly countless other events too. So when the events they are forced to live through in these pictures start to become personal, it will take the utmost strength to push their feelings aside and focus on accomplishing the task they were paid to do. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tokyo Revengers: Seiya Kessen-hen

Tokyo revengers: christmas showdown.

In spite of his best time-leaping efforts, Takemichi Hanagaki continuously fails to prevent the present-day death of Hinata Tachibana, his adolescent love. The adult Takemichi grapples with grief and the ramifications of the Tokyo Manji gang's criminal empire—an unintended product of his timeline meddling. Though the gang once operated under the idealistic Manjirou "Mikey" Sano, it has now been taken over by the malicious Tetta Kisaki and, as a result, has abandoned its original optimistic intent. Despite feeling hopeless, Takemichi travels to the past once again to investigate Black Dragon, a rival motorcycle gang whose actions ultimately lead to Hinata's demise. There, he meets the young Hakkai Shiba, a fellow gang member whose older brother, Taiju, tyrannically rules Black Dragon. When Taiju brutally beats Takemichi in a one-sided street brawl, Hakkai attempts to withdraw from Tokyo Manji in apology—an act that Takemichi must prevent to spare Hakkai a grim future. Through a shared tragedy, Takemichi bonds with Chifuyu Matsuno, establishing a close comradery both boys desperately need. With Chifuyu on his side, Takemichi works to unravel the fates of Black Dragon's members, fighting to create a happy future for his loved ones. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Bokutachi no Remake

Remake our life.

Life is not going well for 28-year-old Kyouya Hashiba. Having left his office job to pursue a career in the video game industry, his internship at a popular game studio abruptly ends, leaving him unemployed and forcing him to move back in with his parents. Additionally, his jealousy toward the success of the "Platinum Generation"—a group of similarly-aged creators—has caused him to regret his decision to attend a traditional university instead of an arts college. Even though he believes there are no second chances in life, Kyouya is suddenly given one when he wakes up one day and finds himself 10 years in the past. Instead of choosing business school like he originally had, Kyouya decides to pursue his passions and attends the Oonaka University of Art. There, he meets classmate Eiko Kawasegawa, the woman who had hired him as an intern in the present, alongside his new housemates and future Platinum Generation members: underachieving artist Aki Shino, aspiring singer and actress Nanako Kogure, and naturally-gifted writer Tsurayuki Rokuonji. With each project they complete together, Kyouya and his friends venture closer to discovering their true potential as creators and remaking their lives into the ideal versions they desire. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara

Iroduku: the world in colors.

Despite the kaleidoscopic magic ingrained in everyday life, Hitomi Tsukishiro's monochrome world is deprived of emotion and feeling. On a night as black and white as any other, amidst the fireworks spreading across the sky, Hitomi's grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell, for which she has been harnessing the moon's light for 60 years, to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school. Hitomi's mission seems unclear, but her grandmother assures her that she will know when she gets there. Following a trip through time aboard a train driven by a strange yellow creature, Hitomi finds herself in stoic artist Yuito Aoi's room, and his drawings flood her world with color. What is Hitomi's purpose there, and why do Yuito's drawings return such breathtaking color to her drab world? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Oda Nobuna no Yabou

The ambition of oda nobuna.

High school student Yoshiharu Sagara wakes up and finds himself in the middle of a raging Sengoku period battle. He is saved by the legendary Hideyoshi Toyotomi, but at the cost of the hero's life. With his dying breath, the warrior pleads for Yoshiharu to become a feudal lord in his place. Now that the course of history has been changed, Yoshiharu pledges to keep the timeline from diverging any further. Yet, after rescuing Nobuna Oda—whom he discovers is actually the fabled Nobunaga Oda's female counterpart—Yoshiharu realizes he has been transported to an alternate reality where most of Japan's historical warlords are now cute girls! To set things right and find a way back home, Yoshiharu agrees to become one of Nobuna's retainers and assist her in a conquest of Japan. As Nobuna initiates her campaign, Yoshiharu discovers that the history he learned from playing the video game "Nobunaga's Ambition" allows him to predict future events and turn the tide of war. Using this invaluable gift to aid the Oda clan's beautiful generals, Yoshiharu hopes to help his new lord fulfill her dream and win the hearts of women everywhere. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

InuYasha: Kanketsu-hen

Inuyasha: the final act.

Thwarted again by Naraku, Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi, and their friends must continue their hunt for the few remaining Shikon Jewel shards, lest they fully form into a corrupted jewel at the hands of Naraku. But Naraku has plans of his own to acquire them, and will destroy anyone and anything standing in his way—even his own underlings. The persistent, unyielding danger posed by Naraku forces Sango and Miroku to decide what is most important to them—each other or their duty in battle. Meanwhile, Inuyasha must decide whether his heart lies with Kikyou or Kagome, before fate decides for him. Amid the race to find the shards, Inuyasha and his brother Sesshoumaru must also resolve their feud and cooperate for their final confrontation with Naraku, as it is a battle they must win in order to put a stop to his evil and cruelty once and for all. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Steins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link - Divide By Zero

Steins;gate: open the missing link - divide by zero.

Having reached his emotional breaking point, Rintarou Okabe refuses to continue aiding time traveler Suzuha Amane in her mission to prevent World War III, believing any further efforts to save Makise Kurisu will be in vain. Shortly after, Okabe abandons his mad scientist persona and becomes a seemingly regular university student. Okabe's close friend Mayuri Shiina perceives him to be recovering from his trauma and is visibly happy. However, something still seems to be bothering Okabe. Steins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link - Divide By Zero marks the beginning of a critical divergence—a timeline in which the burden of fate escalates beyond one's limits. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Naruto: Shippuuden Movie 4 - The Lost Tower

Naruto shippuden the movie 4: the lost tower.

Led by Yamato, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sai are assigned to capture Mukade, a rogue ninja who is pursuing the ancient chakra Ryuumyaku located underneath the Rouran ruins. While the Ryuumyaku has been sealed by the Fourth Hokage, the group fails to prevent Mukade from releasing its power. Consequently, a strong energy burst engulfs both Naruto and Yamato before they can escape. As he awakens in a magnificent yet hostile kingdom, Naruto meets its young queen Saara and three Konohagakure ninjas on a top-secret mission. They reveal to him that he has time-traveled to Rouran 20 years into the past! To make matters worse, Mukade has already infiltrated the royal court, becoming the naive queen's most trusted minister under the alias Anrokuzan. Joining forces with the three ninjas, Naruto must protect Saara's life without fail to stop the villain's plans and return to the present. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare

Gintama: the movie: the final chapter: be forever yorozuya.

When Gintoki apprehends a movie pirate at a premiere, he checks the camera's footage and finds himself transported to a bleak, post-apocalyptic version of Edo, where a mysterious epidemic called the "White Plague" has ravished the world's population. It turns out that the movie pirate wasn't a pirate after all—it was an android time machine, and Gintoki has been hurtled five years into the future! Shinpachi and Kagura, his Yorozuya cohorts, have had a falling out and are now battle-hardened solo vigilantes and he himself has been missing for years, disappearing without a trace after scribbling a strange message in his journal. Setting out in the disguise given to him by the android time machine, Gintoki haphazardly reunites the Yorozuya team to investigate the White Plague, and soon discovers that the key to saving the future lies in the darkness of his own past. Determined to confront a powerful foe, he makes an important discovery—with a ragtag band of friends and allies at his side, he doesn't have to fight alone. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

After escaping a bus hijacking with the help of masked superhero Strange Juice, Yuuta Iridatsu finds his soul separated from his body and in the care of a perverse cat spirit, Chiranosuke. As a spirit, Yuuta wanders around his residence, the Korai House, aiming to regain his body and observe the other residents: Meika Daihatsu, a genius inventor; Mikatan Narugino, a cheerful idol; Ito Hikiotani, a shut-in NEET; and Rabura Chichibu, a spiritual medium. After catching a glimpse of Narugino's undergarments, Chiranosuke reveals to Yuuta that he becomes exponentially stronger upon seeing panties. However, if he sees another pair while he is still a spirit, his power will cause an asteroid to crash into the earth, ending the world and killing his friends. Punch Line follows Yuuta as he unravels the mysteries surrounding Korai House, its residents, and a villainous organization attempting to end the world. Will Yuuta be able to save everyone, or will the ever-present threat of panties result in their doom? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Fate/Grand Order: First Order

Fate/grand order -first order-.

In 2015, the Chaldea Security Organization draws on experts of both the magical and mundane fields to observe the future of mankind for possible extinction events. Humanity's survival seems assured for the next century—until the verdict suddenly changes, and now eradication of the species awaits at the end of 2016. The cause is unknown, but appears to be linked with the Japanese town of Fuyuki and the events of 2004 during the Fifth Holy Grail War. In response, Chaldea harnesses an experimental means of time travel, the Rayshift technology. With it, Ritsuka Fujimaru, a young man newly recruited to the organization, and the mysterious girl Mash Kyrielight, can travel back to 2004 and discover how to save humanity. A grand order to fight fate has been declared—an order to change the past and restore the future. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku-hen

Tokyo revengers: tenjiku arc.

After succeeding in their winter conflict against Taiju Shiba and his Black Dragons, the Tokyo Manji Gang absorbs their group's remaining members. Due to his heroic courage and indomitable spirit, Takemichi Hanagaki should have accomplished his goal of defeating the tragic fate awaiting his girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana. In reality, Takemichi's troubles are far from over. Although Takemichi's actions have exposed Tetta Kisaki's treachery, the conniving schemer has found power elsewhere: Tenjiku, a dangerous gang led by the enigmatic Izana Kurokawa. Izana sets his sights on Manjirou "Mikey" Sano, pursuing a vicious interest in the Tokyo Manji Gang's aloof leader. In the future, Takemichi discovers that the machinations of Izana and Kisaki led to Mikey's moral ruin—a downfall that directly results in Hinata's death. Unfortunately, a terrible loss robs Takemichi of his time-leaping ability, stranding him in the past with one final chance to rescue everyone he loves. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kamisama Hajimemashita: Kako-hen

While playing in the snow one day at her shrine, the land god Nanami Momozono witnesses her familiar—the fox youkai Tomoe—collapse, with dark markings appearing on his body. Tomoe's former master, Lord Mikage, appears after his long absence and places Tomoe into a magical pocket mirror in order to stave off his ailment. Mikage explains that long ago, before he and Tomoe had met, the fox youkai was in love with a human woman. Seeking to live as a human with his beloved, he made a deal with a fallen god, but he only ended up cursed and dying. When Mikage discovered Tomoe, the god made the youkai forget his human love as a quick solution. However, something has changed recently to reactivate the curse; Tomoe has fallen in love with his new human master, Nanami. Since there is no way to stop the curse, Nanami wants to stop Tomoe from getting cursed in the first place by traveling back through time, even if it means they may never meet. As Nanami travels back hundreds of years to save her precious familiar, she discovers that she is far more closely bonded to Tomoe than she previously thought. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 3rd Season

Re:zero -starting life in another world- season 3.

3rd Season of Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Sakurada Reset

Sagrada reset.

Kei Asai lives in the oceanside city of Sakurada—a town where the inhabitants are born with strange abilities. On the school rooftop one day, he meets Misora Haruki, an apathetic girl with the power to reset anything around her up to three days prior. While no one knows when she has reset, not even Haruki, Kei can retain everything before the reset thanks to his own ability: photographic memory. After they successfully help someone by combining their powers, they join the Service Club to aid others in their town. However, their club becomes involved with and begins completing missions for the mysterious Administration Bureau—an organization that focuses on managing the abilities in Sakurada and manipulating the town's events for their own ends. They may find out that there are more things at work in Sakurada than the machinations of the uncanny organization. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Mirai no Mirai

In a quiet corner of the city, four-year-old Kun Oota has lived a spoiled life as an only child with his parents and the family dog, Yukko. But when his new baby sister Mirai is brought home, his simple life is thrown upside-down; suddenly, it isn't all about him anymore. Despite his tantrums and nagging, Mirai is seemingly now the subject of all his parents' love. To help him adapt to this drastic change, Kun is taken on an extraordinary journey through time, meeting his family's past, present, and future selves, as he learns not only what it means to be a part of a family, but also what it means to be an older brother. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Orange: Mirai

Twenty-six-year-old Hiroto Suwa; his wife, Naho; and their old high school classmates—Takako Chino, Azusa Murasaka, and Saku Hagita—visit Mt. Koubou to view the cherry blossoms together. While watching the setting sun, they reminisce about Kakeru Naruse, their friend who died 10 years ago. Mourning for him, they decide to visit Kakeru's old home, where they learn the secret of his death from his grandmother. Filled with regret, Suwa and his friends decide to write letters to their 16-year-old past selves to set their hearts at rest. With the knowledge contained in the letter from his future self, 16-year-old Suwa has the chance to rewrite the future. What choices will he make? What will happen in this new future? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsu suru

7th time loop: the villainess enjoys a carefree life married to her worst enemy.

Rishe Irmgard Weitzner finds herself in a familiar situation: her fiancé is publicly breaking off their engagement, and her ducal family is about to disown her in shame. However, Rishe is not distraught; she has already had six chances to rebuild her life and chase a different passion each time. But she would always get swept up in a war and die, so now she wishes for her seventh reincarnation to be easygoing and uneventful. What Rishe does not take into account is the presence of Arnold Hein, the crown prince of the Galkhein Kingdom. He is destined to usurp the throne and become a tyrant who starts a large-scale invasion of neighboring countries. To make their encounter worse, Arnold is the one who killed Rishe in her previous life. That is why it is all the more shocking when he proposes to Rishe on the spot. In pursuit of her desired life, Rishe must consider accepting Arnold's proposal and discover the reasons behind his brutal actions to stop the war from ever happening. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Island (TV)

On a remote island far from the mainland named Urashima, a man washes ashore, with no recollection of his name or homeland. What he does recall, however, is that he is a time traveler with a mission: to save a certain girl from harm. As nightfall arrives, he meets Rinne Ohara, a girl who sings a tune that reminds him of a specific name—Setsuna—and decides to use it as his own. Knowing another "Setsuna" herself, Rinne takes him to her household as a servant, hoping that he is the same one she remembers. On the other hand, Setsuna continues to learn more about Urashima, desiring to identify his lost past. He comes to know about the island's folklore, its three great families, and the endemic disease that prevents anyone afflicted from stepping out into the daylight. As the mysteries of his missing memories and Urashima itself unfold, Setsuna must remember his purpose and fulfill his mission as soon as possible. But, as he witnesses the myriad of troubles plaguing the island, Setsuna begins to question—is his temporal displacement merely an effort to change a single girl's fate? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hanyou no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogizoushi

Yashahime: princess half-demon.

Half-demon twins Towa and Setsuna were always together, living happily in Feudal Japan. But their joyous days come to an end when a forest fire separates them and Towa is thrown through a portal to modern-day Japan. There, she is found by Souta Higurashi, who raises her as his daughter after Towa finds herself unable to return to her time. Ten years later, 14-year-old Towa is a relatively well-adjusted student, despite the fact that she often gets into fights. However, unexpected trouble arrives on her doorstep in the form of three visitors from Feudal Japan; Moroha, a bounty hunter; Setsuna, a demon slayer and Towa's long-lost twin sister; and Mistress Three-Eyes, a demon seeking a mystical object. Working together, the girls defeat their foe, but in the process, Towa discovers to her horror that Setsuna has no memory of her at all. Hanyou no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogizoushi follows the three girls as they endeavor to remedy Setsuna's memory loss, as well as discover the truth about their linked destinies. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo

Her blue sky.

High school student Aoi Aioi lives with her elder sister, Akane, after a tragic accident took their parents away 13 years ago. Because Akane has since been taking care of her single-handedly, Aoi wants to move to Tokyo after her graduation to relieve her sister's burden and pursue a musical career, inspired by Akane's ex-boyfriend Shinnosuke "Shinno" Kanamuro. Shinno was part of a band until he left for Tokyo to become a professional guitarist after the sisters' parents passed away, and he was never to be seen again. One afternoon, while Aoi practices her bass in a guest house, she gets startled by the 18-year-old version of Shinno from 13 years ago! As if by coincidence, the current 31-year-old Shinno also returns to the town, but he has changed drastically. There are now two Shinno's in existence, but why is the Shinno from the past present? Sora no Aosa wo Shiru Hito yo revolves around these four individuals as they confront their inner feelings toward each other and make decisions that will affect their lives from here on out. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kikansha no Mahou wa Tokubetsu desu

A returner's magic should be special.

After a decade spent fighting monsters in the Shadow Labyrinth—a growing dark cloud of magic that threatens to engulf the world and destroy all life—mage Desir Herrman and his five companions finally face their last foe: the dragon of destruction Boromir Napolitan. Although the group of heroes manages to slay this formidable opponent, the tremendous amount of mana stored within the dragon's body is released in an unstoppable explosion that annihilates the rest of the world. However, instead of dying, Desir is sent back 10 years into the past with complete memories of events to come. He enrolls at Hebrion Academy, determined to put an end to the classist prejudice plaguing the magical world that will ultimately lead to the demise of humanity. Unfortunately, his struggle begins early on during the entrance exams; although he is ranked first of his group, Desir is assigned to the Beta Class, the default class for commoners. Now, Desir's next objective is to rally someone to his cause that he could not save in his previous life: the wind mage Romantica Eru. Then, Desir will have to show his worth to the Alpha Class with his newly formed party if he wants to ultimately save as many lives as possible. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shiguang Dailiren II

Link click season 2.

The attempt to capture the mysterious perpetrator who possesses people ends tragically: Lu Guang is rushed to the hospital in a critical state, while Cheng Xiaoshi is arrested for the alleged crime. In light of recent events, the father of Liu Min unleashes his skilled, ruthless lawyer—Qian Jin—after Police Chief Li Xiao, who is spearheading the investigation related to the photo studio owned by Qiao Ling. It appears that no one is safe from the unpredictable and fatal attacks of the adversary who painstakingly hides their identity. As he tries to learn from his past mistakes, Cheng Xiaoshi must act swiftly and decisively to put an end to this devastating trail of death. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

InuYasha Movie 2: Kagami no Naka no Mugenjou

Inuyasha the movie 2: the castle beyond the looking glass.

Fortune smiles on Inuyasha and his allies when they finally defeat their nemesis Naraku, who has caused them unrelenting hardships. Overjoyed by the long-awaited victory, they all hurry to resume their former lives, unaware that danger still lurks around. Kanna and Kagura, two of Naraku's subordinates, make arrangements to set free a sealed demonic entity that claims to be Kaguya, the legendary Princess of the Heavens. Although preoccupied with their own endeavors, Inuyasha's group members reunite by a string of unusual coincidences involving Kanna and Kagura along with an inexplicable phenomenon of repeated full-moon nights. Upon realizing that Kaguya is behind the troubling events and that she holds a terrible power, they join forces once more to stop the disastrous fate she has planned for the world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin

Occult academy.

The story revolves around Maya, the daughter of the former Headmaster of Waldstein Academy, and a time traveling agent Fumiaki Uchida. In the year 2012, the world had been invaded by aliens and time travelers were sent back to the year 1999 in order to find and destroy the Nostradamus Key, which Nostradamus Prophecy foretold as what would bring about the apocalypse. The series then turns to the year 1999, where Maya returns to the Academy with the intention of destroying the Academy by superseding her late father's position as the principal. Her plan was interrupted when she meets Fumiaki and learns of the forthcoming destruction. Despite being distrusting towards Fumiaki, they form a pact to look for the Nostradamus Key. In order to find the Nostradamus Key, time agents were provided with specially created cell phones. When a user finds an object of interest, by thinking of destroying it and taking a photo, and if the resulting image is that of a peaceful world, then the subject is the Nostradamus Key. Conversely, if the subject is not the Nostradamus Key, then the photo displays destruction. By using the phone, Maya and Fumiaki investigates occult occurrences as they occur in the town. (Source: Wikipedia)

InuYasha Movie 1: Toki wo Koeru Omoi

Inuyasha the movie: affections touching across time.

During their quest in the feudal era to recover the shards of the miraculous Shikon Jewel, Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi, and their friends become the target of Menoumaru Hyouga—a demon awakened by one of the Shikon fragments, now in pursuit of Inuyasha's heirloom sword Tessaiga. Following a clash between the fathers of Inuyasha and Menoumaru, the weapon is the only means to restore Menoumaru his rightful family heritage. However, upon ambushing Inuyasha, Menoumaru discovers that Tessaiga's owner alone can wield it. Determined to achieve his objective regardless, he kidnaps Kagome to force Inuyasha to use his blade and release the sealed powers of the Hyouga clan. With their dependable companions' assistance, Inuyasha and Kagome oppose Menoumaru, unaware that his sinister intentions and alarming potential will endanger not only their world but also its distant future. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

InuYasha Movie 3: Tenka Hadou no Ken

Inuyasha the movie 3: swords of an honorable ruler.

Following Inu no Taishou's death, his swords Tenseiga and Tessaiga were passed on to his sons, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha respectively. However, there exists one more blade. During a visit to his friend Kagome Higurashi in modern times, Inuyasha encounters Sounga—his father's third sword. Found by one of Kagome's ancestors inside the old well that connects the past to the future, Sounga has been kept for years as a treasured artifact at the Higurashi shrine. Nevertheless, it soon reveals itself to harbor an evil spirit with a terrible urge to kill. While struggling to subdue its calamitous nature, Inuyasha manages to bring Sounga back to the feudal era where he must confront his brother Sesshoumaru, who has always desired to possess it. But when they lose track of the sword during their fight, the siblings engage in a fervent competition to find it, still unaware of its secret and the legacy that Inu no Taishou has left for them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

InuYasha Movie 4: Guren no Houraijima

Inuyasha the movie 4: fire on the mystic island.

Hourai is a mysterious island that appears for a limited period once every 50 years. Some say that the isle holds the secret of eternal youth; others believe that it brings disaster to their land. When Inuyasha's group saves a half-demon child from being hunted by a monstrous creature, they learn that her name is Ai and that she fled from Hourai. Surprisingly, the girl is an acquaintance of Inuyasha and begs him to rescue her friends, who are being held prisoner by vicious demons calling themselves the Four War Gods—an enemy Inuyasha remembers well. Upon reaching Hourai, Ai's guests are horrified to discover that only a handful of orphans still inhabit the island and are destined to become sacrifices to increase the Four War Gods' powers. Furthermore, the victims bear their oppressors' enchanted mark, which prevents them from escaping. Defeating the four demons remains Inuyasha's most viable option, but their superiority in strength will require daring initiatives achievable only by the group's combined teamwork. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete

In search of the lost future.

Kaori Sasaki—a member of Uchihama Academy's Astronomy Club—confesses to Sou Akiyama, but later that evening, she dies in a tragic road accident. Her friends and fellow club members mourn her death in a local hospital. Yet she shows up to school the following day, and no one senses anything amiss. The day finishes without any unusual incidents, and the group of friends plans for the upcoming cultural festival. Suddenly, the room is shaken by an unnatural earthquake. Everyone splits up to investigate—except for Nagisa Hanamiya, who stays behind. As everyone leaves, Nagisa notices that the odd relic-like cube that she was toying with starts emitting a strange blue light. Meanwhile, Sou stumbles upon an unconscious, naked girl lying in a pool of water. Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete follows the Astronomy Club's increasingly bizarre adventures—from dealing with ghosts to quelling unrests between student clubs. All the while, they unravel the circumstances behind the sudden appearance of a new transfer student. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Noein: Mou Hitori no Kimi e

Noein: to your other self.

During their last summer of elementary school, four friends decide to undertake a test of courage at their local graveyard. Before the test begins, Haruka Kaminogi makes a last effort to pull Yuu Gotou away from his controlling mother. While doing so, Haruka suddenly has a strange vision of blue snow followed by the appearance of an imposing silver-haired man. Later, a similar vision occurs at the graveyard to both Haruka and her friends before they try to escape what they assume are ghosts. Unbeknownst to the children, the people who appeared before them are Dragon Soldiers: an elite military group from a dimension known as La'cryma. The soldiers have traveled to this dimension to secure the "Dragon Torque"—an entity they believe to be their last hope for survival. However, both the Dragon Soldiers and Haruka are shocked to learn that the Dragon Torque is Haruka herself. She attempts to escape from the Dragon Soldiers as she finds her own last ray of hope—the strange silver-haired man who claims to be another version of Yuu himself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Buddy Complex

When ordinary high school student Aoba Watase is suddenly targeted by a giant robot known as a "Valiancer," he is saved by his mysterious classmate Hina Yumihara. After revealing that she and their robotic enemy are from the future, Hina suddenly propels Aoba 70 years forward in order to prevent his death. Upon arrival, Aoba finds himself in the cockpit of a Valiancer called "Luxon," stuck in the midst of a firefight between the military forces of the Free Pact Alliance (FPA) and Zogilia Republic. After he shows high compatibility with an FPA pilot named Dio Weinberg, the two perform a successful "coupling," allowing them to share experiences and subsequently increase their capabilities and skills. Although Aoba is able to survive this unexpected battle, he is taken into custody by the FPA ship Cygnus, who wishes to interrogate him. While the student's main concern is whether he will ever be able to return home, what he doesn't realize is that he is about to get caught up in a war to protect the world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Nobunaga-sensei no Osanazuma

Nobunaga teacher's young bride.

"One day, a girl who loves me will suddenly appear before me"—Middle school teacher Nobunaga has always been dreaming of such a gal game-like situation. However, the one who appeared before him was Kichou, a 14-year-old girl who proclaims herself as his wife. Appearing to have arrived from the Sengoku era, she mistakes Nobunaga as Nobunaga Oda and urges him to conceive a child with her. Thus begins the age-difference love comedy between a gal game-loving teacher and a Sengoku era expert princess. (Source: MAL News)

Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari: Dantoudai kara Hajimaru, Hime no Tensei Gyakuten Story

Tearmoon empire.

Due to poor finances, an epidemic, and famine, the once prosperous Tearmoon Empire ultimately falls to a revolution instigated by its citizens and supported by neighboring nations. The rebellion also brings dire consequences for Mia Luna Tearmoon, the empire's extremely spoiled princess, who endures three years in the dungeons before facing execution. By some miracle, Mia finds herself reincarnated as her 12-year-old self, retaining full memories of everything that had transpired. With the pain of the guillotine blade freshly imprinted on her neck, Mia is determined to use this second chance at life to avoid the grim fate that awaits her. She utilizes all her knowledge to improve the state of the kingdom and gather personal allies, inadvertently winning over the people's hearts and becoming beloved as a saint. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Inazuma Eleven Go: Chrono Stone

Inazuma Eleven Go: Chrono Stone is set after the Holy Road Soccer Tournament. The hero of of the moment, Tenma Matsukaze, traveled all over Japan to teach soccer to kids. He returns to Raimon Junior High School after completing his mission, but to his surprise, it's no longer the same Raimon Junior High that he remembers. The soccer club is non-existent, and the members of the champion team in the Holy Road Soccer Tournament have no recollection of taking part in the tournament. They neither remember Tenma nor the game of soccer they loved. As Tenma is baffled by this twist, Alpha, the leader of the Route Agents and captain of Protocol Omega team, suddenly appears before him. Alpha declares that he and his team are responsible for wiping out passion for soccer in Raimon along with the memories of the soccer club members: and Tenma himself is next. That's when a strange boy named Fei Rune appears just in time to save him. Just who is Fei, and why does Alpha want to eliminate soccer for good? Tenma knows that he needs to do everything in his power to emerge victorious. It's a battle that could seal the fate of soccer forever.

Nobunaga Concerto

"Who cares about what happened in Japan's past? It has nothing to do with my life." With these words, carefree high school student Saburou finds himself unceremoniously thrown back in time to the Sengoku Era, landing directly in front of the legendary general Nobunaga Oda. Nobunaga, on the run from his retainers and wishing to rest due to his frailty, beseeches Saburou to take his place, as the two bear an uncanny resemblance. Although Saburou is still confused by his surroundings, Nobunaga hurriedly provides the boy with the necessary items to prove that he is the bona fide feudal lord and makes a hasty getaway. Now a stand-in for someone he doesn't even know all that much about—though his modern experiences and knowledge are sure to help him—Saburou begins his unexpected quest to pose as the man who attempted to unite all of Japan. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ninja Batman

Batman ninja.

At Arkham Asylum, Batman clashes with Gorilla Grodd while trying to destroy Grodd's newest invention: the Quake Engine. Amidst the chaos, the engine activates, and the entire asylum suddenly vanishes into thin air—Batman along with it. Once the dust settles, Batman finds himself standing in the middle of an unfamiliar road. He soon realizes that he is no longer in Gotham City—but instead in Feudal Japan! The amazement quickly fades as samurai descend upon him, seeking to take his life. Later on, Batman's investigation leads him to discover that the one responsible for the kill order is none other than his archnemesis, the Joker. Following an encounter with Catwoman, he learns that the asylum's criminals had teleported there two years earlier—each ruling over a piece of Japan with Joker being the dominant warlord. In order to return home, Batman must reactivate the Quake Engine, situated in the remnants of the asylum, now known as Arkham Castle. However, there is one problem: aside from his gadget belt, the arsenal that was once at his fingertips is all but gone. Ninja Batman follows the Dark Knight as he traverses a strange new environment, facing off against familiar foes in a bid to return to Gotham in one piece. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Tokidoki Rikugou is a history-hating student who flunks out of his Japanese History course; his high school forces him to make up for his failed grade by attending a special museum lecture. Its star exhibit, a vast recreation of the Edo Period, promises to alleviate the delinquent student's poor grades with an elaborate simulation of the Tokugawa Shogunate: the Edo Bakumatsu Walking Tour and Exhibition. Knowing next to nothing about samurai culture or the times he's walked into, he is quickly surprised to learn of the superstitious nature of Japan during the 1600s. Quickly dismissing the existence of gods and demons, he is shocked when confronted by a demon on a bridge, who attacks the unsuspecting high-schooler. Saved by a mysterious swordsman named Kuchiha, he discovers that he can no longer escape the simulation at the history museum. Meeting another swordsman named Kon Shinonome, he discovers another contemporary that was trapped in the simulation before him. Quickly adjusting to his new home, Tokidoki must now help protect the village from demons, while uncovering the mystery of both the simulation and the company that created it. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Meiji Tokyo Renka

Mei Ayazuki is just your ordinary, everyday high-school girl. That is until one night, when the moon is full and red, she’s transported through time to the Meiji Period by Charlie, a self-proclaimed magician. She ends up in a strange, Meiji-era ‘Tokyo’ where the existence of ghosts is accepted. Led by Charlie, she finally arrives at the Rokumeikan. There, waiting for her to arrive, are the historical figures Ougai Mori, Shunsou Hishida, Otojirou Kawakami, Kyouka Izumi, Gorou Fujita, Yakumo Koizumi, and Tousuke Iwasaki. Whilst interacting with these men, she discovers she is a Tamayori - someone who can see ghosts - a skill that is highly valued in the Meiji Period. Due to these powers, her relationship with the men begins to change… As she gets to know these handsome men in a new era she just can’t get used to, a love begins to grow within her. Will Mei be able to return to her time? What will become of her love - a love that crosses the boundaries of time and space? (Source: Honey's Anime)

Natsu no Arashi!

Summer storm.

In modern-day Japan, 13-year-old Hajime Yasaka moves to the countryside to stay with his grandfather. On the way to his new home, a lost Hajime finds himself in a cafe called Ark, where he immediately falls in love with one of the waitresses: the gorgeous Sayoko "Arashi" Arashiyama. While Arashi is initially unconcerned with the boy, her attitude quickly changes after she grasps Hajime's hand, leading her to believe they are "connected." As it turns out, Arashi is anything but a regular teenager—in reality, she is the ghost of a girl who perished in World War II. By touching a man she connects with, she gains the ability to travel back in time. Delighted to have found someone who can unlock her powers, Arashi asks Hajime to help with her mission: to save civilians from the carnage of the war that claimed her life. Smitten with Arashi, Hajime readily agrees. But as the two get further involved with Arashi's past, they soon discover that she is not the only one able to transcend time. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Movie: Chou Yuugou! Toki wo Koeta Kizuna

Yu-gi-oh 3d: bonds beyond time.

While riding with Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan, Yuusei Fudou's Stardust Dragon is captured by Paradox, a mysterious Turbo Duelist from the future, during a Turbo Duel and turned into a Sin Monster. With the help of the Crimson Dragon, Yuusei chases after Paradox as he enters a time slip, ending up in the past. During this time, Paradox duels against Jaden Yuki, who is still able to use the powers of Yubel and The Supreme King. However, by this time Paradox had also captured Cyber End Dragon and Rainbow Dragon and overwhelms Jaden. He is saved thanks to Yuusei and the Crimson Dragon. Jaden informs Yuusei of Paradox's true intentions. By stealing various monsters from across time and turning them dark, he plans to kill Maximillion Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, preventing the game from being created and causing the events of all three series to never happen. Yuusei and Jaden agree to pursue Paradox, which leads them to the past and causes a meeting with the King of Games, Yuugi Mutou. However, by the time Yuusei and Jaden arrive, Paradox had already attacked his time, supposedly killing both Pegasus and Yuugi's grandpa, and had also managed to steal Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. After explaining everything to Yuugi, he agrees to fight with Yuusei and Jaden against Paradox in the ultimate three-on-one duel to free the trapped monsters and save both the world and time itself before it's too late. (Source: Wikipedia)

16bit Sensation: Another Layer

Konoha Akisato's love for bishoujo games—a type of entertainment focused on interactions with beautiful girls—has always nurtured her aspiration of becoming a popular artist. However, as Konoha secures her first job as a sub-illustrator at the game company Blue Bell, she confronts the harsh reality surrounding her favorite genre. In 2023, the bishoujo game industry is overrun with cheap, repetitive, and low-effort releases, with Blue Bell at the core of the problem. After stumbling upon a vintage game store and reminiscing about the impressive titles of the past, Konoha suddenly winds up in the year 1992—just as the bishoujo game industry was beginning to flourish. Konoha struggles to accept her new circumstances until she joins Alcohol Soft, a small game company willing to employ her as an illustrator. Although she believes her skills from the future will propel her to success, technology and illustration are considerably old-school, and she must promptly adapt if she wishes to fulfill her dreams. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox

Battle girls: time paradox.

Yoshino Hide is an average girl who always seems to find trouble wherever she goes. One day Yoshino visits a local shrine to pray in order to pass her upcoming test. However, Yoshino sees a blue light coming from inside the Shrine and looks inside to find a mysterious person performing a magic spell. In a stroke of bad luck, Yoshino trips on a small bell and crashes into the shrine, prompting the stranger to catch her. Upon Yoshino's capture, the magic spell spirals out of control and sends Yoshino back in time to the Sengoku Era. Yoshino then encounters Akechi Mitsuhide and Oda Nobunaga. But unlike what really happened during the era, Hideyoshino realizes that everyone in the world is female. She then decides to help Oda Nobunaga find the Crimson Armor which is said to allow the person wearing the armor to conquer all of Japan.

Karin, a DNA operator from the future, is on a mission to change the course of History by stopping Junta Momonari from becoming the Mega-Playboy who fathered 100 children and led to the overpopulation of the world. But Junta is no playboy; in fact he is allergic to girls. But when Karin shoots him with the wrong DNA-altering bullet, he starts sporadically becoming the Mega-Playboy capable of charming any woman. Karin must try to restore the situation to normal before the change to Mega-Playboy becomes irreversible. (Source: ANN)

Hanyou no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogizoushi - Ni no Shou

Yashahime: princess half-demon: the second act.

Second season of Hanyou no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogizoushi.

Yojouhan Time Machine Blues

The tatami time machine blues.

On a hot summer day in Kyoto, a young man walks toward his apartment, dreaming of turning on the air conditioner and cooling down. But before he can turn his dream into reality, disaster naturally strikes in the form of Ozu, who spills soda all over the remote. With the air conditioner rendered completely unusable, the man and his friends are left to suffer in the terrible August heat. Just when all hope seems lost, the group finds a true-to-life time machine in their storage room. Not knowing the dire consequences of doing so, they decide to travel back to the past and grab the remote before Ozu even has a chance to destroy it. What awaits them on the other side is a staggering adventure none of them are prepared for. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shiguang Dailiren Fan Wai Pian: Biwu Zhaoqin

Link click episode 5.5.

At the Time Photo Studio, partners Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi accept jobs of a peculiar nature. With the aid of their complementary abilities, they are able to leap into photographs—thereby entering the past. One such case involves Liu Siwen, whose only wish is to marry his one true love, Ou Yang. However, her martial arts master father is apprehensive of a suitor who is an outsider and refuses to give his permission unless Liu Siwen defeats him in an honest duel. After years of trying and failing miserably because of his less-than-impressive skills, Liu Siwen finds himself seeking the help of Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi. The two hatch a plan to outwit Ou Yang's father, but what seems simple in theory is rarely as easy to execute in reality… [Written by MAL Rewrite]

InuYasha: Kuroi Tessaiga

Sesshoumaru has never approved of his half-demon younger brother Inuyasha inheriting their father's prized sword, Tessaiga, while he was left with the restorative Tenseiga blade. Upon learning that even Tenseiga's one destructive technique—which he himself perfected—was designed to be transferred to Tessaiga, Sesshoumaru grows even more bitter as he feels disowned in favor of an unworthy mongrel. Meanwhile, Inuyasha's archenemy Naraku unscrupulously takes advantage of Sesshoumaru's grievance to tempt him with a means of stealing Tessaiga's powers. Pitted against each other, the siblings cross blades in a fight that will decide whether Inuyasha will thwart Naraku's dirty scheme and earn Sesshoumaru's acknowledgment or die at the hands of his own flesh and blood. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Boku dake ga Inai Machi Recaps

Erased digest.

Recap episodes of Boku dake ga Inai Machi covering episodes 1 to 6 and episodes 7 to 11.

Thermae Romae

Lucius Modestus, an ancient Roman architect, finds himself job-hunting due to having trouble coming up with new ideas. As his demeanor and personality become dismal, his friends try taking him to a bathhouse for him to relax. Unable to unwind in the bustling and crowded bath, Lucius dips his head in the water. Down there, he finds a secret tunnel that transports him to a modern-day Japanese bathhouse, providing him the inspiration he needed to make a new creation. Loaded with what seems to be knowledge way ahead of his time, Lucius does his best to try and recreate his findings, usually inferior in quality due to his circumstances. However, the sheer ingenuity may be just enough to gain the attention of the citizens and regain his reputation as an architect. [Written by MAL Rewrite] Note: MAL considers this show to be three episodes and not five. See More Info for additional details.

Buddy Complex: Kanketsu-hen - Ano Sora ni Kaeru Mirai de

The two part finale of Buddy Complex television series deals with the final battle between the Free Treaty Alliance and the space division of Zogiria, lead by an elderly Bizon, as Earth and time itself hang in the balance.

Mujaki no Rakuen

Paradise of innocence.

Shouta Handa is a jobless 25 year old who is sick and tired of his boring life. One evening, at the class reunion, he gets to meet all of the cute girls that used to be his classmates. He soon discovers that they are all successful with interesting careers, and even more importantly—really beautiful now, with bigger curves. Unfortunately, it seems that they are all aware of his boring, unsuccessful life, so they mock him and call him a loser, just like in the old days. Everything changes when Shouta goes for a walk to have a smoke and accidentally falls into the school swimming pool. This triggers a supernatural phenomenon that takes him back ten years into the past. He finds himself in the same swimming pool during swimming class, surrounded by his female classmates in bikinis. How is Shouta going to deal with their cuteness and closeness now that he is a grown man in a boy's body?

Meng Qi Shi Shen

Cinderella chef.

Ye Jiayao is a young and talented cook who dreams of becoming a renowned chef one day. As luck would have it, she's magically transported back in time to Imperial China, and in the body of an extremely useless girl. Ye Jiayao is immediately kidnapped and held for ransom, but she manages to use her wits (and her sense of humor) to get whatever she wants. (Source: CBR)

Thermae Romae Novae

Lucius Modestus, an ancient Roman architect, finds himself job-hunting due to having trouble coming up with new ideas. As his demeanor and personality become dismal, his friends try taking him to a bathhouse for him to relax. Unable to unwind in the bustling and crowded bath, Lucius dips his head in the water. Down there, he finds a secret tunnel that transports him to a modern-day Japanese bathhouse, providing him the inspiration he needed to make a new creation. Loaded with what seems to be knowledge way ahead of his time, Lucius does his best to try and recreate his findings, usually inferior in quality due to his circumstances. However, the sheer ingenuity may be just enough to gain the attention of the citizens and regain his reputation as an architect. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Beautiful sisters Ai, Mai, Mii, their android maid Mea and slippery pet ferret Unagi make an amazing journey together through time and space without ever leaving their beloved mansion behind! Following the clues of the strange dandelion-like "Popotan," the girls are theoretically seeking the person who has the answers to their most personal questions, but they seem to have more than enough time to take side trips, meet new friends, visit hot springs and occasionally operate the X-mas shop they keep in the house along the way! Yet, the girls' ultimate destiny holds more than a few surprises of its own, and not every moment is filled with hilarity, as moving through time means having to leave friends behind as well. (Source: RightStuf)

Butlers: Chitose Momotose Monogatari

Butlers x battlers.

Butlers: They are guardians that hold a thousand-year history and a certain fate. Jay lived in peace with his little sister Tenna and a fellow Butler named Hayakawa. However, those peaceful days came to a sudden end. Tenna was swallowed up into the void and Jay was sent a hundred years into the future. Jay finds there is now an academy called Koyomi Academy standing in the place where his mansion once stood. Jay took up the name Jinguji Koma and became the student council president of the school as he looks for clues about the past. Jay will eventually find out the truth behind this world. (Source: Crunchyroll)

Stand By Me Doraemon 2

After reminiscing about his late grandmother, Nobita Nobi wishes to see her again and asks Doraemon to return them to the past. Following the wholesome reunion of the two, Nobita's grandmother confesses that she hopes to meet his future bride. Nobita accepts her request out of filial love and quickly scrambles into the time machine as he and Doraemon journey forward in time. However, when the duo warps to Nobita's wedding day, they discover that the future Nobita is missing from the ceremony! Determined to set things right, Doraemon and Nobita embark on a mission to search for Nobita's future self and encourage him to discover the happiness he deserves. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

The Bakumatsu was an era in which the souls of young men burned with anxiety for their country's future. Takasugi Shinsaku, a soldier of fortune from Choshu, sneaks aboard a government ship with his comrade Katsura Kogorou in search of a mysterious "timepiece" with the power to manipulate time that he fears the government wishes to keep for themselves. Rather than allow such power to fall into the wrong hands, Takasugi plans to destroy the artifact, but having obtained it, the artifact is quickly stolen, forcing the pair to follow the mysterious thief to the seat of government in Kyoto. However, when they arrive in the capital, they discover that the government has been overthrown and the deity Susanoo now reigns in its place. The streets of the city and the people in them are much different than Takasugi and Katsura remembered. The times may have changed but their mission hasn't - Takasugi and Katsura resolve to reset time and save their nation from the nefarious forces trying to hijack it. (Source: Tokyo Otaku Mode)

A Ripple in Time Turns the Crucial Tide of WWII. Scheduled for routine military exercises, Commander Kadomatsu and the crew of Japan's newest and most modern Battlecruiser, The Mirai, are ready to test out the ship's state-of-the-art Aegis System. Instead, they find themselves transported back to June 4th, 1942—date of the crucial Battle of Midway, where the Japanese fleet was dealt a crippling blow. When an overzealous Kadomatsu rescues one of the battle's victims, Kusaka, from a sinking zero fighter, the Mirai's fate is sealed. The crew pledges not to do anything to alter the past further. However, they're now forced to fight a U.S. submarine in a battle that should never have occurred. Thus setting off a chain of events that may forever change the flow of history! (Source: Geneon Entertainment USA, edited)

Natsu no Arashi! Akinaichuu

Summer storm open for business.

The summer of a man's boyhood memories continue. Still on the cusp between childhood and being a man, he has linked with the ghost of a young woman from the World War 2 era. She, and the ghosts of other young ladies from that time, continue adventures alongside their linked partners, learning more about each other and travelling through time via their supernatural connection. While he struggles to see his crush on her come to fruition, meanwhile his friend—a girl his age, pretending to be a boy—seeks his attention as well. (Source: ANN)

Kikansha no Mahou wa Tokubetsu desu 2nd Season

A returner's magic should be special season 2.

Second season of Kikansha no Mahou wa Tokubetsu desu.

Arata naru Sekai: World's/Start/Load/End

World's end.

Four high school girls in uniforms walk silently on the barren earth. These girls are time travelers who had been sent 6000 years into the future, from their present in which the same day is endlessly repeated, in order to evade human extinction. They studied time travel in school, were examined by the aptitude test, and were sent to the future as told. What should they do now? They had no idea. The only thing they could take with them from the present was a light, toy-like cellphone. Of course, it receives no signal here. As the girls are walking, they see strange birds flying in the sky, and a discolored river in the distance. Then, one girl finds an abandoned house, and recognizes the name inscribed on the front gates.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song - To Make Everyone Happy With My Singing

Recap of all 13 episodes of Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song.

Time Travel Shoujo: Mari Waka to 8-nin no Kagakusha-tachi

Time travel girl.

Time Travel Shoujo is based on a 1983 book titled Jishaku to Denki no Hatsumei Hakken Monogatari by Japanese educator Kiyonobu Itakura. It is part of the Hatsumei Hakken Monogatari Zenshuu series which describes the story of various scientific discoveries and inventions throughout history. The 1983 book focuses on discoveries related to magnetism and electricity.

Doraemon Movie 26: Nobita no Kyouryuu 2006

Doraemon the movie: nobita's dinosaur 2006.

Nobita finds a fossilized dinosaur egg by accident, and with the help of Doraemon's tools, they hatched the egg and began raising the dinosaur. Knowing that they can't keep the dinosaur forever, Nobita was forced to send it back to prehistoric times where a group of hunters from the future threatens to endanger the dinosaurs. Determined to save the dinosaurs from the claws of the hunters, Doraemon and the gang returns to the past and sets out in a prehistoric adventure. (Source: ANN)

Shiguang Dailiren: Yingdu Pian

Link click: yingdu chapter.

(No synopsis yet.)

Junta's great granddaughter goes back in time in order to make Junta stay as the Mega-Playboy so she can continue to exist. Along with her comes an old man with the intention of making Junta stay as the Mega-Playboy forever for his own purposes.When Junta starts getting attacked, he has no choice but to return to being the Mega-Playboy in order to protect his loved ones.

Tsuyokute New Saga

After a fierce battle, Magic swordsman Kyle finally killed the Demon Lord after being seriously injured in the battle. Kyle on the verge of death approaches a relic which was in possession of the Demon Lord and it sends him to the past. After recovering from the initial shock, he decides to use this opportunity to avoid making the same mistakes of the past and become stronger. (Source: MU)

Bokutachi no Remake Recap

Remake our life recap.

Recap of the first 6 episodes of Bokutachi no Remake.

Meiji Tokyo Renka Movie 1: Yumihari no Serenade

On an evening lit by a crimson full moon, an ordinary high school girl named Mei Ayazuki meets a self-proclaimed magician named Charlie at a festival. Through Charlie's magic, she time-travels to the Meiji era in Tokyo, where she meets and falls in love with various great historical figures from that time period. (Source: ANN)

Bakumatsu Crisis

Jikuu Tantei Genshi-kun

Flint the time detective.

It is the 25th century. The dark lord has 'infected' history with time-devices that could damage history beyond repair. Genshi and his father lived in the prehistorics when they got turned into fossiles. They are discovered and Genshi gets turned back to his original state. With the help of his father, a boy Tony and a girl Sara he has to travel trough time to bring the time-devices back to the land of time so history will be saved. (Source: ANN)

Generator Gawl

Ryo, Gawl and Koji are 3 young boys who travel back into the past with only 1 objective: change history. In their time they discover that their country, Kubere, uses genetically enhanced persons called generators as a military tool. These generators are the cause for the Third War which kills most of the human population. Now Koji, Ryo and Gawl are there to change all the events. (Source: ANN)

Oda Nobuna no Yabou Recap

A summary episode of the whole series.

Shiguang Zhaoxiangguan de Richang

Link click: the daily life in lightime.

Chibi-styled episodes of daily life at the photo studio.

Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete: Ushinawareta Natsuyasumi wo Motomete

Upon regaining her senses, Yui Furukawa discovers that the current day is July 13—a starting point that she has never experienced prior. However, despite the unfamiliar circumstances, she resolves to spend her summer vacation with the other members of the Astronomy Club at Nagisa Hanamiya's family villa. The house and its surrounding area have a rich history; a renowned scientist, Nagisa's great-grandmother researched and developed technology at the nearby military manufacturing plant. While the Astronomy Club is having fun at the beach, a sudden storm stops their plans short. Left with no other choice, the group takes shelter at the abandoned factory, eventually leading them to explore a hidden underground bunker. What they encounter there may reveal an unprecedented connection to a lost future. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Doraemon Movie 01: Nobita no Kyouryuu

Doraemon the movie: nobita's dinosaur.

Natsu-iro no Sunadokei

Sandglass of summer colors.

Makimura Koutarou has made up his mind: during the summer vacation, he is going to confess his love to the seemingly unapproachable Serizawa Kaho. Yet, on the night before, he has a run-in with a strange girl - an encounter which propels him into the future. There, he learns that not only has Kaho-chan become his girlfriend, but she has also died in a tragic accident. Returning to his own time, Koutarou sets out to change the future and save his love. (Source: ANN)

Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO: Mugen no Heiretsu Sekai

Unaired episode included with the third Blu-ray volume.

Tsuki wa Higashi ni Hi wa Nishi ni: Operation Sanctuary

Naoki Kuzumi, a junior in high school, had lost his parents in an accident five years ago, and is living with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Matsuri. He always thought his life was ordinary, besides the fact that he can't remember what happened in his youth. One sunny day as he is taking a nap on a bench, a redheaded girl -- Mikoto -- literally falls on him from the sky. For some reason, she thinks he's her younger brother. Naoki's time period is a temporal shelter for those in the future, when many are suffering from an incurable disease. When she heard her younger brother Yuusuke had been taken to Naoki's time, Mikoto herself had gone back in time. (Source: ANN)

Meng Qi Shi Shen: Zaijie Liangyuan

Cinderella chef: adorable food goddess.

Ye Jiayao is a modern-day celebrity chef who loves traditional Chinese recipes and often experiments with them. However, when a food experiment goes wrong, she travels back in time to the ancient times, where she becomes the daughter of a magistrate with the name Ye Jin Xuan. When she wakes up she is suddenly kidnapped to Hei Fang Camp where she meets the leader of the bandits, Xia Chun Yu, the young master of the Jing An Marquis manor, who is actually an undercover agent for the king. He had infiltrated the Black Wind Fortress bandits to investigate a plot to overthrow the king. The two then get engaged in a fake marriage. Ye Jia Yao starts to win over hearts, including Xia Chun Yu's, with her superb cooking skills and modern street smarts. (Source: Wikipedia)

Nijiiro Hotaru: Eien no Natsuyasumi

Rainbow fireflies.

Yuuta was 12-year-old boy, who had lost his father in the traffic accident one year ago. In the summer vacation, he visited a deserted dam deep in the mountains, where he had a good time with his father before. Suddenly a thunder storm occurred and he slipped on the ground. He lost consciousness and woke up to find a girl and an unfamiliar village. He time-traveled 30 years and reached a village, which sank at the bottom of the dam. This is Yuuta's precious memory of "another" summer vacation.

Magic Tree House

Based on The Magic Tree House series, award winning series of children books written by American author Mary Pope Osborne.

Yarinaoshi Reijou wa Ryuutei Heika wo Kouryakuchuu

The do-over damsel conquers the dragon emperor.

Jill Savelle—fiancée of the crown prince Gerald de Kleitos and known as the "Lady Goddess of War"—is being hunted down by the same country she swore to protect. Betrayed by her betrothed, she is framed as a traitor and imprisoned. In her last moments, Jill is filled with regret, but just as death approaches, she awakens six years in the past. This time, she will not be a mere pawn. Now as a 10-year-old girl, Jill resolves to escape her imminent engagement to the prince. To this end, she jokingly professes her love to the 19-year-old dragon emperor Hades Theos Rave, who will one day stain the land in blood due to madness. But against all expectations, he accepts! In contrast to the tyrant from Jill's memories, the Hades of this time is a kind albeit unfortunate emperor. Can Jill prevent Hades from descending down the same dark, villainous road, or is he bound to an inevitable future? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Shiguang Dailiren Special: Xiaoyao Sanren de Weituo

Link click: troubles of ordinary people.

Chibi-style special episode of Shiguang Dailiren.

Lupin III: Kiri no Elusive

Lupin iii: elusiveness of the fog.

On the ocean floor, Lupin is once again seeking a treasure hoping to get on Fujiko's good side. As Zenigata chases them on sea and land, people around the gang begin to vanish mysteriously. The fog rolls in and Mamo Kyosuke appears in a burst of light; he claims to be from the future and seeks revenge on Lupin III for what Lupin XIII has done to him. Mamo hurls Lupin, Jigen, Goemon, and Zenigata 500 years into the past; as two warring factions fight over a legendary shrine dedicated to time travel, Lupin must find a way to survive the past to ensure his future. (Source: Lupin III Encyclopedia) This movie is a remake of episode 13 in the original Lupin III series.

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Top 20 Best Time Travel Anime Series & Movies

Here’s a question: what’s your favorite time travel anime? Are there even enough good titles in this sci-fi subgenre?

It isn’t filled to the brim each season unlike with the case of isekai titles, but it’s not impossible to find some great ones.

If you’re in the mood for some mind-boggling twists and turns (or even minor time travel elements in an otherwise typical anime) check out my list below.

And fair warning: spoilers ahead(in some cases). Some titles here have time travel itself as a key turning point or surprise in the series, so if you don’t want to know any more just skim the titles and pick one that interests you!

20. Nobunaga Concerto

I’m going to start with Nobunaga Concerto, an anime that does have time travel — but is also more of an isekai.

This is why I’m including it on my list but, but not the highest for sure. So what’s it all about?

As you may have already guessed, it involves Oda Nobunaga . Arguably one of the most popular Japanese historical figures.

He was a brutal leader, but he was also brilliant and a key figure in the reunification of Japan.

But Nobunaga isn’t the OP. In Nobunaga Concerto, he meets Saburou who mysteriously time travels from the 21st century and looks like him.

Saburou was just an ordinary high school kid, but now he must replace Nobunaga, who wishes to relax in his final years.

19. Natsu-iro no Sunadokei (Sandglass of Summer Colors)

This is an old anime. Like, really old.

But while its character design, animation, and overall quality haven’t stood the test of time, it is a worthwhile show that involves more time travel than Nobunaga Concerto.

Sandglass of Summer Colors is an adaptation of a video game, a visual novel (VN) from Princess Soft that was released way back in 2002.

Also, it only has two episodes; it’s an OVA. Still, it’s an intriguing show.

Yes it once again involves a teenage boy, this time named Kotaro Makimura.

But here, the time travel comes in the form of Kotaro waking up to the next school year, and then going back and forth to specific days of his summer vacation.

Through this he learns some very crazy news about his girlfriend Kaho Serizawa. It gets deep.

18. Buddy Complex

In 2014, Sunrise released an action-heavy mecha title that surprisingly wasn’t another entry to their sprawling Gundam franchise.

It’s called Buddy Complex, and it does enough to distinguish itself from other similar titles with its appealing trio, plot, and solid execution.

Buddy Complex starts with the main hero Aoba Watase nearly getting killed in the hands of a massive robot from the future.

Hina Yumihara saves him, and also takes him 70 years into the future for him to learn all about the fighting robots and possibly prevent his demise.

Can he go back to his actual timeline? Or is he stuck in this future of warring military forces?

17. Doraemon

Yes, Doraemon is indeed a time-travel anime — and quite a good one at that.

Some argue that the time travel aspect is a mere gimmick here. But I honestly love what the anime has done with it.

The story isn’t about a dystopian future and someone who wants to save it by going back to the past.

No, it’s about Sewashi Nobi from the 22nd century sending a cat robot to improve the life of his grandfather Nobita Nobi — and that’s wonderful.

With 1,700 episodes, Doraemon has proven that this subgenre can be wholesome for kids.

Likewise, who doesn’t want a four-dimensional pouch that can bring out all sorts of gadgets of different sizes?

16. Punch Line

Punch Line was MAPPA’s third original anime after Garo: The Animation and Zankyou no Terror, the latter being one of my all-time favorites.

No, Punch Line wasn’t a modern classic in my eyes at all.

It didn’t have the serious or ambitious tone of those previous shows.

However, Punch Line was a creative risk that needs commending — and even a reappraisal from anime fans.

It’s silly but fully aware of it.

How silly? It involves spirits, nose bleeding, panty shots.

Also, the OP has to avoid looking at panties as he travels through time as a spirit. Otherwise a meteor immediately kills all life on Earth. So that’s fun.

15. InuYasha

I’ve got another entry here from Sunrise Studio.

InuYasha was one of the biggest shounen titles before series like Naruto, Bleach, and Fairy Tail took over — and it does have time travel.

Kagome Higurashi goes back hundreds of years to feudal Japan. The difference is instead of meeting a general, he meets a white-haired guy who also has dog ears.

Also, both Kagome and Inuyasha can travel between modern Japan and feudal Japan with relative ease.

And I suggest InuYasha just because it’s one of the best shounen series of all time. Time travel or not.

14. Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara (Iroduku: The World in Colors)

I have a soft spot for original anime. It takes a lot of guts to push through with a story you don’t know will work out.

It doesn’t have a built-in fan base unlike with adaptations of manga, LNs, and video games.

But Iroduku: The World in Colors was more than just an original anime.

It was a visually imaginative and wonderfully animated series, and it was clear that P.A. Works didn’t just do this half-heartedly.

Think of it as a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and school drama.

A grandmother sends her emotionally distant granddaughter 60 years back to the past, but she doesn’t say why.

And now that she’s back to 2018(present when released) the young girl named Hitomi Tsukishiro learns all about self-discovery and human connection. Go see it.

13. Charlotte

Look, I get it — Angel Beats was a great anime series.

That was a show that managed to make me love all the students in just 13 episodes.

Plus, I’m confident that most viewers won’t ever forget the ending.

Since then, people have been clamoring for something like it from Jun Maeda.

Well Charlotte came into the fray, but it wasn’t exactly as good as Angel Beats or Clannad.

Still, Charlotte certainly has its moments as a school drama with time travel (among other powers).

Also this is an anime original, and I think the best moments outweigh the pacing and plot issues by the end.

I don’t blame you if you haven’t heard of Zipang.

Despite being released two full years later than Naruto, Zipang somehow sports a more old-school design.

Then again, it’s a fitting choice given the military and historical setting.

Simply put, it’s about a Japanese missile destroyer (a navy warship) called Mirai that gets itself into a storm, but it was no ordinary storm.

Once Mirai gets away from the storm, its crew realizes that they’ve all time-traveled to 1942 — back to the Second World War.

Exciting, right?

Here’s the more interesting part: They must try their best not to change history. But can the crew keep themselves in the background when people are dying left and right?

11. Natsu no Arashi (Summer Storm!)

Interestingly enough, I didn’t catch this until last year — a full decade since its release.

But hey, this is an excellent example of “better late than never” because this is a fine mix of time travel and comedy.

Natsu no Arashi is about, again, a male teenager who meets a beautiful girl.

But Sayoko Arashiyama is far from an ordinary teenager.

She may not even be a teenager as Hajime Yasaka finds a photo of her in her 60s.

What’s going on? And why does Sayoko still look young?

Check out Natsu no Arashi. It’s made by Shaft so expect some visual delights.

10. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

We’re getting closer to the highest ranking so let’s be really careful now. I did warn about spoilers, so be prepared.

When They Cry deceives its audience by portraying itself as another generic anime with a guy OP and a bunch of cute girls.

Only for it to actually be a murder mystery with a time loop to boot.

Also, it may even be the only horror and time travel anime out there.

One minute you’re seeing kids playing together, all smiles. The next, they’re splattered with blood and having edgy expressions.

Admittedly I hate what happened to the anime adaptation here (although the movie Orange: Future was way better in terms of animation quality and consistency).

I read the manga, and it had moments that could’ve catapulted the anime as a classic.

But the anime did not meet or exceed expectations.

Orange was just above average. But still good enough to warrant a spot here.

If you think the anime was good and made you cry and laugh, consider the gorgeous and much more emotional manga too.

8. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World)

I think Re:Zero is a fine isekai and time travel anime.

It could’ve been like any typical isekai after all the hype for Sword Art Online. But it etched its own place in history.

Re:Zero makes you think that it’s just another guy getting transported to a fantasy world. But the time loop aspect elevates the series to new heights of dread and sheer desperation for Subaru.

It’s not just an escape to a better world with waifu material like Emilia and Rem, it’s overall a really engaging show. And I’m definitely excited for season 2 .

7. Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.)

Yup, this is big spoiler territory.

I sure hope that you’ve already watched the critically acclaimed movie, which also broke records around the world — or that you’ve read the novel of the same name.

Because time travel is what made audiences gasp in the middle of the movie. Kimi no Na wa is seemingly just about two people living in different regions… but what viewers didn’t know was that they also lived in different periods.

I still remember the shock everyone had in the cinemas (because I saw this twice in theaters).

There is nothing quite like the audiovisual spectacle of a Makoto Shinkai film on the big screen. And the ending is so rewarding if you’ve watched Five Centimeters Per Second.

6. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy)

Masaaki Yuasa needs no introduction after Devilman Crybaby garnered rave reviews from fans and critics all over the world, in part because it was available on Netflix.

But even before that, I was a huge fan of Yuasa’s directorial prowess.

He’s a man with impeccable skill, ensuring that both substance and style are way above the competition.

The Tatami Galaxy features rapid conversations (so you have to read fast if you prefer subtitles like me) and there’s so much going on when this is all about a young man’s life (and love life).

Watch him go through some sort of Groundhog Day, but in a much more artistic, magical manner.

It’s a rewarding experience across space and time (and tatami), I promise you that.

5. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

At this point, I’m not sure which of my top picks have time travel as one of its biggest turning points.

This one has a certain episode in the latter half that completely turns it from an impressive series to arguably one of the best anime of all time.

You may not agree that it’s a “deconstruction” of the magical girl genre . But it’s clear evidence that Gen Urobuchi could change the game if he had the right team.

Also, this original anime looks breathtaking.

It’s dark, it’s exciting, it’s inspirational.

Shaft had a classic in their hands and they didn’t waste the opportunity.

4. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

As one of Kyoto Animation’s first big hits, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya took the relatively small 2006 global anime community by storm.

It was hilarious, had a stellar set of characters, had a viral opening song, and had episodes that didn’t line up chronologically.

And yet the order of events didn’t ruin the story at all.

The nonlinear structure enabled a new way of looking at the character dynamics. And it made rewatches (in the chronological order) more rewarding.

Once you’ve watched the series (and bless you if you’ve seen the Endless Eight arc) go ahead and enjoy The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya .

3. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)

Like Masaaki Yuasa and Makoto Shinkai, Mamoru Hosoda is one of the best anime directors today.

And he’s done many more amazing films besides this one: Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast, just to name a few.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time works as well as it does because of how it didn’t just use time travel as a gimmick.

It thought of how to shape the character and the story as a whole, creating tension and developing emotional impact in the latter half.

Plus I think many of us can relate to Makoto Shonno. Spending the last year of high school knowing that life is about to change, and yet you’re unsure of your own future.

It’s thrilling, hilarious, and has a heart at its core.

2. Boku dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Am I making a controversial choice by putting this so high on my list?

Not really.

Sure, not everyone was a fan of the adaptation. And I admit that the suspense thriller aspect to it was a bit heavy-handed.

But like with how I feel about Zankyou no Terror, ERASED has highs that are so high, they easily make up for the lows.

It’s an imperfect masterpiece in my eyes.

The first episode was a 10/10 with how it easily grabbed my attention by the end with the change in aspect ratio, signifying the drastic change in time… it’s really interesting.

ERASED has a killer OP from none other than Asian Kung-Fu Generation, and I still think that the birthday scene of Kayo is one of the most heart-wrenching yet simultaneously heartwarming moments in anime.

Also, (big spoiler ahead) I dislike that some fans think the show was bad just because the guy didn’t end up with the girl he saved(and attempted to save again and again) in the past.

Look, you don’t just get to marry someone because you saved their life. You save someone because it’s the right thing to do, not because you expect something in return.

1. Steins;Gate

Is there even any other anime that could be at the No. 1 spot?

It’s the first show that comes to mind if you ask most anime fans what the best time travel anime is. And for good reason.

Furthermore, Steins;Gate isn’t just lauded as the top time travel series ever.

It’s also in the running as possible the best anime in general, usually in competition with FMA: Brotherhood.

Steins;Gate is both an outstanding gateway show to anime and one that becomes rewarding once you’ve consumed a ton of anime.

Some claim that it’s overrated, but one thing’s for sure: It set the standard for what a time travel anime could achieve in terms of sheer brilliance and entertainment.

Millennial introvert on the lookout for slice-of-life anime, world cinema, and European music. Follow on Twitter @notspencer08

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15 Best Time Travel Anime, About Traveling Through Time

When it comes to anime featuring time travel, there are only two directions you can go – from the present, backward or forwards in time, or the reverse. But the plot implications fall into two main groups – either the time travel leads to major consequences, or it acts more as a vehicle for commentary on the visited era without impacting the overall timeline.

Generally, the latter non-consequential approach tends to feel less complex and leaves less of a bitter taste. However, time travel plots remain intriguing for fans who enjoy tangled narrative mechanisms, regardless of the ultimate concept.

This list of great time travel anime contains titles spanning both key groups – those where meddling with time leads to profound ripples and those where the time hopping serves more to spotlight cultural insights.

Best Time Travel Anime

1. inuyasha.

• Episode: 167
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical, Romance
• Studio: Sunrise

“Inuyasha,” hailed by fans as one of the best anime of all time , is the adventures of Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl from modern-day Tokyo. Suddenly thrust back in time to the Sengoku period of Japan, Kagome encounters Inuyasha, a unique being—part dog, part human demon. Together, they embark on a quest to recover the shards of the powerful Shikon Jewel.

• Inuyasha Watch Order

Despite its 20-year history since its inception, “Inuyasha” remains cherished among new and old fans. Its iconic narrative and beloved characters continue to captivate audiences. As Kagome and Inuyasha traverse between the past and present, viewers are immersed in a fantastical journey through time and the landscapes of Japan, experiencing an epic saga filled with adventure and fantasy.

2. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)

• Episode: 1 Film
• Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
• Studio: Madhouse

“Makoto Konno, a high school senior, grapples with uncertainty about his future path. However, Makoto’s life takes a dramatic turn when he discovers an unexpected ability to leap through time.

“Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo,” or “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” follows Makoto as she experiments with her newfound powers. Yet, she quickly realizes the profound complexity of time and the weight of her choices.

As Makoto navigates through her temporal adventures, she learns that every decision carries consequences far beyond what she initially perceives.”

3. Steins; Gate

• Episode: 24
• Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Psychological, Suspense
• Studio: White Fox

Rintarou Okabe, self-proclaimed as a mad scientist, leases a room on the second floor of a building in Akihabara, transforming it into a laboratory where he indulges in creating “future gadgets” alongside fellow lab members.

• How to Watch Steins; Gate in Order

Among them are Mayuri Shiina, Okabe’s childhood friend, and Hashida Itaru, a hacker with a penchant for perversion known as “Daru.” Together, they explore into their most promising invention, the “Microwave Telephone,” a device infamous for turning bananas into green gel.

Initially perceived as a mere eccentricity, the Microwave Telephone’s true potential unfolds when the lab members are embroiled in a series of inexplicable events, culminating in an unexpected breakthrough: the ability to send text messages into the past, altering the course of history.

Based on the critically acclaimed visual novel by 5pb and Nitroplus, “Steins; Gate” follows Okabe as he traverses divergent paths across time, shouldering the weight of holding the key to a world of temporal manipulation.

While the initial episodes may appear light-hearted and whimsical, the narrative gradually reveals why “Steins; Gate” is often lauded as a superior anime, captivating audiences with its intricate storytelling and thought-provoking themes.

4. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy)

• Episode: 10
• Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Romance

Adapted from Tomihiko Morimi’s novel, “The Tatami Galaxy” revolves around an unnamed protagonist reflecting on his life as an upperclassman at Kyoto University.

Drawing parallels to the classic film “Groundhog Day,” the protagonist repeatedly experiences his university years, each time joining different clubs to pursue the ideal college experience.

However, with each new club, the protagonist’s disillusionment deepens as he discovers that none can fulfill his expectations. This cycle continues until he reaches a point of complete resignation, opting to confine himself within his small tatami room.

“The Tatami Galaxy” intertwines a distinctive visual style with a narrative that profoundly contemplates the significance of embracing the present moment and the perils of waiting for an elusive perfection. Through its exploration of recurring themes and motifs, the anime encourages viewers to reflect on the complexities of life and the importance of cherishing the here and now.

5. Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary)

• Episode: 26
• Genre: Action, Supernatural, Suspense
• Studio: .asread

Yukiteru Amano, a solitary high school student, fills his days by diligently documenting his life in a diary on his cell phone. Unbeknownst to him, he converses with two seemingly imaginary companions: Deus Ex Machina, the god of time and space, and Murmur, Deus’s faithful servant.

However, Amano’s reality shifts dramatically when Deus reveals himself as the true entity and bestows upon Amano a unique diary. This diary unveils detailed entries about the future, plunging Amano into a brutal confrontation against 11 other individuals, each wielding their powerful future diaries.

As the stakes escalate, Amano learns that the ultimate survivor among the twelve diary holders will ascend as the new god of time and space. Forced into a life-or-death struggle, Amano must locate and eliminate the other diary holders to ensure his survival.

Reluctantly, Amano partners with Yuno Gasai, his obsessive stalker, in the perilous battle. However, Amano soon discovers that Yuno harbors her own hidden agenda, driven by her unyielding love for him.

In this gripping tale of survival and betrayal, Amano and Yuno navigate treacherous waters as they confront their own desires and confront the dark realities of their world.

6. Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin (Occult Academy)

• Episode: 13
• Studio: A-1 Pictures

The anime centers on Maya, the daughter of Waldstein Academy’s former Principal, and Fumiaki Uchida, a time travel agent.

Set in 2012, humanity faces an alien invasion, prompting a time traveler to return to 1999 to locate and eliminate the Nostradamus Key. This key, foretold by Nostradamus’ prophecy, is believed to trigger the apocalypse.

The storyline transitions to 1999, when Maya returns to Waldstein Academy to dismantle the institution, assuming her late father’s position as principal. However, her plans are disrupted upon encountering Fumiaki, who warns her of the impending catastrophe.

Despite doubts about Fumiaki’s intentions, Maya and Fumiaki ally to locate the Nostradamus Key and avert disaster.

7. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

• Episode: 12
• Studio: Shaft

“Madoka Magica” is a charming magical girl anime that explores into a profoundly tragic narrative.

Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki, two ordinary high school girls, encounter Kyuubey, a magical cat-like creature, and Homura Akemi, a mysterious transfer student. Kyuubey offers them the chance to have one wish granted in exchange for becoming magical girls endowed with the power to realize their desires. However, Homura warns them of the hidden dangers and urges them to reconsider.

• Madoka Magica Watch Order

As the story goes, “Madoka Magica” explores themes of hope, despair, and friendship amidst the challenges faced by magical girls. The series explores into the harsh realities of their existence and the sacrifices required to achieve their dreams.

Homura’s ability to manipulate time adds a compelling layer to the narrative, elevating “Madoka Magica” into a must-watch time travel anime. Through its poignant storytelling and intricate character development, the series captivates audiences by exploring the human experience and the complexities of fate and choice.

8. Gintama Movie 2: Kanketsu-hen – Yorozuya yo Eien Nare

• Genre: Action, Comedy, Samurai, Sci-Fi

“The Second Gintama film” offers an engaging and fun time travel storyline worth recommending to fans of the genre.

When Sakata Gintoki apprehends a movie pirate in a theater, he unexpectedly finds himself transported to a bleak, post-apocalyptic version of Edo. This future is plagued by a mysterious “White Plague” epidemic that has decimated the world’s population.

Unbeknownst to Gintoki, the movie pirate is an android time machine, catapulting him five years into the future. There, he discovers that his comrades, Shinpachi and Kagura, have transformed into the formidable guardians of Kabuki-cho in his absence. Gintoki has been missing for years, leaving only a cryptic message in his journal.

• How to Watch Gintama in Order

Disguised by a time machine robot, Gintoki reunites with the Yorozuya team to unravel the mystery of the White Plague. In the process, he uncovers that the key to saving the future lies within the shadows of his past.

With its blend of humor, action, and time travel elements, “The Second Gintama Film” promises an entertaining and captivating viewing experience for anime enthusiasts.

9. Boku dake ga Inai Machi (Erased)

• Genre: Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural

“Boku dake ga Inai Machi,” also known as “Erased,” follows the story of Satoru Fujinuma, a 29-year-old mangaka who possesses the ability to go back in time moments before a tragedy occurs, which he calls “Revival.”

When Satoru is wrongly accused of murder, he finds himself sent back to 1988, 18 years in the past. He realizes that the murder may be linked to the kidnapping and murder of one of his classmates, Kayo Hinazuki, a quiet and enigmatic girl. Determined to prevent the tragedies that plagued his past and present, Satoru embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind Kayo’s disappearance and the series of events that led to the present-day murder.

As Satoru explores deeper into the mysteries of the past, he must navigate the complexities of time travel while protecting his classmates and loved ones from harm. “Boku dake ga Inai Machi” intricately weaves elements of mystery, suspense, and human emotion, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as Satoru races against time to rewrite the past and secure a better future for himself and those he holds dear.

10. Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name)

• Genre: Drama, Romance, Supernatural
• Studio: CoMix Wave Films

Directed by Makoto Shinkai, “ Your Name ” follows the story of Mitsuha Miyamizu, a young girl living in Itomori, and Taki Tachibana, a boy residing in Tokyo. They unexpectedly find themselves swapping bodies, leading to bewildering experiences.

As Mitsuha and Taki navigate this mysterious phenomenon, they uncover the startling revelation that they are separated not just by distance but also by time. Together, they embark on a mission to prevent the impending destruction of Itomori by a comet, utilizing their unique connection to alter fate itself.

“Your Name” has garnered widespread acclaim from audiences and critics alike, praised for its breathtaking animation, captivating music, and profound emotional resonance. Viewers are drawn into Mitsuha and Taki’s journey as they struggle to cling to their memories of each other while endeavoring to reshape the course of history.

The film’s blend of romance, mystery, and thrilling narrative twists keeps audiences riveted from start to finish, making “Your Name” an unforgettable cinematic experience that resonates long after the credits roll.

• Studio: Telecom Animation Film

On the first day of her second year of high school, Naho Takamiya receives a peculiar letter addressed to her. To her astonishment, the letter is from herself—ten years into the future.

Initially skeptical, Naho becomes convinced of the letter’s authenticity when events described in it unfold before her eyes. From her 26-year-old self, the letter imparts a solemn message: Naho’s future is fraught with regret, and she must rectify past mistakes to avoid a similar fate.

The letter warns Naho to watch over Kakeru Naruse, a new transfer student. In the future, Kakeru is no longer among them, prompting Naho to tread cautiously in her interactions with him. Armed with the letter as her guide, Naho possesses the power to alter the course of events and shield Kakeru from future sorrow.

As Naho grapples with her newfound responsibility, she navigates the complexities of friendship, love, and regret. With each decision she makes, Naho inches closer to rewriting the past and securing a brighter future for herself and those she holds dear.

12. Re: Zero

• Episode: 25
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Isekai, Suspense, Psychological

“Re: Zero – Starting Life in Another World,” adapted from the light novel by Tappei Nagatsuki, follows the journey of Subaru Natsuki, an awkward young man who is abruptly transported to a new and unfamiliar world.

Upon his arrival, Subaru is embroiled in a series of deadly encounters, ultimately meeting his demise. However, to his astonishment, he discovers that he can rewind time, allowing him to revisit pivotal moments and alter the course of events for himself and those around him.

• Order To Watch Re: Zero

As Subaru grapples with the ramifications of his newfound power, he faces numerous challenges and sacrifices, repeatedly laying down his life to protect his friends. Despite his acts of heroism, Subaru must contend with the profound loneliness that accompanies the knowledge that no one remembers his courageous deeds after each reset.

“Re: Zero” explores into the darker aspects of altering the past, offering a poignant exploration of the consequences and burdens accompanying such actions. Against the backdrop of meticulously crafted world-building and compelling character development, the series presents a thought-provoking narrative that explores into themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the complexities of fate.

13. Fate/Grand Order

• Episode: 1 Film, 24 (Babylonia)
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Supernatural
• Studio: Lay-duce

The anime “Fate/Grand Order: First Order” adapts the immensely popular mobile game “Fate/Grand Order.”

Set in the world of the Fate series, the story revolves around the Chaldea Security Organization’s efforts to prevent the extinction of humanity. In 2015, Chaldea detected anomalies in humanity’s future, leading to the species’ impending extinction by the end of 2016. The cause of this catastrophe is traced back to the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War in the Japanese city of Fuyuki in 2004.

• Order To Watch Fate Series

Chaldea employs experimental time travel technology known as Rayshift to avert this crisis. Ritsuka Fujimaru is a young recruit to the organization, and the enigmatic Mash Kyrielight journeys through time to alter events and save humanity from annihilation. Their mission is to defy fate and rewrite history to restore the future of mankind.

“Fate/Grand Order: First Order” presents a thrilling narrative of magical battles, intricate lore, and epic quests across different eras. It offers fans of the Fate series an exciting exploration of time travel themes within the context of the Fate universe.

14. Tokyo Revengers

• Genre: Action, Drama, Supernatural
• Studio: LIDENFILMS

The anime Follows, “Takemichi Hanagaki, once at the peak of his life during his second year of middle school, now finds himself at rock bottom twelve years later. He’s devoid of respect, bullied by children, and constantly apologizing to those younger than him. His only solace lies in memories of his past, including his former girlfriend.

However, when he learns of the Tokyo Manji Gang’s involvement in the murder of his girlfriend, Takemichi’s life takes a drastic turn. Desperate, he finds himself transported back in time to the day he was dating Hinata Tachibana, his girlfriend.

With a chance to rewrite history and prevent the tragic events that led to Hinata’s death, Takemichi embarks on a journey to alter the course of fate. Armed with the knowledge of the future, he must navigate the dangerous world of teenage gangs and confront the demons of his past to save the ones he loves.”

“Tokyo Revengers” is a gripping tale of redemption, friendship, and second chances, as Takemichi strives to change his destiny and protect those closest to him.

15. Summer Time Rendering

• Genre: Action, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense
• Studio: OLM

After losing his parents, Shinpei Ajiro moved in with the Kofune family, where he lives with their two daughters, Mio and Ushio. Even though he left his island home to study in Tokyo, Shinpei returned after Ushio tragically drowned while trying to save a little girl.

At the funeral, Shinpei’s best friend shares news about bruises found on Ushio’s neck, casting doubt on the cause of her death. Suspecting foul play, Shinpei starts questioning recent events, but strange things keep happening.

As people vanish and odd incidents occur, Mio recalls an old folktale mentioning a creature called a “Shadow” that might not be just a story. Legend says encountering one’s Shadow predicts impending death.

Facing the island’s dark mysteries, Shinpei battles his bad luck to honor Ushio’s last wish: protecting Mio.

So, these are some recommendations for time-travel anime that are enjoyable to watch.

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25 Best Time Travel Anime Series & Movies

Here’s a question: what’s your favorite time travel anime? Is this type of science fiction even full of good books?

Time travel anime is one of the more popularly used story hooks in modern anime and it can take unique shapes!

It doesn’t have a lot of great titles every season like isekai does, but it’s not hard to find some good ones.

From tradition time travel anime stories ( Steins;Gate ) to ones that use “time reset” ( Re:Zero) , there is no shortage of creativity at play.

Check out my list below if you’re in the mood for some twists and turns that will blow your mind (or even small bits of time travel in an otherwise normal anime).

And fair warning: (in some cases) there will be surprises ahead. Some of these books are about time travel, and it’s a big part of the plot or a big surprise.

If you don’t want to know more, just skim the names and pick one that sounds interesting.

Here are some popular time travel anime that fans should watch.

Table of Contents

25. Natsu-iro no Sunadokei (Sandglass of Summer Colors)

This anime is quite old. Really old, like.

But even though its character designs, animations, and general quality haven’t held up over time, it’s still a good show with more time travel than Nobunaga Concerto.

Sandglass of Summer Colors is based on a Princess Soft computer game called a “visual novel” (VN) that came out in 2002.

Also, there are only two episodes because it is an OVA . Still, the show is interesting.

Yes, it’s about a teen boy again. This time, his name is Kotaro Makimura.

But in this case, Kotaro travels through time by waking up in the next school year and then going back and forth to different days of his summer break.

He finds out some very strange things about his girlfriend, Kaho Serizawa, as a result. It gets deep.

24. Buddy Complex

Sunrise launched a mecha game with a lot of action in 2014, but it wasn’t another part of their long-running Gundam series.

It’s called Buddy Complex, and its appealing trio, interesting story, and solid execution set it apart from other games in the same genre.

At the beginning of Buddy Complex, the main character , Aoba Watase, is almost killed by a huge robot from the future.

Hina Yumihara saves him and takes him 70 years into the future so he can learn about beating robots and maybe stop himself from dying.

Can he return to his real past? Or is he stuck in a future where armed forces fight each other?

23. Doraemon

Yes, Doraemon is a time-traveling anime, and it’s a pretty good one.

Some people say that the time travel is just a trick. But I really love what they did with it in the anime.

The story isn’t about someone trying to save a bleak future by going back to the past.

No, it’s about Sewashi Nobi from the 22nd century sending his grandpa Nobita Nobi a cat robot to make his life better, which is great.

Doraemon has shown that this style can be good for kids with 1,700 episodes.

Also, who wouldn’t want a four-dimensional pouch that can pull out different sized gadgets?

22. Punch Line

After Garo: The Animation and Zankyou no Terror, Punch Line was the third original anime made by MAPPA. Zankyou no Terror is one of my all-time faves.

No, I didn’t think Punch Line was at all a modern classic .

It didn’t have the same level of seriousness or ambition as those other shows.

But Punch Line took a creative risk that should be praised and even reevaluated by anime fans.

I know it’s silly, but I don’t care.

How stupid! It has to do with ghosts, nosebleeds, and poop shots.

Also, as a spirit traveling through time, the OP can’t look at underwear. If not, a rock would kill all life on Earth right away. That’s cool.

21. InuYasha

I have another piece from Sunrise Studio to show you.

Before Naruto , Bleach , and Fairy Tail came along, InuYasha was one of the most popular shounen books, and it does have time travel.

The story of Kagome Higurashi takes place in old Japan, hundreds of years ago. The only change is that instead of a general, he meets a man with white hair and dog ears.

Also, it’s not hard for either Kagome or Inuyasha to go between current Japan and feudal Japan.

And I recommend InuYasha because it is one of the best shounen shows ever. Can you go back in time?

20. Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara (Iroduku: The World in Colors)

Original anime is one of my favorite things. To keep going with a story you’re not sure will work takes a lot of guts.

It isn’t based on a comic, light novel, or video game, so it doesn’t already have fans.

Iroduku: The World in Colors wasn’t just an original anime, though.

It was a visually creative and beautifully drawn show, and it was clear that P.A. Works put a lot of effort into it.

It’s a mix of science fiction, magic , and school drama .

A grandma sends her emotionally distant granddaughter 60 years back in time, but she doesn’t say why.

And now that she’s back in 2018, Hitomi Tsukishiro, a young girl, has a lot to learn about self-discovery and how to connect with other people. Go see it.

19. Charlotte

Look, I get it — Angel Beats was a great anime series.

All of the kids on that show became my favorites in just 13 episodes.

Also, I’m sure that most people will never forget how it ends.

Since then, people have been begging Jun Maeda to do something similar.

So Charlotte joined the competition, but it wasn’t as good as Angel Beats or Clannad .

Still, Charlotte is a school drama with time travel and other skills that has its moments.

Also, this is a new anime, and I think the best parts make up for the story and pacing problems by the end.

18. Natsu no Arashi (Summer Storm!)

It’s interesting that I didn’t see this until last year, even though it came out ten years ago.

But hey, this is a great example of the saying “better late than never” because it is a great mix of time travel and comedy .

Again, Natsu no Arashi is about a young boy who meets a pretty girl.

But Sayoko Arashiyama isn’t like other teenagers at all.

Hajime Yasaka gets a picture of her when she was in her 60s. This means she might not even be a teenager.

What’s happening? And why does Sayoko still look young?

You should look at Natsu no Arashi. Since it was made by Shaft, you can expect it to look good.

17. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

We’re getting closer to the top spot, so let’s be extra careful. I did say there might be spoilers, so be ready.

When They Cry tricks its viewers into thinking that it is just another generic anime with a guy as the opening theme and a bunch of cute girls .

It turned out to be a murder riddle with a time loop on top of that.

Also, it might be the only anime that is both scary and goes back in time.

One minute, you see a bunch of happy kids playing together. The next thing you know, they’re covered in blood and have angry looks on their faces.

I hate what happened to the anime version here, even though the animation quality and consistency of the movie Orange: Future was much better.

I read the book, and there were parts in it that could have made the anime a classic.

But the anime didn’t live up to or go beyond what was expected.

Orange wasn’t much better than normal. But it is still good enough to be here.

If you liked the anime and how it made you cry and laugh, you might also like the manga, which is much more beautiful and emotional.

15. Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.)

Yes, this is a very big surprise.

I’m sure you’ve already seen the highly acclaimed movie or read the book with the same name, which broke records all over the world.

People gasped in the middle of the movie because it was about time travel. Kimi no Na wa seems to be about just two people who live in different places… But people didn’t know that they lived in different times as well.

I can still remember how shocked everyone was in the theater, where I saw this movie twice.

There is nothing quite like seeing a Makoto Shinkai movie in a theater, where you can hear and see everything at once. And if you’ve seen Five Centimeters Per Second, you’ll love how it ends.

14. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy)

Devilman Crybaby got great reviews from fans and reviewers all over the world, in part because it was on Netflix .

But I was a big fan of Yuasa’s directing skills even before that.

He is a very skilled man who makes sure that both content and style are way ahead of the rest.

Since it’s about a young man’s life (and love life), there’s a lot going on in The Tatami Galaxy. If you like subtitles like me, you’ll have to read quickly.

See him go through something like Groundhog Day, but in a much more magical and artsy way.

I promise you that it will be a rewarding journey across space, time, and tatami.

13. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

At this point, I don’t know which of my top choices has a big turning point that involves time travel.

In the second part of this series, there is one episode that makes it go from being a good show to being one of the best anime of all time.

You might not agree that it is a “deconstruction” of the magical girl type. But it’s clear proof that Gen Urobuchi could change the game if he had the right team.

Also, this original anime is stunning to look at.

It’s scary, exciting, and full of ideas.

Shaft had a chance to make a classic, and they didn’t waste it.

12. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was one of Kyoto Animation’s first big hits. In 2006, when the anime community was still small, it took the world by storm.

It was funny, had great characters, a catchy opening song that went viral, and shows that didn’t go in order.

Still, the order of events didn’t make the story any less interesting.

The story’s nonlinear framework gave us a new way to look at how the characters interact with each other. And it made it more fun to watch again in the right order.

You can enjoy The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya after you’ve seen the series (and God bless you if you’ve seen the Endless Eight arc).

If you haven’t heard of Zipang, I don’t blame you.

Even though Zipang came out two years after Naruto, it looks more like something from the past.

The military and historical setting, on the other hand, makes it a good pick.

Simply put, it’s about a Japanese warship called Mirai, which is a missile cruiser. Mirai gets caught in a storm, but it’s not just any storm.

Once Mirai is out of the storm, the crew learns that they have all gone back in time to 1942, which is during the Second World War.

Isn’t that cool?

The most interesting part is that they have to do their best not to change history. But can the team stay in the background when everyone around them is dying?

10. Noein: To Your Other Self

Studio:  Satelight

Episodes:  24

Quick pitch:  In the future, a violent war between two dimensions threatens the existence of space-time. A group called the Dragon Calvary is dispatched to search for the Dragon’s Torque, which is said to be the only thing to stop the war.

9. Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary)

Studio:  Asread

Episodes:  26 + 1 OVA

Quick pitch:  Yukiteru Amano spends his days writing a diary on his cell phone and talking to two imaginary friends, Deus Ex Machina and Murmur.

Deus reveals himself as a god of space and time, and grants Yukiteru a “ Random Diary .” This device shows descriptive future events to Yukiteru and he must use it to survive a deadly battle royale against 11 other people with similar diaries.

8. Thermae Romae

Studio:  DLE

Episodes:  6

Quick pitch:  Lucius is a Roman architect who has trouble coming up with ideas. One day, he discovers a tunnel underneath a spa that leads him to a modern Japanese bath house. Inspired this discovery, he creates a spa based on modern ideas from Japan.

7. Nobunaga Concerto

I’ll start with Nobunaga Concerto, which is an anime about time travel that is also more of an isekai.

Because of this, I’ve put it on my list, but it’s not the best. So what’s going on?

As you might have guessed, it has to do with Oda Nobunaga. Possibly one of the most well-known people in Japanese history.

He was a cruel boss, but he was also smart and a big part of how Japan got back together.

Nobunaga isn’t the OP, though. In Nobunaga Concerto, he meets Saburou, a man from the 21st century who strangely travels back in time to meet him. Saburou looks just like him.

Saburou was just a regular high school student, but now he has to take over for Nobunaga, who wants to take it easy in his last years.

6. Occult Academy

Studio:  A-1 Pictures

Episodes:  13

Quick pitch:  In 2012, the world is invaded by aliens. To stop this from happening, Fumiaki Uchida is sent back to 1999 to prevent the apocalypse from occurring by destroying the Nostradamus Key. In order to find the key, he forms a partnership with Maya Kumashiro, who is a girl with a strong hatred for the occult .

5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Studio:  Shaft

Episodes:  12 + 3 (kind of remakes / sequel) movies

Quick pitch:  Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are friends who live normal middle old school lives, but everything changes after they meet a cat-alien named Kyuubey and a transfer student named Homura Akemi.

Kyuubey offers to grant them a wish in exchange of becoming magical girls, but Homura urges the duo to decline or they will enter a world of despair.

4. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Mamoru Hosoda is one of the best anime directors working today, along with Masaaki Yuasa and Makoto Shinkai.

He has also made many other great movies, like Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast, to name just a few.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time works so well because it’s not just a story about time travel.

It thought about how to shape the character and the story as a whole, making the second part more tense and emotional.

Also, I think a lot of us can understand Makoto Shonno. You’re in your last year of high school, and you know that things are about to change, but you don’t know what will happen to you.

It’s scary, funny, and has a heart at its center.

3. Boku dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Putting this so high on my list, am I making a risky choice?

Actually, no.

Sure, not everyone liked how it was changed. I’ll admit that the tension thriller part was a bit too much.

But, like how I feel about Zankyou no Terror, the high points in ERASED are so good that they easily make up for the bad points.

I think it’s a classic, even though it has flaws.

The first episode was a 10/10 because it was easy to keep my attention by the end, when the aspect ratio changed to show how much time had changed. It’s very interesting.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation makes a great opening theme for ERASED, and I still think that Kayo’s birthday scene is one of the most heartbreaking and moving moments in anime.

Also, I don’t like that some people think the show was bad just because the guy didn’t end up with the girl he saved (and tried to save again and again) in the past.

Look, just because you saved someone’s life doesn’t mean you can marry them. You help someone because you should, not because you want something in return.

2. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World

Re:Zero is a good isekai and time travel show, in my opinion.

After all the talk about Sword Art Online , it could have been like any other isekai. But it made its own mark on the past.

Re:Zero makes you think that the main character is just another guy who goes to a dream world. But the time loop takes the series to a whole new level of fear and hopelessness for Subaru.

It’s not just a way to flee to a better world with waifu characters like Emilia and Rem; the show as a whole is very interesting. I can’t wait for the second season.

1. Steins;Gate

Is there even another show that could be No. 1?

If you ask most anime fans what the best time travel anime is, this is the first show that comes to mind. And with good cause.

Also, Steins;Gate isn’t just praised for being the best time travel show ever.

It’s also in the running for the best anime of all time, usually against FMA: Brotherhood.

Steins;Gate is a great show to watch if you’re new to anime, but it also gets better the more anime you watch.

Some people say it’s overrated, but one thing is for sure: it set the bar for how brilliant and entertaining a time travel anime could be.

Don’t Forget to share it with your fellow otaku’s and bookmark MOW.

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About the Author

Garima Singh

Moshi Moshi everyone! I'm Garima, an anime enthusiast with a passion for sharing my love of anime with others. I've watched over 1000 anime, and I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting shows to watch.

I love everything about anime, from the stories and characters to the animation and music. I'm also a big fan of anime culture, and I love to learn about Japanese culture and history through anime.

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For the longest time, humans have been fascinated with time travel as the ability to travel to the past and future to observe and even influence events can be tempting. Despite that, shows about time travel can sometimes become convoluted and exposition-heavy. However, when executed well and combined with an excellent narrative and interesting world-building, these types of shows can be exceptional to watch.

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The world of anime has utilized and explored the use of time travel extensively, with entire genres revolving around being ‘spirited away’ to other realms both real and fantasy. Some of these shows, however, have become instant classics, receiving high praise from avid anime viewers.

Updated February 9, 2023, by Suzail Ahmad: Time travel is an exciting concept that has been popularized by different media through the years, and anime is no exception. Over time, many anime series have been released that utilize time travel in their stories. By releasing so many new anime, the time travel theme has been compounded. It has become more important than ever to choose anime that explores time travel in a simple and discernible manner, as is the case with the best time travel anime series.

1 Tokyo Revengers (2021)

Tokyo Revengers follows the journey of Hanagaki Takemichi , a grown man who has nothing going for him. However, Takemichi's life changes when an accident causes him to go back in time. It takes him some time to understand that he actually traveled 12 years back, but eventually he manages to figure it out.

The anime takes a different turn from the usual shonen anime by making the protagonist weaker than the rest of the characters in the series. So, fans who want to see a normal anime character trying to fix the future should definitely watch Tokyo Revengers .

2 Inuyasha (2000)

Inuyasha is a popular anime series that is based on the work of Rumiko Takahashi. Inuyasha covers the journey of Kagome Higurashi. When she falls into the well at her family shrine, Kagome finds herself in the Sengoku period. She eventually meets Inuyasha and travels with him all over Japan to regain all the pieces of a shattered jewel.

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Inuyasha is much more adventurous in comparison to the other time travel anime. It also has a good amount of action and romance, which is enough to keep viewers glued to their screens. Another great thing about the anime is the fact that it has over 100 episodes, making it a great series for fans who like long shows.

3 Doraemon (1973)

Doraemon is one of the longest-running anime series of all time. It is based on Fujiko F. Fujio's manga, which has over a thousand chapters. Doraemon is aimed at a young audience, but that hasn't stopped it from earning the plaudits of grown-ups as well.

Doraemon falls into the comedy and sci-fi genres, and at the center of the story is a robotic cat that travels back in time to help a boy named Nobita Nobi. It might not cover adult themes, but it still makes for a good watch. Viewers can watch it to calm their minds and have a good laugh.

4 Summer Time Rendering (2022)

Summer Time Rendering is a story about Shinpei Ajiro, who loses both of his parents. Instead of becoming a recluse, he grows up with Ushio and Mio. The three become very close before Shinpei Ajiro eventually leaves for Tokyo. After a few years, he returns to his hometown to attend the funeral of Ushio.

However, he refuses to believe that Ushio died normally and eventually comes to learn about his power which allows him to reset time. Summer Time Rendering adds a unique twist to the regular time travel tropes. It is a solid combination of mystery and sci-fi, which makes it a delectable choice.

5 Nobunaga Concerto (2014)

The story of a high school boy named Saburo who travels back in time to Japan’s warring states period (Sengoku Jidai) to become Oda Nobunaga and unite the land. Saburo encounters several characters from that period including the real Nobunaga, who unable to deal with the immense pressure of ruling becomes Saburo’s subordinate, Aketchi Mitsuhide.

This is interesting as the real Aketchi Mitsuhide was historically the man who assassinated Nobunaga himself. Sporting a unique art style that is reminiscent of traditional Japanese art, Nobunaga Concerto is an anime that Japanese history lovers can sink their teeth into.

6 Thermae Romae Novae (2022)

A strange entry but by no means less entertaining, Thermae Romae Novae chronicles the tale of an ancient Roman architect named Lucius Modestus who finds a secret time travel tunnel that transports him to a modern-day Japanese bathhouse. As he was previously running out of ideas, his new experiences in Japan now motivate him to restore his reputation as one of the finest Roman architects.

Absurd, strange, and entertaining, this anime is a love letter to the public bathing culture in Japan and is perfect for those who enjoy watching things about cultural appreciation . It's also a solid option for those who love time travel anime.

7 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Mamoru Hosoda’s classic 2006 sci-fi romance movie tells the story of a high school girl Makoto who learns how to time travel and uses it to her benefit. However, with great power comes great responsibility, a rule that Makoto doesn’t adhere to which leads to some complicated and devastating outcomes.

With a plot that may appear too ‘straightforward’ to some, the movie is an engaging and thought-provoking coming-of-age drama with moments of a slice of life that audiences can relate to.

8 Zipang (2004)

Zipang is historical war anime that depicts a modern Japanese navy vessel (JDS Mirai) being time-warped back to World War 2 as the Battle of Midway is about to commence. Aware that their superior ship can alter the course of the war, the crew of the Mirai is torn between aiding the former Japanese empire and abstaining from involvement as their futures would be affected.

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Filled with mature themes, viewers will watch how the actions of the JDS Mirai and her crew unfold in this gripping war drama.

9 Your Name (2016)

Your Name tells the story of a Tokyo boy Taki and a country girl Mitsuha from different timelines who periodically swap bodies. Through this, they manage to help each other out in different aspects of their lives. However, as they deepen their bond and try to figure out the phenomenon, the swapping stops abruptly, prompting Taki to uncover the reason why.

Beautifully animated and supported by the awesome J-pop soundtrack of Radwimps, Your Name will tug on anyone’s heartstrings and make them root for the characters.

10 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006)

What happens when an unassuming high school girl is a god and can create anything she imagines or sets her mind to? Say hello to Haruhi Suzumiya, a 15-year-old girl with powers that can alter the fabric of time and space who is blissfully unaware of her abilities.

The show focuses on Haruhi and Kyon who are part of their school's SOS Brigade, an after-school club that is focused on paranormal and abnormal phenomena. The club also keeps tabs on Haruhi as her abilities could warp, alter, and destroy the world and each misadventure brings the characters and viewers closer to understanding what Haruhi is.

11 Re:Zero (2016)

Although technically part of the Isekai genre, Re:Zero focuses on Subaru Natsuki who is transported to a fantasy world. The time travel aspect comes into play every time Subaru dies. Every time he perishes, he resurrects at the last checkpoint similar to video games, prompting him to figure his way through until reaching the next checkpoint.

RELATED: The Best Isekai Anime Set In Games, Ranked

Over time, the psychological ordeal of watching his friends and himself die only to be resurrected begins to take on toll on his psyche, creating a very interesting if not disturbing fantasy narrative .

12 Erased (2016)

A psychological murder thriller with elements of time travel set in Tokyo and Hokkaido. Erased follows Saturo who experiences a phenomenon known as ‘revivals’ that sends him back in time moments before a catastrophic incident occurs to prevent it from happening.

When his mother is murdered, the event causes him to travel back in time 18 years into the past, allowing him to not only save his mother but the lives of his former classmates whose tragic ends mirror that of his mother. A gripping thriller that will glue any viewer to their seat, Erased is a must-see for anyone interested in crime thrillers and the mystery genre .

13 Future Diary (2011)

Old but gold, Future Diary is a battle royale where participants receive messages on their cell phones that predict the future. Here, middle schoolers Yukiteru and Yuno must survive against 10 other participants to determine who will become the next god of space and time, also known as Deus Ex Machina.

Twisted, brutal, and unforgiving, Future Diary explores the main dynamic between the two lead characters and the show may have one of the most sadistic and psychopathic characters in all of anime. Perfect for any fans of yandere characters .

14 Steins;Gate (2011)

Considered one of the greatest anime series out there, Steins;Gate revolves around Rintaro Okabe, a self-declared mad scientist who manages to create a time machine. Meanwhile, SERN, an organization that is also researching time travel learns of the machine and steals it, killing one of Rintaro’s friends in the process. This causes Rintaro to go back in time to prevent his friend’s death unleashing a cascade of time travel problems.

Those who have watched Steins;Gate praise the show for its intricate handling of time travel and the rules the show establishes. The show will appeal to anyone who enjoys romance, comedy, drama, and hard science fiction genres.

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• Attack on Titan
• Black Clover
• Demon Slayer
• Dragon Ball

Top 15 Anime About Time Travel Ranked By Plot

15. Occult Academy

13. the tatami galaxy, 12. noein: to your other self, 11. nobunaga concerto, 10. thermae romae, 9. iroduku: the world in colors, 8. summer storm, 7. sandglass of summer colors, 6. punch line, 5. future diary, 4. tokyo revengers, 1. steins;gate – best anime about time travel ranked by plot.

That is the end of our  Top 15 Anime About Time Travel Ranked By Plot

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That’s me, Andreea Blaga, author of the blog https:// anime-everything.com . I work as a content creator in the US. I am also passionate about Japanese Anime.

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25 Time Travelling Anime That Will Blow Your Mind

Time Travel, a concept so infinite and unexplainable. A staple in the works of science fiction mystery, and fantasy, the focus of Time Travel is to make changes either by accident or intentionally.

Imagine going back in time to right that one wrong you made, that one mistake that costed you everything in the future.

You could also change the future so that your past self would be better informed of what is to come. The possibilities of Time Travel are endless, and these 25-hand selected anime prove the concept of time is not only infinite but conventional as well.

1. Your Name.

2. re:zero -starting life in another world-, 4. steins; gates, 5. mahou shoujo madoka★magica, 6. the girl who leapt through time, 7. tokyo revengers, 8. bokutachi no remake, 9. future diary, 10. the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya, 11. buddy complex, 12. higurashi when they cry, 13. mekakucity actors, 14. sakurada reset, 15. zegapain, 16. urusei yatsura movie 2: beautiful dreamer, 18. little busters, 19. occultic;nine, 20. date a live, 21. iroduku: the world in colors, 23. nobunaga concerto, 24. punchline, 25. charlotte.

The protagonists are Tachibana Taki, who lives in Yotsuya, Tokyo, and Miyamizu Mitsuha, who lives deep in the mountains of Hida. When they wake up one morning, Taki’s consciousness shifts to Mitsuha’s body and Mitsuha’s to Taki’s, and the two begin their life as swapping bodies. They are strangers who do not know each other, and they are in the midst of puberty.

They sometimes complained about the unfamiliarity and confusion, but before they knew it, they had grown into an indispensable part of each other’s lives.

Technically speaking, labeling this film a “masterpiece” is an insult by omission. Given that Shinkai is a master, anything he makes is obviously going to be a “masterpiece,” but among silt there is gold, and among gold there may be diamonds. This movie is a diamond, easily the prettiest feature-length film.

• The story is conceptually very simple, but a lot of depth is added as the story goes on. The show drives several important points, which can be very philosophical, without being too complicated for the average viewer to understand
• There was not a single sound that felt out of place. All the characters’ voices suited their appearances, leading to a very immersive experience
• Spectacular animation. There is one particular scene near the beginning which has a sort of “3D camera rotation” that looks so real that I thought it was rendered; but at the last second, the character turned their head, and I was able to tell that it had been entirely hand-drawn

Based on the novel of the same name by Tappei Nagatsuki , abbreviated as Re-Zero . The story begins when Subaru, a NEET high school student, is summoned to another world on his way home from a convenience store. As soon as he arrives, he is tangled up with a gang of thugs and in a pinch, but it is Emilia, a spirit user, who saves him.

Every time he loses a battle and loses his life, he always wakes up at the same point in time. Subaru had unknowingly acquired the ability to rewind time back to death. Subaru was exhausted by his mentally and physically damaging ability, but it was the demon maid, Rem, who loved and encouraged him.

Can Subaru rely on his “return to death” to protect his loved ones? And which love will he accept?

• The character designs are very lovely. They are usually rather detailed, especially their facial expressions and features during moments when their faces are zoomed in on. Vibrant colors also help to bring the characters and scenery to life
• An Isekai MC that is not insanely overpowered, making it easier for the audience to connect with his challenges
• As a light novel adaptation, you’ll probably find many standard tropes ranging from the generic jealousy of certain girls to the childish antics of Beatrice. Subaru also tends to make himself look like a fool in front of others which can be irritating to watch. Still, the comedy of the show on most occasions is properly timed to balance out the darker themes

Satoru Fujinuma, an unsuccessful manga artist, has a mysterious ability called “replay (revival),” which is triggered in a pinch and repeatedly rewinds until the unfavorable outcome is corrected.

Eighteen years ago, Kayo Hinatsuki died in a series of kidnappings, and her mother, Sachiko, recognized the kidnappers and turned the tables on them. When Satoru is about to be accused of his mother’s murder, a revival is triggered.

The place where Satoru’s consciousness was transferred was inside 11-year-old Satoru in 1988, the year the kidnapping took place. March 1, the day Kayo disappeared. Can he keep Kayo away from the incident and protect her? Satoru runs through time for the future where his loved ones are still alive.

• The suspenseful atmosphere which Erased is able to create, and the facial expressions which arouse suspicions on various characters are perfectly executed which supports its mystery genre incredibly well
• OP and ED are amazingly executed. They even became a staple for online anime content creators for a time
• The way ‘Revival’ is portrayed by showing a blue butterfly across the screen and the way history or the future is compared with the timeline using movie reels makes Erased more interesting to watch

A TV animation based on a hypothetical science ADV game by 5pb. The “Future Gadget Laboratory” in Akihabara is a rather strange invention club led by Rintaro Okabe and consisting of lab members Itaru Hashida and Mayuri Shiina.

They have discovered that their invention, a “telephone range (tentative),” can be used as a time machine to send cellular phone e-mails to the past. Further experiments revealed that the past can be altered by D-mail.

By the time they had succeeded in advancing their research and commercializing the time leap machine, they were being stalked by a mysterious organization. The past alteration involves great risk, and we learned the cruel fact that one of our friends will always die, whether in the alpha or beta world line…

Mayuri, his childhood friend, and Kurisu, to whom he is attracted. Can Okabe find a way to save them both?

• The art style simply has a way more realistic feel to it than your generic anime
• The characters are written in such a way that you are bound to like them. They all have their own likable and recognizable traits, which are perfectly described from the start: Makise Kurisu the tsundere, Daru the nerd, Mayuri the childish girl, and so on
• The voice talent in the anime is strong, with Miyano Mamoru’s performance as Okabe in particular standing out. The other performances are somewhat overshadowed by this, but are solid performances nonetheless

Director Akiyuki Shinbo and Shaft have teamed up to create a masterpiece of dark fantasy. It depicts the daily battles of girls who choose to live as “magical girls” in exchange for a wish.

Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are saved by the magical girl Mami when they wander into a witch’s ward, and they have a strong yearning for each other. However, they are reminded of the reality when they witness the horrific scene of Mami being eaten by a witch.

M adoMagi takes a turn from the heartwarming everyday life and takes on a darker fantasy aspect. What is the harsh fate that magical girls bear? What decision will Madoka make?

• Magical Girl overtones combined with the trance-like aesthetics of Shaft and the glorious character designs by a small green man who lives on top of an all-girls Japanese high school dormitory
• The script is written by Urobuchi Gen , known for his work on Fate/Zero (hence the poem) and the highly acclaimed (and crazy good) visual novel Saya no Uta
•  Madoka has an uncanny knack for going from quaint to disturbing incredibly fast. It also has the ability to BLOW YOUR MIND

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a juvenile novel written by Tsutsui Yasutaka . It became a TV drama, movie, and manga several times. However, this movie is its first anime adaptation. The main character, Konno Makoto, is brighter and more easygoing than any other characters in movies or TV dramas made before. At once she knows she acquires the power of “time leap.” She uses it without hesitation to satisfy her own desire.

Makoto Konno is in her last year of high school, but is having a hard time deciding what to do with her future. In between enduring the pressure of her teachers and killing time with her best friends, Makoto’s life suddenly changes when she accidentally discovers that she is capable of literally leaping through time.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time follows Makoto as she plays around with her newfound power. However, she soon learns the hard way that every choice has a consequence, and time is a lot more complicated than it may seem.

• Tsutsui Yasutaka is a prolific author and known for science fiction works featuring dark humour/satire. His most famous work is probably The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
• The art in this movie is special. Featuring what seems to be simple character work, yet extremely detailed environments, you begin to feel sort of immersed into the characters because of discerning features, particularly of their personality, rather than by simply their appearances alone
• This is an excellent, dramatic movie with a small amount of romance thrown in. The movie can actually be quite funny at times, especially with Makoto’s priceless reactions to some things

Takemichi Hanagaki’s second year of middle school was the highest point in his life. He had respect, a gang of friends he could count on, and even a girlfriend. But that was twelve years ago. Today, he’s a nobody: a washed-up nonentity made fun of by children and always forced to apologize to his younger boss. 

A sudden news report on the Tokyo Manji Gang’s cruel murder of the only girlfriend he ever had alongside her brother only adds insult to injury. Half a second before a train ends his pitiful life for good, Takemichi flashes back to that same day twelve years ago, when he was still dating Hinata Tachibana.

After being forced to relive the very same day that began his downward spiral, Takemichi meets Hinata’s younger brother. Without thinking, he admits to his seeming death before flashing back to the past. Takemichi urges him to protect his sister before inexplicably returning to the future. 

Miraculously, he isn’t dead. Stranger still, the future has changed. It seems as though Takemichi can alter the flow of time. Given the chance to prevent his ex-girlfriend’s tragic death at the hands of the Tokyo Manji Gang, Takemichi decides to fly through time to change the course of the future.

• From fluid fight scenes to encapsulating settings, the animators really put their hearts into it
• The OSTs, opening themes and ending are all bangers! (It was the first anime to feature a yodelling segment in the OP)
• The story can feel slow at times, but from it comes huge buildups for future events/arcs which you won’t want to miss

Life is not going well for 28-year-old Kyouya Hashiba. Having left his office job to pursue a career in the video game industry, his internship at a popular game studio abruptly ends, leaving him unemployed and forcing him to move back in with his parents. 

Additionally, his jealousy toward the success of the “Platinum Generation”—a group of similarly-aged creators—has caused him to regret his decision to attend a traditional university instead of an arts college. Even though he believes there are no second chances in life, Kyouya is suddenly given one when he wakes up one day and finds himself 10 years in the past.

Instead of choosing a business school like he originally had, Kyouya decides to pursue his passions and attends the Oonaka University of Art. There, he meets classmate Eiko Kawasegawa, the woman who had hired him as an intern in the present, alongside his new housemates and future Platinum Generation members: underachieving artist Aki Shino, an aspiring singer and actress Nanako Kogure, and naturally-gifted writer Tsurayuki Rokuonji.

With each project they complete together, Kyouya and his friends venture closer to discovering their true potential as creators and remaking their lives into the ideal versions they desire.

• With a character cast of young adults, the anime has an overall more mature feeling. While the anime is very light on fan service, it still has some compromising moments and the obligatory beach episode
• This isn’t a difficult anime to get into and you can watch this without breaking a sweat. It’s a simple show that uses time travel as a plot device but ultimately doesn’t rely on it to sell its main story
• One of the bigger selling points of the show is realism. It’s very refreshing to see young amateurs build their way up and learn about the video game industry

Based on the suspense manga of the same title by Esuno Sakae . For Yukiteru Amano, who is not good at interacting with others, the only people he can call friends are the imaginary creatures “Deus” and “Murmur”. When Yukiteru was typing in his diary on his cell phone as usual, a text that he does not remember was floating on the cell phone screen.

He also announced a survival game for the 12 owners of future diaries, starting with the first owner, Yukiteru, and ending with the 12th, with the winner of the game taking the title of god.

The diary owners join hands and cheat each other. During the battle, we learn that classmate Yuno Gasai, the 2nd, is actually Yukiteru’s single-minded stalker. How will the survival game turn out? Will Yuno’s paranoid love reach him?

• It explores how one’s actions and willpower can change the future and how good people can go insane or do terrible things because of traumatic experiences
• The pacing is fairly fast, but not forced, even when there’s no intense action going on, you find yourself on the edge of your seat knowing that an enemy could pop up at any time
•  The music (OSTs, OP, and ED) is decent, they wisely avoided sound during some of the intense, dark & scary moments where they let the suspense and fear build up in the viewers

Kyon is a high school boy who has taken a liking to his eccentric classmate Haruhi Suzumiya. Haruhi, seeking something out of the ordinary, starts a club of her own, and invites Yuki Nagato, a former member of the Literature Club, Mikuru Asahina, a moe, and Itsuki Koizumi, a mysterious transfer student, to form the SOS-dan (Haruhi Suzumiya’s group to make the world a more exciting place).

Unexpectedly, Haruhi’s activities are to “seek out and play with aliens, people from the future, and psychics,” which she has set as her mission statement. Yuki Nagato was an alien who observed Haruhi, Mikuru was a futurist who monitored Haruhi, and Koizumi was a psychic who belonged to an “agency.

The second season episode, “Endless Eight,” depicts a summer vacation that never ends due to a time loop. 8 episodes, almost two months of the same story, were aired (the drawings and direction were different for each episode), giving the viewers the feeling of being in a time loop. It became a topic of conversation among anime fans.

• There’s one episode where a particular character is singing and they have the lyrics/drummer/guitarist synced perfectly. Beautiful fight scenes (though these are short and infrequent) too
• It’s presented to you out of chronological order. That means episode 4 comes after episode 6, and episode 8 comes before 5 (not the actual order of the show). Don’t worry though, the episodes are out of order with purpose and intention, and it makes the anime all the more interesting
• The characters are spins on stereotypes. Kyon is the ‘boring unexceptional brown-haired guy’, Mikuru is the walking pile of moe, Yuki is the aloof meganekko, and then there’s Haruhi. She’s so original that I cannot even place her in a set category

Buddy Complex , a.k.a. BuddyCon , an original robot anime produced by Sunrise , follows Aoba, a high school student living in the year 2014, who is transported to the future 74 years in the future, where he lives as a confused pilot.

In 2014, Aoba, a high school student, is relentlessly pursued by Bizon, a passenger on the giant robot “Nebiros”. To protect Aoba, it is her classmate Hina Yumihara who fights back with “Carla”. The moment Bizon tries to take her along by self-destructing, a singularity appears. Hina is sent to the future of 2078, and Aoba is sent to the future of 2088.

Aoba arrives in the world of 2088, and a chick that looks exactly like Hina appears in front of him. Why does Bizon attack Aoba? What happened behind the time leap between Hina and Hina?

• They are easily likable and feel human enough not to feel two-dimensional. Also, when they get emotional, there are clear reasons behind them, and there are also no noticeable plot holes that I have noticed while casually watching the show
• Coming from Sunrise , it is not much of a surprise that the art and sound are well done. The background music during the battles and while they are on standby fit in very well, and the OP and ED are catchy
• The plot did a great job creating a sci-fi-action anime with a romantic kind of atmosphere at some parts

The original is a computer game produced by the doujin circle 07th Expansion . The first season includes “Onikakushihen”, “Watanagashihen”, “Chousakushihen”, and “Biyasushihen” the question-and-answer version, and “ Meakashihen ” and “ Kakushihen ” the solution version, for a total of 6 parts.

The setting is the village of Hinamizawa in 1983. Keiichi Maehara, a transfer student from the city, was enjoying his life in the village surrounded by Rena, Enone, Satoko, Rika, and other cheerful friends.

However, the situation gradually changes, and he finds himself drawn into the vortex of a mysterious incident in Hinamizawa. When they are tormented by anxiety and unable to trust others, who reaches out to them? You will have to see for yourself why this is a “time-lapse” work!

• The pacing is excellent, and the suspense is palpable. You know terrible things are going to happen, but you don’t know exactly what
• Each experiment you run (arc you see) reveals a few more clues, and you formulate a new theory, only to find it shattered by another totally unexpected horror in the very same arc
• Higurashi would appeal to two types of people. The megalomaniacs who cackle madly in seeing a happy community descend into the depth of oblivion, and the curious scientist who watched each arc with intense interest… for they want to know exactly *why* everything goes wrong (though they can also cackle madly just a little)

The animation division of the Kagerou Project by Jin (Enemy of Nature P). A long time ago, Azami, a medusa, fell in love with a young human named Tsukihiko and created “Kagerou Days,” a world that will never end because of the shortness of human life.

When her granddaughter Marie was beaten to death, Azami brought her back to life by drawing her into the Kagerou Days and giving her the power to control all snakes!

Meanwhile, a reclusive young man named Shintaro encounters a strange group called the Mechakushidan as soon as he steps out into the outside world for the first time in two years because of a prank played on him by a mysterious software program called Dennou Shoujo Ene. Kido, the leader of the Mekakushi-dan, has the ability to “hide his eyes,” Set has the ability to “steal eyes,” and Kano has the ability to “deceive eyes”.

The members of the Mekakushi-dan, a group of people with abilities related to “eyes,” seem to have powers that stem from their respective pasts. This is a time-lapse work in which the Mekakushi-dan, made up of such unique members, are active!

• What Mekakucity does do, as a result of its roundabout approach to storytelling, is repeatedly twist your perception of the main characters. The show’s big ‘mystery’, where you have to guess which character is actually the one holding the witch’s power, is one that takes a while to become obvious
• Produced by Jin , the music was quite popular before the anime was released. Which helped the anime skyrocket popularity with viewers
• The voice actors of Mekakucity Actors bring so much more into the story, really justifying the anime adaptation, and a special mention goes to Ene’s voice actor Kana Asumi – her character never fails to bring a smile to your face!

The popular novel by Yutaka Kono , consisting of seven volumes, has been adapted into an anime. The story depicts the love and friendship between high school boys and girls in Sakurada, a town where people with supernatural powers gather. Kei Asai, who can retain all her memories, and Misora Haruki, who can rewind the world for up to three days, have a mission to accomplish.

They are still trying to bring back Violet Aima, their classmate, who died two years ago as a result of the resetting process.

During these days, Kay and Harusaki meet two important figures in Sakirata’s history: Sasano, an old man who can enter photographs, and a witch who has the ability to see into the future.

• There are scenes that have a really deep impact while having a good harmony with the soundtrack
• The characters manage to develop well in a very surprising way, they start getting more emotional over time while dealing with very philosophical and psychological events that will help them understand more about themselves, the story of Sakurada, and the ability users
• If you aren’t into a slow-paced story with characters that will develop quite slowly, this show certainly might not be for you. but if you are patient enough, certainly this anime will keep you hooked and will reward those that stick to the end

Sunrise presents this robot coming-of-age anime. The story centers on Kyou, a carefree high school student living in Maihama City, his childhood friend Ryoko, and a mysterious beautiful girl named Shizuno.

At Shizuno’s invitation, Kyou sets out in his giant robot Zegapain. He is convinced that what he sees is a virtual world that bears no resemblance to the peaceful everyday world, but what he sees is the real world of war.

In fact, it has been a long time since humans disappeared from the earth, and Kyou and Ryoko were nothing more than “phantom bodies,” personality memory bodies, and data without substance. Their high school life in Maihama and club activities were all virtual spaces created by computers.

Is the phantom body human? Or is it …? What was the answer they came up with after all their troubles? The story of Ryo, a high school student, struggling to discover what is important to him will touch your heart.

• Zegapain manages to maintain a complex fully explored setting and plot advancements without any of those, the show is maturely handled, always evolving with its characters and plot developments, always rewarding, and never breaking its rules
•  All the characters have a purpose and add something to the show but some of the side characters can lack some presence occasionally and are rather forgettable despite being well fleshed-out and having solid development and backdrop
•  Something that can also throw a lot of shows off the deep end is a shoehorned romance or love triangle that just isn’t well handled in general, Zegapain deals with its romance very well

This is the second theatrical version written and directed by Mamoru Oshii , who was the chief director of the TV series. It is highly regarded as the original “loop” film, and is known as a work that had a great influence on creators in later generations.

The main character, Ataru Moroboshi, attends Tomobiki High School, which is in an uproar with the school festival coming up the next day. The day before the school festival is about to begin, the students are in an uproar, but something unusual is discovered when Ataru’s exhausted homeroom teacher, Onsen Mark, complains, “I feel like I’m repeating the day before the school festival”.

Sakura, a public health doctor, embarks on an investigation and comes upon the frightening sight of the entire town of Tomobiki being transported on a giant stone statue of a turtle. Not Urashima Taro on the back of a turtle, but Tomobikicho… What on earth is going on? And will Ataru and his friends be able to escape from the loop?

• The animation has a lot of fun stylistic choices and tends towards being very inventively surreal
• Music–it’s a combination of atmospheric creepy tones and 80s synth. Oh and let me tell you, the 80s synth gets really hilarious really quickly
•  The characters never keep you in a state of being uninvested, and the story has a certain weight to it that truly lends itself to some of the heavier dialogue

The anime Orange is based on a shoujo manga by Takano Ichigo . At the opening ceremony of her second year of high school, Naho Takamiya receives a letter from “herself in 10 years”. In the letter, it told Naho what would happen to her in the future and the actions she should take to avoid it.

At first, Naho was skeptical, but then a boy named Kakeru Naruse transferred from Tokyo, just as the letter said. In the letter, it was written that Naho would fall in love with Sho from now on, but that Sho would die in an accident in the winter of his seventeenth year. 

It was also discovered that similar letters had been sent to Naho’s friends, Hiroto Suwa and Takako Chino. Naho and his friends believe the contents of the letters and cooperate to prevent Sho’s accident.

• The opening “Hikari no Hahen” by Yu Takahashi is really splendid and set the mood for the next 20 minutes of the show while the ending “Mirai” by Kobukuro acts as a catalyst to all those feelings we go through
• The main casts do get their developments due to the main cast being in a group and there are some romantic tensions here and there
• The animation was consistent throughout and the visuals on how the camera was used were used to great effects, such as sudden transitions on weird differing angles, made a rather mundane occurrence, intense at times, huge praise goes to its backgrounding artwork as it was utterly gorgeous at the best of times

Based on the romance adventure game produced by Key, Little Busters! (Abbreviated as “ LITBUS “). The main character, Naoe Riki, who lost his parents when he was a child, was saved by the “Little Busters,” an ally of justice led by his childhood friend Kyosuke.

Time passed, and the members of the Little Busters became high school students. Kyosuke announces the formation of a baseball team and orders Riki and Suzu to gather the members. Kyosuke watches over each member as Riki takes care of each one of them. Before the first game, Kyosuke tells the team that the leader will be replaced.

Riki begins to climb the stairs to adulthood, fighting his desire to be pampered by Kyosuke. Meanwhile, the “secret of the world” is revealed. With Kyosuke at the helm, Riki forms an emotional bond with his childhood friends who support him. It is a moving work that will inevitably bring tears to your eyes when you discover the truth behind peaceful everyday life!

• If you love slow-paced storylines, this is a time-travel anime made for you
• The voice actors/actresses sound more natural and the dialogue feels more fluid than forced between the characters
• *Psst*, heard you were looking for fanservice, if so, there’s lots of it here for you

Based on a novel by Chiyomaru Shikura , creator of “STEINS;GATE”. Gamon Yuta, a.k.a. “Gamotan,” is a high school sophomore who runs the occult-related website “Kirikiribasara” for affiliate income.

He visits Hashigami, an “occult-oriented” professor who has attracted media attention, on the recommendation of the site’s staff member, Ryoutan (Narusawa Ryoka), and comes face to face with Hashigami’s corpse, which has been murdered by someone!

A few days later, a large number of dead bodies surface in a pond in Inokashira Park, titled Case 256, and since there is no major damage to the bodies, suicide or brainwashing is suspected. Gamotan and “Kiribasa” officials were interested in the case, but they were confronted with an unexpected fact…

In fact, Gamotan and the others were victims of the 256 incidents and had become ghosts without their knowledge. How did they end up dying? Gamotan and his team, now in spirit form, take on the giant organization behind the case!

• The sound is amazing and is composed by Yokoyama Masaru ( Your Lie in April , Plastic Memories ) with it just adding to the immersion in certain scenes
• The art style is a breath of fresh air with the character designs being relatively unique
• The animation as expected from this studio is relatively good with most scenes being aesthetically pleasing and generally fluid

The Date A Live series is an anime work based on science fiction and romantic comedy themes. Based on a light novel by Tachibana Kouji.

The setting is a world 30 years after the spatial earthquake, a catastrophe caused by the appearance of mysterious life forms called “spirits”. The main character, Shidou Itsukawa, meets a spirit girl, Juka Yatogami, at the place where the spatial earthquake occurred. However, Shido was caught up in the battle between the human and the spirit and collapsed. When he woke up, he found himself on board the Fluxinus, an aerial ship. There, he learns that his sister, Kotori Gokawa, is the commander of Ratatosk, an organization dedicated to the peaceful resolution of spatial tremors.

Kotori’s surprise solution to stop the spatial earthquake is to “date the spirits and make them fall in love with each other”? In order to negotiate with the spirits, Shido has to repeatedly go on dates with various beautiful spirit girls.

• The art style and animations are beautiful to look at. If there is one thing DAL does great its the animations. There were no derp faces, the fight scenes looked crisp, the backgrounds were well done, and everything about was done to a tee
• The soundtrack is another category DAL excels at. The BGM fits almost every scene and really brought the most out of each scene
• Buddy, look at me, harem plus ecchi, you get the best of both worlds

Iroduku: The World in Colors is an anime work written by Yashio Natsuka and produced by P.A. WORKS. 13 episodes were broadcast as an original anime.

Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, in the year 2078 A.D., is a mysterious world where magic is available. Hitomi Tsukishiro, a girl with color blindness who cannot use magic very well, is a girl with little emotion because she lost her color vision at an early age. Her grandmother, Tsukishiro Amber, a great magician, is worried about Hitomi and sends her back in time to the year 2018 in Nagasaki Prefecture.

The place where Hitomi crosses time and space is the room of a high school boy, Yuiyo Aoi. She rushes out of the room, but sees vivid colors on the picture he drew.

• The pacing is slow, but this is intentional since the author wants you to learn every characters growth/story
• As it’s part of the plot, the show’s visuals manages to capture the essence of that at its finest
• From Hitomi joining the photography club to experiencing the cultural festival together with friends, P.A. Works manages to sell this series as a modern coming of age fantasy

The anime ISLAND is based on the Windows video game software released by Front Wing. A young man washes ashore on an island called Urashima, which has an exclusive climate.

The young man has amnesia and believes from his fragmented memories that he has come to the past to save the world from the future. A girl named Rinne Ohara gave him a name, which he changed to Sanzenkai Setsuna.

Urashima holds many mysteries, such as “Baimon disease,” which kills people when exposed to sunlight, and “Boryujima,” which only appears on stormy days. Kirina, together with Rinne, Kurutsu Karen, Garando-Sara, and others, will explore the mysteries of the island.

• The story is well written and will have you at the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens at the end of each episode
• The art style is very unique and its animation has received high praises
•  The characters’ personalities were as well-written as the story as well. Each of the four main characters—Rinne, Setsuna, Sara, and Karen—had their own character developments which developed quite nicely

The original story of Nobunaga Concerto is a shonen manga by Ayumi Ishii . It won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Juvenile Division.

Saburo, a high school boy living in the present day, accidentally travels back in time to the 18th year of the Sengoku Period (1549). In Sengoku-era Japan, Saburo meets Nobunaga Oda, a man with a face identical to his own. Nobunaga, who is sickly and frail, unlike the legends of history, asks Saburo to switch places with him and live as Nobunaga Oda.

At first, Saburo does not accept the idea of taking Oda Nobunaga’s place. However, Saburo skillfully survived the Warring States period with his bold words, actions, and ideas.

• The storytelling is brilliant – no cliches, no harems, no love triangles, it’s all about Oda Nobunaga quest to unite all of Japan in Saburo’s way
• The sound is amazing too (listening to the ED as I write this), making you cry at times – from sadness and happiness alike
• Character development is subtle yet clear, you might even end up cheering for the once-disgusting guy

An original work by the animation production company MAPPA. The story is about a high school student, Yuta Irritatsu, who aims for the survival of the earth after he sees a pair of underpants that will lead the human race to the end of the world.

The story begins when Yuta and the residents of Furukaikan, Labura, encounter a bus hijacking. Strange Juice, an ally of justice (who is actually Mikatan, a resident of Korokan), rushes in and quickly defeats the enemies, but the leader of the group takes his back and is killed by a man.

Yuta awakens when he sees the underwear of the unconscious labra, and dives into the river with the man in tow. As Yuta is pulled out of the river, all he sees is Strange Juice Mikatan’s underwear!

The amount of energy released exceeds the limit and Yuta dies, and the human race faces extinction. Yuta, now in spirit form, decides to go back in time and fight in order to regain his reality and save the earth from destruction.

• Punch Line is a good flex of narrative muscle, bringing together originally stereotypical characters into a community that gives them just a little more innovation than the rest of the industry can do right now
• It’s a riotous comedy that inverts all sorts of terribleness from the known-to-all loved-by-none (or degenerate) genre of ecchi. It has everything; a zany premise, harem situation, superpowers, nose bleeds, the promise of sex jokes, robots, time travel, ninjas, mascot characters, archetypal cast, forgettable lead, low-budget setting, and the list goes on
• This completely absurd show with no boundaries and just a handful of troupes that the scriptwriter wanted to toy with actually manages to make you care. That is Punch Lines’s charm

The second original anime by Key . Yuu Otosaka is enjoying carefree high school life, abusing her ability to “take over another person’s body for 5 seconds” for her own trivial desires. However, the sudden appearance of Nao Tomori, the president of Hoshinoumi Academy, uncovers Yuu’s evil ways and forces him to help out with student council activities.

At first, he was reluctant to join the student council, but as he learns of his destiny as a gifted student, he gradually discovers what he is meant to do. When he realizes that his ability is “looting,” an extremely dangerous ability, he makes an important decision.

• Each Character is given a whole episode for introductions and has a backstory. And as you continue through this series you will see the main character Otosaka Yuu changing positively, as he was a narcissist
• Music and art-wise, this anime has it all and even spawned memes that are still used until this day
• An outstanding, dramatic, and heartwarming story that will make the biggest man “shed dem tears”

The power of time travel elevates your perspective and increases possibilities by infinite multiples. We either go back in time to fix something we once fumbled, or we go to the future and explore new horizons that have yet to be encountered. 

Time an infinite concept, and with these kinds of anime comes a variety of paths to be explored. We all have that one moment where we wish we could have gone back in time, so let’s experience that with this grand list of anime to binge and chill too. 

Be sure to keep checking back on our site for more great anime recommendations!

DualShockers

9 best time travel anime.

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From Tokyo Revengers to Steins;Gate, these are the best anime that focus around the concept of time travel.

• Time travel in storytelling requires attention to detail and tying together diverted paths can be difficult indeed.
• The choices characters make, regardless of size, can have massive consequences, making time travel stories engaging rollercoasters.
• Time travel can serve as a bittersweet method of communication, enhancing themes of actions, consequences, and personal growth.

Whether it's a mere five minutes or an entire decade, time travel is one of the most compelling yet complicated devices in storytelling. What makes it complicated is the attention to detail required: one story must already be established in order for diverted paths to take place, and tying them together effectively can be very difficult indeed.

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The choices that characters make, regardless of how small or big they perceive them to be, can have massive consequences. More often than not, the audience discovers the stakes of these choices along with the characters themselves. Therefore, a time travel story can become quite the rollercoaster, with a sometimes unpredictable track. Here are some of the best anime for fans of the fascinating concept of time travel.

9 Irodoku: The World in Colors

Despite coming from a long line of witches, Hitomi Tsukishiro has a rather strained relationship with witchcraft. Unable to truly master her her potent magic , she loses her ability to connect with the world around her in a literal sense. She can no longer see colors. Her grandmother hopes to reconnect her with her roots by sending her back in time to meet a younger version of the guardian.

Irodoku is a story of true connection with the world and, in a way, with one’s heritage. It speaks earnestly to the challenges one faces when it comes to mental health, and presents hope as an answer through the lens of Hitomi’s grandmother’s past.

People are not the ones to travel through time here: letters do instead. Naho Takamiya finds a letter addressed to her, soon discovering that it is from her future self. Future Naho gives herself glimpses of the future and shares regrets she had during high school. In doing so, she hopes to convince Present Naho to make different, bolder decisions that could just save someone they both care for dearly.

Orange is, in a way, a melancholy ode to those who sit on the sidelines of their own lives. It is also a reminder that reaching out may seem small and insignificant to some, but it can mean the world to others. Time travel is a bittersweet method of communication in this story that only serves to enhance these messages as the show progresses.

7 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Hit the brakes and check out this early 2000s anime movie classic . Based on a novel by the same name, the story follows Makoto Konno as she is suddenly granted the ability to leap through time. Makoto starts to use these leaps to her own advantage, often for selfish reasons. However, she only has so many she can use, and some decisions lead to terrible consequences.

It's expected that a teenager like Makoto may make a few silly, albeit selfish, decisions when discovering a new power like time travel. The story becomes even more compelling when she becomes aware of this and tries to remedy some of the decisions she’s made. In doing so, this movie truly broaches the subject of actions and consequences, on both a small and large scale.

6 The Tatami Galaxy

Take a trip that starts with something quite familiar to the college-age demographic: ramen. A third-year college student finds himself at a mysterious ramen stand, where he reflects on his lonely years thus far. Jealous of the surrounding couples, he secretly harbors the regret of not trying harder to be in a relationship like his peers. He is then thrown back into the beginning of his college years once more, for another chance to do just that.

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This show is a journey and a half for anyone not used to a more surrealist animation style. Yet, all-in-all, it is a story about a young man trying to find his place among his peers. It speaks honestly to the reality that sometimes life is a series of repetitive situations and different choices.

5 Tokyo Revengers

It’s a jarring reality to go from having it all to losing something dear and cherished. Takemichi Hanagaki used to have a more joyful life, supported by friends and his girlfriend. As time progresses, though, he loses his footing in the world and his ex-girlfriend. It isn’t until he finds himself gifted with the ability to alter time that he decides to use this ability to save the girl he once loved.

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Based on the manga of the same name by Ken Wakui, the world of Tokyo Revengers is brutal and precise, especially with what Takemichi is attempting to achieve. He is also an underdog character, as he is not strong right from the get-go. Rather, he grows from his experiences and keeps to his wits as much as he can to achieve his desired outcome.

4 Your Name

Small-town-girl-meets-city-boy is taken to an entirely different level when it comes to this CoMix Wave film. While Mitsuha Miyamizu lives her life in the rural village of Itomori, Japan, Taki Tachibana lives his life in the bustling city of Tokyo. Both begin to have strange "dreams" where they swap lives without knowing it, until suddenly, they realize they are actually swapping bodies.

Winning three awards both for its stunning animation and its compelling story, Your Name is a tragic yet beautiful story worth falling into . The movie uses tension and suspense through the narrative of time, showing its audience slices of its protagonists’ lives.

When accused of murdering someone near and dear to him, Satoru Fujinuma turns to the past in order to clear his name. His ability, called Revival, allows him to travel into the past and alter events about to happen. While at one point he traveled mere minutes prior to an event, this time he is sent back to when he was just a child in order to solve the murder of one of his classmates.

Erased wraps a mystery within a time travel blanket that does nothing but enhance the suspense of its story. Time seems almost autonomous in the show, as it serves as a guide for Satoru while he decides to make the ultimate decisions. In a sense, he is not in it alone either, because he finds support in the most convenient of places: home.

2 Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World

Just in the blink of an eye, Subaru Natsuki is transported to a fantasy realm called the Kingdom of Lugunica. Initially, he is more than excited to escape the mundanity of his regular life. Soon enough, though, he discovers that there are still challenges around the bend that he must face. Luckily, he has an ability that no one around him realizes: the ability to return to a specific point in time after "dying."

The story of Subaru takes some unexpected turns that lead him down a much darker road than he ever anticipated. Yet, part of what makes Re:Zero such a successful story is its protagonists’ slow growth over time. Each "death" is an opportunity for Subaru to truly take in his surroundings and learn to make conscious decisions. Additionally, the show is certainly dedicated to its small details and world-building. This only enhances the viewing experience for the audience.

1 Steins;Gate

Every great scientific discovery starts with something simple, right? For Rintarou Okabe and his team, that beginning comes in the form of a microwave. However, after attending a conference on time travel, Rintarou starts to see their invention in a new light. This discovery leads him into dangerous territory that not only puts his team at risk, but also his mind.

This anime is a roller coaster that makes its audience question what’s real and what isn’t. Humor turns into horror, and that horror leads into the core questions that Steins;Gate asks: What is the cost of time travel? What do we truly have control over when it comes to some of life’s most haunting consequences?

NEXT: Anime Characters Who Can Outsmart Senku

The 24 Best Time Travel Anime To Explore Alternatives

Francesco Buffa

November 18, 2022

Tops & Rankings

Having the possibility to travel through time and influence the past or the future is an undeniably fascinating perspective.

Many anime tried to take this concept and integrate it into their plot, using it to give more variety to their story.

In this article, we list the best time travel anime that we think uses this plot device in the most effective way.

The specific ranking of every anime you’ll find in this listicle is based on our personal preferences.

Table of Contents

24. Sandglass of Summer Colors

This anime was released in 2004 and revolves around a boy called Makimura Koutarou who finally works up the courage to confess his feelings to the beautiful Serizawa Kaho .

The night before he meets a strange girl that sends him several years into the future. Here he learns that his beloved girlfriend-to-be will die in a tragic accident.

This shocking discovery will propel the events of the show, during which Makimura will try to change the future to find a way to save Serizawa’s life .

Even if it’s not the best in this category, it still has a lot of redeeming qualities that will keep you entertained.

The main one is surely the tension derived by not knowing if the actions of Makimura will save the life of his loved one, or if it will all end in tragedy again.

23. Occult Academy

Occult Academy is a short anime that came out in 2010 and it is one of the few examples where the anime came first and inspired a manga adaptation.

The story revolves around a girl called Maya , the daughter of the former Headmaster of Waldstein Academy, and Fumiaki Uchida.

The year is 2012 and the planet has been invaded by aliens , so time travelers are been sent back to 1999 to find the Nostradamus Key and avoid the disaster.

To find the Nostradamus Key , time agents were given special cell phones. When a traveler finds an object of interest he takes a photo and if the resulting image is that of a peaceful world, then the subject is the Nostradamus Key.

Maya and Fumiaki will join forces to find the artifact and prevent the apocalypse.

A classic story where the protagonists try to go back in time to save the world from a tragic future, perfect for you all that are watching this list.

22. Buddy Complex

Aoba Watase  is a regular high school student living peacefully in Chiba, that is saved by one of his classmates from the attack of a giant robot.

The girl later turns out to be from the future from 70 years further back, returned to the past to save Aoba, and after saving him, brings him into the future to fight an ongoing war.

Here Aoba shows high compatibility with a pilot named  Dio Weinberg . The two boys perform a successful coupling, and this allows them to share experiences and subsequently increase their capabilities and skills.

As you may have guessed, this anime is heavily centered around battles with robots, making it perfect for all the mecha fans that are searching for something new and some cool anime set in space.

21. Summer Storm!

Summer Storm premiered in the spring of 2009 and tells the story of Yasaka, a 13-year-old boy who is spending his summer vacation at his grandpa’s house.

He meets a girl called Arashi in a cafe where she’s working as a waitress. Yasaka will fall in love with the girl who doesn’t seem to reciprocate his feelings.

This is until she accidentally touches his hand and realizes that she has a connection with Yasaka. Arashi is not just a regular girl, but a ghost of a teenager who died in World War II .

By connecting with Yasaka, she is able to travel back to her time , so she asks Yasaka to help her in her quest to save as many people as she can. The boy will of course agree, not fully realizing what he is getting into.

A perfect story if you are searching for a simple and light story with some sad undertones.

20. Kimagure Orange Road

This is a cult anime from the ’80s and is one of those romcoms that inspired many other future works and is based on the love triangle trope .

Madoka Ayukawa and Hikaru Hiyama are best friends and in love with Kyōsuke Kasuga , and the boy will play along with this dangerous game.

The protagonist Kyōsuke Kasugaiss is also able to use psychic powers to modify reality to his needs.

Orange Road’s plot isn’t based on time travel as the others from this list. It’s present near the end, leading to some interesting revelations.

Nonetheless, we highly recommend it as it’s still a great classic that everyone should watch at some point.

19. Hello World

Hello World is a movie from 2019 that takes place in Kyoto in the year 2027. The plot focuses on Naomi Katagaki , a socially awkward boy with a love for books.

One day Naomi sees an aura piercing through the sky and he has a vision of a three-legged crow and a hooded man who turns out to be him 10 years in the future .

The mysterious figure explains that he has come to change an imminent tragic event that happens to his friend Ruri shortly after they start dating.

At first, Naomi doesn’t believe him but he will eventually follow his future self’s advice to try and save Ruri.

The mystery around what will happen to Ruri makes the film engaging from the get-go, resulting in a brief but surely compelling story.

Zipang is an anime TV show broadcast from 2004 to 2006 and it takes inspiration from a seinen manga of the same name.

The plot revolves around a group of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force led by Capt. Umezu Saburo and Executive Officer Kadomatsu Yosuke.

While running some scheduled training their ship encounters a storm that transports them back to 1942 during the Battle of Midway in World War II.

This battle marks a crippling defeat for the Japanese Navy by the hand of their U.S. counterpart

The crew will try to not change anything and let history take its course, but when they’ll find a dying Lt. Commander Kusaka Takumi, they will be convinced to save him changing history forever.

The main selling point of this anime is its historical setting because it explores WW2 and the danger of time paradoxes .

17. Nobunaga Concerto

This 10-episode anime from 2014 revolves around Saburou , a high school student who finds himself thrown back in time to the Sengoku Era.

Here he will meet legendary general Nobunaga Oda who is frail and on the run. The general will try to teach Saburou to take his place, given that the two are physically very similar.

Saburou will find himself in the position to be a replacement for a man that he doesn’t even know and will have to pose as the legend who united all of Japan .

Nobunaga Concerto is a very underrated show and we think you should give it a chance if you enjoy the peculiar art style and the unusual premises.

16. Charlotte

The scenario presented by Charlotte is that of a world in which a small percentage of the teenage population can develop special powers.

Among them is Yuu Otosaka , a high school student, who keeps his mind-control power hidden. One day, he will be approached by Nao Tomori and taken to a special school for empowered boys like him.

One of the factors that make Charlotte interesting is the inclusion of special powers but in a very limited way. So it retains a fair degree of realism when compared to other similar series.

Time travel is managed by the so-called Time Leap ability , which allows many characters in the show to travel back in time.

15. Thermae Romae

Thermae Romae in a brief anime aired in 2012. It is composed of only 3 episodes and is inspired by a manga series written by Mari Yamazaki.

The plot revolves around Lucius Modestus , an ancient Roman architect who lost faith in himself and his work so his friends decide to take him to a bathhouse to cheer him up.

He is unable to relax and while dipping his head in the water, he finds a secret tunnel that transports him into modern-day Japan .

Lucius will be baffled at first but he will focus on how to find new inspiration in this new timeline. This will help him regain his confidence and reputation as an architect.

This is a genius setup for a fun short experience that you should try for yourself.

14. Iroduku: The World in Colors

Iroduku: The World in Colors is a short 13-episode anime that came out in the Fall of 2018.

It tells the story of Hitomi Tsukishiro , a girl who lives in 2078 and whose life is deprived of colors and feelings.

This obviously takes a toll on her, so one day her grandmother Kohaku conjures a spell to send Hitomi back in time to the year 2018 when Kohaku was in high school.

Hitomi will find herself in a world filled with colors that she had never seen before, and this will take her by surprise because she hadn’t seen anything like it.

Hitomi will also meet an artist called Yuito Aoi and his drawing will have a deep impact on her. Nonetheless, she will struggle to realize what’s the point of her being there and what the focus of her mission might be.

In this anime, time travel is not used as a way to change the present or the future, but to explore a forgotten past . An interesting twist to the standard formula of this narrative topos, and a great pick for a good anime set in the future.

13. Ya Boy Kongming!

Ya Boy Kongming! is a short anime that came out in 2022 and takes inspiration by a manga written by Yuto Yotsuba

This anime tells the story of Zhuge Kongming, one of the greatest tacticians of the Three Kingdoms period of third-century China.

He falls gravely ill and regrets having never seen the end of the war, so he wishes to be reincarnated in a more peaceful time.

His wishes are granted by being reincarnated in present-day Japan where, after meeting Eiko Tsukimi by chance, the two work on launching their music career.

Ya Boy Kongming! is one of the most underrated music anime in recent years. We recommended this if you want good character development and something different from the average isekai.

12. Dragon Ball Z

Another iconic show that was a staple for anyone growing up in the ’90s is Dragon Ball Z . Of course, Time travel is not the main topic of the show, but it’s still something that comes up fairly frequently.

Dragon Ball Z is a legendary anime that tells the story of Goku, a man who discovers to be part of the Saiyan race and decides to put use his powers to protect humanity and Earth.

This anime tv show tells lots of stories with many compelling characters that make it stand out and be remembered as one of the most successful shounen of all time.

The concept of time travel is introduced with the creation of the Time Machine by Future Bulma, one of the protagonists, from a future timeline.

This will allow her son Trunks to travel back in time to prevent the victory of the Androids that will destroy the world.

11. Your Name

Your Name is a movie from 2016 that’s been a real media phenomenon since it came out.

Mitsuha is a high school student living in a rural town nestled in the mountains who dreams of life in Tokyo.

Taki is a student living in downtown Tokyo that juggles his studies and his part-time job. One day, they both will find themselves in each other’s bodies and their respective timelines.

For the whole movie, they will try to communicate and try to unravel this mystery.

Even if the plot will not be the most consistent you’ll find around, It’ll still be pretty decent if you are searching for a love story that involves time travel .

10. Tokyo Revengers

Tokyo Revengers is a recent anime that was released in 2021 and is inspired by a manga series written and illustrated by Ken Wakui.

The anime show tells the story of Takemichi Hanagaki , a young man that has hit a low point in his life and keeps thinking about his much happier past.

He also finds out that Hinata Tachibana , his ex-girlfriend, was murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang , a criminal gang that is terrorizing Japan’s capital city.

After almost getting hit and killed by a train, he finds out that he can travel through time and decides to travel back to when he was still in a relationship with Hinata.

Takemichi joins the Tokyo Manji Gang and rises to the ranks of the organization to try and save his ex-girlfriend , in a story full of twists that will satiate all of you action fans.

9. Doraemon

Doraemon has been one of the best-known mascots in Japan and beyond for as long as we can remember.

The anime, which began in the late 1970s, now has well over 1,700 episodes to its credit, earning it the title of one of the most influential anime ever.

The iconic show tells the story of Nobita Nobi , whose descendants are still impoverished because of his behavior in the 20th century.

The family robot cat from the 22nd century decides to travel back in time to help the progenitor of the family to make something of himself.

Doraemon doesn’t need introductions, and even if it’s targeted at children, its many positive messages and morals will always be useful for people of every age.

Re: Zero tells the story of Subaru, an introverted guy who suddenly finds himself in the mysterious magical world of Lugunica.

He will make the acquaintance of Emilia, a half-elf with whom he falls in love from the start.

Following an unfortunate accident in which they will both lose their lives, the protagonist will realize that he can come back to life, traveling through time .

From that point on, he will try to unravel the mysteries of this new magical world he lives in.

This ability will be the real strength of the narrative of Re: Zero, which allows the protagonist to continuously change his future .

The implications also affect other characters, giving the plot completely unexpected turns.

7. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

This is a short 14-episode anime that came out in 2006 and it takes inspiration from a light novel by Nagaru Tanigawa.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is the true precursor of school anime with supernatural elements. You should watch it if you are a lover of the genre.

Kyon was just an average high schooler who one day meets the eccentric Haruhi Suzumiya , who’s completely bored with everyday life.

Kyon mentions to Haruhi that since she’s so bored with everything she should found her own club, so she does and drags him along.

She is interested in finding supernatural creatures like aliens, espers, and time travelers, so she founds the SOS Brigade (Save our world by Overloading it with fun Haruhi Suzumiya’s Brigade).

The plot will unravel from there and we will be treated as a light-hearted story about supernatural powers and creatures.

6. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an anime that came out in 2006 and is inspired by a science fiction novel written by Yasutaka Tsutsui

The plot revolves around Makoto Konno , a girl in her last year of high school that doesn’t know what to do with her life. She also feels very much the pressure from her teachers and her parents that keep asking about it.

One day her life changes when she accidentally discovers that she is capable of leaping through time .

She plays around with her newfound power, however, she will soon learn that every choice has a consequence , and time is a lot more complicated than it seems.

A story with simple premises but a well-narrated plot, that will surely take the attention of every fan of light-hearted comedies in search of something new.

5. Inuyasha

Everybody knows Inuyasha, a big classic of the shonen genre and anime in general.

The story stars  Kagome , a young girl who, as a result of an accident, will fall a well and is catapulted into  Sengoku-era Japan .

Here she will discover to be the reincarnation of the priestess  Kikyo , having also inherited her task to protect the four winds’ sphere with the help of Inuyasha, a canine-like  demon .

Inuyasha is undoubtedly one of the greatest cult greats ever, and there must be a reason for that. It’s a simple but solid story , its excellent settings, and its character design is always on point.

Extremely peculiar is also the contrast between modern-day and Sengoku-era Tokyo , which will be shown every now and then throughout the series.

Orange is a Sci-Fi themed anime combined with romance and the usual psychological elements characteristic of this list, such as  depression and social anxiety .

Naho Takamiya  receives a letter from her 10-year-old self in the future. At first, Naho thinks it’s a joke, but changes her mind when the events in the letter happen, including the transfer of a new student  Kakeru Naruse .

The boy himself is the main theme of the letter, as the protagonist from the future asks her past self to treat him with as much love as possible because 10 years from that time he will lose his life.

As you may have already well understood, this is a  real punch in the gut, especially if we consider how it ends.

Erased is a pretty recent anime that counts just 12 episodes. The plot merges mystery with supernatural elements while keeping all of its romance.

The main character is  Satoru Fujinuma , a 29-year-old mangaka without any success, mostly due to suffering from the notorious “writer’s block”.

However, following mysterious happenings, he obtains a power called Revival that allows him to go back in time just enough to save people’s lives.

During his far-from-a-happy childhood, one of his classmates had been murdered, and this is where his mission begins.

As you may have guessed, this series will contain a whole lot of investigations, making it perfect for thriller and mystery fans.

2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

A 2011 short anime produced by Shaft and Aniplex, Puella Magi Madoka Magika is a masterpiece that has affected how Majokko is perceived.

The protagonist Madoka Kaname is shy and indecisive and will quickly get dragged into a much worse reality.

Even though the plot starts as stereotypical,  the atmosphere starts changing from Episode 3 , quite early considering that it’s 1/4 of the length of the series.

The relaxed and playful atmosphere is just a facade, as the focus is on dark and deep themes. As the plot thickens, you will get to learn many gloomy details and the plot can only get darker.

As with Orange Road, the time travel part comes only later during the plot, but it will have a much bigger impact on the story, making it a perfect entry for this kind of list.

In general, watch it if you are searching for a sinister and unique series that gives a unique spin to the genre.

1. Steins;Gate

Steins; Gate is an animated adaptation of the visual novel that premiered in the spring of 2011 and the best sci-fi anime you can find at the moment in our opinion.

The plot follows Rintaro Okabe , a boy who with his two childhood friends runs the so-called Futuristic Gadget Laboratory . The only notable gadget the trio has created is a microwave that has the mystifying power to turn bananas into green goo.

Okabe, who is also a big fan of time travel, happens to be at a conference on it one day. It is here that he will find the dead body of Makise Kurisu , and from which everything will begin.

The group will discover that the microwave is more powerful than it seems. Apparently, it is able to send text messages in the past.

Rintaro dabbles further with the time machine , attracting the ire and attention of the mysterious organization SERN.

Another mystery anime that will surely be interesting to all fans of conspiracy theories, considering all the moving parts that are influencing the plot.

Don’t expect a light comedy with some sad moments here and there though, as the story proceeds, the tone will get darker and darker with each episode.

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Top 15 Best Time Travel Anime [2024]

By: Author Amar Hussain

Posted on Last updated: January 2, 2024

When it comes to time travel, time paradoxes, and timelines, anime shows either do it right or wrong, and all of these series below do it perfectly, some are even considered masterpieces!

Getting the sci-fi clique and fresh coat of paint, all of these shows and movies make time travel refreshing all over again.

Quick Links

15. Occult Academy

13. sagrada reset, 12. iroduku: the world in colors, 10. remake our life, 9. charlotte, 8. blast of tempest, 7. the girl who leapt through time, 6. tokyo revengers, 5. re:zero –starting life in another world–, 3. rascal does not dream of a dreaming girl, 2. link click, 1. steins;gate, best time travel anime.

17-year-old Maya Kumashiro, and student at Waldstein Academy, crosses paths with Fumiaki Uchida, a time traveler. According to Fumiaki, in 2012, aliens have invaded the earth!

To save the planet, he, along with other time travelers, is going back in time to 1999 to destroy an artifact called the Nostradamus Key , prophesized to cause an apocalypse.

Living in 1999 with her own plans and ambitions for the future that won’t exist, Maya teams up with Fumiaki to help find the Nostradamus Key!

Being an only child, 4-year-old Kun Oota has always been spoiled rotten by his parents.

But when his baby sister Mirai is born, all his parent’s love and attention shift only to Mirai—and he hates it! Kun hates his new sister Mirai!

To adjust to the changes in his life, a girl who claims to be the future Mirai takes Kun on a journey through their family’s past, present, and future .

In this travel through their family, Kun learns why he comes from and the big brother he should become for Mirai.

16-year-old Kei Asai was born and lived in the small town of Sakurada. Not an ordinary town, however, as everyone born, there has superpowers!

With photographic memory ability, Kei forms work together with his friend Misora Haruki, who has the power to reset time!

The two form the Service Club at school in order the use their abilities to help the townspeople.

Kei and Misora might have got more than they bargained for when they got involved with the Administration Bureau, manipulating the town to their own means.

In 2078, despite being from a family of witches, 17-year-old Hitomi Tsukishiro can’t use magic and, after losing her mother, loses her ability to see the joy and colors of the world.

To bring happiness, love, and color back into her granddaughter’s life, Kohaku sends Hitomi back in time 60 years.

In 2018, Kohaku was also 17-years-old going to school with her group of friends and meet her future granddaughter!

So can Kohaku and her friends return the colors to Hitomi’s life, or will she forever be trapped in her new bleak world?

16-year-old Naho Takamiya’s first day back at high school starts off on a weird note: she gets a letter addressed to her from her future self!

10 years in the future, Naho writes about her regrets with her new classmate Kakeru Naruse and asks her past self to be friends with him .

At first, Naho thinks she’s going crazy, but then when Kakeru Naruse transfers to her school on the very same day, Naho has no choice but to accept that the letter is real!

Along with her friends, Naho invites Kakeru into her circle of friends. Naho is worried for Kakeru, however, because, in the future, he’s not alive anymore…

At 28, Kyouya Hashiba hates his life. After losing his chance to get his dream job in the video game industry, he is currently unemployed and living with his parents.

Meanwhile, he is surrounded by people his age who are successful makes him regret never going to art school.

Kyouya wishes he could go back in time to rewrite all his regrets and mistakes. But life doesn’t work that way…or does it? Suddenly, Kyouya wakes up one day to find that he is inexplicably 10 years in the past! Cool!

With a second chance in his hand, Kyouya enrolls at the Oonaka University of Art and pursues the dreams he missed out on in his first run. But will Kyouya be able to change his life for the better, or is everything inevitable?

On the outside, 15-year-old Yuu Otosaka is a charming and smart student, but it’s all an act. He is really a narcissistic and manipulative guy who can fully fully anyone’s body for five seconds.

He uses his ability to cheat on his tests and look like a hero in front of girls.

It turns out, Yuu isn’t the only one with unexplained superpowers. Yuu gets caught by a girl named Nao Tomori, who can be invisible to any person she chooses. Blackmailing Yuu with his cheating away, Nao forces Yuu to transfer to her school, Hoshinoumi Academy.

Here, Nao makes Yuu help her and her comrades track down other supernatural kids abusing their powers .

Yuu reluctantly agrees, and soon, things get much more complicated than it seems, especially when one of their targets has the power to travel back in time!

18-year-old Yoshino Takigawa has kept a big secret from his best friend Mahiro Fuwa: he’s been dating his younger sister Aika. This all comes to an end when Aika is murdered!

Mahiro disappears in search of her killers, and Yoshino tries to moves on with his life. A chance to going back to a normal life ends when a mysterious girl points a gun at Yoshino’s head!

At the last second, he is saved by Mahiro, who tells Yoshino that he has hired Hakaze Kusaribe, a witch, to help him find Aika’s murderer. Hakaze has no at state—the whole world! If her brother finds the “Tree of Exodus,” he can use it to end the world!

Now Yoshino is caught up in trying to save the world and learn the truth of why Aika had to die .

Although 17-year-old Makoto Konno is facing her last year of high school, she has no clue what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

Being pressured by her teachers, Makoto pushes her problems aside and spends her life relaxing with her best friends.

Makoto’s life gets a bit more complicated when she accidentally learns that she has the ability to “time-leap”: the power to leap through time!

At first, Makoto has fun with her new powers but quickly learns the consequences of her choices and trying to untangle all the damage she’s done.

Takemichi Hanagaki peaked after middle school. He had a group of loyal friends and a girlfriend named Hinata Tachibana.

But, 12-years-later, Takemichi is a nobody: working a dead-end job and being made fun of by kids and his younger boss.

Everything gets worse when Takemichi learns that the Tokyo Manji Gang murdered his ex-girlfriend Hinata and her brother.

Unfortunately, Takemichi is also about to meet his end on train tracks.

It’s on the verge of death that Takemichi unlocks the ability to travel through time! Hoping to prevent Hinata’s death, Takemichi uses his powers again to go back in time to face the Tokyo Manji Gang!

One moment, 18-year-old NEET Subaru Natsuki is standing in a convenience store, the next moment, he’s standing in a fantasy world!

He is excited to start his new life in a fantasy world…he quickly gets beat up by a bunch of thugs.

However, Subaru is saved by a half-elf girl named Satella, who he immediately falls in love with…then, he and Satella are both assassinated.

However, Subaru finds himself back where he first started and realizes that he goes back in time every time he dies .

Retaining this knowledge, Subaru meets Satella all over again, and again, and again.

As a kid, Satoru Fujinuma will never forget the faceless killer who murders three kids, including two of his classmates.

Now, Satoru is a 29-year-old manga artist, and the killer has struck again, killing someone precious to him.

Satoru gets falsely accused when he gets suddenly through 18 years into the past.

Finally, at the age of 11 again, Satoru realizes that he can discover the killer’s identity and stop the murders of his classmates!

Sakuta Azusagawa and Mai Sakurajima are a new couple, and things already get complicated when Sakuta’s first crush Shouko Makinohara re-enters his life.

This makes Mai beyond jealous, but Sakuta is confused as to why Shouko is suddenly a grown adult.

Then Shouko is back to when she was in middle school and suffering from her grave illness. What’s worse, the old scar on Sakuta’s chest is worsening whenever Shouko is around him.

Despite going through a rough patch with Mai, Sakuta knows that Shouko needs his help, but what will he lose if he continues to uncover her mystery?

In a small photography shop called Time Photo Studio, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang can use their superpowers to enter their customer’s photos .

Cheng can control a person’s words and actions inside a photo while Lu can see 12 hours into the future from when a photo is taken.

Each job has its sets of challenges and dangers, but Cheng and Lu are determined to complete are of their jobs!

18-year-old “mad scientist” Rintaro “Okarin” Okabe lives in an old building in Akihabara where he hopes to invent “future gadgets” with his childhood friend and part-time café maid Mayuri Shiina and hacker Hashida “Daru” Itaru.

Their current project: the Phone Microwave. Function: turning bananas into green goop.

When science prodigy Makise Kurisu steps into their “lab,” she helps them out with their Phone Microwave, resulting in the weird trio creating a time machine!

With the beginning to change the past, present, and future, only Okabe is the only that can remember all of the timelines and the consequences of messing with time .

The 24 Best Time Travel Anime To Explore Alternatives

• 20 April 2023

Introduction

The concept of traveling across time has always been one of the most interesting aspects of storytelling, and anime is not an exception to this rule. Anime that takes place in the past or the future can provide viewers with an experience that is both exciting and inventive. This is because the show’s characters are able to move across time. Anime about time travel can be interesting, thought-provoking, and even mind-bending at times. Some examples of these qualities include the exploration of different histories and the consideration of the ramifications of altering the past. This article will provide you with an overview of 24 of the most notable time travel anime series that you can watch in order to satiate your passion for the subgenre. Prepare yourselves to travel through both time and space by fastening your seatbelts and getting ready to take off!

Yumeiro Patissiere

Ichigo journeys back in time to the Meiji era with the assistance of her newly made friends and spirit patissiers. There, she meets the great patissier Henri Lucas and learns the tricks of the trade for creating delectable desserts from him.

Ichigo must triumph over a number of obstacles along the way in order to realize her goal of becoming a pastry chef of world-class caliber. Yumeiro Patissiere is a joy for anime fans of all ages thanks to its wonderful characters, mouth-watering desserts, and time-traveling adventures.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL

Yuma Tsukumo, a young kid with dreams of becoming the best duelist in the world, is the protagonist of the popular time-travel anime Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, tells the story of Yuma’s journey. One day, he comes upon a curious piece of equipment known as the “Numbers,” which grants him the ability to call forth strong monsters to assist him in battles.

Yuma goes across time with the assistance of his friends and allies who come from alternate versions of the past in order to retrieve all of the Numbers and keep them from falling into the wrong hands. Along the way, he will also have to engage in combat with a variety of adversaries, including his most sworn enemy, Kaito Tenjo.

lovers of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, as well as lovers of time travel anime in general, should make it a point to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL because of the intense dueling action, complicated plot, and memorable characters it features.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

The adventures of two extraordinary military commanders, Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Empire and Yang Wen-li of the Alliance are told throughout the series. These characters are tasked with navigating the intricate political and military terrain of their respective factions.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes is widely recognized as one of the best anime of all time and a masterpiece in the subgenre of time travel animation due to the epic scale of its story, the political intrigue it depicts, and the captivating characters it features.

El Hazard: The Wanderers

In this strange realm, Makoto learns that he possesses magical talents and becomes embroiled in a fight between the reigning queen of El Hazard and her defiant sister. In addition, Makoto finds himself in the middle of the conflict. While Makoto and his friends are on their journey back to their own planet, they will encounter many different magical creatures and villains along the road.

They will need to overcome these obstacles in order to succeed. El Hazard: The Wanderers is a fun anime that will undoubtedly leave you with a smile on your face because of its endearing cast of characters, creative world-building, and hilarious adventures involving time travel.

The DC Mini is a potent dream-reading device, but when one of its prototypes ends up in the wrong hands, it unleashes a wave of turmoil as people’s dreams and realities start to converge. The only person who can halt the mayhem is Paprika, a brilliant but odd scientist who utilizes her knowledge of dream therapy to discover the truth about the DC Mini and prevent the end of the world.

Fans of time travel anime and psychological thrillers should not miss Paprika because of its strange imagery, complex plot, and thought-provoking concepts.

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei

He comes across a particular individual who presents him with the opportunity to recreate his time spent in college but with different options and results. After accepting the offer, the protagonist without a name finds himself trapped in a time loop that causes him to relive his college years but with a variety of new experiences and results in each time.

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei is a one-of-a-kind anime that pushes viewers to reflect on the decisions they make in life and the outcomes of those decisions through the use of non-linear storytelling, vibrant animation, and philosophical concepts.

Haruko reveals that she is an alien who is on a quest to find the “Pirate King,” and Naota finds entangled in a unique and surreal journey that involves robots, guitars, and time travel. Haruko is on a mission to find the “Pirate King.”

FLCL is a must-watch for lovers of time travel anime who are searching for something new and unorthodox because of the show’s hectic speed, strange characters, and offbeat humor.

Time Travel Shoujo: Mari Waka to 8-nin no Kagakusha-tachi

Mari has been given the mission of locating eight historical personalities who are in possession of the knowledge necessary to save the planet from an impending catastrophe. Along the way, Mari is exposed to the diverse history and culture of Japan, while simultaneously coping with the repercussions that would result from altering the past.

Time Travel Shoujo: Mari Waka to 8-nin no Kagakusha-tachi is an entertaining and enlightening anime that is ideal for anyone who is interested in Japanese history or time travel. The show features characters that are interesting to watch, material that is instructive, and exciting time travel adventures.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Based on Yasutaka Tsutsui’s book of the same name, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is a 2006 Japanese animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda. The movie tells the tale of Makoto Konno, a high school student who discovers she has the power to time travel following an unusual meeting in her school’s science lab. As she experiments with her newly acquired abilities, she learns that changing the past might have unanticipated results.

Youth, friendship, and the effects of our acts are among the issues covered in the movie. Makoto is a likable lead character with genuine challenges, making her easy to support. The animation in the movie is breathtakingly gorgeous, with vivid colors and exquisitely detailed settings that vividly depict the world of the story.

The way “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” strikes a balance between comical and serious subjects is one of its strongest points. The movie is frequently lighthearted and amusing, but it also explores more serious topics like regret, the passing of time, and the value of savoring the moments we have. The movie is a rich and emotionally evocative experience because of this balance of comedy and drama.

Orange: Mirai

In an effort to alter the course of events, Naho and her friends band together to offer Kakeru their support and try to spare him from a horrible conclusion. In spite of this, as they work to change the course of history, they are compelled to face the demons and insecurities that have plagued them throughout their lives.

Orange: Mirai is a must-watch for fans of time travel anime who are looking for an emotionally affecting examination of the human experience. The show’s poignant tale, characters that are easy to relate to, and beautiful animation make it a must-watch.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V

When Yuya learns that he has the capacity to travel between parallel universes, each of which has its own distinct history and cast of characters, his life takes a dramatic and unexpected turn for the worse. As Yuya travels across these parallel universes, he will face off against formidable adversaries and attempt to solve the enigma surrounding his own past.

Fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and anyone searching for an intriguing time travel anime should not pass up the opportunity to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V because of the intense dueling sequences, dynamic characters, and deep plot it has.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

A dark and perverse spin on the conventional magical girl genre is Madoka Magica. The narrative centers on a group of girls who, in exchange for having their desires granted, are offered the chance to transform into magical girls and battle witches. But being a magical girl comes with a high price, and the girls quickly learn the horrible reality of their abilities.

The distinctive and artistically gorgeous animation style of Madoka Magica is one of its most prominent features. Traditional animation and experimental creative forms, such as surrealism and avant-garde cinematography, are combined in the series.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

He does this with the intention of achieving contentment at last. However, as he continues his voyage across time and space, he gradually realizes the significance of staying in the present moment and the effects of his choices.

The Tatami Galaxy is the perfect choice for time travel anime fans looking for a unique and thought-provoking viewing experience because of its peculiar aesthetics, witty dialogue, and important themes that are tackled throughout the entire series.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

During the course of Keiichi’s investigation into the sinister goings-on in Hamlet, he comes to the realization that he is able to go back in time and alter the way things turned out. However, as he explores deeper into the riddle, he comes to the realization that changing the past will have severe repercussions for the future.

Fans of time travel anime who also appreciate horror and suspense should not miss out on the opportunity to see Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai because of the show’s distinctive characters, dramatic and startling story twists, and unsettling atmosphere.

Re: Creators

While they are struggling to understand their new world and the nature of their existence, they must also face their creators and fight against the forces that wish to control their destinies. This must be done concurrently with their struggle to comprehend their new reality.

Re: Creators is a must-watch for fans of time travel anime who are searching for a new and original take on the genre due to the show’s dynamic characters, deep plot, and beautiful action sequences.

A Certain Scientific Railgun

After Mikoto uncovers a hazardous plot that involves the manipulation of time and space, she is forced to use her abilities, along with the assistance of her friends, in order to put an end to the villains and save the city.

Fans of time travel anime who also appreciate science fiction and superhero stories should definitely check out A Certain Scientific Railgun because of the exciting action sequences, interesting characters, and detailed world-building that the show features.

While she is in training to reach her objective, she must also contend with the mental and physical hurdles that come with becoming a pilot, as well as the prospect of traveling across time.

Gunbuster is an absolute must-watch for everyone who enjoys vintage animation and storytelling, as well as fans of time travel anime. It features breathtaking animation, dramatic action sequences, and a touching plot.

Mirai Nikki

Yukiteru finds out as the game goes on that he possesses a potent talent to anticipate the future, which he employs in an effort to outwit his opponents and stay alive. Along the way, he stumbles across Yuno Gasai, a mysterious girl who ends up being his ally as well as the object of his romantic interest.

Fans of time travel anime who are also fans of psychological thrillers and suspenseful stories should definitely check out Mirai Nikki because of the show’s strong action, complicated characters, and mind-bending plot twists.

Time Travel Tondekeman!

The events that occurred during their time there form the core of the story. As they look for a method to get back to the present, they encounter interesting characters from the past and become involved in exciting adventures along the way. All of this happens while they are trying to find their way back to the present.

Fans of time travel anime who also enjoy comedies and stories about exciting adventures will find that Time Travel Tondekeman! is an absolute must-watch owing to the show’s bright animation, humorous characters, and fascinating storyline. Time Travel Tondekeman!

At the same time that they are debating the moral and ethical repercussions of their situation, they have to negotiate the intricate and perilous political terrain of the conflict and determine whether or not to intervene in the course of history or to allow it to unfold in the way that it did. Zipang is a must-watch for fans of time travel anime who enjoy war stories and alternate history situations.

The historical background of the show has been thoroughly studied, and it presents a realistic picture of military tactics and technology. In addition, the show’s examination of time travel topics provides food for thought.

yu-gi-oh! 5d’s

Yusei needs to break out of prison and discover the truth about the scheme that led to his being locked up, and he can do so with the assistance of his friends and his skill as a duelist. Along the way, he makes the startling discovery that he possesses the power of the fabled Crimson Dragon, a creature that has the ability to bend time and space.

Fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, as well as fans of time travel anime in general, should not miss out on watching Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s because of the intense dueling action, interesting characters, and time travel components it has.

Fate/stay night

With the aid of his friends and his abilities as a duelist, Yusei can escape prison and learn the truth about the plot that resulted in his being imprisoned. Along the way, he startlingly learns that he possesses the strength of the legendary Crimson Dragon, a being with the power to change time and space. Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, with its intense dueling action, intriguing characters, and time travel elements, is a must-watch for lovers of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and time travel anime in general.

High School DxD BorN

The story recounts their adventures together. Issei is inducted into the devil family of Rias and given the responsibility of assisting in the defense of their realm against a variety of dangers. In the third season of “Born,” Issei and the rest of BorN’s companions are given the mission of traveling back in time to stop a disastrous event from taking place in the present.

For viewers interested in the supernatural and time travel anime, High School DxD BorN is an absolute must-see due to the special way in which it combines comedy, action, and time travel.

Scrapped Princess

Shannon and Raquel, Pacifica’s adoptive siblings and accomplished warriors, guard her. Together, they travel, attempting to elude the Church and learn the meaning of the prophecy. They run into both friends and foes along the road, including a young prince and a gang of ruthless assassins.

Additionally, the series has been turned into a manga and an anime, both of which stick to the same core plot. Strong character development and action-packed combat are hallmarks of the anime adaptation.

Over the years, time travel anime has grown in popularity, with many of them examining the advantages and drawbacks of time travel. The anime on this list offer a variety of various genres and styles, each having its own distinctive perspective on time travel, from action-packed adventures to heartwarming tales. There is an anime on this list for everyone, whether you enjoy romance or science fiction. These time travel anime are sure to enthrall and entertain you with their complex plotlines, engaging characters, and beautiful animation.

So make sure to check out the programs on this list if you’re looking to learn more about the potentialities of time travel while also enjoying some fantastic anime. Each one presents a distinctive viewpoint on time travel and is certain to provoke thought long after the final episode.

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Top 10 Time Travel Anime [Updated Best Recommendations]

Time is a construct that no single human being can escape. We’re born, we grow old and we die. However, that won’t stop us from imagining ourselves in positions where we can freely manipulate our influence on history by manipulating time itself. A trope that has seen itself in virtually all storytelling media and features in some of the most influential anime, we’ve decided to drop a list of some of our favourite time travel anime, featuring characters who are able to change the course of history. In many cases, it isn’t as simple as changing a single event, creating some of the most compelling stories. Without wasting anymore time, we present to you Top 10 Time Travel Anime. Please be aware that this is an updated list and the other lists can be found below.

10. Oda Nobuna no Yabou (The Ambition of Oda Nobuna)

• Episodes: 12
• Aired: July 2012 – September 2012

17-year-old Sagara Yoshiharu finds himself travelling back in time to Japan’s Sengoku Era, finding out that all the famous Samurai lords who populate the history books in the modern era are cute girls. He meets Oda Nobuna, Oda Nobunaga’s female counterpart, who then recruits him to be her substitute for her aide, Kinoshita Tokichiro, who was killed by a rival clan. Using his knowledge of history and some of the technological advantages of the modern era, Sagara assists Nobuna in her very well-documented mission to unify Japan under her banner.

Without giving much away as to why he’s there, Oda Nobuna no Yabou follows Sagara into the reaches of the past, retelling a pivotal story in the history of Japan, with a few twists, of course. Being the history nerd that he is, Sagara takes to the Sengoku Era like a fish to water, or more like the protagonist of some sort of role-playing game. Steadfast in his duties so as to avoid changing the tides of history, Sagara assists Nobuna in her quest to take all of Japan.

• Episodes: ???
• Aired: July 2018 - ???

Located far away from Japan’s mainland is the island of Urashima, a place where its inhabitants live carefree lives. However, 5 years prior to the events of the series, the three great families of the island fell into disrepute and it severed all connection to the Japanese archipelago, leading to its slow and steady decline. The only individuals capable of saving the island are the daughters of the three great families; however, they remain conflicted. Things become interesting with the sudden appearance of a man claiming to be a time-traveller; one capable of changing Urashima’s fate.

Combining the time-travel plot device with an amnesia trope brings you Island, a somewhat politically-inclined permutation of the tried and tested time travel concept. The mysterious time-travelling stranger is Sanzenkai Setsuna, a man who washes ashore one day with no idea of who he is; however, his upbeat persona and one memory remain: he is a time-traveller tasked with saving the island of Urashima from an unsavoury end. But how will he do it with missing memories?

• Episodes: 13
• Aired: July 2016 – September 2016

Takamiya Naho begins her first day as a sophomore in high school in a not-so-great fashion as she wakes up late. Dashing to school, she arrives at her desk, finding a strange letter addressed to her. The letter comes from none other than herself, 10 years in the future. Highly sceptical of the letter and its contents, Naho’s attitude changes when it accurately describes several events which happen that day, particularly the arrival of transfer student Naruse Kakeru. Future Naho expresses several regrets in her letter, hoping that her younger self can do better with a heads-up of what is to come, expressing vehemently the need to keep an eye on Kakeru. Using the letter as a guide, Naho uneasily navigates the territory her future-self failed to the first time around.

Quite the emotional rollercoaster, Orange brings a refreshing element to the time-travel trope, making use of messages from the future as a means of altering the past, rather than the characters themselves time-leaping. The series brings together romantic elements in addition to some heart-wrenching moments which we are all too aware of when it comes to shows of this nature.

7. Break Ups

• Episodes: 1 (movie)
• Aired: 2009

The short film follows the trials and tribulations of a young couple who are consistently in an on and off relationship with each other. One day, the two stumble upon a time machine which consequently takes them to various points in history, visiting particular junctures in their relationship. The slice of life animation is technically a Korean production and the animation style is evidently different from the general feel of anime.

Break Ups are unusual in the time-travelling trope given the fact that the characters happen upon the object which allows them to go back in time and the machine itself really only takes them back to certain parts of their lives together as a couple. Available on Crunchyroll, the short film is an interesting change of pace within the time travel trope and contrary to its short runtime, it leaves a lasting impression.

6. Doraemon (2005)

• Aired: April 2005 - ???

As a result of his haplessness, Nobi Nobita’s descendants as far off as in the 22nd century find themselves in a state of poverty. In order to raise the Nobi family’s social status, their time-travelling robotic cat servant, Doraemon, takes it upon himself to go back in time to Nobita’s youth and undo the damage that plunges the family into poverty. However, Doraemon is quite dysfunctional himself and while he makes the child Nobita’s life infinitely more exciting, it still remains to be seen if he can truly do what he set out to do in his mission to the past.

Doraemon’s influence is widespread and many are familiar with the blue time-travelling cat. In fact, he is quite celebrated as an anime character and even features as one of the ambassadors of the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics, alongside Shounen legend, Son Goku. The anime itself first aired in the 1970s and was rebooted in 2005, running ever since. Unfortunately for the older series, it was poorly preserved, never released other than on television and nearly all the 1973 series’ footage was destroyed. Nonetheless, we can still enjoy Nobita’s adventures with his robotic feline friend.

5. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi)

• Episodes: 14
• Aired: April 2006 – July 2006

Meet Kyon, a regular high school student who has no belief in any supernatural phenomena and would rather just live a normal life. He attends the same school as the highly eccentric and energetic Suzumiya Haruhi, a girl who is committed to breaking out of a dreary high school life by finding anything unusual: from aliens to ESPers, Haruhi and the new club she’s formed, the SOS Brigade, will find them all! Unfortunately for Kyon, Haruhi has taken an interest in him too, forcing him to join the club alongside the soft-spoken Asahina Mikuru, the stoic Nagato Yuuki and the somewhat popular Koizumi. To his surprise, all three of these club members are abnormal – a time-traveler, an ESPer and a cyborg have all taken up the role of guardian of Suzumiya, whom they have identified as the unknowing god of this realm. In order to avoid any calamities due to Haruhi’s emotions, the club members of the SOS Brigade humour her in any and all of her wacky activities in an attempt to maintain the current order of the world.

While not an out-and-out time-travelling anime, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi is an anime which garnered much attention for its application of the time-travel trope. The infamous Endless Eight arc of the series’ second season is eight episodes which were more or less the exact same thing animated over and over due to the series’ main characters being caught in an infinite time loop which repeated itself over 15000 times until Kyon found a way out. The arc is still talked about to this day by fans of the series. Aside from the aggravating time-loop which gave Haruhi much attention, the series features Asahina Mikuru, its very own time-traveller whose older self appears to Kyon at some point during the series.

4. Sakurada Reset

• Episodes: 24
• Aired: April 2017 – September 2017

Asai Kei is a high schooler who lives in the seaside city of Sakurada, where the inhabitants are born with special abilities. One day on the school rooftop, he meets Haruki Misora, a stoic girl with the ability to reset everything around her up to three days prior. Her ability renders everyone completely oblivious to the reset, including herself. However, Kei has his photographic memory and, choosing to join their powers, Kei and Misora decide to join their school’s Service Club in order to help people in their town. However, their club is soon employed by the Administration Bureau, an organisation fixated on managing the abilities of the town’s inhabitants for their own desires. Kei and Misora may soon find out that there is more to what happens in Sakurada than meets the eye.

Sakurada Reset sets a limiter on the time travel trope it employs and to that end, there is a great potential for a lot of difficulty that the protagonists much endure in order to do the good that they desire to do. The series is incredibly interesting and the application of supernatural abilities central to the events of the series creates quite the worthy explanation for the manipulation of time which forms such an integral part of the series.

3. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World)

• Episodes: 26
• Aired: April 2016 – September 2016

One night, high school shut-in Natsuki Subaru decides to head over to the nearby convenience store in order to buy a few things, but when he steps out, he finds himself in the market district of a town in an alternate world. Modelled on the fantasy worlds he’s familiar with in the games that he plays, Subaru quickly takes to the hero role he believes he is there to fulfil, but not much longer after his arrival, he is attacked by bandits and subsequently killed. To his surprise, Subaru finds himself back in that same market and he’s attacked by the same bandits, but this time around, he is saved by a white-haired beauty named Satella. Satella is travelling in search of the thief who stole her family insignia, and out of gratitude for her help, Subaru decides to join her in her search. When they finally find the individual responsible, Subaru and Satella are both brutally murdered. Subaru awakens to the same sight: the same market, the same bandits attack him again and yet again Satella comes to his aid as history inexplicably repeats itself.

Re:Zero came in a year filled with stories of time travel; however, this particular rollercoaster came with plot-twists and emotions galore! Subaru’s Return By Death very closely mimicked the checkpoint save model which many games employ and in that capacity, his deaths often heralded a return to an earlier point in time. Subaru had no control whatsoever over which point in time to which he returns and much of the anime shows a frustrated Subaru coming to grips with his own death, as well as the deaths of many others on several occasions. This quickly wears away at him and to that end, Re:Zero will torture the viewer… and Subaru, of course.

2. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)

• Aired: July 2006

Konno Makoto is a high school senior who isn’t quite coming to grips with the demands of her future. She ebbs between the pressure applied by her teachers for her to take charge of her own future, and the sunny days she spends with her friends. Makoto’s life changes when she accidentally finds out that she is capable of literally leaping through time. Her mundane life becomes complicated as Makoto quickly learns about the drawbacks of playing with time, as well as the consequences of her newfound ability.

Quite the classic as far as the time travel trope is concerned, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a seemingly unassuming narrative which quickly becomes convoluted as the days Makoto relives begin to weigh heavily on her and her own decisions begin to have dire consequences. With the power to freely navigate the ever-flowing stream of time, Makoto is put through quite a lot emotionally as her power isn’t the only thing she deals with.

1. Steins;Gate

• Aired: April 2011 – September 2011

Okabe Rintarou is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who rents out a room in a building in Akihabara, where he and his friends (whom he dubs “lab members”) create “future gadgets” as a hobby. Alongside Shiina Mayuri, his childhood friend, and perverted hacker friend Daru, Okabe spends his time messing around with their most interesting invention yet: the Phone Microwave. The device has the strange ability to turn bananas into piles of green gel. While not very promising in terms of scientific breakthroughs, strange things begin happening after the Phone Microwave’s creation and soon enough, the contraption turns out to be able to send emails into the past which alter the flow of history. Soon realising the true gravity of their creation, Okabe must navigate the various consequences that come with the manipulation of time.

With Steins;Gate: 0 freshly entering its second cour, it is of no surprise that the first anime gets a mention on this list. Intense on so many levels, Steins;Gate is an incredible story that brings together elements of comedy and suspense in a character-driven plot that will shake you to the core. With time travel as its core theme, Steins;Gate throws you into an intricately woven plot with many twists and turns and an exploration of the consequences of time travel like none other. The series is well-deserving of the top spot on this list – just don’t let CERN know that.

Final Thoughts

Like we said before, time travel is a concept which exists in all forms of storytelling and as human beings, our current helplessness against the flow of time brings us to think up incredible stories. Maybe we wish to be free of it, maybe we wish to control it – whatever the reason behind our fixation on the concept of time, the fact remains that the resulting anime can be completely engrossing. Have we forgotten to mention your favourite time travel anime? Drop a comment below and tell us about it – if you’ve got the time.

Author: Hoshi-kun

I’m South African, harbouring an obsession for anything remotely related to Japan, mostly anime, of course. I draw sometimes. Some people call me Naledi, it’s my real name, or something like that. People think I’m stoic because I don’t smile often (I do sometimes). I like languages. Hoshi-kun and Naledi are the same side of the same coin.

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Top 5 Anime by Hoshi-kun

If there’s anything people ponder about at one point or another, it’s a variation of some sort relating to time travel. Maybe it’s travelling to the ancient past to observe what life was like. Maybe it’s travelling to the more immediate past to witness historical events or observe certain people alive during that time. Maybe it’s travelling to some point in the future to see what happens to humanity. Whatever the case, it’s an idea that is very difficult to get your head around, leading to multiple ideas and theories as to what might happen if it was ever attempted.

There are multiple anime that depict these ideas. Some are more detailed in their approach to a resolution, such as exploring the idea of multi-verse theory or the consequences that result in not thinking through your actions. Others focus more on other aspects of the anime and leave time travel as just another tool in the story. Here are the top 10 examples of time travel used in anime.

10. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

• Aired: May 22, 2009 - Sep 11, 2009

Although this anime may be about a group of students having supernatural adventures due to the main character’s unique ability to warp reality, it does have a unique take on time travel, even if it’s controversial. In what’s become known as the “Endless Eight arc” in the 2nd season, this anime does succeed in demonstrating the idea of time looping, or repeating the same events over and over. In this case, most of the 2nd season has the same few weeks looped for years and years as the characters experience the same events and do the same things repeatedly with no change whatsoever. If you’re a fan of Groundhog Day in terms of witnessing a character repeat the same day over and over again as well as the “slice of life” anime tone, this is the anime for you.

9. In Search of the Lost Future

• Aired: Oct 4, 2014 - Dec 20, 2014

This anime may start off as something of a “slice of life” anime at first as we are introduced to the main cast of characters attending Uchihama Academy participating in school events and beginning to move to a new building due to increased numbers. However, a mystery slowly begins to unfold in the old building, and we eventually see the main character, Sō Akiyama, wrestle with premonitions of the future showing his friends in danger. As Sō struggles to attempt to rescues his friends, including his closest friend Kaori Sasaki, and resolve the mystery, the tension only continues to build until the final reveal. If you’re a fan of both time travel and mystery, this is certainly an anime worth checking out.

• Episodes: 25
• Aired: Apr 4, 2016 - Sep 19, 2016

This anime is a great example of the time travel theme of returning back to the same spot in order to redo something over and over. After mysteriously arriving in a strange land only to get beat up by some thugs, Subaru Natsuki meets a beautiful girl only to get killed by a mysterious darkness alongside said girl. However, Subaru suddenly awakens to the same exact scenario of confronting the same thugs and meeting Satella. Re:ZERO is a great time travel anime not only because it does not have any plot holes as a result of time travel, but also keeping the viewer engaged as Subaru gets more and more desperate in his attempts to fix his mistakes and redo everything. If you enjoyed the movie Source Code for its similar take on time travel, this is definitely worth watching.

7. Noein: To Your Other Self

• Aired: Oct 12, 2005 - Mar 29, 2006

In the near future, a struggle is taking place between 2 different dimensions: the good guys, La'cryma, and the bad guys, Shangri-La. A group, known as Dragon Calvary, is dispatched throughout space and time to search for the Dragon’s Torque, seen as the only thing that can stop the invasion from Shangri-La. One of those members, Karasu, meets his past self and his friend 15 years in the past, which appears to be a promising lead…

Noein’s time travel mechanics revolve around the idea of how different dimensions can result due to different actions that are taken. This is especially important, as the series takes a more “character driven” approach to what happens as opposed to a “plot-driven” approach. As a result, you have a beautifully crafted series that achieves what it set out to do. If you’re a fan of the time travel genre who would also like more of the quantum aspect involved, this would be the anime to check out first.

6. Charlotte

• Aired: Jul 5, 2015 to Sep 27, 2015

This anime may focus a fair amount on kids with magical powers who lose them when they become adults or overuse them, but one of the main characters, Shunsuke Otosaka, has the power to send his mind back in time to change the past, resulting in some key events unfolding. This is a unique take on travelling back in time, as most anime have the characters going back physically either through a time machine or some other unique way. To go back through the mind alone is a trend that may start to appear more and more as time goes on. If you were a fan of the time travel method used in X-Men: Days of Future Past, then this anime may be the one for you.

5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

• Aired: Jan 7, 2011 - Apr 22, 2011

Again, another example of an anime that upon first glance you would not expect a complicated theme to be explored. Yet one of the “Magical Girls”, Homura Akemi, sets out to prevent the harm of another Magical Girl by going back in time. A big lesson regarding time travel is demonstrated here, though: sometimes the changes you set out to make are impossible to achieve, no matter how hard you try. If you’re a fan of the idea of how time travel doesn’t necessarily work out in the end as well as cuteness, Puella Magi Madoka Magica delivers in spades.

4. Dragon ball Z

• Episodes: 291
• Aired: Apr 26, 1989 - Jan 31, 1996

Yeah, this may be a shounen anime at heart, but considering you have one of its biggest arcs revolving around a time traveler from the future arriving to save Goku and his friends from androids as well as an android travelling back to the past to absorb the very androids themselves, it’s impossible to ignore this aspect. Not to mention Dragon Ball Super currently featuring one of the strongest characters in anime who can turn back time 3 minutes at will. Time travel may not be approached in this anime as the “main topic” so to speak, but if you want to watch an anime where time travel is still fun and interesting despite being a secondary focus, then look no further than DBZ.

3. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

• Episodes: 1
• Aired: July 15, 2006

This movie serves as the definitive example for what someone would probably do when realizing they can go back in time for the first time, making it that much more believable. Makoto Konno isn’t someone who has plans for going back in time. On the contrary, she tries to figure out what to do with her new ability as she goes along, only to learn the hard way what the consequences of her actions are. It is only by the sudden arrival of a character we wouldn’t expect that Makoto truly learns how to treat this new power. If you want to watch a believable experience in terms of what an average teen would do with time travel, then watch this movie.

• Aired: Jan 8, 2016 - Mar 25, 2016

The newest example of a time travel based anime, Erased focuses on Satoru Fujinuma using his special time travel ability to prevent bad things from happening to those he cares about. In this case, the focus of the time travel aspect is mainly on the mystery of how his ability suddenly jumps to going back years in the past as opposed to seconds. With the protagonist being a 29 year old male suddenly gifted with said ability as well as a new focus on the time travel element changing within the series, this anime is worth checking out if you’re curious as to a new take on the time travel genre.

• Aired: April 6, 2011 – September 14, 2011

No doubt which anime was going to be #1. Steins;Gate earns that spot for a reason: the setup of the time travel aspect, the combination of different takes on it, the different reactions of the characters to it as they slowly learn what it means, and the resolution at the end that ties back into the beginning without nay plot holes. As time passes, Steins;Gate will serve as the benchmark as to not only how to properly do a time travel related anime, but also serve as a basic framework in terms of how to properly tell a time-travel related story. If you have not seen this anime yet and are a lover of time travel, then wait no longer.

Time travel is a complicated concept to nail down. With so many aspects, possibilities, and a high likelihood of going wrong if not executed correctly, it’s a wonder why there are so many anime that choose to use it. However, if done correctly, the payoffs can be huge, as you can not only have an incredible adventure that unfolds with great characters along for the ride, you can also create a story that ultimately is fun to watch. These are the top 10 anime that best convey time travel. Are there any that are missing? Is there an anime that is ranked too high or too low? Let us know in the comments!

Author: Ian Williams

Hi, my name's Ian. I grew up in the United States, but I've traveled to and lived in many different countries, including Scotland, Japan, and New Zealand. Some of my hobbies include reading, writing, chess, running, playing video games, and watching anime. I started getting more into anime after watching Dragon Ball Z on Toonami as a kid, and have been hooked by the amazing stories and characters in anime ever since.

Top 5 Anime by Ian Williams

Have you ever wished that you could view the statue of liberty before it changed colors or watch the broadcast of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon, live? You could even go back to feudal Japan, like Kagome did in Inuyasha, and see a world full of yokai (monster) and other dangerous things. There are many different events throughout history that I would love to see, if I could travel through time. Which brings us to this list of the top 10 time traveling anime.

In this list, you will be reading about different anime that have taken the concept of time traveling in their own way. While most of the time, they will purposely travel in time, other times, they will be picked up by the hands of fate and played with.

• Aired: October 2004 – March 2005

The phrase “wrong place at the wrong time” could summarize Zipang for us. As the latest destroyer, Mirai, travels into a fierce storm that does little damage to the ship, but the storm is a rouge time vortex that sucks the Mirai and all of her crew into the past during the middle of the of the biggest war in human history, World War II. Now, it is up to Captain Umezu Saburo to get his ship and crew back to their own time, without interfering with history too much.

Time travel can be tricky and the consequences of a single mistake years ago, could change what you know about the present. Luckily, the Captain of Mirai knew this and tried to stay out of history’s events. Leaving it to be the first choice for the entrance to Time Traveling anime.

9. Arata naru Sekai: World's/Start/Load/End (World’s End)

• Episodes: OVA (30 minutes)
• Aired: October 2012

A rite of passage for most high school students is the graduation trip. Some students go off to tropical paradises while others just take a trip to the big city. Arata, Hongou, Arisa and Ichimiya take a trip to their own town. Doesn’t sound that exciting, until you see what has happened to the once pristine town after 6,000 years.

Methods of time traveling can vary from show to show. Sometimes we are not even shown the explanation behind the time traveling. These girls are shot out of their time and are put into a world that they never expected to be the future, for without humans around, the earth could take strange turns.

8. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

• Aired: May 2009 – September 2009

A whirlwind with long hair tied up in a yellow bandana, that is the best for Haruhi Suzumiya, for her logic is far out there and even the wises person in the anime, Kyon, can’t figure out what she is doing half the time. This is an anime where the main character, Haruhi, drags her friends around to do anything that she thinks of and sometimes her imagination can run wild.

It is almost like Haruhi can conjure up anything out of her imagination, even a Time Traveler who joins her school and becomes a slave of Haruhi’s whim. Though, it’s not all bad for Mikuru Asahina as she sometimes likes the outfits that Haruhi dresses her up in.

In the second season, the mechanics of time traveling come into play with most of the season portraying the repetition of the same few weeks for almost 43 years. Bringing the possibilities of a time loop into this list. Where sometimes that loop is set up to fix something, this time it was set up for fun, even if Haruhi didn’t realize it.

7. Noein – Mou Hitori no Kimi e (Noein: To Your Other Self)

• Aired: October 2005 – March 2006

When a man in a black trench coat appears before you, you should run for you don’t know who that might be. Haruka was lucky because the man in the black cape was Karasu, the furture version of her high school friend Yu Goto. Karasu was sent back to find the Dragon Torque and to fend off the agents of Shangri-La, people from a alternative future, where Haruka was already killed for who and what she is.

The time traveling in Noein shows us that many different actions can cause different dimensions to appear. Even if the event that caused the branch to split was not that long ago, a small change could drastically alter the course of time and have major repercussions with the world around it. If Captain Saburo wished, he could have changed the outcome of World War II with his accidental time traveling. The agents from Shangri-La showed us the outcome of what a change in history could do to in our future. Which brings it to number seven of this list.

6. Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku (Now and Then, Here and There)

• Aired: October 1999 – January 2000

Now and There, Here and There is another anime that the main character finds himself in a new time, surrounded by a harsh environment and harsher people. Shuuzou Matsutani tries to find his way back to his time and go home. Getting the help from Lala-Ru, a blue haired girl, he sets out to survive, and in doing so, he helps those who have to live in the harsh future.

Now and Then, Here and There shows us another version of what the future may bring if we don’t change our actions and protect the environment. Once the world turns into that from Fallout, there is no real hope. The time traveling in Now and Then, Here and There comes from the future, where they can grab people and bring them back from the past. Almost like the teleporters in Star Trek, just temporal-porters.

5. Charlotte

• Aired: July 2015 – September 2015

Life is tough sometimes and when you have magical powers, it doesn’t really make life any easier. In Charlotte, some teenagers have gained magical powers from a mysterious source. But, they are not going to take over the world, for once they become an adult their powers fade. Though, to control a child with magical powers would make any adult powerful, so an academy was built to protect those kids with powers. The builder of Hoshinoumi Academy is a secretive man who doesn’t want to be in the memories of anyone again.

Without giving away too many spoilers, one of Charlotte’s key plot devices is a person with the power to send his mind back in time to change the past. Charlotte spends some time explaining what happens as a result of this persons’ time traveling. Hopefully, you’ll agree why this new show is up high on the list of Time Traveling anime.

4. Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary)

• Aired: October 2011 – April 2012

Imagine that you are given the power to always know what your loved one is always doing, before they do it. Now, think if your stalker had that power instead! The Future Diary centers on the idea of a powerful god, the God of Time and Space, who gives his power to different people. Those people have to fight to survive. When Yukiteru Amano starts receiving messages from his future self, he teams up with Yuno Gasai, to hopefully survive this whole game/battle together. But, Yuno’s intentions are not as honorable as they may seem.

Time traveling can be good and harmless, but The Future Diary takes the concept to a darker place with the whole “Fight to Survive” aspect, but it does give us a new take on what time traveling can be. The time traveling in The Future Diary is limited to around 10 minutes. Which leaves you open for major insolvencies if you’re in trouble stretching further back than that limit.

3. Toki o Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)

• Episodes: Movie (98 minutes)

High school is the time of a young girl’s life. Makoto is a normal high school girl who loves baseball and her normal high school life. Unfortunately for Makoto, that all changes one day when she is alone in the chemistry room. She hears something in the teachers’ area and goes to investigate. Finding a small metallic walnut. As she looks down at the walnut, something falls over behind her, scaring her, causing her to trip. She lands on the walnut and finds herself in a time vortex. Waking up on the floor of the chemistry room, she thinks nothing of it, until she wrecks her bike, flying through the air and almost getting run over by a train. But, something weird happened that caused her to relive the past few minutes of her life.

Time Travelers need to keep good track of their toys, or who knows who will pick it up and cause havoc in the time stream. Luckily for the owner of the walnut shaped T.A.R.T.I.S., Makoto didn’t abuse the power too much… or destroy the universe. Time traveling should be for the professionals.

2. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

• Aired: January 2011 – April 2011

There have been many “Magical Girl” anime and each one has its own spin on an enemy and an ally. Now, when the enemy you have to fight, is a soul stealing witch, then you must count on your little fluffy friend, Kyuubey. The only thing Kyuubey wants is the crystals from the evil witches, what could be so wrong with that? To help fight the witches, Kyuubey grants his little magical girls anything that they could wish for. One of those little magical girls received the power to travel through time.

With the power to time travel, Magical Girl Homura Akemi sets out to stop the evil of the witches from harming another Magical Girl. However, she tries so many times that she becomes cold and the changes she wishes to make are impossible to achieve. Time, just can’t be changed sometimes. That is what this anime tells us about the hazards and rules of time traveling.

What can go wrong when a self-proclaimed mad scientist tries to fix his microwave? Luckily, you get a working microwave that can still heat up your leftover meatloaf from last night. Unlucky… or maybe lucky, you also get a time traveling device that allows you to send messages back to your past self. Each text that is sent, slightly changes the past until, Rintarou Okabe, discovers how it works. Then he really messed up Akihabara, the wonderland for Otaku all around the world. Left with a broken microwave, Rintarou has to repair what he wrecked.

This is not a happy-go-lucky anime where the lead character gets rich and lives a happy life. Instead, Rintarou’s life will not be the same. Each text he sends changes the very world he lives in and not every text that is sent can change what is meant to be.

This is an anime full of laughs and heartache by bringing you into its grasp like a hurricane playing with a butterfly. It drags you into the action and breaks your heart by the time it’s done.

Steins;Gate, is said to be the prime example of what a time traveling anime should be. It is what other sci-fi anime should look to become. Of course, you have older anime that has dealt with time traveling, Inuyasha for starters. Even Dragon Ball Z has had some time traveling. But Steins;Gate is currently the top among Time Traveling anime.

Time is not something that should be messed with. Even if you can achieve miraculous things with it, the little butterflies that you could make are numerous and unpredictable. A simple action in your past, could completely change your life, and not always for the best. Anime, such as Steins;Gate and Charlotte, show what could happen if you mess with time traveling, both good and bad.

As the anime Zipang showed us, it is sometimes best to just stay out of the course of time and let the events that happened, happen. Other time traveling anime, like Inuyasha, Now and Then, Here and There and World’s End, just pretend that the events in the previous time don’t really affect the future time line.

Is there another great anime series that is based on time travel that you want to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Author: Zack Ringler

My name is Zack Ringler, just like it is written on all of my articles. I come from America, Indiana to be precise. I work for the Board of Education in Utsunomiya Japan. Heard of it? Didn’t think so. I am a teacher, writer and game designer with my first game “Moonshine Run” going on Kickstarter later this year. You can learn more about me on my facebook by looking up my name or just adding /zringler to the end of the facebook URL. Hope you like what you read, later.

Top 5 Anime by Zack Ringler

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Netflix’s Time Patrol Bon is a sci-fi anime odyssey about the value of human life

The smallest of actions beget the most profound of consequences

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Share All sharing options for: Netflix’s Time Patrol Bon is a sci-fi anime odyssey about the value of human life

Most time travel stories are either stories of intervention or preservation; following protagonists attempting to either alter the past to correct for something in the future, or doing everything in their power to return to their own time period without drastically altering the past. Time Patrol Bon sits squarely in the middle, which is exactly what makes it a beloved cult classic manga — and a surprisingly prescient adaptation from Netflix.

Based on the manga by Fujiko Fujio, the comic book-writing duo known for creating the beloved Japanese pop culture icon Doraemon , Time Patrol Bon (stylized on Netflix as T.P Bon ) follows Bon Namihira, an ordinary junior school student living in present-day Japan. He inadvertently crosses paths with a time-traveler named Ream from the future and learns of the existence of Time Patrol, a technologically advanced organization that travels through time and space rescuing innocent lives while maintaining the course of history.

It’s only after discovering Bon plays a pivotal role in the history of humanity that they choose not to erase him from history to protect the secret of Time Patrol’s existence; instead they offer him an opportunity to join their cause. Accompanied by Buyoyon, a sassy, ghost-like extra-dimensional creature, Bon joins Ream as her apprentice as they travel across history saving lives while growing into his new responsibilities as a Time Patrol agent.

It’s a fascinating premise, one that naturally begs a question that’s not all that dissimilar from what multiverse stories often broach: What is the value of a single life in the totality of existence? And who, if anyone, should have the authority to decide that? In the case of Time Patrol Bon , that authority is the Time Patrol Research Office, who are dedicated to finding and saving the lives of individuals who will not impact the course of history. In emphasizing the value of good, but otherwise unhistoric people whose lives were cut short on account of tragic accidents, misunderstandings, or overt malice, T.P Bon makes a case for the abiding value of all life in and of itself, as well as the importance of human relationships.

Take the anime’s eighth episode, wherein Bon and Ream are assigned to save one — and only one — kamikaze pilot during the Battle of Okinawa. Torn between his compassion for all human life and his obligation to uphold Time Patrol’s parameters lest he compromise the organization’s mission and very existence, Bon ultimately resolves that saving any life, even if only one life, is a worthwhile and noble endeavor if it can be done. It’s a really profound moment that nails home both Bon maturing into his responsibilities as a member of a Time Patrol, but also the series’ overall humanistic message. To put it another way: Not everything that is faced can be changed, but that’s not an excuse to do nothing. Even the smallest of actions is worth doing if it contributes to lessening the sum of human suffering.

By his own admission, Bon is an average everyday teenager. He doesn’t have any special powers, isn’t especially physically gifted or academically accomplished, and isn’t even all that popular at his school. From a glance, he barely registers as a footnote in the history of humanity, let alone the grand scheme of existence. If someone like Bon can go on to impact the future of humanity, aside from his role as a member of Time Patrol, then anyone can.

It helps that T.P Bon is helmed by respected animator Masahiro Ando, known for his work as a key animator on 1995’s End of Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell , as well as his own 2007 anime film Sword of the Stranger . Such a resume helps the show be all it wants to be: T.P Bon is an excellent blend of whimsical sci-fi spectacle, drama, and occasional edutainment, with stories featuring Bon and Ream rescuing sailors lost at sea, thwarting prehistoric poachers in the Jurassic period, and even inadvertently inspiring the 16th century legend of Journey to the West. In creating a series that strikes the balance between light-hearted adventure and existential meditation, Ando and studio Bones have delivered not only a faithful and worthy adaptation of Fujiko Fujio’s original manga, but one for the ages.

T.P Bon season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.

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Top 10 Time Travel Anime You Should Watch This May

T ime travel anime has become a beloved sci-fi trope, renowned for its intriguing plots and dynamic character interactions. Creators in the anime world have utilized this concept in diverse and amazing ways, resulting in some of the most entertaining series within the medium. From classics like Steins; Gate to recent hits like Re: Zero, time travel anime consistently deliver top-notch stories that explore complex philosophical questions.

In this article, we’ll highlight the 10 best time travel anime that no fan should miss. Each selection offers a thought-provoking narrative, fully realized characters, and a creative approach to the concept of traversing through time. Whether it’s witnessing characters rewrite their own history or encountering time policemen tasked with maintaining proper chronology, these titles exemplify why the genre resonates so strongly with viewers.

Please note: The article is presented in no particular ranking order.

Orange, a time travel anime, tells a touching teenage drama with a unique temporal twist. When Naho receives a letter from her future self at 26, she discovers a grim revelation: her new classmate, Kakeru, will tragically take his own life in the days to come. Armed with this unsettling foresight, Naho endeavors to alter fate’s course and save Kakeru, with the unwavering support of her closest friends.

Although often categorized as a romance anime, Orange garners acclaim for its sensitive portrayal of depression and mental health struggles. It adeptly follows the intricacies of relationships and the enduring weight of remorse in the wake of tragedy.

The inclusion of time travel introduces a compelling tension, questioning whether destiny is predetermined or can be reshaped through empathy and intervention.

Orange is a nice anime and manga series that blends elements of drama, romance, and science fiction. Originally a manga written and illustrated by Ichigo Takano, it was serialized in the monthly manga magazine Bessatsu Margaret from 2012 to 2015. The series was well-received, leading to an anime adaptation and several live-action films.

The story revolves around a high school girl named Naho Takamiya, who receives a letter from her future self. The letter is sent from ten years ahead, urging Naho to change specific events in order to prevent the greatest regret of her life.

Future Naho instructs her younger self to watch over a new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse, and make sure he is not left alone. In the future, Kakeru is no longer alive, and the group of friends he was a part of harbors deep regrets about not being able to save him.

The series explores themes of regret, friendship, adolescence, mental health, and the impact of small decisions on our lives. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each struggling with their own personal challenges and insecurities. Naho, the protagonist, grows throughout the series as she grapples with the responsibility of altering the future. Kakeru, the troubled transfer student, becomes central to the story as his complex emotional state unfolds.

Ichigo Takano’s art style is simple yet emotive, effectively conveying the emotional depth of the characters and the narrative. The use of facial expressions and body language enhances the storytelling, drawing readers deeply into the characters’ experiences.

The anime adaptation of “Orange” aired in 2016, produced by TMS Entertainment. It closely follows the manga’s storyline and successfully captures the emotional essence of the original work. The anime received positive reviews for its faithful adaptation, beautiful animation, and heartfelt portrayal of the characters’ struggles.

Orange has been praised for its realistic portrayal of emotional issues faced by teenagers, such as depression, grief, and self-doubt. Its exploration of mental health themes resonated with audiences, contributing to its popularity both in Japan and internationally.

In addition to the anime adaptation, “Orange” also inspired two live-action films released in 2015 and 2016. These films further expanded the series’ reach and received positive feedback for their faithful interpretation of the source material.

Orange is a compelling series that combines poignant storytelling with relatable characters and thought-provoking themes. Whether experienced through the original manga, the anime adaptation, or the live-action films, “Orange” offers a touching exploration of friendship, regret, and the transformative power of reaching out to others in times of need. It’s recommended for fans of drama and romance who appreciate stories with emotional depth and genuine character development.

9. Link Click

Link Click, a Chinese anime-inspired series, offers a refreshing take on the sci-fi genre. Protagonist Cheng Xiaoshi discovers the extraordinary ability to traverse through time simply by capturing photographs.

Teaming up with Lu Guang, they form a time-traveling detective agency, getting on a journey to mysteries spanning various epochs of history. As their agency expands in prowess, Cheng and Guang bear witness to pivotal moments in China’s past, which in turn informs their understanding of the present.

The use of snapshot time jumps in Link Click transcends mere narrative convenience, imbuing the series with an immersive atmosphere and heightened emotional resonance. By transporting our protagonists into poignant historical events, these time-traveling adventures serve to deepen their perspectives and enrich the storytelling.

Through its exploration of time travel, Link Click looks into the intricate web of cause and effect, showcasing how choices and moments can reverberate through the lives of individuals across generations.

“Link Click” is a Chinese web novel written by Sadon Jaber (撒旦的春天) and illustrated by Mi Er (米儿). It falls under the genres of action, adventure, fantasy, and supernatural.

The story follows the protagonist Yu Qiu, a young man who discovers a mysterious app called “Link Click” on his phone. This app allows him to travel to parallel worlds where he must complete missions and face challenges. Each world presents a unique scenario and set of tasks for Yu Qiu to overcome. As he navigates through these parallel dimensions, Yu Qiu begins to reveal the secrets behind the “Link Click” app and its connection to his own life.

Link Click explores themes of adventure, exploration, and personal growth. The concept of parallel worlds introduces a sense of mystery and unpredictability to the story, as each new dimension offers different landscapes, characters, and conflicts. The protagonist’s journey through these worlds is not only about completing missions but also about understanding himself and the nature of reality.

Yu Qiu is the central character of the story, a relatable and determined protagonist who adapts quickly to the challenges presented by the “Link Click” app. Other characters encountered in each world vary based on the scenario, providing a diverse range of interactions and relationships.

The writing style of “Link Click” is engaging and fast-paced, keeping readers hooked with its blend of action, mystery, and fantasy elements. The novel has garnered a positive reception within the Chinese web novel community, praised for its creative premise and imaginative storytelling.

Link Click has gained popularity not only as a web novel but also as a basis for other media adaptations, such as manhua (Chinese comic) adaptations. The story’s intriguing concept and dynamic plot make it well-suited for visual adaptations, allowing fans to further immerse themselves in the world of “Link Click.”

“Link Click” offers readers an exciting journey through parallel worlds, blending elements of fantasy and adventure with themes of self-discovery and personal transformation. Its unique premise and well-paced storytelling make it a recommended read for fans of action-packed narratives with a touch of mystery and supernatural intrigue.

In addition to Yu Qiu, “Link Click” introduces a variety of characters across different parallel worlds, each contributing to the richness of the story. Some characters serve as allies, aiding Yu Qiu in his missions, while others present formidable challenges or mysteries to reveal. As Yu Qiu navigates through these worlds, he encounters individuals with unique backgrounds, motivations, and personalities, adding depth and complexity to his adventures.

One intriguing aspect of the novel is the evolving relationships Yu Qiu forms with these characters. Whether it’s forming bonds of friendship, overcoming conflicts, or unearthing hidden truths, the interactions between Yu Qiu and the supporting cast contribute significantly to his character development and the narrative arc.

Link Click not only explores the physical exploration of parallel worlds but also goes into existential themes. The concept of multiple realities raises questions about the nature of existence, destiny, and the interconnectedness of different life paths. Through Yu Qiu’s journey, readers are prompted to contemplate their own choices and the potential consequences of decisions made in different circumstances.

The theme of personal growth is intricately woven into the narrative, as Yu Qiu confronts his fears, doubts, and limitations while finding through increasingly challenging dimensions. The exploration of identity and purpose adds a thought-provoking layer to the action-packed storyline.

Since its inception as a web novel, “Link Click” has expanded its reach through various adaptations. The transition to the Manhua (Chinese comic) format allows fans to experience the visual depiction of Yu Qiu’s adventures and encounter the diverse landscapes and characters of each parallel world.

Furthermore, the potential for multimedia adaptations, such as animation or live-action series, highlights the story’s broad appeal and marketability. Visual adaptations often attract new audiences and provide existing fans with fresh perspectives on the beloved source material.

Link Click remains a popular and well-received web novel within the Chinese literary scene. Its success underscores the enduring fascination with themes of parallel universes, supernatural phenomena, and personal transformation.

Looking ahead, the ongoing serialization of “Link Click” and potential developments in its adaptation journey suggest a promising future for the franchise. Whether through literary expansions, visual media, or interactive platforms, fans can anticipate further explorations into the beautiful; worlds crafted by Sadon Jaber.

Link Click invites readers into a thrilling realm of parallel dimensions, where action-packed adventures converge with profound reflections on identity and destiny. Its diverse characters, engaging themes, and multimedia adaptations ensure that the story continues to grab audiences and inspire imaginations well beyond the confines of traditional storytelling.

8. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, hailed as a modern anime classic, garnered widespread acclaim upon its release. This time travel anime follows the journey of Makoto Konno, who discovers the extraordinary ability to leap backward in time and manipulate past events. Initially using her newfound power for trivial fixes and avoiding minor mishaps, Makoto’s cavalier approach is tested as she realizes the far-reaching consequences of her actions on others and their destinies.

Distinguished by its breathtaking animation and richly developed characters, this anime film looks into the ethical dilemmas inherent in altering fate for personal gain. It looks into the profound notion that even with knowledge of the future, acceptance of its outcomes remains elusive. At its core, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is an emotionally resonant exploration of adolescence and the invaluable lessons learned through adversity.

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” (時をかける少女, Toki o Kakeru Shōjo) is a highly acclaimed Japanese animated film directed by Mamoru Hosoda, released in 2006. This film is based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Yasutaka Tsutsui, but it reimagines the story with a modern twist, incorporating elements of science fiction and romance. The film has garnered significant praise for its engaging narrative, emotional depth, and beautiful animation.

The story revolves around a high school girl named Makoto Konno, who discovers she has the ability to leap through time after a mysterious encounter in her school’s science lab. Initially, Makoto uses her newfound power for trivial things like fixing embarrassing moments or avoiding homework deadlines. However, as she goes deeper into her ability, Makoto realizes the consequences of her actions and the impact they have on the lives of those around her.

As Makoto repeatedly leaps through time, she begins to understand the complexities and responsibilities that come with altering the past. Her carefree attitude towards time travel shifts as she grapples with the moral dilemmas posed by her actions. The story is not just about time-travel but also about friendship, growing up, and the importance of cherishing each moment.

The film explores several themes that resonate deeply with its audience. One prominent theme is the passage of time and the fleeting nature of moments. Makoto’s ability to leap through time highlights the desire to control time and the consequences of tampering with it.

Friendship and human connections are also central to the narrative. Makoto’s relationships with her friends, Chiaki and Kousuke, undergo transformations as she navigates the complexities of her time-travel adventures. The film beautifully captures the bittersweet essence of adolescence and the importance of cherishing the present.

Visually, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” showcases Hosoda’s signature style, characterized by detailed backgrounds, expressive character designs, and fluid animation. The film’s use of colors and imagery effectively conveys the emotional tone of each scene, from playful and lighthearted moments to poignant and introspective ones.

Mamoru Hosoda, known for his work on other acclaimed anime films like “Summer Wars” and “Wolf Children,” brings a unique perspective to “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.” His storytelling prowess and ability to blend fantasy with relatable human experiences have garnered him international recognition as one of the leading directors in contemporary anime.

Upon its release, “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” received widespread critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year. The film’s success contributed significantly to Hosoda’s reputation as a visionary director and further solidified his influence in the anime industry.

“The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” is a nice and thought-provoking film that transcends its genre. With its rich themes, engaging characters, and masterful animation, the film continues to resonate with audiences worldwide and remains a standout achievement of animated storytelling. Whether you’re a fan of anime or simply appreciate compelling narratives, this film is definitely worth experiencing.

Also known as Boku Dake ga Inai Machi in Japan, Erased is a gripping thriller anime centered around 29-year-old Satoru. When a tragic event unfolds in his present timeline, Satoru’s latent ability activates, hurling him back 18 years into his own childhood. Armed with this unexpected chance, he sets out to the truth behind a long-buried incident and alter the grim future that awaits him.

Heart-pounding and irresistibly binge-worthy, Erased skillfully employs its time travel premise to look into Satoru’s haunting regrets from the past. Seamlessly blending mystery genre conventions with weighty real-world issues such as corruption and child abuse, the series weaves a narrative that is as emotionally profound as it is suspenseful. Amidst the darkness, Erased offers sporadic moments of innocence and hope, adding layers of complexity to its fascinating storyline.

“Erased” (Boku Dake ga Inai Machi) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kei Sanbe. It was later adapted into an anime television series directed by Tomohiko Itō and produced by A-1 Pictures. The anime adaptation aired in 2016 and consists of 12 episodes. This gripping mystery thriller has garnered widespread acclaim for its suspenseful plot, well-developed characters, and emotionally resonant storytelling.

The story follows Satoru Fujinuma, a struggling manga artist who possesses a peculiar ability he calls “Revival,” which allows him to go back in time moments before a life-threatening incident occurs. After encountering a tragic event, Satoru finds himself thrown back 18 years into the past to his childhood, just before a series of abductions and murders occurred in his hometown.

Realizing he has been sent back to prevent these tragedies, Satoru gets on a mission to uncover the identity of the culprit, who was responsible for these crimes and the murder of his classmate, Kayo Hinazuki. Through his journey, Satoru reconnects with his past self and attempts to alter the course of history to save those he cares about.

“Erased” goes into the themes of trauma, redemption, and the importance of confronting one’s past. Satoru’s journey not only involves solving a mystery but also confronting unresolved issues from his childhood. The series masterfully intertwines elements of time travel with psychological depth, exploring how our past experiences shape our present selves.

The motif of “revival” serves as a metaphor for second chances and the ability to change fate. Satoru’s determination to alter the future underscores the narrative’s message about resilience and the power of human agency.

One of the strengths of “Erased” lies in its well-rounded characters. Satoru’s character undergoes significant growth as he grapples with his past trauma and strives to protect those he loves. The relationships he forms with characters like Kayo and other childhood friends are poignant and beautifully portrayed, adding emotional depth to the narrative.

The series excels in building suspense and maintaining a tense atmosphere throughout. Each episode reveals new clues and twists, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. The storytelling is skillfully executed, with well-paced reveals that contribute to the mystery.

Visually, Erased features crisp animation and evocative art direction that captures the mood and tone of the story. The character designs are expressive, and the use of lighting and color enhances the dramatic impact of key scenes. The soundtrack, composed by Yuki Kajiura, complements the emotional intensity of the narrative, further immersing viewers in the story’s gripping atmosphere.

Erased has received positive reviews from both critics and audiences alike. The anime adaptation was praised for its compelling storyline, well-crafted suspense, and nuanced characterization. While some viewers noted deviations from the manga’s ending, the series remains a standout within the mystery and thriller genres.

Erased is a must-watch for fans of suspenseful storytelling and character-driven narratives. With its nice plot, relatable characters, and themes of resilience and redemption, the series leaves a lasting impact and continues to be celebrated as a standout entry in anime mysteries. Whether you’re a seasoned anime enthusiast or new to the genre, “Erased” promises an engaging and emotionally rewarding viewing experience.

Re:Zero, an exceptional time travel anime, seamlessly merges psychological fantasy adventure with the tragic motif of a time loop. When Subaru Natsuki finds himself abruptly transported to a fantastical reminiscent of a video game, he initially views it as a stroke of luck. However, his optimism is short-lived as he meets gruesome deaths, only to be thrust back to an earlier moment in time, cursed to relive events while retaining memories of potential futures.

While the prospect of witnessing Subaru’s repeated deaths might seem repetitive, each occurrence unfolds with heightened emotional intensity. As Subaru gradually looks at the rules governing this enigmatic phenomenon, viewers are drawn into his relentless pursuit of breaking free from the suffocating grip of the time loop. Through alliances, self-sacrifice, and enduring hardship, Subaru follows a perilous path toward liberation, his journey marked by profound moments of suffering and growth.

“Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World” (Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu) is a Japanese light novel series written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shinichirou Otsuka. The series has been adapted into an immensely popular anime television series produced by White Fox, with the first season airing in 2016 and subsequent seasons following. “Re:Zero” has gained a dedicated fan base worldwide due to its complex narrative, well-developed characters, and unique take on the isekai (another world) genre.

The story follows Subaru Natsuki, an ordinary high school student who finds himself transported to a fantasy world. Upon arriving, Subaru discovers that he possesses the ability to return to a specific “checkpoint” upon death, effectively resetting time whenever he dies. Determined to uncover the mysteries of his newfound power and make a difference in this new world, Subaru becomes entangled in a series of increasingly dangerous and intricate situations.

As Subaru navigates the challenges of this unfamiliar realm, he forms alliances with various characters, including Emilia, a half-elf girl with a mysterious past, and Rem and Ram, twin maids serving at the Roswaal mansion. However, Subaru’s journey is fraught with peril, and his ability to reset time comes at a heavy psychological cost, forcing him to confront his own weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

“Re:Zero” explores themes of resilience, redemption, and the consequences of one’s choices. Subaru’s ability to “respawn” after death provides a unique perspective on the impact of decisions and the burden of responsibility. The series goes into existential questions, examining the nature of heroism and the complexities of human relationships.

The concept of “return by death” serves as a central motif, highlighting Subaru’s emotional and psychological struggles. The narrative challenges typical isekai tropes by emphasizing the darker, more introspective aspects of living in a fantastical world.

One of the standout aspects of “Re:Zero” is its character development. Subaru undergoes significant growth throughout the series, evolving from an impulsive and naive protagonist to a more introspective and determined individual. The supporting cast is equally compelling, with each character harboring their own secrets and motivations.

The series boasts intricate world-building, introducing diverse cultures, political factions, and supernatural elements. The setting feels immersive and expansive, with attention to detail in establishing the rules and dynamics of the fantasy world.

Visually, “Re:Zero” features dynamic animation that captures the intensity of action sequences and the emotional depth of character interactions. The art direction is detailed and atmospheric, enhancing the fantastical ambiance of the series. The soundtrack, composed by Kenichiro Suehiro, complements the mood shifts and narrative tension, further immersing viewers in the story’s richly crafted universe.

Re:Zero has received critical acclaim for its engaging storyline, nuanced characters, and thematic depth. The anime adaptation has been praised for its faithful adaptation of the source material and strong voice-acting performances. The series has spawned numerous merchandise, spin-offs, and a dedicated fan following.

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World” stands out as a compelling and thought-provoking addition to the isekai genre. With its complex narrative, well-rounded characters, and exploration of existential themes, the series offers a nice viewing experience for anime enthusiasts. Whether you’re drawn to fantasy adventures or character-driven dramas, “Re: Zero” delivers a unique and rewarding journey through its richly imagined world.

5. Steins:Gate

No compilation of time travel anime would be complete without mentioning the beloved series, Steins;Gate. The eccentric mad scientist Rintaro Okabe stumbles upon the discovery of time travel by accident, only to realize that the universe actively seeks to rectify any alterations made to the past. When his friend Mayuri becomes tragically fated to die, Okabe gets on a desperate mission, utilizing the ability to send text messages into the past in a myriad of attempts to alter destiny.

More akin to a sci-fi thriller than a conventional action anime, Steins;Gate boasts an array of cool technology, unexpected plot twists, and a cast of endearing characters that ensure the journey is nothing short of fascinating. looking into the complexities of divergent timelines and the butterfly effect, this modern classic remained a perennial favorite among anime enthusiasts long after its initial release in 2011.

“Steins;Gate” is a critically acclaimed Japanese visual novel developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It was later adapted into an anime television series produced by White Fox, which aired in 2011. The series is celebrated for its intricate plot, compelling characters, and exploration of complex scientific concepts, particularly time travel and its consequences.

The story centers around Rintarou Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist who operates out of a makeshift laboratory with his friends in Akihabara, Tokyo. Okabe becomes involved in a series of experiments using a device called the “Phone Microwave,” which can send text messages back in time. However, their experiments inadvertently attract the attention of a shadowy organization known as “SERN,” leading to dangerous consequences.

As Okabe goes deeper into the mysteries surrounding time travel, he discovers the existence of “D-mail” (short for DeLorean mail), a method of sending messages to the past that can alter history. However, changing the past has unintended consequences, leading to a complex web of events and timelines that threaten the very fabric of reality.

Steins;Gate explores themes of determinism versus free will, the ethics of scientific experimentation, and the nature of cause and effect. The series raises thought-provoking questions about the implications of time travel and the ethical responsibilities that come with altering the course of history.

The motif of divergence and convergence is central to the narrative, highlighting the interconnectedness of events across different timelines. Okabe’s journey serves as a lens through which to examine existential dilemmas and the human desire to control destiny.

The series features a diverse and memorable cast of characters, each with their own motivations and arcs. Okabe’s evolution from a quirky eccentric to a deeply introspective and determined individual is particularly compelling. His relationships with other characters, including the brilliant scientist Kurisu Makise and the devoted Mayuri Shiina, are integral to the emotional core of the story.

Steins;Gate incorporates intricate time travel mechanics that are grounded in scientific theory. The series explores concepts like world lines, divergence numbers, and the butterfly effect, adding a layer of intellectual depth to the narrative. Despite its complex subject matter, the storytelling remains accessible and engaging, thanks to the strong characterization and pacing.

Visually, the anime adaptation of “Steins;Gate” features atmospheric art direction and fluid animation that captures the intensity of key moments. The character designs are distinctive and expressive, conveying the emotions and nuances of each scene. The soundtrack, composed by Takeshi Abo, complements the suspenseful tone of the series, enhancing the immersive experience.

Steins;Gate has received universal acclaim from both critics and audiences, praised for its gripping narrative, well-developed characters, and intelligent exploration of scientific concepts. The series has spawned multiple sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations, cementing its status as a modern classic within the realm of visual novels and anime.

Steins;Gate is a masterful blend of science fiction, drama, and character-driven storytelling. With its thought-provoking themes, intricate plot, and emotional depth, the series offers a rewarding viewing experience for fans of cerebral anime. Whether you’re drawn to mysteries of time travel or compelling character dynamics, “Steins;Gate” remains a standout entry in the genre, leaving a lasting impact on viewers long after the credits roll.

4. The Tatami Galaxy

With a distinctive art style that mirrors its innovative premise, The Tatami Galaxy revolves around an unnamed third-year university student who laments his lackluster college experience. Presented with an opportunity to revisit and potentially alter choices made over the past two years, he endeavors to rectify past mistakes, only to find himself ensnared in a cycle of disappointment and disillusionment.

Madhouse Studios takes viewers on this dizzying odyssey through The Tatami Galaxy a surrealist dark comedy that offers an introspective of the protagonist’s quest for fulfillment and purpose. Animated with a unique visual style, the series looks deep into themes of regret, choice, and the passage of time.

Through metaphor, visual interest, and cultural nuances, The Tatami Galaxy presents poignant lessons on seizing the opportunities of youth and making the most of every moment. As the protagonist grapples with the consequences of his decisions, viewers are invited to reflect on their own lives and the paths they choose to follow.

This surrealist dark comedy employs the concept of time travel to guide themes of decision paralysis and the inherent futility of comparing reality to idealized notions of happiness. Through its succinct and crisp 11-minute episodes, the anime invites viewers to immerse themselves in a single, contemplative evening, pondering the profound existential questions it poses along the way.

The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei) is a unique and thought-provoking anime television series directed by Masaaki Yuasa and produced by Madhouse. Originally airing in 2010, this 11-episode series is based on the novel by Tomihiko Morimi. “The Tatami Galaxy” stands out for its distinctive art style, nonlinear storytelling, and existential themes.

The story follows an unnamed protagonist, often referred to as Watashi (meaning “I” in Japanese), a university student who feels disillusioned with his college life. Each episode presents a different iteration of his university experience, exploring different paths and relationships. Watashi is accompanied by his enigmatic and somewhat mischievous friend Ozu, who often leads him into bizarre and surreal situations.

Throughout the series, Watashi finds himself joining various clubs, pursuing different romantic interests, and encountering a range of colorful characters. However, despite these diverse experiences, he remains unsatisfied and yearns for a more meaningful existence. As the series progresses, Watashi begins to question the nature of fate, regret, and the choices that shape his life.

The Tatami Galaxy” follows into the themes of self-discovery, the pursuit of happiness, and the consequences of indecision. Each episode explores a parallel universe where Watashi makes different choices, highlighting the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate events. The series challenges conventional narratives and invites viewers to reflect on their own life choices and aspirations.

The motif of the “tatami galaxy” refers to the protagonist’s perception of time and space, symbolizing the confined and cyclical nature of his existence. The tatami mats also serve as a metaphor for the transient and impermanent nature of life, underscoring the series’ existential themes.

One of the standout aspects of “The Tatami Galaxy” is its visually striking art style and animation. Masaaki Yuasa’s direction infuses the series with dynamic visuals, bold colors, and surreal imagery. The character designs are distinct and expressive, capturing the idiosyncrasies of each personality. The use of fast-paced editing and inventive cinematography enhances the narrative’s energetic and introspective tone.

The series employs a nonlinear narrative structure, with each episode presenting a different “reality” based on Watashi’s choices. This unconventional storytelling approach adds layers of depth and complexity to the overarching plot, encouraging viewers to piece together the puzzle of Watashi’s existential journey.

The Tatami Galaxy features a memorable soundtrack composed by Michiru Oshima, complementing the series’ whimsical and introspective atmosphere. The voice acting performances, particularly by the protagonist and Ozu, capture the nuances of their evolving friendship and inner turmoil.

The Tatami Galaxy has received widespread critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling, thematic richness, and artistic vision. The series has gained a cult following among anime enthusiasts and remains highly regarded for its philosophical depth and unconventional approach to narrative structure.

The Tatami Galaxy is a nice and intellectually stimulating anime that challenges viewers to contemplate the nature of existence and the pursuit of happiness. With its inventive visuals, nuanced characters, and profound themes, the series offers a refreshingly unique viewing experience that continues to resonate with audiences seeking introspective and thought-provoking storytelling. Whether you’re drawn to experimental narratives or existential themes, “The Tatami Galaxy” is a must-watch for anime fans looking to explore the boundaries of storytelling in the medium.

3. Tokyo Revengers

In Tokyo Revengers, the protagonist Takemichi Hanagaki is thrust into an extraordinary situation after the mysterious death of his middle school ex-girlfriend, Hinata. Discovering his ability to travel back in time, Takemichi is transported to his middle school years with a singular mission: to infiltrate the Tokyo Manji Gang and prevent Hinata’s tragic demise. Along the way, he finds himself entangled in the gang’s internal conflicts and bitter rivalries.

While the initial setup may seem familiar, Tokyo Revengers distinguishes itself by looking into weighty themes such as abuse and violence with a level of maturity and nuance rarely seen in similar narratives.

Through empathetic character portrayals, the series follows these complex issues, offering a poignant exploration of redemption and the possibility of atoning for past transgressions, even in the face of overwhelming adversity. Takemichi’s journey from a seemingly powerless individual to a courageous hero serves as a compelling backdrop for probing questions about the nature of redemption and the enduring impact of one’s actions.

“Tokyo Revengers” (Tōkyō Ribenjāzu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Wakui. It has also been adapted into a popular anime television series produced by LIDENFILMS, which premiered in 2021. “Tokyo Revengers” has garnered significant attention for its thrilling narrative, compelling characters, and exploration of themes like friendship, redemption, and the consequences of one’s actions.

The story centers around Takemichi Hanagaki, a disheartened 26-year-old who learns that his middle school girlfriend, Hinata Tachibana, has been murdered by the Tokyo Manji Gang, a notorious criminal organization. After an unexpected encounter with a train, Takemichi finds himself transported back in time to his middle school days, giving him a chance to change the future and prevent Hinata’s death.

In this new timeline, Takemichi resolves to infiltrate the Tokyo Manji Gang and alter the course of history. Along the way, he reconnects with his middle school friends, including the formidable gang leader, Mikey, and the influential strategist, Draken. Takemichi must navigate dangerous alliances, face formidable adversaries, and confront his own personal demons in order to protect his loved ones and find a sense of purpose.

“Tokyo Revengers” explores themes of fate, second chances, and the ripple effects of one’s choices. Takemichi’s journey challenges him to confront his own shortcomings and regrets while striving to create a better future. The series also goes into the dynamics of loyalty, honor, and the complexities of gang culture, presenting multifaceted characters with their own motivations and struggles.

The motif of time travel serves as a narrative device to highlight the importance of seizing opportunities and taking responsibility for one’s actions. Takemichi’s experiences in the past allow him to gain new perspectives on life and relationships, ultimately shaping his growth as a protagonist.

One of the strengths of “Tokyo Revengers” lies in its well-developed characters. Takemichi’s evolution from a disillusioned adult to a determined and resourceful young man is compelling to witness. The supporting cast, including members of the Tokyo Manji Gang and Takemichi’s friends, undergo their own arcs and contribute to the series’ emotional depth.

The series features intense action sequences and dramatic confrontations, adding excitement and tension to the narrative. The balance between character-driven moments and adrenaline-pumping fights keeps viewers engaged and invested in the story’s progression.

Visually, the anime adaptation of “Tokyo Revengers” is dynamic and well-animated, effectively capturing the gritty urban setting and intense emotions of the characters. The character designs are distinct, and the animation quality remains consistent throughout the series. The soundtrack, composed by Hiroaki Tsutsumi, complements the tone of each scene, heightening the emotional impact of key moments.

Tokyo Revengers has received positive reviews from both fans and critics alike, praised for its compelling storyline, memorable characters, and thematic depth. The anime adaptation has contributed to the series’ popularity, attracting a growing fan base and generating interest in the original manga.

Tokyo Revengers” is a nice and emotionally resonant anime that blends elements of time travel, crime drama, and coming-of-age themes. With its engaging plot, well-rounded characters, and intense action sequences, the series offers a satisfying viewing experience for fans of shonen anime. Whether you’re drawn to complex narratives or heartfelt character dynamics, “Tokyo Revengers” delivers an exciting and thought-provoking journey through the streets of Tokyo and the complexities of youth and redemption.

2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

While renowned primarily for its dark magical girl theme, Puella Magi Madoka Magica also incorporates significant time travel elements, particularly through the character Homura Akemi. Following her failure to protect Madoka Kaname from a grim fate, Homura’s unique ability enables her to rewind time in a desperate attempt to prevent the tragedy from unfolding.

This intricate narrative structure forms a compelling time loop, wherein Homura repeatedly ventures back in time, striving to alter events and avert disaster, only to bear witness to Madoka’s suffering in different iterations.

It is Homura’s poignant perseverance through these harrowing time jumps that imbues Madoka Magica with its profound emotional depth, offering audiences a nuanced exploration of her motivations and inner turmoil. As a result, Puella Magi Madoka Magica stands out as a formidable entry in the time travel anime, weaving together themes of sacrifice, determination, and the relentless pursuit of salvation.

“Puella Magi Madoka Magica” is a groundbreaking Japanese anime series produced by Shaft and Aniplex, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and written by Gen Urobuchi. Originally airing in 2011, this 12-episode series subverts the magical girl genre, presenting a dark and psychologically intense narrative that has left a lasting impact on viewers worldwide.

The story follows Madoka Kaname, a kind-hearted middle school girl who encounters a mysterious transfer student named Homura Akemi and a small creature named Kyubey. Kyubey offers Madoka and her friend, Sayaka Miki, the opportunity to become magical girls and fulfill their deepest wishes in exchange for fighting witches, supernatural creatures that threaten humanity.

However, as Madoka learns more about the risks and sacrifices involved in becoming a magical girl, she becomes entangled in a web of despair and existential dilemmas. Alongside her friends, Madoka grapples with the harsh realities of their newfound roles, confronting themes of mortality, morality, and the consequences of power.

Madoka Magica explores themes of sacrifice, despair, and the nature of heroism. The series challenges the traditional magical girl tropes by going into the psychological and emotional toll of battling supernatural forces. Each character undergoes profound development, with their wishes and motivations driving the narrative toward a gripping and introspective conclusion.

The motif of entropy and inevitability pervades the storyline, emphasizing the transient nature of existence and the relentless march of fate. The series presents a thought-provoking examination of hope and despair, questioning the cost of pursuing one’s desires in a world filled with darkness.

The characters in “Madoka Magica” are complex and multifaceted, defying stereotypes associated with the magical girl genre. Madoka herself undergoes significant growth as she confronts the harsh realities of her choices and grapples with the consequences of her decisions. Homura Akemi’s mysterious backstory and unwavering determination add layers of intrigue and emotional depth to the narrative.

One of the standout features of “Madoka Magica” is its striking art direction and animation. The series employs a unique visual style characterized by avant-garde design elements, abstract imagery, and symbolic motifs. The transformation sequences and witch battles are rendered with surreal and mesmerizing animation, enhancing the series’ dark and atmospheric tone.

The haunting and atmospheric soundtrack composed by Yuki Kajiura complements the series’ emotional depth and thematic complexity. The use of choral arrangements and melancholic melodies heightens the drama and tension of key moments, contributing to the overall immersive experience.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica received widespread critical acclaim and has become a cult favorite among anime enthusiasts. The series was lauded for its innovative storytelling, bold visual presentation, and thought-provoking themes. “Madoka Magica” has since inspired numerous spin-offs, films, and merchandise, solidifying its legacy as a seminal work within the magical girl genre.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant anime that defies expectations and challenges the conventions of its genre. With its amazing narrative, complex characters, and stunning visual aesthetics, the series offers a nice exploration of human desires and the price of pursuing power. Whether you’re a fan of dark fantasy or character-driven drama, “Madoka Magica” delivers a compelling and unforgettable viewing experience that continues to grabes audiences with its timeless themes and artistic vision.

1. Buddy Complex

In Buddy Complex, mecha pilot Aoba experiences a sudden and disorienting leap from the future into the midst of a battlefield set one year in the past. There, he forms an unlikely alliance with student soldier Dio, as they join forces to pilot the formidable Buddy Complex robot. Their burgeoning friendship becomes the cornerstone of their collaboration, as they synchronize their fighting techniques across the temporal divide.

Amidst Aoba’s struggle to find a way back to his original timeline, he and Dio find themselves embroiled in a complex temporal conflict, fraught with devastating secrets that threaten their shared future. Buddy Complex seamlessly blends classic mecha action with intricate time-travel twists throughout its 13 episodes, offering viewers a thrilling and immersive experience.

This anime series is characterized by its stunning mecha animation sequences, which expertly highlight the synchronized combat maneuvers executed by the two main characters, Aoba and Dio. Through its dynamic storytelling and fascinating visuals, Buddy Complex emerges as a standout entry in the genre of time travel anime.

“Buddy Complex” is a Japanese mecha anime series produced by Sunrise. Directed by Yasuhiro Tanabe, the anime aired in 2014 and consists of 13 episodes. “Buddy Complex” is known for its action-packed mecha battles, time-travel elements, and themes of friendship and loyalty.

The story follows Aoba Watase, a high school student who finds himself transported from the year 2014 to the future, specifically the year 2088. In this future world, Earth is embroiled in a war between two factions: the Free Pact Alliance and the Zogilia Republic. During a battle, Aoba encounters a powerful mecha called Valiancer and its pilot, Dio Junyou Weinberg.

After a series of events, Aoba becomes involved in the conflict and pilots his own Valiancer to fight alongside Dio and his comrades in the Free Pact Alliance. As Aoba adapts to this unfamiliar future and navigates the complexities of war, he forms close bonds with his fellow pilots and learns the truth behind the mysterious time-travel phenomenon.

Buddy Complex explores themes of teamwork, camaraderie, and the impact of choices made in times of conflict. The series emphasizes the importance of mutual trust and support among allies, highlighting the bonds that form between individuals facing adversity together.

The motif of time travel serves as a narrative device to explore the intersection of past and future, as well as the consequences of altering the course of history. Aoba’s journey through time enables him to gain new perspectives on life and relationships, ultimately shaping his growth as a character.

The series features exhilarating mecha battles with impressive animation and choreography. The Valiancers, piloted by the main characters, engage in dynamic combat sequences against enemy forces, showcasing a variety of weapons and combat techniques. The action-packed scenes add excitement and intensity to the storyline.

While “Buddy Complex” primarily focuses on mecha battles and action, it also incorporates character development and interpersonal relationships. Aoba’s interactions with Dio and other members of the Free Pact Alliance allow for moments of introspection and growth, as he learns to trust his comrades and confront his own fears.

Visually, Buddy Complex features detailed mecha designs and fluid animation during combat scenes. The character designs are distinct and expressive, capturing the personalities of each pilot. The soundtrack, composed by Tatsuya Katou, complements the series with epic and energetic musical scores that enhance the excitement of battle sequences.

Buddy Complex received a generally positive reception from viewers, particularly fans of mecha anime. While the series was praised for its thrilling action and well-animated battles, some critics noted that the plot and character development could be predictable at times. Despite this, “Buddy Complex” remains a solid entry in the mecha genre, appealing to audiences looking for intense mecha combat and themes of friendship.

Buddy Complex is an entertaining mecha anime that delivers thrilling action, dynamic mecha battles, and themes of camaraderie and loyalty. While it may not break new ground in terms of narrative complexity, the series offers an enjoyable viewing experience for fans of mecha and sci-fi anime. If you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping battles and mecha-driven excitement, “Buddy Complex” is worth checking out for its well-executed action sequences and engaging character dynamics.

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The 25 Most Popular Anime Of All Time (According To MyAnimeList)

It's hard to choose which anime is the best, thankfully MyAnimeList shows which series fans love the most.

As is the case with any other form of media, watching Japanese anime can be a deeply personal experience, with many series leaving a long-lasting mark on viewers. It's common for fans to take to the internet in support of their favorite series, with sites such as MyAnimeList making it easier than ever for like-minded fans to come together and do so. This allows sites like MyAnimeList to rank the most popular anime of all time according to the fans.

MyAnimeList ranks its titles in several different ways, with the Most Popular tab sorting shows by how many fans have joined a certain anime's community. Each of the top ten most famous anime have upwards of a staggering two-and-a-half million fans, and the top three manage to go over three million. Through the shared community setting, the most watched anime only continue to grow in popularity as more fans gather. With anime constantly growing and changing, the lists shift as new anime rise through the ranks to reach the coveted top 10 most popular anime.

Update on February 8th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list has also been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards and includes a few brand-new entries as well.

25 Akame Ga Kill! Features A Team Of Assassins

Akame ga kill.

A countryside boy named Tatsumi sets out on a journey to The Capital to make a name for himself and meets a seemingly dangerous group of Assassins known as Night Raid. Their journey begins.

Akame Ga Kill! Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.47
• Anime Planet: 3.9/5

Akame Ga Kill! is a dark shonen action anime that relies on blood, gore, and torture to make its fight scenes more intense and its villains more despicable. Protagonist Tatsumi decided to become an adventurer, only to quickly realize that the world is a brutal place filled with twisted people.

Tatsumi will join Night Raid, a group of assassins who oppose the cruel Empire and its ways, and learn to fight. The members of Night Raid use special rare weapons called Imperial Arms, and they'll need all the firepower they can muster against their even deadlier enemies across the hostile Empire. All this adds up to a pretty cool action/adventure anime, but Akame Ga Kill! lacks that mythical "it" factor that the very best anime have, so it ranks low among the most popular anime ever.

24 Erased Is A Time-Travel Adventure

Erased (2016).

29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma is sent back in time 18 years to prevent the events leading to his mother's death, which began with a series of kidnappings while he was in 5th grade.

Erased Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.3
• Anime Planet: 4.3/5

Fans of Tokyo Revengers , a shonen anime about the hero going back in time to his teenage years to save the day, might also enjoy Erase d. This anime stars the adult lead Satoru Fujinuma, who goes back in time to his youth to save lives. Then he goes back to 1988 after he's wrongly accused of murder, and he wonders if the murder case is connected to the abduction of his childhood friend.

Finding the truth in the past won't be easy, but for the sake of himself and his classmates, Satoru must try his best, and a tense and exciting adventure will soon follow.

23 Angel Beats! Is About School & Unresolved Personal Baggage

Angel beats.

Rebellious teens fight in armed combat against one dispassionate girl's supernatural powers in an afterlife high school.

Angel Beats! Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.06
• Anime Planet: 4.1/5

Angel Beats! may look like a wacky high school anime series with fantasy and light isekai elements, but it's much more than that. Angel Beats! became a top anime series because of its intriguing true premise and its heartfelt themes. Protagonist Yuzuru Otonashi will awaken in a strange, isolated high school where the student council president, Angel Tachibana, is evidently a deadly foe. That means Angel Beats! is no ordinary high school anime , no matter its setting.

However, this school and Angel are not what they seem, and Yuzuru will get to the bottom of it soon enough. He and the other students are in this purgatory-like school because they have unresolved business, and perhaps Angel is not so bad after all — Yuzuru and the other students might actually need her help.

22 Noragami Stars A Cast Of Japanese Gods & Spirits

Minor deity Yato’s life is saved when middle school student, Hiyori Iki, protects Yato from a car accident. This fateful encounter intertwines their destinies and sets them on a journey to change their fortune. This supernatural adventure is not without its moments of humor.

Noragami Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.95

Noragami is a popular fantasy action anime series that should appeal to fans of series like InuYasha , Bleach , Jujutsu Kaisen , and Demon Slayer . Even if Noragami isn't quite an instant classic like the others, it's still one of the most popular anime of the 2010s. It's worth a watch for any anime who's caught up on the must-watch shonen titles.

The story of Noragami starts small, focusing on the obscure minor god Yato and his new human friend Hiyori Iki, who can now see spirits and deities. They make a great team hunting spirits, but later on, many more Japanese gods, including some big names, will enter the picture as a great divine battle unfolds.

21 Bocchi The Rock! Is A Hilarious Comedy About Music And Social Anxiety

Bocchi the rock.

Hitori "Bocchi-chan" Goto is a lonely high school girl whose heart lies in her guitar; she meets Nijika Ijichi and joins "Kessoku Band."

The Real-Life Guitars & Drums From Bocchi the Rock! – And Where to Buy Them

Bocchi the rock scores:.

• MyAnimeList: 8.8
• Anime Planet: 4.33/5

Bocchi the Rock! aired for 12 episodes in the Fall 2022 anime season, where it became a sleeper hit like nothing anime fans had ever seen. Even the original manga's author was shocked by Bocchi 's explosive popularity, suggesting that this wonderful comedy anime has a strong "it" factor that really draws in the crowds. Anime fans can't wait for another season of Bocchi the Rock! and its upcoming movie.

Bocchi the Rock! won over legions of fans with its sharp blend of cool rock music, hysterical humor, "cute girls doing cute things," and its charming underdog story of the skilled but incredibly shy protagonist, Hitori Gotoh/Bocchi. After practicing the guitar alone at home for a few years, Hitori pushed herself to start playing for live audiences and join a band, and it worked — though her overwhelming social anxiety remained a serious challenge to overcome.

20 Re:Zero: Starting Life In Another World Is A Brutal But Fascinating Isekai Romance

Re:zero − starting life in another world.

After being suddenly transported to another world, Subaru Natsuki and his new female partner are brutally murdered. However, Subaru awakens to a familiar scene, meeting the same girl again. The day begins to mysteriously repeat itself.

Re:Zero Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.23

Re:Zero is one of the most popular isekai anime titles out there, even if its premise sounds highly conventional at first. Sure enough, protagonist Subaru Natsuki is a tracksuit-wearing NEET self-insert who ended up in a fantasy world of elves and monsters, but this series found creative and brutal ways to push this familiar formula into new territory.

From the start, Re:Zero tantalized viewers with ongoing mysteries such as who Satella is, how/why Subaru even got here, and why he keeps coming back to life at pre-set checkpoints every time he dies. Everything about Re:Zero makes it an outstanding isekai that's more than the sum of its parts, including a highly debated love triangle between Subaru, the half-elf Emilia, and the popular ogre girl Rem . It's definitely one of the best isekai, but perhaps due to general isekai burnout, Re:Zero actually ranks a bit low among the most popular anime, despite its many strengths.

19 Your Lie In April Is About Music And Healing The Heart

Your lie in april.

A piano prodigy who lost his ability to play after suffering a traumatic event in his childhood is forced back into the spotlight by an eccentric girl with a secret of her own.

Why This High School Music Anime Is Often Mistaken as a Shojo Series

Your lie in april anime scores:.

• MyAnimeList: 8.65
• IMDb: 8.6/10

Your Lie in April is a well-respected tearjerker of an anime. Even if Your Lie in April can easily make anime fans cry with an aching heart, it also has strong themes of rekindled hope, the power of music, and most of all, the power of friendship and love. That makes it a powerfully bittersweet anime and made secure its position as one of the most popular anime of all time.

In Your Lie in April , the teenaged Kosei Arima feels lost and empty, since his abusive mother took all the joy out of playing the piano. Then Kosei will meet the lively Kaori Miyazono, whose burning passion for music will inspire her new friend Kosei to reignite his own love of music — and finally hear the piano's keys once again.

18 Toradora! Is A Surprisingly Dramatic Rom-Com Series

Toradora (2008).

Toradora tells the tale of Ryuji (dragon) and Taiga (tiger) helping each other confess to their crushes.

Toradora! Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.07

While many of the most popular anime of all time are shonen or seinen action series, Toradora! is a finely crafted romantic comedy instead, with enough drama to give the story some much-needed emotional weight. Toradora! shows what happens when two very different people unexpectedly fall in love but aren't fully ready to go the distance until they grow up a little more.

The gentle protagonist Ryuji Takasu had a crush on the genki girl Minori Kushieda, while his tsundere classmate Taiga Aisaka had eyes for Ryuji's pal Yusaku Kitamura. What follows is a bizarre, hilarious, and heartfelt story of four teenagers trying to untangle their confusing romantic feelings and determine what it is they truly want from each other — and themselves.

17 Code Geass Is A Complex Sci-Fi Action Anime About Fighting For Freedom

Code geass: lelouch of the rebellion (2006).

After being given a mysterious power to control others, an outcast prince becomes the masked leader of the rebellion against an all-powerful empire.

Code Geass Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.7

The sci-fi anime series Code Geass ranks highly among the most popular anime of all time, and its antihero, Lelouch Lamperouge, stands as the most popular anime character on MAL. Clearly, this high-IQ action anime is doing a lot of things right with its characters and story, hence its stellar reputation.

Code Geass takes place in the future after the vast Britannia Empire conquered Japan and renamed it Area 11. Lelouch will play both sides of the ongoing struggle to achieve his own lofty goals, making friends and enemies all over the place as he goes. This series has it all: futuristic combat scenes, giant robots, lively characters, heartfelt drama, and the unique power of the Geass in Lelouch's eyes.

16 A Silent Voice Is About Communication & Forgiveness

A silent voice.

A young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.

A Silent Voice Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.93
• Anime Planet: 4.5

A Silent Voice is a highly popular anime movie based on the seven-volume manga series of the same name. It's a romance drama anime that's about not just the consequences of bullying in school, but two people desperately trying to hear and understand one another despite their differences.

In A Silent Voice , Shoya Ishida tormented his classmate Shoko Nishimia in 6th grade, and it cost him dearly when his disgusted classmates alienated him. Years later, in 12th grade, a remorseful Shoya will strive to make amends with Shoko, if she and her family are ready to hear him out and possibly forgive what he has done.

15 No Game No Life Is An Isekai Anime About High-IQ Gaming

No game no life.

Siblings Sora and Shiro make up the most feared team of pro gamers in the world, The Blank. When they manage to beat God himself in a game of chess, they are sent to a world where all disputes are settled with games.

No Game No Life Anime Scores:

• Anime Planet: 4.2/5

No Game No Life is one of the most popular isekai anime titles in the anime industry today and is also one of the most popular anime of all time of any genre. This series is still stuck at just one season, but passionate fans don't mind, because the material they do get is quality over quantity.

No Game No Life stars the foster brother/sister duo Sora and Shiro, who share the identity [BLANK] while playing online games. Now they've been isekai'd to a colorful world where games resolve all conflicts, so Sora and Shiro will eagerly dive right in and conquer this game with their devious tactics. This means No Game No Life ranks near the middle among the most-watched anime of all, though due to its short length and unresolved ending, it can't compete with the industry's very best.

14 Frieren: Journey's End Explores The True Meaning Of Immortality

Frieren: beyond journey's end.

An elf and her friends defeat a demon king in a great war. But the war is over, and the elf must search for a new way of life.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 9.13
• Anime Planet: 4.55/5

Any fantasy anime series can show a Dungeons and Dragons -style team of heroes fighting cool monsters and defeating the obligatory demon king supervillain, but not just any series will show what happens next. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is all about that under-explored phase of a fantasy hero's life, viewed through the eyes of Frieren the long-lived elf lady. Frieren is an emotionally sensitive kuudere who must contend with the pain of seeing everyone she loves die over the long decades and centuries.

When the story begins, Frieren and her three adventurer friends have already taken down the demon king, so Frieren must decide what her post-adventure life looks like — and actually appreciate the short-lived people around her this time. Humans will come and go in Frieren's long life, so she must truly value and understand them during their short time in the world. All that adds up to an emotionally resonant anime that breathes new life into the fantasy genre, and fans responded with enthusiasm.

13 Jujutsu Kaisen Is A Terrific Horror/Action Anime Series

Jujutsu kaisen.

A boy swallows a cursed talisman - the finger of a demon - and becomes cursed himself. He enters a shaman's school to be able to locate the demon's other body parts and thus exorcise himself.

Is Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie Canon?

Jujutsu kaisen anime scores:.

• MyAnimeList: 8.63
• Anime Planet: 4.5/5

Jujutsu Kaisen ranks among the best anime to watch in the 21st century, being a spiritual successor to Bleac h and a member of the popular "dark trio" alongside Hell's Paradise and Chainsaw Man . The Jujutsu Kaisen anime stars protagonist Yuji Itadori , who just gained curse power and must fight monstrous curses to save humanity.

Jujutsu Kaisen has many things working in its favor, from its intriguing fantasy combat system to its well-designed characters and strong horror/action elements, plus ample humor. The anime also recently got a second season in the Summer and Fall 2023 seasons, and fans can also try out the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie for more fantasy fun.

12 Steins;Gate Is A Smart Anime About Time Travel

Steins;gate (2011).

After discovering time travel, a university student and his colleagues must use their knowledge of it to stop an evil organization and their diabolical plans.

Steins;Gate Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 9.07
• Anime Planet: 4.4/5

Why Steins;Gate Is Considered One of Anime's Best English Dubs

The ultra-popular anime series Steins;Gate is based on a 2009 visual novel game of the same name — a time-bending science fiction adventure that anime fans still love to this very day. Rintaro Okabe is a self-proclaimed "mad scientist" working in Akihabara, Tokyo, where he soon stumbles upon a mystery surrounding Kurisu Makise.

Kurisu seemed dead at first, but she is very much alive, and Rintaro's messages sometimes arrive before he can even send them. Then he learns that his cell phone-operated microwave oven can send D-mails through time, leading to a whirlwind adventure of science, time travel shenanigans, and high-stakes mysteries.

11 Your Name. Is Makoto Shinkai's Anime Movie Masterpiece

Your name (2016).

Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.

Your Name. Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.84

Your Name. released in 2016 and quickly established itself as one of the most critically acclaimed and popular anime movies of all time, competing well even against the best Studio Ghibli titles. Even now, Your Name. is director Makoto Shinkai 's crowning achievement, though Mr. Shinkai's other movies shouldn't be overlooked.

Your Name. started as a fun body-swap story between a Tokyo student and a girl living in rural Japan, but it soon became far more. The girl, Mitsuha, mysteriously stopped swapping bodies, and the boy, Taki, went on an emotional journey to find and possibly save her at any cost, even though he couldn't remember her name.

10 Hunter x Hunter Introduced The Nen Combat System

Hunter x hunter.

Gon Freecss aspires to become a Hunter, an exceptional being capable of greatness. With his friends and his potential, he seeks out his father, who left him when he was younger.

Hunter x Hunter Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 9.04

Hunter x Hunter is one of the most famous anime of the 2010s, a shonen series that follows protagonist Gon Freecss, who spends the majority of his young life believing that both of his parents are dead. After it's revealed that his father is not only alive, but a renowned Hunter, Gon sets off on a journey to become a Hunter himself, believing it will help him find his father.

Gon has to pass the Hunter Exam before he can set out, and it's here that he meets Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua. They're all incredibly different characters, but they still band together for the sake of their goals, setting off on an unforgettable journey for both the main characters and the viewers. With all Hunter X Hunter has to offer, there's no surprise it's become one of the most popular anime of all time at #10, with nine series proving to be even more popular among mainstream anime fans.

9 Tokyo Ghoul Is A Dark Story Starring A Half-Other Antihero

Tokyo ghoul.

A Tokyo college student is attacked by a ghoul, a superpowered human who feeds on human flesh. He survives, but has become part ghoul and becomes a fugitive on the run.

15 Anime to Watch If You Love Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo ghoul anime scores:.

• MyAnimeList: 7.79

The premise of Tokyo Ghoul is equally dark and compelling. In a world where ghouls live alongside humans in secrecy, Kaneki Ken is almost killed by his date Rize when she reveals herself as a ghoul and attempts to feed on his flesh. He becomes a half-ghoul during surgery, as some of Rize's organs have been transplanted into him.

Tokyo Ghoul centers around Kaneki attempting to get a handle on his new life as a half-ghoul. While fans of the original manga feel that the popular anime adaptation suffers for how much it attempts to adapt in so few episodes, viewers starting out with Tokyo Ghoul adore it for its action scenes and soundtrack.

8 Naruto Helped Define An Era Of Shonen Action Anime

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village's leader and strongest ninja.

Naruto Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.99
• Anime Planet: 4.0/5

Naruto is both a gateway anime for many new viewers and one that sticks with them throughout their lives, as it has become one of the most popular anime of all time. The young outcast Naruto Uzumaki dreams of one day becoming the Hokage, a position that demands admiration and respect from everyone in the Hidden Leaf village.

Alongside his teammates, Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto grows exponentially as both a person and a shinobi. Naruto teaches viewers unforgettable life lessons while endearing viewers to its large and colorful cast at the same time, and viewers feel as if they grow up alongside the Konoha 11.

7 Demon Slayer Is A Heartfelt Shonen Fantasy Adventure

Demon slayer: kimetsu no yaiba.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is unarguably one of the best anime in the past year, and one of the best anime of the past decade. Swordsmen that move with the grace of dancers, savage demons imbued with horrific powers and flashes of steel that strike at the perfect moment are hallmarks of this remarkable series.

Demon Slayer Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 8.49

One of the most popular titles in recent years, Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado, who comes back home to virtually his entire family having been killed by demons , after being gone for only a single night. The only survivor is his sister, Nezuko, but he horrifyingly realizes that she herself has been turned into a demon.

Demon Slayer puts a heavy focus on the theme of familial bonds, as Tanjiro swears to avenge his family while helping Nezuko hang onto what's left of her humanity. By now, Demon Slayer is one of the most-watched anime series of its generation thanks to its winning combination of fantastic animation, fun characters, great action sequences, and a strong emotional core.

6 My Hero Academia Is An Excellent Superhero Shonen Series

My hero academia.

Usually, anime and manga connoisseurs tell you to read the manga before watching the anime - it’s the equivalent to reading the book before watching the film or TV series. However, My Hero Academia slaps that lesson in the face, making the anime an incredible series to watch without having to read the manga. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where they have become commonplace, but who still dreams of becoming a hero himself.

My Hero Academia Anime Scores:

• MyAnimeList: 7.88

My Hero Academia has become one of the most-watched shonen anime since its release. Izuku Midoriy/Deku is a Quirkless kid in a world full of Quirk-powered superheroes, but he never gives up on his dream of wanting to be just like his hero All Might.

After being blessed with an incredibly powerful Quirk from All Might, the number-one Pro Hero himself, Izuku's struggles become about controlling his newfound power without hurting himself in the process. Along the way, he meets not only colorful classmates who support him while chasing their own dreams, but dastardly villains set on destroying the world as well.

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The 20 best time travel k-dramas, ranked.

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15 Steamy K-Dramas You Should Watch Today

10 k-dramas with heartbreaking plot twists, 10 times female k-drama characters were total bosses.

• Time travel in K-dramas elevates romantic stories, solving crimes or creating epic romances separated by centuries.
• The best time travel K-dramas cleverly use the trope to tell captivating stories with unique twists and engaging narratives.
• From romantic to historical to political intrigue, time travel shows in Korean television offer diverse and compelling storylines.

The idea of traveling through time is a powerful storytelling tool popularized by Hollywood movies, anime series, and the best time travel K-dramas . For K-dramas, the past often involves the Joseon era, riddled with political distress, turmoil, and drama. In some cases, K-dramas get creative and use time travel to solve crimes, like a heinous murder from the past, or with clues unraveling through time. In others, time travel is the narrative catalyst for an epic romance story of lovers separated by centuries.

Not surprisingly, many of the best K-dramas involving time travel use the concept to elevate romantic stories with a sci-fi or fantasy twist. In fact, this happens so much that K-drama audiences largely agree that it's become an overused plot device. That said, whether they are mainly romantic, detective, or historical K-dramas , there are dozens that cleverly use time travel to continue telling captivating stories, and the best time travel K-dramas use the trope to tell some of the most unique stories on the small screen.

The Best K-Dramas Based On Webtoons, Ranked

These top K-dramas ranked were once all popular webtoons and either got their start on the webtoons.com site or other sites and platforms.

20 My Perfect Stranger

Released in 2023.

• Available to stream on KOCOWA

When the two cross paths, they find that maybe their time traveling, and their lives, are actually linked to one another.

While most Korean dramas involving time traveling only see one character do the actual time traveling, My Perfect Stranger takes a risk in making both of its main characters time travelers . One does so on purpose though, while the other does not, which is where much of the intrigue comes from.

Hae Jun (Kim Dong Wook) is a journalist investigating a serial murder case who discovers a time machine and uses it to follow his own investigation. Yoon Young (Jin Ki Joo) discovers her mother dead and is then struck by a car, waking up in the same time that Hae Jun traveled to. As is true for many time travelers, they become trapped instead of able to travel between times. When the two cross paths, they find that maybe their time traveling, and their lives, are actually linked to one another.

Released In 2017

• Available to stream on Roku

Instead of traveling to the past, Tunnel is a time travel K-drama that takes the audience to the future - in a manner of speaking. The present-day of the story is actually 1985 in which a string of murders are being investigated. When the detective (Choi Jin Hyuk) pursuing a lead runs after a suspect through a tunnel, he’s hit in the head and ends up 30 years in the future.

The murder mystery element of the series is inspired by a real string of serial killings in Korea, but the story is very much fictional. While the show presents itself as a murder mystery with a time-travel element, there’s also a romantic subplot and a family at the center of the story that makes it a drama that really shines. Incredibly popular outside of South Korea as well, Tunnel has been adapted for Thai television and an Indonesian remake is in development.

10 Must Watch K-Dramas That Aren’t Romances (& Where To Stream Them)

Want to enjoy some new TV series from Korea but without all the love and sappy sentimentality of some K-dramas? Check out these 10 great options.

18 Familiar Wife

Released in 2018.

A married man (Ji-Sung) with two kids is unhappy in his life. He’s depressed, hates his wife, and is unsatisfied at work. If he had only made different choices in his youth, he might have had a happier life. After traveling through a toll booth and losing control of his car, he winds up in the past and is able to change some of those decisions.

This is one time travel series that doesn't confine the protagonist to one time. Able to travel back and forth between the past and the present, he’s able to see how his different decisions have big outcomes later in life. It’s a similar concept to something like Sliding Doors but with many small changes to help someone understand their path in life. The music truly helps set the stage in the series as well with the soundtrack being nominated at the Korea Drama Awards.

Released In 2021

• Available to stream on Rakuten Viki

Times isn’t a traditional time travel K-drama in which one character is transported to another time period completely. Instead, the time travel is a result of a phone line that is able to traverse timelines. Several series have used similar ideas, often with the use of radios instead of phones, with varying degrees of success.

Two journalists, one in 2015 and one in 2020, connect over the use of the same phone line. Initially, they work together to prevent the death of one of their fathers, but while investigating, they uncover a conspiracy that involves time travel and corrupt politicians. The series is definitely a unique take among the time travel shows created for Korean television, which usually focus on history and a romantic subplot instead of political intrigue. While the series didn't reach widespread acclaim, star Lee Joo-young was nominated for Best New Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

16 Tomorrow With You

While Tomorrow With You does use romance like most time travel K-dramas do, it also has a unique idea for the time travel itself. While most Korean time travel shows involve time traveling by accident, the main character in Tomorrow With You can decide to travel in time. It’s also done so while traveling the subway instead of falling through a portal or suffering a life-threatening injury in order to do it.

Yoo So-Joon (Lee Je-Hoon) takes on time-traveling adventures when he discovers that Ma-Rin (Shin Min-A) and he are linked by a tragic accident in the future. Intrigued by her, he decides to save both her and himself. He believes that he can change their fates thanks to his ability, but he has to figure out just how they are connected. He resolves to marry her in order to make sure, and they become truly linked as he falls in love.

15 The Best Hit

In The Best Hit, 1993 K-pop idol Yoo Hyun-Jae (Yoon Shi-yoon) gets accidentally transported to 2017, discovers that he is presumed dead after he disappeared in 1994, and investigates why he traveled through time. He does all this while struggling with living in the future, of course. Meanwhile, Hyun-Jae's biological son, Lee Ji-Hoon (Kim Min-jae), is secretly training to become an idol himself and is even enrolled in Star Punch Entertainment's program - while making his parents believe that he's studying for the civil service exams.

Also known as Hit the Top , and Best Punch , The Best Hit is an underrated gem in the world of the best time travel K-dramas. It's also an interesting way for the audience to get a look at what it takes to become a pop idol. Some of the stars of the series are also popular musicians. Kim Min-jae, for example, is also a rap artist and was nominated for the Best New Actor award at the Seoul Awards following the debut of the show.

14 Sisyphus: The Myth

• Available to stream on Netflix

The storyline introduces a character who travels from the future to his current time.

This 2021 Netflix K-drama has some serious Terminator vibes to it, but it's full of good laughs, color, and drama. Han Tae-Sul (Cho Seung-woo) is a talented engineer who is determined to uncover the real reason behind his older brother's murder. If that wasn't enough, the storyline introduces a character who travels from the future to his current time. In the future, the world is dominated by gangs and military cliques. Survival entails having serious combat skills, and Gang Seo-Hae (Park Shin-Hye) is just the right warrior.

She travels back in time to help Tae-Sul on his dangerous journey after learning key evidence about his brother's death. What's interesting is that the series doesn't focus solely on the one-way time travel trip, but insists that the two main characters are responsible for breaking a time loop. Some critics disliked that Sisyphus: The Myth breaks its own established rules about time traveling, but it certainly keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

13 Splash Splash Love

Released in 2015.

Splash Splash Love is one of those K-dramas that combine time travel with romance . In the television series, a high-school student gets transported to 15th-century Korea. She soon meets the young king of the kingdom who wants to learn more about mathematics. Thankfully, the heroine of the show is a patient teacher who is more than willing to tutor the King.

Splash Splash Love is a quick and easy watch as it is one of the shortest K-dramas out there, with only two episodes. This is part of why the show has near-perfect pacing and ranks among the best time travel K-dramas. It was originally broadcast as a 10-part webseries on Naver TV Cast. Its popularity led to it being edited into two hour-long episodes, so binging it is really like watching a movie.

12 Rooftop Prince

Released in 2012.

Rooftop Prince has a lot of storylines to process, but they're well worth it. The titular protagonist is a prince who wakes up in present-day 2012, even though he's actually from the Korean Joseon dynasty/era . The crown prince and his two confidants find themselves on the rooftop of Park-ha's (Han Ji-min) home. After the prince realizes he's time-traveled 300 years into the future, he also sees the long-lost sister of Park-ha - who is the spitting image of his late wife who drowned.

The prince is convinced he will find the answers to his past in 2012 and poses as the grandson of a powerful CEO, who in reality was killed by another family member. Both the characters of the past and the characters of the present have intense backstories and the series leans into the soap-opera-like aspects of those. It works in the show's favor, as the series has become even more popular outside of Korea than in its home. It is most popular in Japan and China.

K-dramas like Love & Leashes are full of passion and romance, but what are some other similarly hot and steamy K-drama series?

11 The King: Eternal Monarch

Released in 2020.

Not only does The King: Eternal Monarch have a phenomenal female lead in Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), but it's also full of riveting action, features a unique story of parallel worlds, and is also one of the unique time travel K-Dramas available on Netflix. In the show, there are two co-existing realities: present-day South Korea and the Kingdom of Corea.

The current king of Corea witnessed his father's murder as a child at the hands of his uncle. When he discovers a doorway to the parallel world and present-day South Korea, he also discovers that his uncle has been traveling between the two worlds and trying to raise his own army. The king must stop his uncle, but along the way, he learns the truth about the mysterious figure who once saved his life and finds he must travel to a moment in the past. The series explores the idea of a single moment in time altering someone's whole reality.

10 Queen In-Hyun's Man

A Joseon Dynasty scholar meets an aspiring actress in the year 2012 in the political and romantic Korean drama , Queen In-Hyun's Man, one of the best time travel K-dramas. In 1694, a noble-born scholar is the only survivor after his family was murdered, but there's a bigger story at play while he supports the reinstatement of the deposed queen and there's a conspiracy involving a royal concubine. Due to a magical talisman, he time travels 300 years into the future and meets an actress who he has a connection with.

What makes the rom-com elements of the scholar from the past meeting the actress from the future is that the actress, so far, is not a household name. instead, her big break is about to be playing Queen In-Hyun, the very woman the scholar is a supporter of.

The time travel K-drama Faith follows the story of a plastic surgeon who gets transported to 14th-century Goryeo. She soon learns that a royal guard warrior was the reason why she was brought back more than 600 years into the past. The royal guard begs the plastic surgeon to help their injured queen. However, the plastic surgeon has actually caught feelings for her kidnapper.

Faith is considered one of the better time travel and fantasy-themed romance K-dramas thanks to the stellar performances of the actors, as well as the detailed story that shines a light on Korean history and mythology. It's also got a multi-layered title. While the literal translation of the title is "faith" as in "belief in justice," the Hanja lettering (Chinese letters used to write Korean) actually means "divine doctor," allowing the audience to understand that both terms are important to the long-term storyline of the show.

8 Nine: Nine Time Travels

Released in 2013.

In the time travel K-drama Nine: Nine Time Travels , Park Sun-woo (Lee Jin-wook) discovers nine incense sticks that could take him back 20 years in time. He uses his time in the past to save his family, who have been victims of a terrible tragedy. However, he needs to be extra careful when he goes back in time, as he can only do it nine times - the twist that makes Nine: Nine one of the best time travel K-dramas. Park soon finds out that whatever he changes in the past also resonates and affects his present life.

The K-drama was nominated for several awards across Korea for its great cast and romantic storyline, including snagging nominations at the Korean Drama Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards. It also became popular outside of Korea, broadcast on television in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The Smile will definitely Leave Your Eyes with these shocking and heartbreaking K-Drama plot twists.

7 Go Back Couple

Inspired by a webtoon called Do It One More Time , Go Back Couple (also simply called Go Back in some regions) is a Korean miniseries where a couple wishes that they never met each other. They have both become unhappy and exhausted with their marriage and wish they could have changed their unhappiness at the seeming source of all of their problems - meeting each other. The couple soon finds that they've reverted to their 20-year-old selves, faced with trying to make decisions that will make their future selves happy and satisfied.

The show features plenty of funny and heartwarming moments that will make viewers swoon — and an ending that will surely tug at the heartstrings of every long-time K-drama viewer. After its broadcast, the series was nominated for a slew of KBS Drama Awards, picking up two, one for Best Couple for the lead actors in Son Ho-jun and Jang Na-ra, and Excellence Award for Actress in a Miniseries for Jan Na-ra.

6 Chicago Typewriter

• Currently unavailable to stream

Out of the most compelling and best time travel K-dramas (as well as general fantasy K-Dramas ), Chicago Typewriter is the only one that's about reincarnation rather than strictly about traveling through time. Three resistance fighters from the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea find themselves in a new time period, but not because of mysterious scientific machines or magical objects. Instead, the three are reincarnated as a writer, a fan, and a ghostwriter.

Switching between the 1930s and the 21st century, these three characters start to see parallels between both time periods. As they start to uncover the truth behind their pasts, they worry about how it might affect their present. K-drama fans tired of the same old romantic comedy fare will love the truly unique story elements of Chicago Typewriter. The series was also filmed on location around Seoul, South Korea, so fans will enjoy picking out the real sites.

Released In 2016

• Available to stream on Paramount+

Signal has a storyline that not many shows have explored, but it works wonders in enthralling its audience. The outstanding police procedural K-drama is also a thriller, as it was inspired by real-life crime stories and a murder case, and the show interweaves two different timelines. The series pulls inspiration from the time travel aspect of the movie Frequency and the real-life Hwaseong serial murders in Korea.

While investigating a case, a cold case profiler discovers a walkie-talkie from the year 1989. He deduces that the walkie-talkie transcends time and allows him to communicate with a detective from 1989 for a short period of time. Together, they use their knowledge to stop heinous crimes from ever occurring — a unique concept that cements Signal 's status among the best time travel K-dramas.

4 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Moon lovers: scarlet heart ryeo (2016).

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is inarguably one of the most talked-about time travel K-dramas (as well as being a remake) . It has everything from time travel and romance to drama and political intrigue, not to mention some of the most heart-wrenching scenes.

Be wary of total solar eclipses, as that is what is responsible for a 25-year-old woman (IU) living in the 21st century being transported back to the Goryeo Dynasty. Waking up in a new identity, she is among the royal princes of the Wang family. While she initially finds herself falling for a kind-hearted prince, she is soon pulled in by the brooding and dark fourth prince, and the dynasty's political bickering. She ends up right in the middle of the power struggle of the different princes.

K-dramas are full of strong female lead characters who go against tropes and fight for justice. These are the best times they were total bosses.

3 Life on Mars

It's evident that among the best time travel K-dramas, the use of time anomalies is a common trope for crime stories, but the detective drama Life on Mars stands out for being truly unpredictable. Adapted from a British drama, Life on Mars follows the cop Han Tae-Joo (Jung Kyoung-Ho), who is investigating what seems to be an ordinary murder case in 2018 — until he wakes up in 1987. In order to get back to 2018, he needs to solve a murder in 1987 first.

Life on Mars ' premise is simple enough, but its hilarious script, fast-paced mysteries, and astounding reveals make it a well-rounded series that's equally enjoyable for both first-time and long-time K-drama viewers. The series also won for Best Adaptation Of An Existing Format at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2018.

2 Live Up To Your Name

True to its title, Live Up To Your Name leverages its romance and fantasy elements.

Some of the best K-dramas don't really offer anything new to the genre - but instead build on traditional tropes to arrive at a truly compelling, inspiring, and relatable story. This is the case with Live Up To Your Name , in which the greatest male acupuncturist of the Joseon era travels 400 years into the future , striking a tense and sometimes clashing romance with a brilliant and gorgeous female doctor from 2017. True to its title, Live Up To Your Name leverages its romance and fantasy elements to craft the ultimate comedic time travel medical K-drama about destiny.

While the series wasn't a major award-winner, it did manage a surprising feat. The series finale more than doubled the viewership of the series premiere in South Korea (according to Nielsen). Interest in the series actually increased and ratings went up instead of leveling out as the series aired. While that's the opposite of what happens for most series broadcast on television, it's even more impressive because the show aired on a cable network rather than a free broadcast network.

1 Mr. Queen

Inspired by the Chinese web series Go Princess Go , Mr. Queen , features a hotshot male chef who finds himself transported to the Joseon era — not as himself, but in the body of the Queen Cheorin (Shin Hye-sun) — inadvertently unraveling the mystery behind the queen's supposed attempt at taking her own life. While trying to conform to the Joseon era as a woman, he gets caught in the political turmoil of the kingdom, and the king isn't the goofy and undermined ruler everyone assumes. He's cunning, mysterious, and seeking the truth behind those who wish to dethrone him.

The series remains one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history. Shin Hye-sun's performance as Queen Cheorin is largely why Mr. Queen is regarded by many as the best time travel K-dramas of all time.

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

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Ireland through the eyes of foreign travel writers: ‘English speaking, but not Britain. No hustle. Safe’

We join a group of international travel journalists and find the ireland they are shown is a john hinde postcard come alive.

Padraig Gannon founded Croagh Patrick Seafoods, located alongside Clew Bay, in the 1980s and has been farming oysters since. Photograph: Conor McKeown

Here’s an experiment for those readers who grew up in Ireland, or have since moved to Ireland. People who live here, in other words. If you had to choose three things to describe what you think the allure of Ireland is to the international visitor, what would those three words be?

This is the question I asked various international journalists who were in Ireland recently on a press trip hosted by Fáilte Ireland. As part of its international marketing budget, Fáilte Ireland regularly hosts journalists from around the world to showcase various elements of Ireland. There are food-themed press trips, culture, city breaks, coastal-based trips and many others. Some host only influencers, some host more traditional media from newspapers, magazines, guide books or travel websites.

The five-day trip that I joined for a day and a night was to promote 10 years of the branding of the Wild Atlantic Way , focusing on the northern counties. As we sat around a long table at a restaurant in Westport on the first night of the trip, I asked the visiting journalists three things that both they and their home audiences associated with Ireland as a destination.

“Landscape, music and fairies.”

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“Pubs, music and golf.”

“Rural landscapes. Beer. Pubs in scenic places.”

“Green, pubs, music.”

“Friendly people. Amazing landscapes. Pubs.”

“English speaking, but not Britain. No hustle. Safe.”

Getting the tour of Croagh Patrick Seafoods owner Padraig Gannon showing the travel writers the oyster beds. Photograph: Conor McKeown

I ask Ingrid Augustin, the German journalist from Schwabische Zeitung, what she means by “fairies”. I feel I must point out to the listening journalists that fairies do not reside in Ireland, or at least, they have never shown themselves to me. “The romantic feeling people have about Ireland,” Augustin says by way of explanation. “That Celtic thing. A green land. Traditional music. The Banshees of Inisherin. The wild Atlantic coastway that nobody knew existed until 10 years ago.”

We had started the day at Dublin Airport, where I joined up with the group as they arrived on various flights that morning or the evening before. Eight of the party of 10 were there: two were on delayed flights.

Caroline Cole, Fáilte Ireland’s international publicity officer, and long-time guide Conor Ellard are leading the group. A planned schedule waits for nobody, so arrangements were made for a car to meet the two delayed journalists later, and drive them to Westport. Don’t ask me what that taxi ride cost. I’d say it was a fortune.

Our driver is Jonny Bambury, who wears what looks to me like a trilby, as indeed does Ellard. Over the time I am with them, they put their hats on and take them off with fine flourishes.

The eight journalists and photographers on the bus are: Ursula Maxwell, Canadian, of Black Press; Alessia Trivelli, Italy, of Adnkronos; Olivia Le Sidaner, France, of routard.com ; Frank van der Vleuten, Netherlands, of De Telegraaf; Thomas Andreasen, Denmark, of Kristeligt Dagblad; Geert D’Hulster of Gazet Van Antwerpen, Belgium, of Het Nieuwsblad; Javier Garcia, Spain, of Destinos; and Ingrid Augustin. The two who will join us later that day are Christine Loomis and Mina Rahim.

Tourism Ireland, which markets the island of Ireland, estimates that overseas tourism was worth €6 billion in 2023.

“Between the 10 journalists on this trip, the potential audience reach will be in the region of 40 million,” Cole says.

Soon after we are settled in the minibus, Ellard takes a mic and starts speaking. The man should be on the radio with his own show, so mellifluous-sounding is his voice. It’s the first sunny day after weeks of rain and showers. Along with the population stats and where the Wild Atlantic Way begins and ends, he tells the visitors: “Irish people are quite obsessed by daylight hours and weather. We’re only over the winter solstice when we’re saying: ‘There’s a grand stretch in the evenings.’”

When the ‘reek’ of Croagh Patrick is pointed out, its tiny church at the top clearly visible on this clear day, Andreasen asks: ‘Is it the main form of tourism here?’ And, ‘Are there hotels up there? Can you stay the night?’

Our first overnight is to be in Westport, at the Clew Bay Hotel. On the bus en route, Ellard announces that the hotel hosts, Darren Madden and Maria Ruddy, have offered everyone an unscheduled Irish coffee-making demonstration in between a short tour of Westport town and dinner.

At Westport, Ellard takes us all on a short walking tour of the town. Along the way, he points out two different churches, and mentions that one is Catholic. Has anyone any questions? They don’t.

When the ‘reek’ of Croagh Patrick is pointed out, its tiny church at the top clearly visible on this clear day, Andreasen asks: “Is it the main form of tourism here?” And, “Are there hotels up there? Can you stay the night?”

As we’re walking back to the hotel, Ellard tells me that he’ll talk about anything to visitors, with the exception of politics, which he always veers away from.

After Darren Madden’s entertaining Irish coffee-making class – during which he tells us that Shannon Airport is in Limerick, much to this Clare woman’s outrage – we head to Covey’s restaurant at the Westport Plaza Hotel for dinner. En route there, I learn something from Ellard I hadn’t known: the restaurant gets its name from the slang for Westport-born people, which is “Covey”.

Over dinner, my fellow journalists discuss what they believe the view of Ireland their compatriots hold. I mention that I am surprised fairies, landscape and music still feature so highly in 2024. What about our modern culture? Is anyone interested in politics?

“I don’t think American people coming to Ireland think much about politics,” Christine Loomis says. “I think if you asked 10 Americans what was going on in Ireland right now, they’d have no idea. Of those 10, probably eight out of 10 wouldn’t know the difference between Northern Ireland and Ireland. If that.”

“Europeans know all about Irish politics, because of Brexit,” Ingrid Augustin says.

Olivia Le Sidaner points out that tourists to Ireland seek different things at different ages. “The young people go to Dublin and Galway to enjoy the pub, and to party. The older ones are dreaming of the scenery. French people love west Cork and Connemara. They want to be inspired by landscape.”

“It’s easier to convince Flemish people to go to Ireland than Albania,” Geert D’Hulster says. “It seems a safer place. And Ireland has kept its identity.”

I ask him to define what he thinks is Ireland’s identity.

“The main thing is, it’s not England, or Britain. It’s a country on its own. And people are easier to interact with here. They are more friendly. But I don’t think Ireland is a working-class holiday destination. It’s not a cheap place to come on holiday, like Spain or Turkey.”

Padraig Gannon with his mother Nora and nephew Michael. Photograph: Conor McKeown

After dinner, there is a rowdy session in Matt Molloy’s bar, where everyone takes out their phones and starts videoing as The Rose of Aranmore is played.

“Why is there nowhere to sit?” I’m asked. It’s a Monday night in mid-April and the bar is full. I can only imagine how full it gets in the summer months.

“There aren’t always seats when there is music playing,” I say.

“Why not?” I’m asked, and I don’t have any answer for that, other that we’re probably a lot more used to spending time standing up in popular bars in Ireland than our visitors. I was personally quite delighted to have scored the feat of a scrap of ledge to put my pint of Guinness on, and had no expectations of a seat, but I realise most tourists with no experience of traditional Irish pubs have a reasonable desire to sit down.

“The bus leaves at 9am,” Ellard reminds people, as he heads back to the hotel, leaving people tapping their feet.

[  Mayo’s Great Western Greenway scoops top European award  ]

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Everyone is on time the next morning. They need to be, as a very long day lies ahead. Press trips almost always have very full itineraries. The most efficient use of time for the expense of hosting people from overseas, whose flights will also have been covered, is to try to showcase as many of the relevant attractions as possible. For instance, the schedule for this second day of the four-day Wild Atlantic Way-themed trip to Ireland goes like this.

9am: Depart Westport.

9.30am: Croagh Patrick Seafoods, with demonstration by owner Padraic Gannon, and oyster-tasting.

Noon: Lunch of local produce at Nevin’s Newfield Inn

1.30pm: Visit to Old Irish Goat Centre.

2.30pm: Cycle five kilometres of the Great Western Greenway from Achill’s Michael Davitt Bridge to Cashel.

Tour of deserted village, Achill.

Walk on Keem beach. (There had been talk about a swim for those brave enough for Atlantic immersion in April.)

Drive along Achill’s coastal route.

7pm: Dinner at Mulvaney Park Hotel.

9pm: Expedition to Wild Nephin National Park to experience Mayo’s Dark Sky Reserve.

Return to hotel by midnight.

One of the things about a press trip is that things often happen in a different order to the way they would should you actually be on holidays. And so it is that at 9.30am, at Croagh Patrick Seafoods, we are eating oysters; one of my very favourite things to do, but usually when it is at least noon. Not usually shortly after breakfast.

Padraig Gannon (centre) with (from left) Javier Garcia Blanco, Olivia Le Sidaner and Geert D’Hulster. Photograph: Conor McKeown

Croagh Patrick Seafoods is located in picturesque Clew Bay, and has been in oyster business since the 1980s, when Padraig Gannon swapped farming dairy cows for farming the waters that surrounded the family farm. Passing members of the public would never have known this, no matter how many bivalves they like to consume, because the place did not have a visible public presence.

“Oyster farm tours” are now offered regularly at noon: €35 for a tour of the farm with Gannon, and half a dozen of the freshest oysters you’ll probably ever have. “We had to do something in lockdown,” Gannon explains. With all the restaurants closed, including those in France they usually exported to, there was nothing to do with the harvest, except put up a sign, cobble together a tour and offer a tasting.

Gannon shows everyone the oyster sacks that have to be physically shaken twice monthly at low tide – a job which he personally still does, with help from others – and explains the husbandry of native oysters and Pacific oysters.

The visiting journalists go wild for his stories, his authenticity, the backdrop of Clew Bay, his skill opening oysters for all to try and the unexpected appearance of his mother, who also lives on the family farm and who shakes hands with everyone and asks their name, charming everyone she meets. A young Gannon child with red hair starts skilfully playing haunting tunes on the accordion in the background. It’s like a John Hinde postcard come alive, in the best possible way.

“Do you ever find pearls in your oysters?” someone asks.

“The people that come to see this place are the pearls,” Gannon answers.

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