10 Game-Changing Anime Series That Totally Rewrite Genre Rules

Ever since Demon Slayer in 2019 and the extra free time the pandemic provided, anime has exploded in popularity, yet many series have grown unoriginal. Still, across every genre a handful of shows broke the usual blueprint and rewrote the rules; this list ranks those game-changing anime by originality, how they shook up the script, and how later shows followed.

Some modern entries include Chainsaw Man, which deconstructs the typical shōnen protagonist through a bizarrely dark story and deeply flawed characters, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, which shifts fantasy away from the quest to life after victory and focuses on mellow side quests.

Earlier breakthroughs such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica turned the cutesy magical girl formula into something bleak and violent, while Yu Yu Hakusho popularized the tournament arc and introduced a punkish hero with a heart of gold. Slam Dunk reworked sports anime with richly rendered character arcs and helped spark a surge of interest in basketball in Japan.

Japan

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