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The 20 Best Action Anime of All Time
Explosions, slugfests, and meticulously drawn vehicular damage await.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s feature adaptation of his own manga series compresses a lot of story into its two-hour run time, and while it still finds room for existentialism and reflections on wayward youth, its visceral thrills provide an equally thoughtful window into its characters’ psyches. It’s hard not to fall in love with it the moment we first see the ever-laid-back, ever-hungry Spike burst into action, his fluid and unpredictable movements (animated by action-choreography legend Yutaka Nakamura in the series’ first big fight), which themselves feel like the exciting improv of jazz. Just as important, while it has arcs reserved for its prodigy, Shoyo Hinata, the show cares deeply for its supporting cast, and their rapport leads to its most triumphant moments — as when the team’s wing spiker finds the confidence to make one hell of a shot.
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