My Top 5 Must-Watch Animes — A Journey Through Emotion, Action, and Art

If you're anything like me, you're always chasing that next anime that does something to you,

makes your heart race, your mind spin, or your soul ache in the best way possible. As someone

obsessed with the screen, anime has given me some of the most powerful storytelling

experiences of my life. These are the five that left a mark, my personal top picks that I keep

coming back to, or can’t stop thinking about.

Link Click

1. Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)

Writer: Li Haoling | Year of Release: 2021

Link Click isn’t just a time-travel story—it’s an emotional rollercoaster disguised as a sci-fi

mystery. It follows Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, two friends with a unique power: they can

jump into a photo and relive the moment through someone else’s eyes. But altering the past

comes with consequences, and each mission challenges their values, friendship, and sanity.

What makes this anime so unique is its brilliant storytelling—it plays with perspective, memory,

and human emotion in ways that feel both fresh and haunting. With only a few episodes, it

delivers the kind of emotional depth some shows need seasons to build. The visual style is

sleek, the pacing tight, and the ending… devastating in the best way.

Attack On Titan

2. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)

Writer: Hajime Isayama | Year of Release: 2013

Attack on Titan begins with humanity caged behind walls, hiding from monstrous titans—but

soon, it spirals into a much deeper narrative about war, freedom, sacrifice, and the gray areas of

morality. What starts as a survival action anime evolves into a full-blown political thriller with

some of the most mind-bending twists and character turns in modern anime.

From Eren Yeager’s transformation to the ideological clashes between Marley and Paradis, this

show constantly redefines its own stakes. With cinematic animation (especially in the laterseasons), a powerful soundtrack, and deeply emotional moments, Attack on Titan is not just an

anime—it’s a cultural phenomenon.

Death Note

3. Death Note

Writer: Tsugumi Ohba | Year of Release: 2006

A high school genius stumbles upon a notebook that allows him to kill anyone—just by writing

their name. Death Note kicks off a psychological war between Light Yagami, who seeks to

reshape the world through fear, and L, the enigmatic detective out to stop him. What follows is

one of the most intense and cerebral duels in anime history.

What makes Death Note so gripping isn’t just the suspense—it’s the constant moral questioning

it forces on the viewer. Are Light’s actions justified? Is absolute justice ever possible? With

sharp writing, iconic characters, and a tightly plotted first arc, this anime leaves you hooked from

the very first episode.

Solo Leveling

4. Solo Leveling

Writer: Chugong (original web novel), Noboru Kimura (anime screenplay) | Year of Release:

2024

Solo Leveling delivers the ultimate power fantasy—and does it with style. It centers on Sung

Jin-Woo, an E-rank hunter constantly mocked for his weakness—until a mysterious dungeon

grants him a system that allows him to grow stronger like a video game character. What follows

is a meteoric rise filled with epic battles, dark secrets, and a world that’s far more dangerous

than it first appears.

Even though it's a recent release, it already feels like a genre staple. The animation is clean

and intense, and the world-building feels immersive and rich. Whether you’ve read the manhwa

or are diving in fresh, this anime makes you feel the thrill of every level-up, every boss fight, and

every victory Jin-Woo earns.

Kuroko no Basket

5. Kuroko no Basket

Writer: Tadatoshi Fujimaki | Year of Release: 2012

At first glance, Kuroko no Basket is a sports anime about high school basketball. But once you

dive in, it quickly becomes an adrenaline-fueled drama about belief, teamwork, and individual

brilliance. The story follows Kuroko, a seemingly invisible player with unmatched passing ability,

and Kagami, a powerful and passionate athlete with dreams of defeating the “Generation of Miracles”—Kuroko’s former teammates.

The show blends realistic sports action with near-supernatural flair, making each game feel like

an epic showdown. It’s as much about mental strength and chemistry as it is about physical skill.The intensity of the matches, the rivalries, and the emotional growth of each character make this

anime far more than just a basketball story—it’s about the heart it takes to win.