Title question. Give your list and reasons for why you like them and why you've ranked them as you have.
1. Death Note. I just love everything about this series. I love the protagonist, I love the antagonist and everybody in between (apart from Misa but oh well...). The series more or less discussed a question a lot of people have asked "is the death penalty good? Is it good to kill off evil?" in the most exciting way. The soundtrack is perfect - I could listen to it all day! A lot of people said the series got shit after L died but I disagree. As much as I loved Light and him pulling off his schemes, he had to be caught or else the show would just feel less philosophical as we would not hear Ohba's (author) opinion through Near at the end. Besides, I actually like Near and (as I watched it a second time) Mello. I prefer the manga's ending rather than the anime's because it's more realistic (although I like the metaphor with the stairs). Even the film was amazing, though not as good as the series because of less detail. The concept and message was great and the execution was genius.
2. Monster. This is a less known series but boy does it deserve to be known! The character Johan Liebert is enough to make anybody love this series as he is the BEST antagonist EVER in all fiction I've read/watched IMO. Johan is easily the most intelligent character in all of the manga and anime I've watched (yes, more than Light and L). The main protagonist is not as exciting as the main antagonist but he is a good one and I like him. I just loved his travels as he slowly unraveled the mystery of Johan the monster. This series' message was that human lives are all equal and this is represented through the main protagonist Dr. Kenzo Tenma. I loved how realistic this series was too; it felt as if it was all possible which truly made it scary. People say that the ending sucked but I personally liked it. It made us speculate which is always enjoyable. The soundtrack fitted it perfectly and even the side characters were great. The reason I didn't like it as much as Death Note was because I loved the mind battles between Light and L.
3. Code Geass. Though not as good as Monster or Death Note, this series (the show was much better than the manga). I liked the character of Lelouch and his awesomeness. He did some truly evil things and yet you can't help but like him. His charisma knows no bounds. The only thing I didn't like is that nobody is as clever as Lelouch in this - in Death Note we get to see how Light and L battle but in Lelouch's case, he uses tactics against power (yes Schniezel was clever but not anywhere near Lelouch). I like how he questions his acts but overcomes his doubt by reminding himself that the world needed changing. The ending was arguably one of the best endings in all anime and manga (but only if the reader believes that Lelouch dies because that makes it all the more meaningful). I'm not a fan of the mecha genre (nor will I ever be) but this really excited me. Just watch any of Lelouch's speeches or uses of his Geass and you will start to love his character. Soundtrack is also awesome.
4. Naruto. All this needs is a good ending and it'll be excellent! It is ruined by the some of the fans though. Kishimoto truly is a genius. I admit that Naruto uses most - if not all - of the codes and conventions of any shounen action manga but the use of great characters and plot twists sets it apart from them. Though a lot of it is predictable, I do like the plot twists like Tobi being Obito, Sasuke changing his ways and Madara being in the final coffin. The cliffhangers keep me excited every week. I can't chose a favourite character from this show because I like all of them. I like how ABC logic does not apply in all cases because it opens up many debates between fans. The fights are EPIC! Lee vs Gaara, Naruto vs Gaara, Shikamaru vs anybody, Naruto vs Sasuke, Sasuke vs Deidara, Madara vs anyone, the list goes on and on! Strategy and tactics are almost always applied and it really gets me excited reading or watching a good plan come off or Madara epically soloing the alliance. Soundtrack is not bad overall but nothing special. The message of peace and the different methods of attaining it relates to our world quite well too.
5. Dragonball. The memorable characters OMG! The dub was so freaking perfect! The soundtrack (produced by Bruce Faulconer) added so much more meaning to the series (would have been better if they didn't change them every time they stop for a chat though). One thing I don't like is how the anime dealt with Mystic Gohan. In the manga, he is serious and does not hold back against Super Buu but in the anime, he toys with him. Gohan and Future Trunks are my favourites with Goku and Piccolo coming second and then Vegeta. The emotions packed into this series cannot be measured. When Gohan turns SSJ2 and when Goku turns SSJ are the two best parts of the series IMO. So many badasses in one show. Vegeta's speeches
So many things were good about this and I'm sure you'd agree. Even if the Buu Saga paled in comparison overall, the SSJ3 and Fusion concepts were good IMO (GT is not canon so I do not include it).
6. One Piece. I love the strawhats so much! Luffy is my favourite main character of the top shounen manga. Zoro is a badass. There are many strange characters in this but I love them all. I feel like when I read OP I'm in a different place and that means a lot as a reader. Nico Robin is a great character. The antagonists are great (Akainu being like Light in that he does bad things for good causes, Blackbeard just being someone you can hate, FREAKING CROCODILE MR.0!). Whenever Luffy has a scene, it always feels more meaningful and emotional than Naruto's. I don't know why, maybe because he's more determined. I put this below Dragonball and Naruto because the arcs feel repetitive and Oda doesn't kill off any villains (I don't mean ones like Akainu people like Captain Kuro and Gecko Moria should have died IMO).
7. Beyblade (Up until the Metal Saga). My love for this show is generated through mostly nostalgia but I can't help but love the characters. With all the cheesy lines and spinning tops, they actually managed to make a great series. The character development is so great I put it over OP's and DB's. In the first season, each main character has an arc dedicated to him. Ray has to face his old team in China who hate his guts, Max has to win his mum's love and Kai has to face his HORRIBLE past. Ray starts out as a guy who thinks he's the bee's knees but after loosing to Tyson and defeating his old team, he learns that friendship is the way forward and that got to me. Max winning his mum's pride also got to me but Kai's arc (the Russian arc) took this to another level. It was no longer just about tournaments and pride, it was about Kai's past. His connection with Borris and Voltaire, Black Dranzer, the abby (of pain and suffering I would add XD ) and even though he is thought to be the strongest Bladebreaker, he loses 2-0 in the first round of the finals. Tyson also matures along with the story. I disliked V Force. The attacks looked lame, the battles were not as good (bar some like Ozuma vs Tyson) and Kai, Ray and Max suddenly lost all their ability. G Revolution turned it around again and made the battles 100x better. I disliked how they made Lee so weak and a Ray fanboy. I mean, he was supposed to be the most aggressive character. Brooklyn came out of nowhere as the final villain - even though I liked his character - but I love how Kai beat him and Tyson drew against him - such epic fights. Then Metal Saga comes along and destroys all of that.
8. Pokemon (Manga) Compared to the anime, this is very, very, well done. I did get bored during the Diamond and Pearl chapter but everything before that was so addictive! Red is the main protagonist for the first and fourth seasons and is so much more likeable than Ash (and I love how he chose Venusaur as he is very underrated by fans who do not play competitively and Charizard looks more like a "rival's" pokemon) and actually wins things and gets shit done. Green is so much greater than Gary, Blue is >>>>> Misty, May, Dawn ect, Gold is soo cool (even if his team kinda sucks), Silver is a badass, Kris is somebody who ACTUALLY TRIES TO COMPLETE THE DEX, Ruby's battling is perfect (dare I say better than Red?
lol jk not really), Sapphire is pretty cool and the only main protagonist I didn't like was Emerald. This felt repetitive though but it was good to see a new protagonist every season. TEAM ROCKET FUSED THE LEGENDARY BIRDS! Giovanni and Lance are very good antagonists and I actually like Yellow.
These are all the ones that I've seen that are worth my effort to write paragraphs about. I obviously haven't seen much but Pokemon sucks after Johto, Yu-gi-oh is decent but not great (though the actual game itself is pretty cool). As you can see, I haven't read or watched many manga or anime (though I will start Fairy Tail and Liar Game). Hope you like! Please, share your thoughts and opinions and discuss your top anime/manga.
1. Death Note. I just love everything about this series. I love the protagonist, I love the antagonist and everybody in between (apart from Misa but oh well...). The series more or less discussed a question a lot of people have asked "is the death penalty good? Is it good to kill off evil?" in the most exciting way. The soundtrack is perfect - I could listen to it all day! A lot of people said the series got shit after L died but I disagree. As much as I loved Light and him pulling off his schemes, he had to be caught or else the show would just feel less philosophical as we would not hear Ohba's (author) opinion through Near at the end. Besides, I actually like Near and (as I watched it a second time) Mello. I prefer the manga's ending rather than the anime's because it's more realistic (although I like the metaphor with the stairs). Even the film was amazing, though not as good as the series because of less detail. The concept and message was great and the execution was genius.
2. Monster. This is a less known series but boy does it deserve to be known! The character Johan Liebert is enough to make anybody love this series as he is the BEST antagonist EVER in all fiction I've read/watched IMO. Johan is easily the most intelligent character in all of the manga and anime I've watched (yes, more than Light and L). The main protagonist is not as exciting as the main antagonist but he is a good one and I like him. I just loved his travels as he slowly unraveled the mystery of Johan the monster. This series' message was that human lives are all equal and this is represented through the main protagonist Dr. Kenzo Tenma. I loved how realistic this series was too; it felt as if it was all possible which truly made it scary. People say that the ending sucked but I personally liked it. It made us speculate which is always enjoyable. The soundtrack fitted it perfectly and even the side characters were great. The reason I didn't like it as much as Death Note was because I loved the mind battles between Light and L.
3. Code Geass. Though not as good as Monster or Death Note, this series (the show was much better than the manga). I liked the character of Lelouch and his awesomeness. He did some truly evil things and yet you can't help but like him. His charisma knows no bounds. The only thing I didn't like is that nobody is as clever as Lelouch in this - in Death Note we get to see how Light and L battle but in Lelouch's case, he uses tactics against power (yes Schniezel was clever but not anywhere near Lelouch). I like how he questions his acts but overcomes his doubt by reminding himself that the world needed changing. The ending was arguably one of the best endings in all anime and manga (but only if the reader believes that Lelouch dies because that makes it all the more meaningful). I'm not a fan of the mecha genre (nor will I ever be) but this really excited me. Just watch any of Lelouch's speeches or uses of his Geass and you will start to love his character. Soundtrack is also awesome.
4. Naruto. All this needs is a good ending and it'll be excellent! It is ruined by the some of the fans though. Kishimoto truly is a genius. I admit that Naruto uses most - if not all - of the codes and conventions of any shounen action manga but the use of great characters and plot twists sets it apart from them. Though a lot of it is predictable, I do like the plot twists like Tobi being Obito, Sasuke changing his ways and Madara being in the final coffin. The cliffhangers keep me excited every week. I can't chose a favourite character from this show because I like all of them. I like how ABC logic does not apply in all cases because it opens up many debates between fans. The fights are EPIC! Lee vs Gaara, Naruto vs Gaara, Shikamaru vs anybody, Naruto vs Sasuke, Sasuke vs Deidara, Madara vs anyone, the list goes on and on! Strategy and tactics are almost always applied and it really gets me excited reading or watching a good plan come off or Madara epically soloing the alliance. Soundtrack is not bad overall but nothing special. The message of peace and the different methods of attaining it relates to our world quite well too.
5. Dragonball. The memorable characters OMG! The dub was so freaking perfect! The soundtrack (produced by Bruce Faulconer) added so much more meaning to the series (would have been better if they didn't change them every time they stop for a chat though). One thing I don't like is how the anime dealt with Mystic Gohan. In the manga, he is serious and does not hold back against Super Buu but in the anime, he toys with him. Gohan and Future Trunks are my favourites with Goku and Piccolo coming second and then Vegeta. The emotions packed into this series cannot be measured. When Gohan turns SSJ2 and when Goku turns SSJ are the two best parts of the series IMO. So many badasses in one show. Vegeta's speeches
6. One Piece. I love the strawhats so much! Luffy is my favourite main character of the top shounen manga. Zoro is a badass. There are many strange characters in this but I love them all. I feel like when I read OP I'm in a different place and that means a lot as a reader. Nico Robin is a great character. The antagonists are great (Akainu being like Light in that he does bad things for good causes, Blackbeard just being someone you can hate, FREAKING CROCODILE MR.0!). Whenever Luffy has a scene, it always feels more meaningful and emotional than Naruto's. I don't know why, maybe because he's more determined. I put this below Dragonball and Naruto because the arcs feel repetitive and Oda doesn't kill off any villains (I don't mean ones like Akainu people like Captain Kuro and Gecko Moria should have died IMO).
7. Beyblade (Up until the Metal Saga). My love for this show is generated through mostly nostalgia but I can't help but love the characters. With all the cheesy lines and spinning tops, they actually managed to make a great series. The character development is so great I put it over OP's and DB's. In the first season, each main character has an arc dedicated to him. Ray has to face his old team in China who hate his guts, Max has to win his mum's love and Kai has to face his HORRIBLE past. Ray starts out as a guy who thinks he's the bee's knees but after loosing to Tyson and defeating his old team, he learns that friendship is the way forward and that got to me. Max winning his mum's pride also got to me but Kai's arc (the Russian arc) took this to another level. It was no longer just about tournaments and pride, it was about Kai's past. His connection with Borris and Voltaire, Black Dranzer, the abby (of pain and suffering I would add XD ) and even though he is thought to be the strongest Bladebreaker, he loses 2-0 in the first round of the finals. Tyson also matures along with the story. I disliked V Force. The attacks looked lame, the battles were not as good (bar some like Ozuma vs Tyson) and Kai, Ray and Max suddenly lost all their ability. G Revolution turned it around again and made the battles 100x better. I disliked how they made Lee so weak and a Ray fanboy. I mean, he was supposed to be the most aggressive character. Brooklyn came out of nowhere as the final villain - even though I liked his character - but I love how Kai beat him and Tyson drew against him - such epic fights. Then Metal Saga comes along and destroys all of that.
8. Pokemon (Manga) Compared to the anime, this is very, very, well done. I did get bored during the Diamond and Pearl chapter but everything before that was so addictive! Red is the main protagonist for the first and fourth seasons and is so much more likeable than Ash (and I love how he chose Venusaur as he is very underrated by fans who do not play competitively and Charizard looks more like a "rival's" pokemon) and actually wins things and gets shit done. Green is so much greater than Gary, Blue is >>>>> Misty, May, Dawn ect, Gold is soo cool (even if his team kinda sucks), Silver is a badass, Kris is somebody who ACTUALLY TRIES TO COMPLETE THE DEX, Ruby's battling is perfect (dare I say better than Red?
These are all the ones that I've seen that are worth my effort to write paragraphs about. I obviously haven't seen much but Pokemon sucks after Johto, Yu-gi-oh is decent but not great (though the actual game itself is pretty cool). As you can see, I haven't read or watched many manga or anime (though I will start Fairy Tail and Liar Game). Hope you like! Please, share your thoughts and opinions and discuss your top anime/manga.

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