Anime is a rich medium with endless storytelling potential. There are frequently anime narratives that would seem impossible in any other format, but that’s not to say that this medium doesn’t have its share of shortcomings. Plenty of anime feature stunning visuals and compelling stories, only to get dragged down by regressive characters or a tendency to lean into indulgent “fan service” that creates embarrassment in the audience.
Fan service isn’t always a problem and context is often crucial. Some of the most celebrated anime of all time like One Piece, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Dragon Ball are guilty of unnecessary and gratuitous fan service. However, this troublesome trope isn’t present in every single anime and there are some strong series that get by just fine without any fan service.
10 Trigun
26 Episodes
Trigun is an iconic ‘90s action series about an acclaimed gunslinger with an astronomical bounty on his head. Rather than flaunt his excellent marksmanship and resilience, Vash the Stampede prefers a subdued existence where he only resorts to violence when it’s absolutely necessary and even then there’s extreme reluctance.
Trigun explores the weight of life and guilt’s never-ending pain. Trigun is not bereft of female characters, but they’re never objectified. Audiences can watch the original Trigun or 2023’s Trigun Stampede, which embrace contrasting themes and aesthetics, yet neither incorporate any fan service.
9 Mushishi
26 Episodes
Mushishi embraces a more luxurious episodic anthology structure rather than getting lost in a complex, serialized story. Ginko is a rare individual who is able to sense and attract “Mushi,” ancient supernatural creatures that continue to roam the world. Mushishi follows Ginko as he moves from one hospitable location to another as a wandering aid to the unknown.
Each Mushishi episode narrows in on unique individuals and subcultures and it’s not rare for Ginko to take a backseat while the anime works through other people’s issues. Broad fan service would feel highly out of place in Mushishi and it’s appreciated that the seinen series doesn’t attempt to shoehorn it in.
8 Monster
74 Episodes
Naoki Urasawa is a prolific mangaka who turns out hit after hit and Monster remains one of his crowning achievements even though it ended more than two decades ago. Monster is a tense and emotional “cat and mouse” game between Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a renowned brain surgeon, and Johan Liebert, a patient that Tenma saves who goes on to become a horrific serial killer.
Monster tackles guilt, responsibility, and fear like no other series and with 74 episodes it has enough time to properly explore this material. Monster stays focused and doesn’t resort to fan service as a way to spice up the storytelling.
7 Yu Yu Hakusho
112 Episodes, 6 OVA
Yu Yu Hakusho taps into shonen magic early on in its run and figures out that its at its best when Yusuke Urameshi and company are locked in tournament combat with demonic antagonists. At 112 episodes, Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t overstay its welcome and some of its strongest material occurs in the show’s final chapters, even if they’re slightly rushed.
Yusuke is guided by Botan and harbors love for Keiko, but Yu Yu Hakusho still prioritizes action over romance or even empty fan service. Neither character becomes empty eye candy and they’re held on equal ground with their male peers.
6 Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
12 Episodes
Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most innovative names currently working in anime and he’s responsible for totemic contributions in both the film and television industries. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is a glowing love letter to the creative process and what it takes to make anime. Three high school students, Midori, Sayaka, and Tsubame, are united through eclectic skills that all coalesce together into artistic brilliance.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is such a pure distillation of passion that gratuitous fan service would ring false. It’s a show that celebrates anime’s triumphs and the opportunities that it creates for storytellers rather than the ways in which it’s criticized.
5 Terror In Resonance
11 Episodes
Terror in Resonance is created by Shinichiro Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy fame, yet this nihilistic 11-episode anime is the most polarizing of his works. Terror in Resonance examines a series of terrorist attacks that overtake Tokyo where cryptic viral videos are the only clues to these crimes.
Terror in Resonance crafts a suspenseful story of crime and paranoia across these episodes where fan service would feel completely out of place. Terror in Resonance has prominent female characters, like Five, who is obsessive in her quest to reach Nine and Twelve, but she’s never displayed in a sexual light.
4 Mob Psycho 100
37 Episodes, 2 OVA
Mob Psycho 100 comes from the same creator as One-Punch Man and this psychically-charged underdog has gradually surpassed its superhero-centric predecessor. Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, an esper with unimaginable abilities who tries to avoid the use of his powers.
Mob Psycho 100 tells an inspirational story across three seasons and it’s one that evidently has no room for fan service. Mob Psycho 100 has its share of female characters like Emi, Ichi and Tsubomi, but none of them are sexualized in the same manner as One-Punch Man’s Tatsumaki, Fubuki, or Psykos.
3 Death Parade
12 Episodes
Death Parade is a fantastical twist on character-driven anthology series that applies a morbid perspective on recreational pastimes and games of chances. Quindecim is a purgatory-like bar that exists between heaven and hell where fallen individuals must engage in activities like billiards or air hockey for the fate of their souls.
Death Parade tells some remarkable stories across its dozen episodes, some of which involve affairs and adultery, yet fan service is nowhere to be found in this melodramatic anime. Decim certainly experiences light-hearted moments, but Death Parade knows when to pick its battles and what would be in poor taste here.
2 Baccano!
16 Episodes
There are some excellent anime that play around with revisionist history that effectively interweave fantastical elements into grounded drama. Baccano! proves that alchemists and gangsters are a compelling mix and this short-lived series still gets a lot of attention. Baccano! boils down to a fight for an immortality potion that plays out across several generations.
The bulk of Baccano! takes place in 1930s Chicago and this tight crime drama stays true to its time period and doesn’t undercut the action with clumsy fan service. There are some sweeping romances, but none of them are presented through a fan service filter.
1 Attack On Titan
89 Episodes, 8 OVA
Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan is finally set to end its groundbreaking anime run in the fall and fans could not be more excited over its epic conclusion. Attack on Titan has substantially evolved since its start where humanity’s war against gargantuan monsters seemed like the worst of their problems.
Attack on Titan has grown into an indicting takedown of humanity, the inevitable nature of betrayal, and how power can corrupt even the purest of intentions. Attack on Titan hasn’t made much time for romance. Its world is so bleak and wrought with loss that there is barely an opportunity for levity, let alone fan service.