Since the release of the first anime in the early 1900s, the genre has built a loyal global audience and fanbase. While it’s unsurprising when anime series and movies get love from fans, it’s a bigger deal when they receive critical acclaim. Having a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes is no easy fit, as some of cinema’s most successful Box Office hits have struggled to impress critics.
While a 100% RT rating is rare in any genre, having a perfect score in anime feels even special. In anime, excellence comes in many forms. From art, storytelling, or character development, these anime didn’t just entertain and meet expectations; they shattered them and redefined what anime could be. With over 40 anime with perfect RT ratings, here are the top 10 anime with 100% tomatometer scores.
1. Delicious in Dungeon (2024)
Delicious in Dungeon was one of the most talked-about fantasy anime of 2024. It received 16 nominations, including Anime of the Year, at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards. However, in a controversial turn of events, it failed to secure a win. The Delicious in Dungeon anime series is based on Ryoko Kui’s beloved manga. The series follows Laios, a dungeon explorer whose party suffers a devastating loss when a dragon devours his sister.
Determined to save her before she’s digested, Laios leads his companions back into the dungeon. However, with no supplies and little money, they’re forced to survive by cooking and eating the monsters they encounter. From slimes turned into soups to basilisks cooked like poultry, Delicious in Dungeon stands out for its ability to blend thrilling battles with surprisingly mouthwatering culinary moments. The anime premiered on Netflix on January 4, 2024, with a second season greenlit for production.
2. Pluto (2023)
The Pluto anime is based on Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki’s acclaimed manga, which itself reimagines Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy manga series. Instead of the colorful, child-friendly tone of the original, the Pluto anime series takes a darker, more mature approach. The story is set in a futuristic world where humans and robots coexist, but tensions between them remain.
When some of the world’s most advanced robots and prominent human figures are mysteriously murdered, Europol robot detective Gesicht is assigned to investigate. His search uncovers a conspiracy tied to war, human prejudice, and the blurred line between artificial intelligence and humanity. Pluto was also nominated at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in the Best Drama and Best Background Art categories.
3. Erased (2017)
Erased is a suspenseful anime that follows Satoru Fujinuma. The protagonist is a man with a mysterious power that lets him relive moments from the past, giving him a chance at preventing tragedies. However, when tragedy turns his life upside down, Satoru Fujinuma goes back in time, 18 years into the past, where he must stop a string of events that ultimately shaped his current life. In addition to being critically acclaimed, Erased is a must-watch for true anime fans who love thrillers with heart.
4. Pantheon (2022)
Anime fans seeking a thought-provoking sci-fi series should look towards Pantheon. The series explores technology, humanity, and what it means to live beyond the physical world. Pantheon begins with a lonely 14-year-old, Madison “Maddie” Kim, who starts receiving mysterious messages online.
The sender then claims to be her father, who died two years earlier. As she digs deeper, Maddie uncovers a startling truth. Powerful tech companies are experimenting with “mind uploading,” a process that allows human consciousness to be uploaded into the digital realm. However, Pantheon doesn’t just offer audiences futuristic thrills. It challenges viewers to think about the cost of technological progress.
5. Kotaro Lives Alone (2022)
Kotaro Lives Alone is a heartwarming yet bittersweet anime series. It follows Kotaro Sato, a surprisingly independent four-year-old who moves into a small apartment complex all by himself. Despite his age, Kotaro behaves with a maturity far beyond his years. He carries himself with confidence and a sense of pride that often puzzles those around him. His new neighbors, particularly a struggling manga artist named Karino, quickly become part of his daily life. For anyone new to anime, Kotaro Lives Alone is a funny and heartfelt anime to get started with.
6. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023)
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a fantasy anime that begins where most stories usually end. After a long and dangerous quest, the hero’s party defeats the Demon King and brings peace to the land. Among the hero’s party is Frieren, an elven mage whose lifespan makes human years feel fleeting.
While her companions settle into normal lives after they defeat the Demon King, Frieren struggles to understand the meaning of time, memory, and the bonds she formed during their journey. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End isn’t about epic battles but the quiet moments that follow them.
7. Cowboy Bebop (1998)
Cowboy Bebop is a stylish space Western anime series that follows a ragtag crew of bounty hunters drifting through the galaxy in their ship, the Bebop. Each member, Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Faye Valentine, and Win, brings their own troubled pasts and unique skills to the team. While the subplot focuses on their individual lives, the series follows the group as they chase bounties, scrape by for survival, and stumble into adventures.
8. Dorohedoro (2020)
Dorohedoro is a dark, surreal anime set in a decaying city known as the Hole. In the Hole, powerful sorcerers use humans as test subjects for their magic. The anime’s plot centers on Caiman, a man with a reptilian head and no memory of his past. Alongside his friend Nikaido, he hunts sorcerers in search of the one responsible for his transformation.
9. Scavengers Reign (2023)
Scavengers Reign is a sci-fi adult anime set in a distant, alien planet where survival is anything but simple. After their spaceship suffers catastrophic damage, the crew becomes stranded on a hostile world, cut off from civilization. The planet itself is alive with strange ecosystems, bizarre creatures, and dangerous natural events that threaten the crew’s survival.
10. Death Note (2006)
Unsurprisingly, Death Note was one of the anime series to win Best TV Anime at the 2007 Tokyo International Anime Fair. The anime is a psychological thriller that asks what happens when ultimate power falls into the wrong hands. The story follows Light Yagami, a brilliant but disillusioned high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook.
The notebook grants the ability to kill anyone whose name is written in it, as long as the writer knows their face. With his terrifying power, Light sets out to rid the world of criminals and create a new society under his rule. Death Note is one of the must-watch anime series for anyone new to anime or looking to try out the genre.
Follow Us
