It is the golden age of anime. It is more available now than ever before thanks to specific streaming services likeCrunchyrollandFunimation. Even the big services not made for anime have plenty to offer likeNetflixandHulu. Because the medium can be binged on so many apps and websites, it’s also more popular and accepted into culture. Live-action shows and movies are being green-lit every day because of this rising trend to seemingly bridge the gap between non-anime and anime fans.
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Gone are the days when fans had to buy extremely expensive DVDs to get a few episodes of a show months apart from each release. As great as streaming anime is, some fans still prefer physical media. It’s a real shame then that these classic series are still missing in action on blu-ray in particular. It should be noted that all of these shows started in Japan in the 90s at least. However, some wouldn’t air in North America until the mid-2000s thanks toAdult Swim.
8Case Closed
Case Closed, orDetective Conanas it is known in Japan, had its anime adaptation begin in 1996.The detective showis still going on with over 800 episodes available to stream in Japanese. However, less than 200 of the episodes were ever dubbed into English when it came to Adult Swim. These seasons were made available via DVD collections but they’ve never received a Blu-Ray transfer. Most of the movies can be purchased on Blu-ray though.
7Pokemon
ThePokemonseries began earlier than this, but the anime would not start until 1997. It has been going strong since with over 1,000 episodes of the main show. There have been numerous spinoffs as well. The first season was transferred to Blu-ray in 2017. It was a collection of the first 52 episodes which still has Ash in the original Kanto region. It’s nice that there is at least one season on Blu-Ray. However, there are still so many episodes left that need transfers. Everything up until the end of the Johto League should be put on Blu-ray. Those are the golden years of this anime withsome great characters.
6Yu-Gi-Oh
Another monster-catching related show isYu-Gi-Oh. The first season began in 1998 and it’s a big highlight for fans. It’s exactly why YouTube shows likeYu-Gi-Oh Abridged, and other spinoffsbecame so popular.
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It’s probably more popular than the original material itself or at least it is to a certain aged crowd. There has never been a Blu-ray release for it or any of the other original seasons starring Yugi. LikeCase Closed, there are some movies available on Blu-ray.
5Digimon Adventure
Yu-Gi-Ohhad its fans, butDigimon Adventurewas the true competition forPokemon. There were seemingly many playground battles in the late 90s involving kids screaming what Digimon could beat up what Pokemon. There still are arguments but those battles are now fought online. Now, the anime began in 1999 right on the very cusp of the 90s but would not end until 2000. There are other seasons available to buy on Blu-ray, along with movies, but this original series remains lost.
4GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka
GTO: Great Teacher Onizukais another anime that just barely makes the cut of this list. It began in 1999 and also finished in 2000. It stars an ex-Yakuza member who decides he wants to make a clean break so he becomesa substitute teacher. The problem is his class is full of delinquents. He can relate to their troubles because he sees a lot of himself in them. It’s a goofy series that is also filled with a lot of heart. There is a DVD collection of the anime but the Blu-ray still isn’t available.
3Trigun
Trigunis right up there withCowboy Bebopas far as classic anime goes. The two shows were often back-to-back on Adult Swim and it’s easy to see why as both were space westerns.Trigunwas just a little more Old West, set on a newly colonized desert planet.
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The anime began and ended in 1998. Strangely enough, this was beforethe manga endedand it has never been adapted again or expanded upon. Besides a Blu-ray release, fans would also appreciate seeingTrigunget theFullmetal Alchemist Brotherhoodtreatment. It deserves another shot.
2Shin Chan
Shin Chan,orCrayon Shin-chanin Japan, had its first anime begin in 1992. It is still going on in with over 1,000 episodes, just likePokemon. There are countless movies too. It’s a mega-hit in Japan. North America got three seasons which did not begin airing until 2006. The original material is pretty raunchy for an anime that is seemingly made for children, but the English dub made the jokes even cruder. It’s a lost gem that wasn’t fully appreciated at the time. Fans can’t even buy a DVD collection easily let alone a Blu-ray collection.
1The Super Milk-Chan Show
The Super Milk-Chan Showis an even stranger show thanShin Chan. It began in 1998 in Japan and had a brief run in 2004 on Adult Swim. Like many original programs on Adult Swim, this anime seemingly had no point in their episodes. It was weird for the sake of being weird. It might be the hardest anime to convince companies to produce into a Blu-ray.The Super Milk-Chan Showis like an anime that needs to be seen to be believed. It’s not impossible but fans of thisniche comedy animeshouldn’t hold their breath for too long.
