7 Best 60s Anime, Ranked (#1 Is an OG You Can’t Skip)

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The 1960s marked the beginning of the anime industry. While later periods saw much larger successes – like the huge popularity of shows such as Gundam and Akira in the 80s, or the more thoughtful and artistic style of Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop in the 90s – anime from the 60s feels simpler and more old-fashioned by today’s standards.

But that’s actually what makes this early anime so interesting. The 1960s were like anime’s formative years – a bit rough around the edges, but full of creativity and genuine feeling. These creators weren’t focused on making anime perfect; they were exploring its potential, and in doing so, they established a high standard that anime continues to strive for today. Everything that’s become popular since has built on this foundation, rather than completely reinventing it.

7. Speed Racer

First airing in 1967, Speed Racer told the story of Go Mifune, known as Speed Racer, and his incredible car, the Mach 5, designed by his father. The show wasn’t just about racing; it combined thrilling car action with heartfelt family moments. Speed Racer was also groundbreaking as one of the first Japanese animated series many Western viewers encountered, helping to popularize anime in the years to come.

6. Kimba the White Lion

Kimba the White Lion tells the story of Kimba, the son of a proud lion king named Caesar, who is tragically killed by hunters. After escaping from captivity, Kimba returns to the jungle determined to restore his father’s kingdom. Created by Osamu Tezuka, a legendary manga artist, it was Japan’s groundbreaking first color TV anime series. The show had a huge impact on animation and storytelling, and is widely believed to have inspired Disney’s The Lion King (1994), though Disney has never confirmed this. This ongoing debate about its influence has unfortunately taken attention away from Kimba’s own qualities and Tezuka’s original creative work.

5. Princess Knight

Princess Knight was a groundbreaking anime, one of the first to feature a powerful female lead and explore themes of identity and gender. The story centers on Princess Sapphire, who was born with both masculine and feminine qualities because of a mistake in heaven. Since only male heirs can claim the throne in her kingdom, Sapphire must live as a prince to safeguard her family’s reign from ambitious rivals. This double life creates ongoing struggles for her, both internally and in her interactions with others.

4. Sally the Witch

The magical girl genre has its roots in Sally the Witch. The story centers around Sally, a princess from the magical land of Astoria, who wants to experience adventure. She travels to Earth and becomes friends with two girls, Yoshiko and Sumire. To fit in, Sally pretends to be a normal human child, secretly using her magic to help her friends and fix problems. While inspired by the 1964 American sitcom Bewitched, creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama reimagined the idea with a distinctly Japanese style.

3. Cyborg 009

I’m a huge fan of Cyborg 009! It’s such a cool story about nine people who are turned into cyborgs against their will and then have to battle the evil organization that did it to them. The main character, Joe Shimamura, is this really spirited young guy who gets snatched up by Black Ghost and turned into the super-fast cyborg 009. But he quickly finds out he’s not the only one – there are eight others like him, all from different countries, who’ve been transformed too!

The team escapes the Black Ghost organization and joins forces to stop their scheme of starting a worldwide war by arming both sides of the conflict. The story has been adapted many times, including movies released in 1966, 1967, and 1980, and a 2001 television series that modernized the original concept. The creator, Ishinomori, continued to develop the manga until his death in 1998, making it a remarkably long-running science fiction story. Its impact on later anime is huge; works like Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and even newer shows like Psycho-Pass all draw heavily from ideas first presented in Cyborg 009.

2. Dororo

Dororo tells the harrowing story of a father who makes a terrifying deal: he trades away his newborn son’s body parts to demons in exchange for political power. This anime is a powerful and often brutal exploration of how desperation and unchecked ambition can ruin lives and tear apart communities, all set within a thrilling samurai adventure. Osamu Tezuka’s original manga ran briefly in 1967-1968 before being cancelled due to low readership, and the first anime adaptation suffered the same fate – it proved too dark and complex for viewers at the time. However, the story gained a new audience with a 2019 adaptation by Wit Studio and MAPPA, which finally finished the story Tezuka began.

1. Astro Boy

Often called the “Father of Manga,” Osamu Tezuka created Astro Boy, which holds the honor of being Japan’s first weekly animated TV series. The story centers on Atom, a powerful robot built by Dr. Tenma as a replacement for his deceased son, Tobio. After realizing Atom doesn’t age normally, Dr. Tenma abandons him, and he is subsequently raised by the compassionate Dr. Ochanomizu (known as Dr. Elefun in English). Fueled by an atomic reactor, Atom possesses incredible strength, can fly, and has built-in weapons. He dedicates his life to safeguarding both humans and robots in a future where they struggle to live together peacefully. With numerous adaptations over more than six decades, Astro Boy is one of the longest-running and most beloved entertainment franchises ever created.

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2025-11-06 20:17