Some big names are going to start dropping so keep an eye out for your favourites.
60. Full Metal Alchemist
A series that can make you feel every emotion going and every action has weight to it, the only reason it's not higher is the treatment the original series gets.
59. One Piece
The ultimate pirate adventure that seemingly never ends, a shonen classic through and through.
58. Gurren Lagann
The epic that went one step beyond and broke the very cosmos, and it feels oddly human in it's message.
57. Medabots
With better treatment this could easily go further but I best remember it as the first dubbed kids TV anime in the west not afraid to be proud of it's Japanese background. Not to mention Metabee is awesome.
56. Restaurant to Another World
A series that showcases fantasy characters eating in a real world restaurant, it's easily the best anime about food and the interactions between it's stellar cast of characters, I only wish this was longer.
I've dug up a lot of dirt on bad translations of anime, whether it be the Doozy Bots, Saban Moon or the various useless attempts at dubbing by 4Kids, but what about an example of a good translation. Step forth Nelvana and their take on Medabots.
Nelvana's track record is a bit hit & miss having cut a lot out of Cardcaptor Sakura and sticking to licenses that involve big toy sales such as Bakugan & Beyblade having dubbed every series in both franchises, but compared to it's big business rival 4Kids, at least it understood that these shows were Japanese and that a lot of the original content can pass as long as it made sense. Granted a spinning top game with monsters, a monster marble game, a robot combat game and a quest to find a number of mystical magic cards sounds weird to normal people, at least it didn't try to force Americanisms into it's shows (Like switching a riceball for a sub sandwich) or make stupid edits. (Like the lollipop cigarette)
So here's their first anime attempt Medabots.
We start with Ikki Tenryo (Yes he kept his name) who buys a robot called a Medabot so he can participate in a playground game called Robattling; he ends up buying a smart-mouthed Medabot called Metabee who'd rather do things his own way. The entire series is basically Ikki & Metabee fighting until they either defeat all the villains or become champion of the Robattling World Championship. The series goes through the usual miracle rookie cliche in which they win numerous battles by dumb luck and include other cliches such as the rival you didn't want, the female childhood friend who kinda likes you but doesn't show it, the character of the day and the useless likeable villains; there is even a tournament storyline that takes up much of the final part of the series, along with the "Special Power" that makes the lead character unbeatable and the mysterious character with a sketchy past. You'd think that a series with such obvious cliches wouldn't pass for proper entertainment but you'd be wrong and here's why.
The so called useless villains despite having such dodgy dress sense actually have some dignity, so much so that at various points in the series they fight under their real name rather as a henchman.
The designs of the robots are very original; they may look similar to mini Gundams but I assure you that I've never seen anyone use a proper combination of animals and mechanical design without being goofy or ripping off Megaman.
The comedy timing and dubbing is just perfect; Metabee steals the show with the type of energy and humor which keeps cartoons like Adventure Time on the air. I also have to bring up Mr Referee, a character that has to host every battle that takes place, without him this series is absolutely nothing.
Finally the biggest reason I like this series is that it keeps it's identity, it could've been so easy to Americanize this series but it keeps it's Japanese setting and keeps practically all it's culture and despite some silly stereotypes it's mostly fair to other nations that show up later on.
When I think that tv dubs fail, I look at this and see that they can win.
Final Verdict: This is a classic that shouldn't be missed and exists as an example of good TV Anime.
