Summary
- Time-travel anime are creative and intricate, exploring the consequences and unintended implications of changing the past to fix the future.
- Different genres incorporate time travel, but it is often linked to the mystery genre, offering unexpected twists and overlapping timelines.
- Each featured anime presents a unique take on time travel, with complex narratives, unexpected plot twists, and captivating character development.
The best time travel anime are among some of the medium's most creative and intricate titles, as they tell complex stories that seek not only to show the expected consequences of one's actions, but also the unintended implications of traveling through time to change the past and fix the future, which is seldom as straightforward as one would hope.
The time travel theme has successfully been incorporated into a variety of stories, whose genres range from drama to action. Still, it is most commonly linked to the mystery genre, as it allows for a unique opportunity to ask not only what is going to happen in the future of one timeline, but also how certain events may create additional timelines that overlap with each other. Regardless of the genre though, time-travel anime are always captivating and full of unexpected developments.
10 Sagrada Reset (2017)
Produced by David Production and Based on the Light Novel by Yutaka Kouno & You Shiina
On the surface, the oceanside town of Sakurada might not seem too different from any other, but its inhabitants are born with strange supernatural powers. Misora Haruki, for instance, can reset the world by up to three days, by setting "save" points and then returning to those, as one would in a video game. However, everyone, including herself, forgets their memories from before the reset, rendering this ability nearly pointless. After recruiting the help of Kei Asai, who can perfectly everything, the two the Service Club and become involved with a mysterious organization.
Sagrada Reset approaches the time travel idea from a unique perspective, by featuring a protagonist who, despite being able to reset time, is not immune to her own powers, meaning she cannot benefit from them without relying on someone else. Moreover, as is typically the case for series that involve this theme, this title should prove particularly entertaining to fans of slow-burner mystery stories with plenty of unexpected twists and revelations. Dialogue may be contentious, however, as it involves numerous thought experiments, which some may enjoy while others may deem pretentious.
9 Iroduku: The World in Colors (2018)
Original Series Produced by P.A. Works
Despite being born in a magical world, Hitomi Tsukishiro lives a lonely and somber life, having lost her sense of magic along with the ability to see colors. Seeking to save her, her grandmother, Kohaku, sends her back to the past, entrusting her high school self to look after Hitomi and to ensure that she can make friends and learn to see how beautiful and colorful the world is. Upon waking up in the year 2018, Hitomi also meets Yuito Aoi, a stoic painter whose works seem to be the only thing that lets her see colors again.
Rather than featuring repeated loops or protagonists who selfishly leap to the past seeking to fix their own mistakes, Iroduku: The World in Colors follows a depressed protagonist who is sent back to the past out of love, by a close family member who hopes to help her. Here, the ability to travel through time is in line with the themes of the series, as it is used to allow someone to better explore the concepts of companionship, friendship, and family, growing through interactions. Moreover, the beautiful animation only further enhances this fantastical emotional journey.
8 Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)
Produced by Science Saru and Based on the Comic by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim is a 23-year-old unemployed bass player who lives life at his own pace, attending parties, practicing with his indie rock band Sex Bob-Omb, and hanging out with his friends. His comfortable life in Toronto takes a sudden turn when Ramona Flowers moves in, and immediately shows up in Scott's dreams, stealing his heart. Scott is determined to date Ramona, but he soon learns that he must first defeat her seven self-proclaimed evil ex-lovers before being able to do so, a mission that marks the beginning of a strange yet captivating supernatural story.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off cleverly uses time travel to surprise viewers with multiple plot twists, ensuring that the story remains interesting and entertaining from the beginning to the end. Fans are consistently led to believe one thing, only for it to then be revealed that the truth is completely different. Moreover, by placing the focus away from the franchise's titular protagonist and onto the ing cast, every character receives an equal chance to prove how interesting and well-developed they are, making Scott Pilgrim Takes Off a brilliant reconceptualization of the series.
7 The Tatami Time Machine Blues (2022)
Produced by Science Saru and Based on the Novel by Tomihiko Morimi
In the blistering heat of a typical summer day in Kyoto, a young man yearns for nothing but the idea of finally cooling down in his apartment thanks to the wonders of air conditioning. Before he manages to turn his dreams into reality, a wrench is thrown into his plans, in the form of his friend Ozu spilling soda all over the remote, rendering it useless. As the two accidentally come across a time machine, they decide to leap into the past and recover the remote, not realizing they are about to get more than they bargained for.
Despite being officially recognized as somewhat of a continuation of The Tatami Galaxy, The Tatami Time Machine Blues is seemingly set in an alternate reality, and can certainly be enjoyed even without any familiarity with the prequel. Moreover, while it follows much of the original title's structure, The Tatami Time Machine Blues leverages its time travel shenanigans not to raise philosophical questions, but rather to emphasize the comedy of the situation, while keeping the suspenseful atmosphere and incredibly unique animation style.
10 Best Science Saru Anime
Anime studio Science Saru creates some of the most innovative and visually impressive anime out there, many of which are available to stream.
Beyond the universe of The Tatami Galaxy, which includes The Tatami Time Machine Blues and Night Is Short, Walk on Girl, Tomihiko Morimi also wrote The Eccentric Family and Penguin Highway.
6 ERASED (2016)
Produced by A-1 Pictures and Based on the Manga by Kei Sanbe
Satoru Fujinuma is an ordinary 29-year-old man with an extraordinary ability - reverting time by a few minutes. However, rather than having a choice in of when to use it, Satoru simply finds himself thrust back to the recent past whenever lethal accidents are about to happen, at which point he uses the so-called "Revival" to prevent these disasters. One day, as he is accidentally involved in a murder case, he is forcefully sent 18 years into the past, where he makes it his mission to save Kayo Hinazuki, one of his classmates, who is about to go missing.
ERASED's time-traveler, Satoru, is truly unique, as he has no control over his powers; instead, he has no choice but to adapt to the situation and find the best outcome in what little time he has to figure out the details. Moreover, as he is sent to the distant past for the first time, he finds himself forced to solve a difficult mystery and embark on a complex journey that is sure to captivate viewers not only thanks to its ingenious storytelling, but also thanks to the way it explores themes such as abuse and trauma.
5 Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (2016)
Produced by White Fox and Based on the Light Novel by Tappei Nagatsuki & Shinichirou Ootsuka
After dying an unceremonious death on his way back from the convenience store, Subaru Natsuki finds himself transported to a world of magic and fantasy much unlike his own. Unfortunately for him, rather than being greeted by kind companions and bestowed with unimaginable powers, he instead ends up getting lost and attacked by thugs, only to be saved by a mysterious silver-haired girl. Soon after deciding to repay her favor by helping her find her stolen insignia, Subaru is killed, after which he inadvertently learns that he has the power to rewind time upon dying.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-'s Subaru differentiates himself from other time travelers due to his power's exceptional condition, which requires him to experience death before his time is rewound. As such, despite being in the enviable position of knowing things others aren't aware of and being able to find the right answers through repetition, he also has to pay the cost of his deteriorating mental health. Subverting expectations and innovating upon the contentious yet entertaining theme of isekai anime, this title should prove enjoyable to fans of complex time travel stories.
4 Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- (2021)
Original Series Produced by Wit Studio
In a society where advanced AI has become commonplace, the worst possible outcome of this evolution becomes reality; AI sets out to eradicate humanity. In a last-ditch effort to change the fate of the world, a desperate scientist spends his final moments sending Matsumoto, a highly evolved yet obedient AI, into the past, to meet with Vivy, the first autonomous humanoid AI, and set her down on a path towards the prevention of humanity's untimely end. As a songstress whose only original task was to spread happiness with her music, Vivy's mission has just changed drastically.
Rather than featuring a protagonist who actively travels through time, Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- features the idea of sending data and information to the past as a means to influence the future. As the timeline of the series spreads over 100 years, viewers can witness every important moment of Vivy's journey as she grows and advances through the different phases of her mission, making this journey feel epic and monumental despite being contained within 13 episodes. The title also happens to be one of the best artificial intelligence anime, exploring important questions about the topic.
3 Steins;Gate (2011)
Produced by White Fox and Based on the Visual Novel by Nitro Plus & MAGES.
Self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe spends most of his time in the Future Gadget Laboratory, where he aims to develop perplexing inventions meant to advance humanity's understanding of technology. Despite working hard alongside fellow lab , the brilliant hacker Itaru Hashida, and optimistic childhood friend Mayuri Shiina, the group has yet to create anything of note. That is, until they realize that their latest gadget, the "Phone Microwave", has the unintended capacity to send text messages to the past.
As one of the first titles to thoroughly explore this theme, Steins;Gate is one of the most influential anime when it comes to time travel. Incorporating genuine theories such as the butterfly effect and the Copenhagen interpretation, the series explores a variety of timelines, as seemingly unrelated details reveal themselves to have been important hints all along. Despite starting slowly, the story picks up and leverages the complexity of time travel, resulting in numerous plot twists that are sure to keep viewers engaged with every scene.
10 Best Anime Every Science Nerd Needs to Watch
These anime prove that science can be fun and fascinating and thus should appeal to any science nerds looking for a great show to watch.
2 Tokyo Revengers (2021)
Produced by LIDENFILMS and Based on the Manga by Ken Wakui
Takemichi Hanagaki has reached one of the lowest points of his life. Besides having no friends and struggling to find a fulfilling job, he has also just learned that his first and only girlfriend, whom he lost but used to care for sincerely, was killed by a ruthless gang. Just as he is pushed in front of the oncoming train, he closes his eyes, only to find himself sent 12 years into the past, back to his middle school days. Reliving the best days of his life, Takemichi swears to change the future and prevent Hinata's death.
Tokyo Revengers places interesting clear limitations and rules on the ability to time travel, as Takemichi regularly returns to the present and has to accept the consequences of his decisions in the past, unable to return to the starting point for a second time. In turn, this makes an already intriguing story that much more captivating. Additionally, Tokyo Revengers proves how shōnen action anime can be improved by romance, as Takemichi's entire motivation revolves around love, despite his relationship rarely taking the spotlight of the series.
The latest season of Tokyo Revengers, Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku-hen, was recently fully released, making it a great time to catch up with the series.
1 Summer Time Rendering (2022)
Produced by OLM and Based on the Manga by Yasuki Tanaka
After moving to Tokyo to pursue his dreams, Shinpei Ajiro returns to the small island where he grew up for the first time in 2 years, to attend the funeral of Ushio Kofune, one of his dear childhood friends. Soon after returning, Shinpei begins to harbor suspicions regarding Ushio's death, as she has visible bruises around her neck despite having supposedly drowned while trying to save a young girl. As even stranger events continue to occur, it might just turn out that the folktales about the "shadows" that announce one's certain death were no mere fiction.
Summer Time Rendering places a refreshing spin on the time loop idea, by adding new elements and limitations halfway through the series, which keep the story tense and compelling. Moreover, along with the increasingly intricate story, the characters also receive time to develop and prove themselves. Summer Time Rendering has also been recommended by Hideo Kojima, a video game designer known for his penchant for complex and creative stories, which only further reinforces the claim that this title is truly one of the best time travel anime out there.
