We jump into anything related to time travel, be it movies or original television series. The very existence of time travel intrigues us.
And anime takes that curiosity to the next level with its mind-bending storytelling.
In anime, time travel is anything but a simple time machine story. Anime illustrates time travel in a way that connects both science and emotion.
We all have that one regret we want to erase using time travel. Though we cannot time travel right now, it may become possible in the future.
Until then let’s watch some anime that presents us with the reality of time travel through their unique vision. So, without any further ado let’s begin the list of top 10 Time Travel anime.
10. Nobunaga Concerto
- Release Date – July 2014
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 10
- Studio – Fuji TV
High school student Saburou isn’t fond of Japan’s history.
But life is always what you don’t expect and as a result, Saburou finds himself in the Sengoku Era where he meets the legendary Nobunaga Oda.
Much to his surprise, Oda asks Saburou to take his place as he is on the run from the retainers.
Clueless about the recent events, Saburou takes his place as the legend who attempted to unite Japan and uses his modern experiences to get out of this mess.
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9. Iroduku: The World in Colors
- Release Date – October 2018
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 13
- Studio – P.A. Works
Hitomi’s life is devoid of colors in a world where magic is part of daily life.
Seeing her suffer, her grandmother Kohaku sends Hitomi back in time using the spell gathered for 60 years.
Uncertainty clouds Hitomi while her grandmother assures her that she will definitely see the colors there.
Following this, she travels through time and finds herself in the room of an artist who was going to change her monochrome life for good.
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8. The Future Diary
- Release Date – October 2011
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 26
- Studio – Asread
Yukiteru Amano is a lonely high school student who chats with his imaginary deity friends Deus Ex Machina and Murmur.
Out of the blue, he was granted a diary by his formerly imaginary friend Deus.
He was soon forced into a battle royale with other players who hold the diary with precise future events.
The winner will become the new god of time and space.
Accompanying Amano in this event is his obsessive stalker Yuno Gasai, who is more than just a stalker.
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7. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Release Date – January 2011
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 12
- Studio – Shaft
Everything was normal for Madoka and Sayaka until they met Kyuubey and the new transfer student Homura.
The cat-looking Kyuubey offers Madoka and Sayaka to fulfill one of their wishes, in exchange they have to become a magical girl.
And starts a story of hope and despair when they don’t take Akemi’s warning about the consequences of being a magical girl.
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6. Orange
- Release Date – July 2016
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 12
- Studio – Telecom Animation Film
Naho Takamiya got a letter from her future self, which had the present-day events in it.
Later that day, Naho was shocked to see those events unfolding as written in the letter.
In that letter, Naho asks her present self to correct the regretful mistakes she made.
The main objective is to save the new transfer student Kakeru who isn’t there in the future anymore.
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5. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
- Release Date – April 2006
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 2
- Episodes – 28
- Studio – Kyoto Animation
Kyon has no interest in anything supernatural.
He soon meets Haruhi Suzumiya, a girl whose craze for the supernatural is out of this world.
Seeing the ever-enthusiastic Haruhi struggling to find a club of her liking, Kyon encourages her to open a new club.
With that SOS Brigade is formed, a club that is involved in everything supernatural.
And just like that Kyon finds himself involved in a club of supernatural along with Haruhi and a few other members.
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4. Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World
- Release Date – April 2016
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 2
- Episodes – 50
- Studio – White Fox
After a visit to the convenience store, Subaru Natsuki is shocked to find himself in a different world.
Unable to use his smartphone, he is soon attacked by thugs.
Luckily he was saved by Satella, a beauty who was pursuing the thief of her insignia.
To repay her kindness, Subaru helps her to find the insignia but both of them get brutally murdered by some unknown entity.
Soon after reawakening, Subaru is startled to see himself experiencing the past events again.
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3. Erased
- Release Date – January 2016
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 12
- Studio – A-1 Pictures
Satoru Fujima has the ability called “Revival” to travel minutes back before an accident to avoid it.
However, after getting falsely accused of murdering someone, he finds himself 18 years in the past.
Trying to figure out this sudden revival, he soon realizes that the murder might be connected to the killing of his classmate Kayo Hinazuki in his childhood.
To set things right, Satoru begins his search for the culprit behind these incidents.
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2. The Tatami Galaxy
- Release Date – April 2010
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 1
- Episodes – 11
- Studio – Madhouse
Watashi is a lonely college student. One day he comes across a man who claims himself as the god of matrimony.
Sipping ramen soup from the bowl, Watashi opens up to the self-proclaimed god about his regretful college life.
Following which he finds himself at the beginning of the college year.
And much to his surprise, he gets another chance to create a memorable college life where he can make friends and find love.
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1. Steins;Gate
- Release Date – April 2011
- Status – Completed
- Seasons – 2
- Episodes – 47
- Studio – White Fox
Rintarou Okabe is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who invents “future gadgets” along with the innocent Mayuri and perverted hacker Daru.
Their most recent invention is the “Phone Microwave” which can turn bananas into a mass of green gel.
The new invention seemed nothing special until they discovered that the “Phone Microwave” can send emails to the past altering time itself.
Not knowing the consequences, Okabe keeps on experimenting until the unthinkable happens.
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Honorable Mentions:
Some other time travel anime that are worth watching are:
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, Zipang, Noein: To your other-self. P.S. – There are spring anime like Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song and Tokyo Revengers which have time travel but I have not included them in the list as they are currently airing with not enough episodes.
This finishes our Top 10 Time Travel Anime you should watch in the 2021 list. You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook for more anime and manga-related content like this. We also cover many manga and anime updates so don’t forget to check them out too.