The concept of Time Travel is a fascinating topic for viewers. Many movies, shows, and animes have explored this concept repeatedly without sacrificing a good story, plot, and character development. This concept got explored so much now that it may feel cliche, but we still love the idea of going back in the timeline to change one thing that may affect the present. So here is a list of the top ten anime with the concept of time travel and manipulation.
1. Tokyo Revengers
Tokyo Revengers is a hot topic anime of 2023. The plot revolves around Hanagaki Takemichi, a lone adult with no purpose in life, who saw the news that his ex-girlfriend got murdered. Later he got pushed onto the rail tracks and woke up twelve years in the past, his middle school days when he was a cool hoodlum. Recalling his memories, he tries to change things that went wrong, which disrupts his present timeline.
2. Erased
Erased anime is a time-travel-murder-mystery anime that follows the life of Fujinuma Satoru. Satoru possesses a mysterious power where he subconsciously travels back in time during any life-threatening situation. After his mother's murder, he goes back eighteen years and relives his school days, learning what causes his mother's death. Satoru saves his mother and a friend, disclosing the truth. Erased has a compelling narrative, showing time travel and mystery. The audience gets hookup in the beautiful plot and animation.
3. Steins; Gate
Steins; Gate shows a good quality of storyline and character development with a time travel concept. This anime handles the time travel concept scientifically. The plot revolves around a 'mad scientist,' Okabe Rintaro, who is trying to invent and develop futuristic tools- like a gadget called 'Phone Microwave' that can send messages through the timeline. This anime may take a few episodes to hook you up, but a highly recommended one.
4. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
'The Girl Who Lept Through Time' is an anime movie that feels too real. It has well-written characters, good animation, and sound. The plot would keep you engaged. If you like to watch wholesome anime, you might like this. The plot revolves around a high school girl, Makoto Kanno, who finds that she can leap through time. So she decided to go back to the past to correct her mistakes. But this leads to consequences of creating alternate timelines.
5. Inuyasha
Inuyasha is an old anime that aired before Naruto and Dragon Ball series. But it does not mean this series would be boring, but it is a good anime with some unique concepts, giving you a ride on an emotional roller coaster. The storyline of Inuyasha begins with a teenage girl, Higurashi Kagome, who possesses a Jewel that grants wishes. Because of the Shikon Jewel, she gets dragged 500 years back in time by a demon. With the help of Inuyasha, she retrieves the jewels before they can fall into the wrong hands.
6. Future Diary
'Future Diary' is a well-developed anime series with a tournament concept going well with a time-travel idea. In this series, the characters get dragged into a battle to become God. The protagonist Yuki battles with other candidates. Everyone possesses a cell phone and can receive messages from someone in the future. This anime touches on the topic of parallel universes and endings.
7. Your Name
Any new anime watcher gets recommended to watch this masterpiece- Your Name, by Makoto Shinkai. The art quality, background music, plot, and storyline are on top to keep you invested. The depth of the story is commendable. Your Name is a story revolving around two characters- Mitsuha and Taki, who switches body with each other. But the big reveal comes when they realize that they not only swaps bodies from different places but also from different times.
8. Orange
Orange is an anime that discusses relationships, friendships, and regrets more than the time travel concept. It is a high school and slice-of-life anime. Orange follows the life story of Takamiya Naho, a high school student who receives a letter from her future self. The letter tells her what she could do better to change and make her future better. One letter mentions keeping an eye on a transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. The main character in this anime does not have any time-traveling power- it just focuses on high school life.
9. Occult Academy
Occult Academy is an anime-inspired by the 2012 predictions. The characters and plot are unique. The story can be said to be more of an adventure and exploration anime. The story takes place in 2012, the predictions come true, and the Earth gets invaded by aliens. A group of time travelers, including Maya and Fumiaki, gets chosen to travel back in time to find a key to avoid the apocalypse.
10. Re: Zero- Starting Life in Another World
Re: Zero series is a thoughtful introspection of altering the past with compelling character and worldbuilding. The plot revolves around Subaru Natsuki, an introverted guy who suddenly gets transported into another world. After arriving, he gets killed and discovers that he can rewind time and change the outcomes. He dies repeatedly only to return to life and must live to save his friends. It hurts when he relives again and again with loneliness when no one is there to remember his heroism.
