Millions of people have a soft spot in their hearts for Cartoon Network's Toonami line of programming. From 1999 all the way until 2008, this television block introduced audiences to classic works of animation, including many of the anime that would go on to define a generation. All of this was brought to audiences by their host, T.O.M., an interstellar robot who genuinely seemed to care about the shows as much as the audiences did.
In 2013, Toonami finally returned due to popular demand. Of course, by then many of the fans had aged and some of the programming changed. But for those who miss the original Toonami, here are ten classic Toonami anime on Hulu right now:
10 Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho is an anime that follows schoolboy delinquent Yusuke Urameshi who becomes an underworld detective. He can manipulate spirit energy to perform various energy attacks, using finger guns as part of his signature move.
The series has a focus on interpersonal relationships. It showcases the grim depressing realities of life while still emphasizing the love and goodness that can exist in bad environments. The action is incredible, but it is the character dynamics that make this such a masterpiece.
9 Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon is beloved by fans the world over as arguably the greatest magical girl anime of all time. This story follows a team of girls known as the Sailor Scouts empowered with magical abilities who use their talents to protect the world from otherworldly villains.
The protagonist, Usagi (known in the English dub as Serena) is a ditzy schoolgirl who is chronically late, notoriously bad at her studies, and mildly infatuated with toast, but with the help of her magical abilities and her cat Luna, she fights evil by moonlight and starts a romance with the mysterious individual known as Tuxedo Mask.
8 Samurai Champloo
This action-packed samurai anime is a masterpiece of the chanbara genre of historical epics. While it plays fast and loose with history, the series has a stylized aesthetic inspired by hiphop, its music and plot lines seeming like something out of the late 1980s rather than Edo Era Japan.
However, Samurai Champloo is best known for its inventive fight scenes, which are dynamic and beautifully choreographed. The post-modern pastiche of styles ensures this never gets old, modernizing the historical past while bringing new life to the authentic parts it preserves.
7 Dragon Ball
The first ever anime series in the long ongoing Dragon Ball franchise, this anime follows Goku as a young wild child. While many American audiences were first exposed to the later Dragon Ball Z series in which Goku was an adult, it was the original Dragon Ball where it all began.
This series follows Goku as he evolves from a wild boy living alone into the compassionate caring hero with a network of allies who fans love. It also introduces classic characters like Tien, Krillin, and Master Roshi, while Bulma is arguably as important as Goku for much of the show.
6 Dragon Ball GT
While most audiences outside Japan were introduced to Dragon Ball Z as the first anime in the franchise, it was Dragon Ball GT that showed just how insanely powerful the characters could get.
This is admittedly a controversial anime that divides the fandom. Many fans consider this series an abomination in the established Dragon Ball mythology. Set a decade after the climactic end of Dragon Ball Z, the GT series de-aged protagonist Goku back to a child at the beginning of the series, making it feel more like the original series. Then, the show took a sharp turn and got very dark very fast.
5 Outlaw Star
One of the most original mech anime around, Outlaw Star is a science fantasy series that combines comedy, incredible action, and phenomenally fun worldbuilding. The main character, Gene Starwind, is an outlaw living every day thanks to his skill with a ship and a gun.
This series is pure fun with great villains and a unique ship design that makes for visually stunning space battles. The story follows a ragtag band of characters who set out on a quest to find the Galactic Leyline, a nexus of immense power in the cosmos. Also, among the alien species in the series is a race of catgirls!
4 .hack//SIGN
.hack//SIGN is an anime about characters trapped in a virtual reality video game. The premise is not new nowadays, but it was rarely seen at the time of its release.
While many fans have compared this series to the more recent anime Sword Art Online, .hack//SIGN is tonally different in every way, having a character-driven philosophical narrative and an introverted awkward protagonist. The anime captures the anxieties people had as the digital world encroached onto analog lives in the early '00s, showing the real emotional stakes of virtual experiences.
3 Naruto
The Dragon Ball franchise redefined shonen anime, forcing the medium to reinvent itself. Few shonen anime have had more of an impact in the post-DBZ landscape than Naruto. While the show began as a comedy whose misfit titular protagonist was the reject of his ninja village, it quickly built itself up as one of the most dramatic and influential anime around.
The art is simple but the characters are complexly layered, even as the action scenes are choreographed with a unique style that makes them stand out. It has sad intimate moments, sidesplitting humor, and was at its core told a powerful tale of overcoming adversity.
2 Inuyasha
This is an anime that follows modern-day Japanese schoolgirl Kagome who travels back in time to the Sengoku Era where she meets a half-demon by the name of Inuyasha. The two eventually set off together, wandering through feudal Japan, where thy battle demons and gradually develop a romance.
Adding to the dynamic is the group they travel with, among whom is a woman named Kikyo, who Inuyasha shares a tumultuous past with and who looks almost identical to Kagome. This series balances a dark tone with some pretty solid humor, making it beloved by fans.
1 Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is a unique anime in the world of Gundam, in that it was not very popular in Japan but was such a hit among international audiences that the series is responsible for the love of Gundam anime by the North American fandom.
The show follows five teenage boys who each pilot a different Gundam mech, having been sent to earth from the space colonies on a mission to bring an end to a growing war. As the series progresses, human-piloted mechs become phased out as war itself is automated, raising questions about the nature of both warfare and humanity.
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