Top 10 Most Historically Accurate Anime

WatchMojo

History comes alive through animation! Join us as we count down our picks for the anime that most accurately recreate historical periods and events. From the French Revolution to World War II Japan, these shows blend captivating storytelling with meticulous historical research. Which anime transports you to another time?

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the anime that excel the

00:12most at historical accuracy.

00:24The Rose of Versailles Originally a 70s manga, it was then animated in 1979, instantly becoming

00:31a classic of historical anime.

00:33It's set around the French Revolution, telling the story of Marie Antoinette.

00:43It also adds fictional characters like Oscar Francois, who was born a woman but raised a

00:47man.

00:48It addresses the era's struggles like the widespread poverty and chaos of the government.

01:05Author Ryoko Ikeda was semi-inspired by the revolution's ideals, which come through strongest here.

01:11She researched Antoinette for two years before writing.

01:14It was thankfully greenlit, but her editors barely cared.

01:18Despite this, it stood the test of time, still loved over half a century after the manga's

01:22first release.

01:24The warring states period was an era of immense turmoil in the Chinese region.

01:36For just over two centuries, it was ruled by the seven warring states.

01:51This is the period wonderfully recreated by Kingdom, an almost 20-year-old manga, which has also

01:56been adapted into a long-running anime.

01:59It stays relatively true to the period focusing on the era's most important states.

02:09Unfortunately, it was so long that historical records are scarce.

02:13As such, creative liberties have to be taken, but it still feels faithful to the period, recreating

02:19ancient China to a captivating degree.

02:20The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most well-known victims of the Holocaust.

02:31Her family spent two years in hiding during the war, which she wrote about extensively in

02:35Anne Frank is one of the most well-known victims of the Holocaust.

02:45Her family spent two years in hiding during the war, which she wrote about extensively

02:49in her diary.

02:58Tragically, she was eventually captured and then perished in a concentration camp, only

03:03weeks before the war ended.

03:05Two years later, her diary was published by her father.

03:08This tragic tale was adapted into a Japanese animated movie in 1995, providing a fascinating

03:14lens into the war's greatest horrors.

03:17Just make sure you bring tissues, since it's one of history's most sorrowful tales.

03:267.

03:27Golden Kamui The Meiji period saw Japan industrialize with

03:31astounding speed, going from a feudal power in 1868 to beating the Russians in 1905, the

03:38first Asian empire to defeat a Western colonialist nation.

03:46Golden Kamui is set just after this war on the snowy island of Hokkaido.

03:50It does a remarkable job at depicting the Ainu, Hokkaido's indigenous ethnic group.

04:02Alongside this, it also impressively recreates life in the late Meiji period.

04:06From the technology to the street performers, it's an immersive lens into the era, making

04:11it a must-watch for any fan of historical anime.

04:14movie.

04:156.

04:16Barefoot Gen This might be one of the most traumatizing

04:31animated movies ever made.

04:33It's based on a manga with the same name, written by Keiji Nakazawa, a survivor of the

04:38atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

04:51Based on his account of the destruction, the film tells the tale of a young boy surviving

04:55one of history's least humane actions.

04:58This makes it one of the most accurate lenses into the horrors of war.

05:08It's an especially important story since Japan and the US used to heavily censor information

05:14about the bomb's effects.

05:15As such, artwork like Barefoot Gen is historically crucial and will remain that way for centuries

05:21to come.

05:285.

05:29Vinland Saga Starting in 2005, the manga for Vinland Saga features

05:34some of the most poignant commentary on the cycle of violence.

05:44It rivals equally introspective tales like Vagabond and Berserk in its message.

05:49In 2019, the anime's first season was released, instantly becoming one of the best Viking shows

05:54ever.

05:55As the action is classically over the top, the setting is magnificently recreated.

06:09It's a story about slavery, violence, and maintaining hope despite it all.

06:13Currently, about half the manga is animated, making now a great time to catch up.

06:19Just don't expect something light-hearted, crying is guaranteed.

06:25You are a real soldier.

06:304.

06:31Grave of the Fireflies Next up, we have a Ghibli classic released

06:34in 1988 based on a 1967 short story.

06:39It's set in 1945 during World War II's final months, focusing on two war orphans, Seta and

06:45Setsuko.

06:52The movie was directed by Isao Takahata, as opposed to Miyazaki, Ghibli's most famous

06:57director.

06:58It was instantly critically acclaimed, gaining a reputation as one of the best war films ever.

07:10From the get-go, you can tell it's not going to end happily.

07:13It's even more tragic when you learn the story it's based on is semi-autobiographical,

07:17making it one of the most heartbreaking war movies.

07:23It's unique for being set in Victorian Britain without a single supernatural element.

07:30Alongside this, they also hired historical consultant Riko Murakami to maximize accuracy.

07:36It's so accurate that they published the Emma Victorian Guide to provide extra historical context

07:42for readers.

07:43It's unique.

07:44It's unique.

07:45It's unique.

07:46It's unique.

07:47It's unique for being set in Victorian Britain without a single supernatural element.

07:52Alongside this, they also hired historical consultant Riko Murakami to maximize accuracy.

07:57It's so accurate that they published the Emma Victorian Guide to provide extra historical

08:03context for readers.

08:13The show recreates locations from the period remarkably, featuring places like King's

08:18Cross and Covent Garden.

08:20This attention to detail makes it a must-watch for fans of both anime and Victorian England.

08:29Number 2.

08:30Hyoge Mono.

08:31Oda Nobunaga is one of the most famous figures in Japanese history.

08:35He was responsible for unifying a huge portion of Japan in the late Sengoku period.

08:41If you are into this era, then Hyoge Mono will be a gold mine for you.

08:45It explores the era through the eyes of Futura Sasuke, a vassal of Oda Nobunaga.

08:58It's so accurate, they even speak an authentic archaic form of Japanese.

09:02It's unusual in the sense that there's no clear main character.

09:06Instead, it focuses on a plethora of characters and events.

09:10It makes you feel like a fly on the wall during one of Japan's most historically crucial

09:14periods.

09:151.

09:16In this corner of the world.

09:43Taking the top spot is another World War II movie, this time produced by MAPA.

09:51The producers did extensive research on everyday life in 1940s Japan, so while the main characters

09:57are fictional, the surrounding locations and events are remarkably well-researched.

10:02It's also set around Hiroshima, focusing on how everyday people coped with both the war

10:08and the bombing.

10:14It features realistic depictions of wartime struggles, from food shortages to air raids.

10:19While it doesn't focus on the atomic bombs directly, it captures their effects to a horrifying

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