Time travel has always been an exciting topic, as the thought of going back and rewriting the past appeals to everyone. While time travel is still uncharted territory, in reality, the same can’t be said in anime. Time travel anime is one of the most thought-provoking and interesting genres of anime. While the notion of going back in time to fix a mistake isn’t as straightforward as it sounds, these anime show that a simple change could even unravel millions of lives. With that said, here are some of the best time travel anime.
Erased
This popular anime is the perfect start for people new to the genre of Time Travel anime. It follows the life of 29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma, who has the ability to reverse time by a few seconds. However, this bizarre ability gives him little control as he is forcibly thrust back before an accident occurs, giving him the chance to fix it. After his mother is murdered, he is thrust 18 years into the past to try and save his mother. He will also have the chance to save his three friends from a serial killer.
Link Click
Although Donghua’s don’t get much praise, Link Click has changed that perspective with its riveting story. It follows the lives of Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, who operate a Time Photo Studio business. They travel back in time through pictures to fulfill clients’ requests while keeping the timeline manageable. The anime perfectly explains the butterfly effect and how one change could cause a ripple effect. It is an exciting Time Travel anime for veterans and new fans of the genre.
Tokyo Revengers
The popular anime was praised by many as the best anime of 2021. It follows the story of Takemichi Hanagaki, a grown man with little going on in his life. However, his world is flipped upside down after he learns of his girlfriend’s death at the hands of a gang. Takemichi is able to go back 12 years into the past, back to when he was in middle school. However, Takemichi’s plans to infiltrate the gang and stop Hinata’s death aren’t as easy as he hoped. The anime perfectly explains the limitations of time travel and the fortitude required to accomplish such a goal.
SummerTime Rendering
This anime takes everything you know about time travel, rips it up, and pieces it back together uniquely. After the death of his parents, Shinpei Ajiro lives in Tokyo, where he lived alone for several years. He returns to his home on Hitogashima Island to attend the funeral of his longtime friend and crush, Ushio. After discovering strangle marks on Ushio’s neck, Shinpei believes there is more to the story. He also discovers his bizarre time loop ability, which brings him back after his death. Now aided by her ghost and little sister, Shinpei must discover the town’s dark secrets.
ReZero
Subaru is reincarnated into a fantasy world after dying pathetically in front of a convenience store. A few hours after his arrival, he is killed trying to help Emilia. However, he returns just a few hours before they meet. After some gruesome encounters that cause him to die multiple times, he gets the hang of his new abilities. After saving Emilia, the latter rewards him by making him a butler at her mansion. He falls in love with her and pledges to use his newfound ability to keep her and her friends safe. Rezero is the perfect anime for fans looking for a complex story to dive into.
Steins Gate
Steins Gate is one of the most popular anime in the world and the pioneer of time travel anime. Rintaro Okabe is a mad scientist who runs the Future Gadget Laboratory with his friends Mayuri and Hashida. Rintaro discovers a dead body at the time travel conference and learns that his team’s latest invention, the phone microwave, can send texts back to the past, leading to a plethora of unfortunate yet riveting events. Steins Gate explores the entirety of time travel, explaining how one fix could ruin the rest of the world.
