Reminiscing over the past
I remember when I was little I watched certain anime series that stuck in my head up until this day. There was something special about it that made me never forget it.
If you’re feeling nostalgic and want to relive your childhood memories or if you haven’t watched any of them and you like anime 90s style, then you are in the right place. Not in any particular order, I’ve put together a list of 15 anime series that most of kids of my generation and I loved dearly:
Princess Sara
Hunter x Hunter
Dragon ball
Case Closed (Detective Conan)
Pokémon
Romeo’s Blue Skies
My daddy long legs
Baby & me
Mama is a 4th Grader
Remi, Nobody’s Girl
Hamtaro
The Racing Brothers Let’s & Go!!
Tama and Friends
Chibi Maruko Chan
Digimon Adventure
If you were born in the nineties or early two thousand, you will remember at least one of these beautiful series. When I recall my memories, I remember when I came back from school, I was very excited to get home, I used to eat lunch and watch my favorite programs on TV, and it was one of the most beloved times to my heart.
1- Princess Sara
I may not remember at what point in time I watched this series or how old I was but I do remember the story and some of the character names. This might be the oldest one on this list as it was released in 1985. All of my brothers and sisters absolutely loved this series and I re-watched it with them when I was younger. It was called Sally in the Arabic anime version.
The events took place in 1885, when Sara’s father Captain Ralph Crewe who was a wealthy English widower living in India, enrolled his 8 years old daughter Sara at the Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies in London. She performed great in her studies and is loved deeply by her classmates and friends, but was hated by class representative Lavinia Herbert and the headmistress Miss Minchin. On her 9th birthday, Sara learned about her father’s death and bankruptcy. I won’t spoil the story in case you haven’t watched it yet.
2- Hunter x Hunter
I watched the old version of this series (1999 version) in 3rd or 4th grade. However they made another adaptation of the manga into an animated series in 2011.
The story is about a young boy named Gon Freecss who discovers that his father, who abandoned him at a young age, is a hunter. A person who is a licensed professional who specializes in fantastical pursuits. Such as locating rare or unidentified animal species, treasure hunting, surveying unexplored enclaves, or hunting down lawless individuals. Gon heads on a journey to become a hunter and eventually find his father. Along the way, Gon meets various other hunters and encounters abnormal events and people.
3- Dragon Ball
I liked this series so much when I was in first or second grade. I remember I used to collect stickers of my favorite characters. There have been so many series released since then but I have only watched the original Dragon ball and Dragon Ball Z. The latest releases are Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima. The story revolves around the adventures of Son Goku from his childhood until he grows up, training in martial arts and going on a journey around the world in search of the seven Dragon Balls that grant wishes to whoever collects them.
4- Case closed
Case closed or otherwise known as Detective Conan, it was the first anime series I watched that was in the crime and mystery genre. My brothers and sisters and I all watched it. Some scenes scared me as a child, so I don’t think it’s suitable for children, but it’s suitable for teenagers and adults. The story starts as the high school detective Shinichi Kudo, whose body was transformed into an elementary school aged child while investigating a mysterious organization. Generally, he solves crime cases by impersonating his childhood best friend’s father and various other characters.
5- Pokémon
Pokémon was among my top favorite series that I watched a lot. I even remember owning a huge Pikachu plush that I kept in my bed. The show originally followed Ash Ketchum who is a young trainer of fictional creatures called Pokémon. Joined by his companion Pokémon Pikachu and his two friends Bonnie and Max. Ash heads on a journey to become a “Pokémon Master”. To achieve his goal he goes traveling through various regions of the Pokémon world and competing in Pokémon battle tournaments known as the Pokémon League. My favorite part is when a Pokémon evolves to a higher level and changes its form and increases its strength and attack style. The series is still aired to this day.
6- Romeo’s Blue Skies
The story is about a boy named Romeo who lived in a village that was affected by drought. Which in turn affected Romeo’s family who became in debt. Struggling to survive and due to an unexpected series of events, Romeo was sold to work as a chimney sweeper for a man called Luini. He treated him harshly and made him work along with other children in harsh conditions. While at work, he met a boy named Alfredo who became his best friend. Romeo and Alfredo faced many problems and unfortunate events but the story is intriguing and you get hooked on it as it progresses.
7- My daddy long legs
The story is about an orphan girl named Judy Abbott, who gets a scholarship to Lincoln High School, which was given by a man named John Smith. Judy doesn’t know him and calls him “Daddy Long Legs” because she has only seen his shadow and his shadow has very long legs. She has to write him a letter once a month without expecting a response, as a payment for the scholarship he gave her. The series is filled with details of Judy’s life in the orphanage and her life at school. I enjoyed watching Jody’s ordinary life and I liked her orange braided hair so much.
8- Baby & me
I liked this anime a lot as a kid but I don’t know how to summarize it because the Arabic version of this anime has changed the original characters names. The Arabic series is called My Brother And I. In short, it is a touching story about a boy named Sami (Takuya Enoki) whose mother died in a car accident, leaving him with his younger brother Waseem (Minoru) to take care of. The children’s father worked hard to provide for his sons’ financial needs. Sami (Takuya) thus devotes his time to taking care of his younger brother. If you find this confusing you can read the summary of the story on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_%26_Me
9- Mama is a 4th Grader
In a similar context, this series was also changed in Arabic and titled as My Sister and I, and the character names are also changed. My Sister and I is a story about Farah (Natsumi), who is in the fourth grade. Her parents traveled to India (England), so her cousin (aunt Izumi) came to live with her. A little alien girl from another planet called Marwa (Mirai) appeared. Farah (Natsumi) took care of the little girl as if she were her little sister. I don’t understand why so many things have been changed, even destinations!
If you find this confusing you can read the summary of the original story on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_wa_Shōgaku_4_Nensei
10- Remi, Nobody’s Girl
The series “Remi, Nobody’s Girl” achieved great success in the Arab world, more than in Japan. The story captured the hearts of young and old, and the songs were repeated in neighborhoods while kids played. It is still in the hearts of many as one of the most influential characters ever.
Remi came from a noble family who lost her mother when she was a child and was raised by mother Barberin. When Remi grew up, she learned the truth and her stepfather was trying to sell her because he needed money. Remy ran away with Viatlis and joined a traveling singing group with pets on a journey to search for her real family.
11- Hamtaro
I remember watching Hamtaro in the second and third grade and I loved him so much. Hamtaro is a small orange and white hamster who lives with his owner Laura, a fifth grader. When Laura’s family moved into their new home, Hamtaro went out exploring and met new friends who then formed a clubhouse and went on adventures as a clan.
12- The Racing Brothers Let’s & Go!!
I don’t remember every detail about this anime because I was too young. However it was different and that’s why I still remember it. It was about an interesting hobby where kids and adults compete using customized motorized miniature cars. I decided to search the internet and watch it to refresh my memory but I could not find the full series, only a few episodes here and there and some of them are not even subbed.
13- Tama and Friends
I also have a faint memory of this series because I was too young when I first watched it, probably before the first grade. I remember that I liked it too much because it was too kawaii and loved the art style. The story is about a cat called Tama who plays with his fellow cute animals. The owner of the cat is Takeshi Okamoto. The story highlights Tama’s everyday adventures with his friends Pochi, Momo, Tora, Beh, Kuro, Gon, Koma, Nora and Bull.
14- Chibi Maruko Chan
This is one of the best series I have watched as a child and I watched it again as an adult and I’m still fond of it. I like the simplicity of it and how it shows her ordinary life which looks like real life events that people can relate to. The series depicts the simple, everyday life of Momoko Sakura, a young girl in third grade who everyone calls Maruko. Maruko is a troublemaker, and every episode shows Maruko’s trouble and how she and her friends try to solve the situation. Most of the events take place at school or at her house with her family.
15- Digimon Adventure
I watched the old version of Digimon Adventure which was aired in 1999. I liked it back then because it was somewhat similar to Pokemon. The story is about seven children who are transported into the Digital World by Digivices that appeared before them at summer camp. where they befriend several Digimon (Digital Monsters) which are creatures similar to Pokemons as I stated. The kids’ Digivices allow their partner Digimon to transform into stronger forms and combat enemies. As the kids explore to find a way home, they learn that they are “DigiDestined”, which means children that are chosen to save the Digital World.
I did not mention every anime I have watched as a kid, only the ones that I liked the most. I hope you share with us in the comments what your favorite series were that you watched when you were young.
Note: If you are wondering why I have not included Sailor Moon, One Piece and Naruto, it is simply because it was not aired by any T.v channel in my region and in my language.
One response to “15 Nostalgic Anime Series That Made My Childhood Memorable”
مرحبا… لقد عدة الى الزمن الجميل من خلال هذا المقال وعدة بذكرياتي لايام لا تنسى وحنين الى الماضي… لقد احببت المقال كثير وانا من محبي كونان ودروب ريمي