To the uninitiated, it might be strange that Anime has the following that it does. Though the Japanese word itself simply means “animation,” and is used by Japanese speakers to describe animated works from anywhere in the world, the word is commonly used by English speakers to refer specifically to animated works originating in Japan. While America’s animation industry is extremely kid-focused and skewed toward comedy, creators in Japan are far more likely to explore the full breadth of stories that can be told in that medium, including dramatic stories aimed at adults.
There are many beloved anime series in a wide variety of genres, and we’re here to help you celebrate and display your enthusiasm some of the most popular. Here are some of the best Anime posters we’ve been able to find, associated with a variety of series.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Season 2 Key Art Wall Poster,
Pokemon Battle Art Group Wall Poster
Gotta Catch… oh, what’s the point? You know how it goes.
This large poster shows several panels containing a variety of Pokemon from multiple generations in dynamic poses.
We’re beginning with, possibly, the largest anime franchise in the world, though some might argue thatPokemon’s origin as a video game means it shouldn’t be given that title. Either way, the Pokemon anime is inarguably one of the most popular in the world, and this poster does a great job celebrating it and the rest of the franchise by showing a variety of its iconic monsters in dynamic poses.
Unlikemany pieces of Pokemon merch, this one includes a diverse array of monsters from numerous generations. While it is skewed toward popular mons, it doesn’t just include those from the first, or even the first few, generations.
My Hero Academia Comic Wall Poster
Several great characters
Split into comic book panels befitting its superheroic origin, this poster shows five of the main characters from My Hero Academia posed as if in the middle of the action.
Much of Anime has its roots in Manga, a word which, similar to anime, means simply “comics” in Japanese, but which English speakers use to refer specifically to Japanese comics. Though Manga doesn’t have the same inherent association with superheroes that western comics do, you wouldn’t know it from My Hero Academia, whose adaptation is one of the most popular superhero anime out there. This poster shows a bunch of characters from it with their signature associated colors, posed dynamically.
Dragon Ball Z Goku Wall Poster
An incredibly intense stare
Among the most iconic anime protagonists of all time, the Dragon Ball franchise’s Goku is shown here, glaring out of this poster as he would glare at an enemy.
The Dragon Ball Franchise, especially its most popular entry,Dragon Ball Z, is another giant of Japanese entertainment that has spread throughout the world, and its protagonist is a solid candidate for the most iconic anime protagonist of all time.
One of Goku’s most notable traits is how formidable he is. You do not want to be on the wrong side of a fight with him. If you’ve ever wondered what the average villain sees just before he wrecks them, you needn’t look further than this poster, and the badass glare he gives through it.
Naruto: Shippuden Poster Book
Less than one dollar per poster
This collection of posters feature a variety of scenes and characters from the hit Anime series Naruto, whose hundreds of episodes recount the eponymous character’s training to become a ninja.
Things usually come at a better value when you buy them in bulk, and that’s certainly true of posters.We’ve recommended poster packs on previous lists, and, though most of this article focuses on full-sized posters, we threw one in here, too. This poster book contains a dozen posters featuring a variety of scenes and situations fromNaruto, the extremely popular battle series about a boy’s training to become a ninja.
Hunter X Hunter Water Wall Poster
Must protecc
Another work based on a popular children’s anime, this poster features one of the main characters of Hunter X Hunter carrying another character in his protective grasp.
We mentioned in the intro that one of the things that sets anime apart is the fact that, unlike western animation, it isn’t overwhelmingly skewed toward children’s media. We might not have been doing a great job showcasing that in this list, which has thus far focused on series for boys. We’ll be bucking that in a few entries, but, for now, well, here’s a poster based on the Shonen seriesHunter X Hunter.
We picked this one because it centers around the more morally ambiguous and interesting of the show’s two protagonists as he protectively holds someone dear to him, something he wouldn’t do for many people. Also, there’s a cool colorful wheel thingy behind him. It looks nice.
Attack On Titan The Final Season Wall Poster
Are you the food? No, we are the hunters!
This image, which was originally released in the lead-up to Attack on Titan’s final season, shows several of the show’s characters standing in the gigantic footprint of one of their monstrous enemies.
Many of the posters on this list have showcased classics from the 90s or 2000s, and, indeed, there will be at least one more poster along those lines in this list, but we thought we’d take a moment to celebrateone of the most popular animefrom the past several years,Attack on Titan.
Even in a medium well-known for its over-the-top action, this show is special for how steep the odds against our heroes initially are, and the sheer size and power of the monsters they fight. This image captures that essence very well, showing ten of the show’s characters standing together in a giant footprint.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Wall Poster
You’ve already seen too much
This poster shows the five main characters from Puella Magi Madoka Magica in a surreal setting matching a kind of space they explore in the show.
If you’ve not already seen Puella Magi Madoka Magica, you need to fix that immediately and come back to this article when you’re done. It is an amazing show, and it’s one you should go into completely blind if you can. The merits of its story are enormous, and its influence on the genre it belongs to immense, and that’s all we can say without giving away too much.
Suffice it to say, if you’re a fan of the show, you know who these characters are, why there’s such a surreal backdrop behind them, and what that ominous wheel thing at the top is, and, therefore, you understand why this poster is really cool.
It’s real pretty
This poster shows a number of major characters from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, including its most iconic villain, in dynamic poses on a strange but fitting background.
Inour list of the best LGBT anime, we said that if you walked up to an anime fan and shouted “GAY ANIME” at them, the first show that’d come to mind would be Yuri On Ice. While we maintain that that would probably be the most popular answer, this show, famous for the aesthetic presentation of its male characters, would be a serious competitor.
JoJois a sort of anthology show, following similarly named protagonists on various adventures across multiple generations. The various JoJos face a variety of antagonists, including the iconic and memorable vampire Dio, featured in this poster.
FAQ
What the heck is anime?
We admire the spirit of openness and curiosity that led you through this entire article without knowing that. As we stated in our intro, Anime is Japanese animation, for the most part. The exact boundaries of what counts as anime, including whether works of non-Japanese origin which have anime-esque styles count as anime, are hotly (and very, very tediously) debated by fans.
Is anime okay for 12 year olds?
It depends on the show. Just as live-action TV shows in America could easily be appropriate for children, or not, anime shows will vary wildly in target audience and appropriateness.
