In recent years, there has been a rise in the industry in remaking popular anime. While there are cases of remakes that didn't meet fans' expectations, like Shaman King or Digimon, others have been highly praised, like Mappa's adaptation of Ranma 1/2 or the new version of Anne Shirley. However, although these new re-envisions will be followed by other series in the coming years, like One Piece or The Fist of the North Star, there are still great classic anime that deserve to be greenlit for a remake to captivate new audiences.

While fans might be familiar with a good number of modern anime that deserve a reboot, like Tokyo Ghoul, which moved away from its original manga, many classic series are so good that they should be remade just to improve the quality of their animation, adapt their endings, or renew the interest of fans, as they now have the potential to become popular around the world thanks to the rise of streaming services.

10 Dean Wonderland

Animated by Manglobe, Based on the Manga by Jinsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou

Dean Wonderland is one of those anime that significantly diverges from its manga in its final part. Additionally, the pacing in the anime was rushed, with the events happening in quick succession that doesn't leave time for the development of the characters or the story. Still, Dean Wonderland has become a cult classic horror anime full of mystery, blood, and social criticism that engages viewers and leaves them craving more.

Due to cramming too much content into only 12 episodes, the anime ended on a cliffhanger, leaving many plotlines unresolved and without adapting all the manga’s story. As a result, a remake that extends for more than one cour could offer a faithful and complete adaptation of the manga that will finally introduce the characters that were left out of the story and play an important role later in the series. But overall, a Dean Wonderland remake could provide the closure fans have awaited for almost fifteen years.

9 Rave Master

Animated By Studio DEEN, Based on the Manga by Hiro Mashima

Rave Master is the story of a young man in a magic world who fights against darkness and finds more allies on his journey, which became a must-watch for every anime fan in the early 2000s. Rave Master is considered Hiro Mashima's best work, but it has been under the shadow of Fairy Tail, which became more popular internationally. Rave Master has been underrated for its short duration and its animation style, which didn't particularly stand out at the time, but it has a great narrative and use of humor and well-crafted backstories.

Also, as the Rave Master original anime ended before the most interesting part of the story, remaining incomplete, a remake could adapt all 295 chapters of the manga. Furthermore, Rave Master art was better in the manga than in the anime, so an adaptation that enhances the character design could attract a broader public.

8 Reborn!

Animated By Artland, Based on the Manga by Akira Amano

Despite starting as a comedy series, Katekyo Hitman Reborn evolved into one of the best battle shōnen. Unfortunately, the anime ended too early without adapting the last two arcs of the manga. Because of this, many great characters never get to be introduced in the anime, like Enma, and fans didn't get to see how much Tsuna improved after the events of the Future Final Battle Arc.

Although there has been speculation about a remake after the twentieth anniversary of Reborn! manga, there's no official confirmation yet.

But not only does the Vongola family deserve to return with better animation that does justice to the battle scenes and without censorship, but the series would also benefit from a new version that improves the pacing in its first episodes that don't advance the plot and an epilogue that gives a much rounder closure to all the characters. This way, Reborn will have even more impact than the original anime had at the beginning of the 2000s.

Maison Ikkoku

7 Maison Ikkoku

Animated By Studio DEEN, Based on the Manga by Rumiko Takahashi

After the success of the Urusei Yatsura and Ranma 1/2 remakes, if more of the legendary Rumiko Takahashi's works will receive anime, no other series deserves it more than Maison Ikkoku. Maison Ikkoku isn't a fantasy series like the rest of Takahashi's works, but it's undoubtedly the one that best captures the feeling of a romantic comedy. Maison Ikkoku shows the everyday life of a residence with a romance that simmers very slowly and offers an interesting view of Japanese society at the time that, if it gets reanimated, could still shine among the modern anime.

While some parts of the manga were skipped in the anime, Maison Ikkoku is still considered by many fans as the masterpiece of Rumiko Takahashi, so the remake will help expose the series to younger audiences who might not find appeal in the older animation style.

6 Zatch Bell!

Animated By Toei Animation, Based on the Manga by Makoto Raiku

There is no doubt that the misadventures of Kiyo Takamine after meeting a mamodo were one of the most representative animes in the first decade of the 2000s, but sadly, the franchise has lost most of its popularity due to its rushed ending, which didn't completely adapt the original manga. Moreover, currently, Zatch Bell has an official sequel by Makoto Raiku being serialized, which has already released 5 volumes.

This way, a new Zatch Bell anime that can faithfully adapt the manga and even extend to cover the sequel will be a dream come true for many fans. Zatch Bell isn't only one of the best shonen at conveying true team combat and strategies, but is also incredibly fun and unique, with a bunch of eccentric characters that enhance an uplifting story of underdog partners getting stronger and defeating all their opponents to become king.

5 Saint Seiya

Animated By Toei Animation, Based on the Manga by Masami Kurumada

Similar to Sailor Moon, a remake of The Knights of the Zodiac's epic quest to protect Athena could be enhanced by renewed animation and a tighter narrative. As even the 80s animated series moved far from the source material, with a slow development compared with the tireless action of the manga, a Saint Seiya remake without filler episodes could attract a new generation of followers.

The CGI in the Netflix adaptation doesn't do any justice to Saint Seiya, which stood out at the time it came out for its spectacular animation. But the main problem with the remake was its soundtrack, lackluster combat choreography, and controversial decisions like making Andromeda Shaun a female character. Still, there is a lot of material from Saint Seiya that deserves to be adapted, like a reboot or continuation of the Lost Canvas OVAs, which could become an outstanding anime today that revitalizes the franchise.

4 Yu Yu Hakusho

Animated By Studio Pierrot, Based on the Manga by Yoshihiro Togashi

Following the success of the Hunter x Hunter remake in 2011, whose reception could not have been better, Togashi's other master work, Yu Yu Hakusho, should be next in line to be redone. However, this is not because of the lack of quality of Pierrot's original adaptation but because Yu Yu Hakusho animation was great during its time but has already been sured by current techniques. Furthermore, despite the mixed opinions about Netflix's live-action adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho , its reception made obvious how there is still interest in the franchise even after 30 years.

Just like it happened with other remakes, if Yu Yu Hakusho were to be reanimated, fans would get a chance to experience once again many of the unforgettable battles in the series, now with an updated style that will make them even more visually striking. Furthermore, it will confirm for viewers why Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the best shonen of all time by presenting once again some of its complex antagonists, like the Toguro Brothers and Sensui.

3 Slam Dunk

Animated By Toei Animation, Based on the Manga by Takehiko Inoue

While a remake of Slam Dunk might be a controversial decision, as the original animation had a distinguishable aesthetic that stood the age of time, the anime never covered the ending of the manga by Takehiko Inoue. So a remake could finally finish the series properly, since the film adaptation, The First Slam Dunk presents a completely different animation style based on CGI that didn't appeal to all viewers and offers a different perspective focused on Miyagi Ryota without exploring the original ending of the manga or revealing more about Hanamichi.

Still, the success of The First Slam Dunk in Japan reflects the popularity of the IP even after all these years, and with a remake that offers accessibility, it could reach even more viewers worldwide. Also, if Slam Dunk gets a remake, it could make basketball take off once again in anime, since it is a sport that has been craving another popular title since Kuroko's Basketball.

2 Berserk

Animated By OLM Team Iguchi, Based on the Manga by Kento Miura

There is no question that Berserk is the best dark fantasy manga ever written, but that's precisely what makes it such a difficult work to translate into animation. Because of this, unfortunately, Guts's story has yet to have an adaptation that matches its rawness and brutality. While its 1997 adaptation had its flaws, it still tried to convey Miura's essence. However, the Berserk 2016 remake failed miserably to satisfy viewers because of the decision to use CGI for the character design, which resulted in poor animation quality.

In Berserk's remake, the characters seemed too stiff for the level of violence in the fights of the series, and the overall art style and aesthetic were extremely simple for such a complex story. Nevertheless, anime studios have improved greatly in recent years, and even after Miura's ing, which left Berserk's story unfinished, it is still one of the most popular seinen of all time. So despite the challenge it represents, Berserk definitely deserves a version that does justice to Kentaro Miura's legacy.

1 Ashita no Joe

Animated by Mushi Production, Based on the Manga by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba

While anime fans of today might know about boxing series like Megalo Box, not everyone knows that it was made as a homage to Ashita no Joe. Ashita no Joe is a story about boxing but goes further than just that, becoming the father of almost every spokon anime and one of the most influential series of all time, even serving as a predecessor to masterpieces like Hajime no Ippo.

Joe Yabuki's sports journey isn't a rose trail, but it's intense, full of hardships, and dramatic moments, which have made Ashita no Joe one of the most recognized works to this day that is still parodied in many anime and manga. Ashita no Joe has already had two adaptations and, although they have not aged badly, a remake with a revitalized animation would be a delight for viewers, especially given the boom of sports anime recently thanks to animes like Blue Lock and Haikyuu!!.