Looking for the best MAPPA anime of the 2020s? These seven picks span supernatural action, grim fantasy, historical drama and film. The ranking includes both television anime and the film Jujutsu Kaisen 0; it is an editorial selection, not an official MAPPA list. I weighed storytelling and character work, visual direction and animation, consistency across each installment, and how distinctive or memorable it is. MAPPA’s official works catalog confirms the titles and years used here, but does not rank them by quality.
How this ranking works
MAPPA’s catalog covers a broad range of productions and formats, so “best” is necessarily a judgment rather than a studio-issued verdict. The order below reflects how well each entry brings together its story and characters, visual approach, consistency, and individual identity. For multi-part series, the entry names the season or portion being ranked rather than treating every installment as one undifferentiated work.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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![Banana Fish - Staffel 1 - Vol.1 - [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41L0kelPC-L._SL160_.jpg)
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Banana Fish - Staffel 1 - Vol.1 - [Blu-ray] | $61.06 | Buy on Amazon |
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![BUCCHIGIRI?! - Gesamtausgabe - [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51f+G1m6mKL._SL160_.jpg)
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BUCCHIGIRI?! - Gesamtausgabe - [Blu-ray] | $54.31 | Buy on Amazon |
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MAPPA describes itself as an animation studio established in 2011, working across genres and formats. That is the company’s own description, not an independent assessment of its output. Its catalog lists these productions by year and format, while its representative works include Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season and Chainsaw Man (MAPPA’s 15th-anniversary corporate description).
7. Hell’s Paradise (2023)
On MAPPA’s catalog, Hell’s Paradise is a 2023 TV anime. Its central setup—a condemned shinobi sent to a lethal island in pursuit of an elixir—gives the series a compact survival-fantasy identity. The mix of danger, mystery and moral uncertainty makes it a strong pick for viewers who want an adventure with a darker edge.
#1 Best Overall
- Preisgekrönter Crime-Anime: Banana Fish zählt zu den international gefeierten modernen Anime-Serien
- Düsteres New-York-Setting: Gangs, Mafia und politische Intrigen im Mittelpunkt der Handlung
- Emotionale Charaktere: Mit Ash Lynx und Eiji Okumura als zentralem Duo der Geschichte
- Anime von MAPPA: Hochwertige Inszenierung mit intensiver Atmosphäre und Action
- Kultstatus weltweit: Beliebt für seine emotionale Tiefe, Thriller-Elemente und gesellschaftlichen Themen
It takes seventh place because its appeal is especially tied to that unsettling premise and atmosphere. The other entries on this list make a more complete case across the criteria, whether through broader character development, a more singular visual identity or a more fully realized arc.
6. Chainsaw Man (2022)
MAPPA lists Chainsaw Man as a 2022 TV anime and a representative work. It stands apart from conventional heroic action through its rough-edged protagonist, grotesque devils and abrupt shifts between violence and ordinary life. The result is a distinctly off-kilter take on supernatural action rather than a straightforward power fantasy.
Its visual direction is central to that identity: it treats the story as a moody, cinematic world as well as a succession of fights. The first season earns its place for the strength of its tone and presentation, though its position below the top five reflects this ranking’s preference for entries that feel more complete as a whole or achieve a stronger balance across the comparison criteria.
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Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is MAPPA’s 2021 film entry. As a feature rather than a television season, it has a different advantage: a defined beginning and end in which to focus its story. Its place here recognizes the film format as part of the 2020s MAPPA conversation, not just the studio’s series output.
The movie is a useful choice for viewers who would rather watch a single installment than commit to a season. It also earns its rank through a concentrated narrative and action-led presentation. Since MAPPA’s catalog establishes its format and year, but does not publish quality ratings, this placement is an editorial comparison rather than a measurable studio ranking.
4. Attack on Titan: The Final Season (2020; Part 2 in 2022)
This entry covers MAPPA’s Attack on Titan: The Final Season, listed in the catalog beginning in 2020, and its Part 2, listed in 2022. It does not claim that one season label describes every later concluding installment. Naming the portions matters because the story spans more than one catalog year.
The final-season material belongs on this list for the scale of its dramatic stakes and the way it shifts the series into a more politically charged conflict. Its ambition and consequence make it a major entry, while its position outside the top three reflects the challenge of judging a multi-part continuation as one ranking unit rather than a single, self-contained season.
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- Original-Anime von MAPPA – BUCCHIGIRI?! kombiniert Action, Comedy und modernes Gang-Setting.
- Stylische Inszenierung – Auffällige Farben, dynamische Kämpfe und urbanes Design.
- Ungewöhnliches Story-Konzept – Jugendgangs treffen auf übernatürliche Djinn-Kräfte.
- Charakterfokus – Arajin Tomoshibi und Matakara Asamine im Zentrum der Handlung.
- Moderne Anime-Unterhaltung – Ideal für Fans von actionreichen, kreativen und unkonventionellen Serien.
3. Dorohedoro (2020)
MAPPA lists Dorohedoro under 2020. It is the pick for viewers who want a fantasy world that feels strange on purpose: grimy, violent and darkly comic, with a mystery at its center. Its strongest distinction is not simply its genre but the unusual atmosphere in which its characters and conflict operate.
That specificity gives it staying power in a crowded field of supernatural anime. It ranks third because its identity is unusually memorable, even as the entries above it offer a stronger overall combination of narrative scope, character work and visual impact.
2. Vinland Saga Season 2 (2023)
MAPPA’s catalog lists Vinland Saga Season 2 as a 2023 TV anime. This ranking is for that season, not the series as a whole. Its focus on the consequences of violence and the possibility of changing one’s life makes it a more reflective choice than the action-heavy entries elsewhere on the list.
The season earns second place for the weight it gives character development and for the confidence to let its story pursue a different kind of intensity. It is a compelling option for viewers who want historical drama and moral change more than constant combat.
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1. Jujutsu Kaisen (2020)
MAPPA lists the original Jujutsu Kaisen as a 2020 TV anime and includes it among its representative works. It takes the top spot for the way it combines an accessible supernatural-action premise with a lively cast and striking fight direction. It is an especially strong entry point for viewers who want an energetic series that balances character dynamics with high-stakes confrontations.
The other titles here may be more unusual in premise or more contemplative in tone, but Jujutsu Kaisen makes the strongest all-around case under this ranking’s criteria. MAPPA’s official catalog confirms the production and year; the number-one placement is this article’s judgment, not the studio’s.
Quick Recap
Where to start
- For fast-paced supernatural action: start with Jujutsu Kaisen.
- For a self-contained film: choose Jujutsu Kaisen 0.
- For a darker, stranger fantasy: try Dorohedoro or Hell’s Paradise.
- For reflective character drama: choose Vinland Saga Season 2.
- For a story on a large dramatic scale: watch the specified Attack on Titan: The Final Season portions.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
