Story Arcs

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, while I love many episodic cartoons that somehow manage to set the bar back to status-quo with each new episode, I just have to admit that for me, there's nothing quite like a well-written, deeply overarching and intertwining story that is well written and just gives you the feeling like you've watched something truly epic when you're done with it. Some story arcs can be overly drawn-our messes that try to come off as deep or epic but just fail miserably in everything that they try to do. The best of these stories, however, can make for a truly rewarding experience that's worth multiple views.

As for how I'd personally define a story-arc, to me its not necessarily something that has to have a consecutive sequence of episodes devoted just to it (though, most of my favorites do), but rather it should have an overarching story with a recurring theme that spans over multiple episodes in a series. Personally, I don't count simple 2-parters as story arcs because in most cases it just feels a bit more like a long episode than a truly epic over-arching story (though admittedly some of these do really push the boundaries of what you can do in just 2 episodes). That doesn't mean any of you have to abide by this personal little rule of mine, but for me something seems right about it being 3 episodes or more, maybe because 3-parters or more in most Western cartoons are a it more rare and somehow can feel a bit more special to me. At any rate, that's just what I'm going by, but feel free to ignore it if you think differently.

Now, one thing I want to set clear before I list my 10 favorite story arcs is that the only reason I'm not ranking anything from Monster is because its a fucking cluster of intertwining story arcs that are so brilliantly woven together and of such consistent quality that if I had to rank even one of them, I'd have to rank them all and take up the whole entire list. So I just want to acknowledge that this series is probably the best written thing ever, but for the sake of variety, I can't rank it on my list, even though it'd easily trump anything else on it. As for 20th Century Boys, it doesn't even have an animated adaptation, so I can't rank it at all, either. Having said that, I will give you my top 15 entries (because 10 spots just wasn't enough) with just brief explanations behind them since I actually plan to write full articles for most of these, later.

15. Kang the Conqueror (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)



Sure, there's the stuff involving the Kree and Skrull, and I liked all of that stuff quite a bit. There's also the excellent Loki story arc as the first season's conclusion. But for whatever reason, Kang the Conqueror just resonated with me the most. There's just something about seeing all of the heroes fighting side by side and enduring such a desperate situation against a seemingly unbeatable foe that gives me an awe-inspiring feeling that I can't quite describe in any detail. All I can say is that this is the first time that the Avengers in this series had to face a threat of this magnitude, and to me it just felt like they were the closest to being a great team here than in any other arc, and that's pretty much why it seems to fit my tastes the most.

14. Imaginationland (South Park)



Just forget what I said earlier. I re-watched these episodes recently and couldn't stop laughing. Sorry, but I think Doug Walker is wrong. This blows the Coon Trilogy straight out of the water.

13. Red Ribbon Army (Dragon Ball)



And for the last time, no, this is NOT the same thing as DBZ! Now, this choice is kind of cheating since RRA is more like a collection of smaller individual arcs, but I just had to rank the whole thing. I came to realize that it was honestly my favorite story arc in Dragon Ball because it combined EVERY element the series was best at. And epic adventure? Check. Tons of witty humor? Check. A very threatening yet also very characteristically goofy set of villains? Check. A nice touch of drama in the middle of all the fun to make the story that much more memorable? Check. Miyagi-like training episodes that are actually a shit-ton of fun to watch? Check. Actually involving supporting characters along the way and giving them useful things to do? Check, check, and check. Yeah, its no wonder this is my favorite arc in the entire series. And really, what more could you ask for from Dragon Ball?

12. Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise (Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage)



For a series that people accuse of being mindless violence, it can sure prove them dead wrong at times. This story arc takes Rock and the rest of Black Lagoon to his fatherland, Japan. What ensues is a dark tale involving the Yakuza, and plenty of guns blazing and swords slicing through flesh and one. There's plenty of action and violence to satisfy any junkie, but if you look past that for a second, there's also a very rich story here with surprisingly complex supporting characters. On top of that, this is the first arc where Rock and Revy truly move forward in some way as characters and manage to somewhat grow out of their former archetypes (much like another arc from FMP that's also on this list). To me, an arc that can not only tell a good story, but also bring characters forward in terms of progression, is truly doing something amazingly right.

11. Cadmus (Justice League Unlimited)



I have to admit, I used to hate JLU, and admittedly a lot of it was for an unfair reason. That said, once Avaitor recommended this arc to me, I couldn't hide the fact that it hooked me onto the entire DCAU once again, on all its own. Some people may say that its a lopsided story arc that doesn't quite reach the level of a major arc from the comics. That's probably true, but seeing as how I hardly read any comics, and have nothing to compare it to, this is probably the closest I'll ever get to see a truly epic story of superheroes on this level, and for what it is, I'll certainly take it. I especially like that the story manages to involve so many different heroes while giving each of them a clear place in the story and never losing its focus or becoming unevenly paced, and that's another plus for it in my book.

10. The Siege of Starro (Batman: The Brave and the Bold)



OK, I know this seems like its breaking my earlier rule because it?s a 2-parter, but wait a minute: if you count the pre-episode shorts leading up to this, its technically more than 2 parts. If that's not good enough, than fuck you, it?s just that damn good and I'll make an exception here.

09. Starcrossed (Justice League)



The first 2-parter we got was the opening to the series, Invasion, and while epic for the time, it has aged into a state of sheer mediocrity, IMO. The next 3-parter was the conclusion to season 1, The Savage Time, and it was great. But then Starcrossed came along to cap off an amazing run of episodes in season 2, and pretty much just brought the series to its absolute pinnacle. To me, the only other DCAU arc that comes even half-way close in terms of excellence is Cadmus (and maybe World's Finest, which also just missed this list), and while Cadmus made it onto my list as well, I still think that this arc is just unbeatable by any other animated DC story arc that I have seen, yet. I wasn't even that compelled by the relationship between GL and HG, but this arc to me, more than any single other one, truly made the Justice League work like a team more than in any other occasion, and for once you finally bought that they absolutely needed each other to survive this ordeal, as even Superman would useless in this situation just by himself.

08. D-Reaper (Digimon Tamers)



**Gasp!!!** But how can a show based on merchandising have anything worthy of being ranked on this list? Yes, as someone who never used to be a fan of this show, I found that I miraculously appreciated it much more as an adult. And if anyone else feels the need to question its status as a truly great cartoon in its own right, then just watch this arc and be enlightened. This is probably the darkest the Digimon franchise has ever gotten, and I doubt that it'll ever go anywhere past this level, or even match it, in terms of how thoughtful the narrative can get. It really is basically Evangelion for kids, but in a way that works out way better than the idea itself has any right to.

07. Day by Day (Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid)



This is another case in which the entire series (or season, if you prefer) is the story arc, and it doesn't have an official name, so I just named it after the main title of the 2 light-novels that its based off of. The first 3 story-arcs of FMP were fun, but ultimately nothing truly memorable. Fumoffu was a series of fun side-stories, but they were just that, side-stories, and they were just meant for a few harmless laughs. The Second Raid basically brought the world of FMP and its characters on to a whole new playing field. The series gives you a false sense of security with just a bried amount of the familiar comic relief in the beginning, but it soon takes a dark turn that is so intense that it'll keep you watching the entire 13-episode run without a break, and then you may even want to watch it again right away. As dark an depressing as it can get at times, it shows how far good characters can go, because in the end you stick around for them, rather than the story itself, and to me this is the first arc in the story to truly develop the main hero and heroine in a significant way, and to me that makes it all the more memorable.

06. Human Development 101 (The Spectacular Spider-Man)



Being that there was a lot of build-up to this story beforehand, I count it as being more than just 2 episodes, even though only 2 episodes were the only ones truly devoted to it. At any rate, while I could have gone with a ton of other story arcs (really, the whole series is great, and Criminology 101 just BARELY missed this list for me), This one is my favorite simply because to me, it felt the most personal in the entire series, and also the most emotional, and I'm just a flat-out sucker for that kind of stuff. The tragic yet intense feud between Eddie Brock (Venom) and Peter Parker (Spider-Man) was just so damn memorable that its honestly the part in the series that I come back to re-watch the most. Technically part of this overlaps with Biology 101 (the Symbiote arc), but I decided this was the aspect of these episodes that pulled me in and kept me thinking about it long afterward, more than anything else.

05. Riah Space Colony (Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket)



Yes, I know that the whole OVA is essentially its own single story, but its part of a much grander, established Universe that technically has a continuity, so it counts. Anyways, I rank this because, so far, its the only Gundam series that has truly managed to grab me and invest me in its story, characters, and world. I couldn't find an official name for it as an arc, as its just its own show, so I just called the "arc" by the name of the space colony that it takes place on.

04. York Shin City (Hunter X Hunter)



Can you imagine how much better this series would be as a whole if Yoshihiro Togashi wrote EVERY arc in it on this level of quality. Alas, as unbalanced the quality in the entire show can be at times, I will always celebrate this arc. It has the right balance of everything. You have heroes and villains, none of who are particularly 1-dimensional. All of them have some gray seep into their moral stance at some point in this story, and the villains truly manage to make this a story that I can't forget. Sure, there's some merciless manslaughter, but its done to characters that have it coming, and its not overused. I like how there's actually a really well-defined structure to how things work here, as well. There isn't just a criminal underworld in the plot because its cool. There's a clear reason for its existence, and it has a huge bearing on the events of the plot. Most of all, though, is that this is a character-driven story. The plot doesn't just move forward on its own just or the sake of it. Think about it for a moment, and you'll realize everything that happens in this arc happens based on the thoughts, emotions, planning, and action of the characters, and each of those actions makes sense based on the personality and mind-set of each of these characters. In the end, fighting and action takes a back-seat to dark alliances, underhanded dealings, friendships, opposing forces, hostilities, careful planning, risky moves, intense psychological battles of wits, and a compelling set of characters to make it all happen. Oh, but when we do see the action, is phenomenally good. Honestly, since I know that none of you guys are ever going to watch this series in full, at least watch this one arc an humor me a little.

03. Kyoto (Rurouni Kenshin)



A shonen arc that primarily focuses on adult characters, a complex back-story that neither paints the government as saints or pure evil, and a villain that looks like a mummy but somehow is still completely credible and even holds Darwinist ideals (even if Darwin's theories would not have even existed back then)? Sign me up. I wish there were more story arcs in shounen series that were equally as plot and character-driven as they are battle-driven.

02. City of Stone (Gargoyles)



When people question how I can like this show better than Batman: The Animated Series, I need only point to this arc. Now, I could have ranked quite a few other arcs from Gargoyles on this list as well (Awakening and Avalon JUST missed it by a hair, and only because I wanted to lave some room for more variety). To this day, I have never seen a "kids show" with a story arc that delves so deep into both a rich history and mythology that can truly flesh out not one, but two villains, allow you to sympathize with, and do ALL of that while also having a very compelling and well-paced story going on in present (which ironically enough serves as the background, rater than the foreground, in this story arc). Its quite simply the best thing that Greg Weisman has ever been behind, IMO, and truly sold me on his talent at creating captivating stories and memorable characters.

01. Chapter Black (Yu Yu Hakusho)



I may be biased about this show, but definitely not when it comes to the quality of this arc. I legitimately believe that its of such a high level of quality that it is better than anything else that has ever come out of the shonen genre, and since that's not saying much for most people, I still have yet to see a single story arc that I like better than it. In this arc, EVERY character is interesting to analyze in some way, from the heroes to the villains. Nobody is a complete good guy, but nobody is a complete ass-hole either (OK, nobody except Doctor, he's just a fucking jerk). This is a story that is run by its characters rather than plot conveniences, and its a perfect adaptation of a story that Yoshihiro Togashi wrote when he was at his absolute best. Whether its shonen, anime as a whole, or just the entire spectrum of animation in general, this is quite honestly my favorite thing to come out of the medium. I don't care what anyone else says.

[Spark Of Spirit]

TB&TB does that a lot with the pre-episode cold openers to set up epic episodes later on. I would say it counts.

Good list though I really wish the Revenge arc was animated.

[Avaitor]

Great list! I knew Chapter Black was going to be #1, but it definitely deserves its slot. In fact, I would've been disappointed if it didn't make it on here.

[gunswordfist]

In no order:

Cadmus - JLU

Dark Tournament - Yu yu Hakusho (probably my favorite)

Kyoto - Rurouni Kenshin (my favorite arc in the manga too)

Spirit Detective - YYH

Genkai Tournament YYH

Saint Beasts YYH

Rescue Yukina YYH (I still need to finish my rewatch of Chapter Black)

Southern Cross - Fist Of The Nortstar

Cell Saga - DBZ (a nice fun arc that should have closed off the show)

Frieza - DBZ (must watch this to appreciate Vegeta being on his own side)

Maximum Tournament - Baki The Grappler (Contains the greatest anime fight of all time)

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Thanks for the comments, guys. And by all means, feel free to list some favorites of your own. I'm interested to hear them!

TB&TB does that a lot with the pre-episode cold openers to set up epic episodes later on. I would say it counts.

Good list though I really wish the Revenge arc was animated.

Yeah, you'd think that with all of the buzz that Kenshin was getting during its 10th Anniversary, and even getting so much as a live-action movie, it would be a no brainer to finally animate the Revenge arc. Instead we get a needless retelling of the Kyoto arc, and an abysmal one at that. The original TV anime already adapted it perfectly, so I'm not sure what the point of those OVAs were in the first place.

Great list! I knew Chapter Black was going to be #1, but it definitely deserves its slot. In fact, I would've been disappointed if it didn't make it on here.

Well, of course. I still legitimately believe that its the best thing to come out of the shonen genre, and it basically makes the difference between YYH being my favorite animated series over everything else. Of course, the rest of the show for the most part is great, but this story arc in particular proves that a shonen series can have in-depth story-telling and terrific characterization that's as great as the level of any other good cartoon when it has talented writing put behind it.

It just saddens me to see how far the genre has degraded itself over the years, and how so many current anime fans are ignorant to the classic stuff that came out over a decade ago, especially with story arcs of this level.

Saint Beasts YYH

Honestly, I like every single arc of YYH to some degree....except for this one. To me it just felt like the most by the book thing that Togashi has ever done, and the lack of interesting plot or villains didn't help it much, either. I think that the only real noteworthy thing about this arc for me is that its the first time the group of 4 got assembled as a team together, which is a significant moment, but it was for a pretty boring mission, IMO. To me this is kind of like Yu Yu Hakusho's "Greed Island" arc, but thankfully unlike Hunter X Hunter, this arc is much shorter than the GI arc, so it doesn't take up that much space.

Cell Saga - DBZ (a nice fun arc that should have closed off the show)

Honestly, I thought that the Buu arc was great in the manga. Its an arc that I initially misunderstood only because the anime really botched it up by taking it far too seriously. In the manga, it was actually the perfect send-off to the series as it took the series back to its more humorous and mythical roots and did a good job of it while still retaining the intense action-packed feel of the latter parts of Dragon Ball. I'm honestly really hoping that the Kai version of this arc really manages to do it justice this time around, whenever that comes out.

Frieza - DBZ (must watch this to appreciate Vegeta being on his own side)

If its the DBZ Kai version of the arc, then this is actually another one that just missed my list, mostly thanks to how overly-long the final fight with Goku and Frieza is. If it weren't for that, it may have just made it. Its funny, because people accuse this series about being nothing more than mindless action, but if you look at the proper version of this arc, and really think about it, the bulk of it has to do with story and characterization (especially for Vegeta). A lot of time is spent on characters trying to outwit one another and in general is great at putting them in desperate situations. There are a lot of fights in this arc, but aside from the final fight with Frieza, most of these fights are rather quick battles (by shonen standards, anyways), that are over in less than the time-length of a single episode (in the case of a Ginyu force its an entire group, so it makes sense). But, even the fights are far from mindless for the most part. A lot of them force the characters to come up with desperate strategies all for the sake of survival. To me, this is honestly what the latter, more serious half of DBZ is like at its best, and if it weren't for the original anime botching this story up with so much filler and needless padding, I think more people might have seen it that way as well.

[Avaitor]

Oh yeah, I recently read that "Starcrossed" is Phil LaMarr's favorite Justice League episode.

And he isn't one who is known to distinctly remember every episode of a show he's done, so that shows how strong it is.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Here are some honorable mentions that just missed it for me:

Awakening (Gargoyles)

Avalon (Gargoyles)

Trust and Betrayal (Rurouni Kenshin)

Dark Tournament (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Enies Lobby (One Piece)

Saiyan (Dragon Ball Z Kai)

Namek (Dragon Ball Z Kai)

Criminology 101 (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

Engineering 101 (The Spectacular Spider-Man)

The Savage Time (Justice League)

The Nine Realms (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)

The Skrull Invasion (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)

World's Finest (Superman: The Animated Series)

[talonmalon333]

I haven't seen all of those story arcs you listed, but the ones I have seen all deserve to be there (I'd personally flip Cadmus and Starcrossed, but both deserve to be here regardless). I'm not sure what my list would look like, but I'd include the Dark Tournament (but Chapter Black definitely deserves to be #1, so great choice). I might also consider the L arc from Death Note.

[Foggle]

Man, I need to watch more of these shows.

Good stuff guys.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I haven't seen all of those story arcs you listed, but the ones I have seen all deserve to be there

Just out of curiosity, which are the ones that you haven't watched yet?

I might also consider the L arc from Death Note.

That's yet another one that I left off of my list, and forgot to list in my honorable mentions, but yeah, its another superb story arc. I also could have listed my favorite Zoids arc as well, but I forgot about that, too.

Man, I need to watch more of these shows.

Hell, you might as well just watch these arcs and then save yourself a ton of time in the process. Instead of re-watching all of YYH, just watch the Chapter Black arc, as its only 25 episodes which is around the length of series that you usually watch. Instead of watching all of HXH, just watch the York Shin City arc, and you'll pretty much get the best arc that the series has to offer, anyways. And, instead of watching all of Avengers: EMH, just watch the Kang the Conqueror, Ultron (its a 2-parter which is why I didn't count it, but its still great), The Nine Realms, and the first half of season 2 (The Skrull Invasion, basically), and you've already seen the best parts of the show, right there. You get all of the best quality stuff in less than half the time it'd take to watch any of these series in their entirety.

Also, speaking of Avengers, I just realized that the film really reminded me of the Kang arc with its whole big battle scene in New York City, much like how in EMH they were also fending off an alien attack from the city. I'm really damn glad that the film went with that set-up, though IMO Kang was a more threatening villain than the movie-version of Loki.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Thanks for the comments, guys. And by all means, feel free to list some favorites of your own. I'm interested to hear them!

I gotta say dude, you listed pretty much ALL of the very best story arcs ever created, in an order I would support as the best in an objective sense as well. 

It pretty much makes my own personal list mostly redundant, but what the hell, I'll list mine anyway. 

10. The War of Paradigm City (The Big O)



I know that The Big O has pretty much only one story arc that lasts throughout the entire show, so what I'm referring to specifically here are the final four episodes. Truly a finale that truly delivers on all fronts, with epic battles, karmic villain deaths, great character moments, final and brilliant development for Roger and Angel, a continued exploration and the final realization of what exactly Paradigm City is, has just one of the most perfect and satisfying endings I've ever seen for a great show.

9. York New City (Hunter X Hunter 1999)



If there ever was an arc in any story where I was on the edge of my seat, anxious, really anxious to what was going to happen to the characters I knew and loved, it would have to be York New. I mean, yeah, it should be obvious that Gon and Killua were going to live through it and all, but the awesome thing about this arc was how it managed to really build up a lot of tension as to the fate of the characters. Everyone on Kurapika's side was waaaayyy out of their league, and there were really in definite mortal danger throughout. The entire arc basically is a game of wits, about outsmarting the other side in an attempt to either destroy or survive. And of course the heart of the arc is the loyalties the characters share: Kurapika to his friends and the Phantom Troupe to each other. Kurapika's internal struggle, with how far he would go to achieve his revenge and just how much he would risk in order to get it, was also incredibly well done in only the way a great writer like Togashi could achieve and an excellent anime staff could bring to life (his disgust when he is torturing and after he kills Uvogin gets to me everytime I watch it). I also enjoy villains who aren't really flat out malicious bastards. The Phantom Troupe do awful things and are certainty "bad" people, but I love how they care about each other like a close family, and willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the group as a whole (and of course, their backstory is great too), and while not all of them have super defined and complicated personalities, none of them are unlikeable either, and I actually cared about whether characters like Nobunga and Chrollo would get to survive just as much as the heroes, which is honestly a feeling that you just don't get often enough for villains. All the characters in this arc are in top form, the drama is smart, the tension is intense, the action is great, and there are no cheap tricks made to let the heroes survive and the villains die like in a lot of other series. Honestly one of the finest arcs I've seen in manga, and even better in the first anime's adaption (I'm sure the second anime's version is great too, I just haven't seen it yet so I can't comment on it  ). I totally agree with Ensatsu-Ken: WATCH THIS ARC!

8. City of Stone (Gargoyles)



I can't talk about this any better than Greg X or Ensatsu-Ken. It tells two stories at once, both complementing each other perfectly. The main plot is the one in the past, exploring how Macbeth and Demona came to be who they are now, an epic story of magic, betrayal, mistrust, war, and love. A history is established, the world is developed further, characters are explored, and the stage is set for the Avalon arc. It's simply perfect on all fronts, and the best of a consistently fantastic series.

7. The Laughing Man (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)



A perfect blend of science fiction and a political thriller. A complicated conspiracy with a lot of intense action, an interesting anti-hero in the form of The Laughing Man, and all around a gripping work of television that I dare say is almost masterpiece quality. I haven't seen 2nd Gig yet, but if it's better than this, I'll be quite pleased.

6. The Promised Day (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)



"The Promised Day" is just so damn entertaining. 18 high octane episode with some pretty epic fights and satisfying ends for some great villains like Pride and Wrath, even though I have misgivings about how everyone got off too easy at the end of the arc it's still such a great ride I honestly can't care too much. There's some great character moments for Greed, Ling, Hoenheim, Alphonse, Riza, The Curtis', and the Armstrongs plus some entertaining strategic and guerilla tactics too, which lends substance to the frenzy, but the main draw of the arc is the great fights pervading throughout  the entirety of the arc. It's placement on my personal list may be inflated some, but this is one of those arcs that I cant help marathoning through and getting pumped while watching it. It's not totally mindless action, nor is it thought provoking in the slightest, and the ending is weak and I have issues with Edward and Mustang's characters at parts, but it's NEVER dull and dammit is it a satisfying and awesome arc to watch and experience at the end of day.

5. A Block Amusement Park AND Pomade Ring (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo)



Here is where I start cheating and tie two arcs from a series I really enjoy. It should be no secret that my favorite show and manga is Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, a series that definitely doesn't appeal to everyone but has made such an unshakable impact on me on top of being downright hilarious that I can't help but adore it. And while I love every arc in the series for the remarkably fresh and unpredictable humor it managed to keep bringing, these two arcs right here, very early in the series, are very partial to me because they endeared me into becoming a devoted fan of the show in the first place. While not the best of the humor of the series as far as the manga goes, the anime did a great job with the gags and humor in these ten episodes. Not a single one fails to disappoint, and some of my favorite moments in the anime and the series in general come from it, such as Uey/Six, the wedding at the haunted house, Bobopatch, the "delinquent turns his life around" story parody, the flower man flashback, everyone dressing up as Beauty, and the priceless battles against the Battleship 5 quartet. These arcs also introduced a lot of memorable characters, and of course sets up Jelly Jiggler to join Bobobo's team, where he really shines and becomes a great scene stealer that you can't imagine the show going on without him.

More importantly, as antagonists Jelly Jiggler and Captain Battleship were the most entertaining, hilarious, and dare I say it, substantial ones in the anime. Now, this IS Bobobo, so it's not like they are deep or anything, but damn did I feel sorry for them as a kid and endeared by them. Jelly Jiggler was neglected and ignored as a viable food product, forced to live dirt poor and constantly loosing jobs, just because no one would eat him, and Captain Battleship was the star pupil of the Fist of the Nose Hair, but was neglected respect and the honor of being the successor just because he wasn't a true descendent of the Hair Kingdom. Now, it's not like these are terribly outstanding backstories or complicated or anything, but they interestingly defined why these characters became villains in the first place and why they've did and done what they did up until they are confronted by the gang in the story. Both also have very interesting histories with Bobobo which actually makes his battles with them surprisingly personal. I actually could talk more in depth about why I like these arcs so much, but I think I've said enough.  While the series gets funnier past this point and has a lot of fun enemies after these guys, the charismatic and interesting personalities of Jelly Jiggler and Captain Battleship as antagonists is what really sets these arcs apart from the rest of the series, at least in the anime version, and because of them I became the Bobobo fan that I am today, and the only reason that they aren't No.1 on my list is because I am trying to be a tad bit objective (but just a tad). I love these arcs the most out of all the arcs in the Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo anime, and that's really all you need to know.

4. Red Ribbon Army (Dragonball)



The Dragonball anime is awesome throughout, but the Red Ribbon Army is my personal favorite arc in the series. I love how Toei establishes the Red Ribbon Army as a threatening, dangerous force, going so far as to involve Pilaf in some filler episodes in the beginning to provide contrast (which worked out great considering he appears in the aftermath of Fortuneteller Baba later on), and yet still manages to balance the lightheartedness and the seriousness that makes Dragonball awesome, the mood being established right off with Goku's pretty memorable, and in the anime hyped-up, curb-stomping of Colonel Silver. I love how everyone had their moments of usefulness or were otherwise doing plain memorable things, like Master Roshi taking out all those Red Ribbon soldiers at his island. And of course the villains in the arc were a lot of fun, like Murasaki and Lieutenant Blue, yet still managed to present themselves as a threat despite their silliness. The gags were top notch Toriyama humor, and the story was the most fun while still being able to taken seriously at parts too. Plus, as a bonus, a random three episode Dr. Slump crossover! What more could you ask for? It's Dragonball at it's best anime or manga, plain and simple.

3. Baroque Works AND CP9 (One Piece)




CP9 is really the strongest of these two arcs, but I'm very fond of Baroque Works, since that was the arc that really got me into the series. In both the Straw Hats and their allies are up against seemingly indomitable forces, trying to stop a civil war and trying to stop the will of the World Government itself to save their crewmate, and the odds are heavily against them. Yet, driving the plot is the dedication the crew has to each other and their friends, and their willingness to risk their lives to help them. Of course, the character arcs for Vivi in BW, and Robin, Franky, and Ussop in CP9 are endearing and add emotional power to the arc, and of course every crewmember has great moments throughout, and dammit are the payoffs rewarding. Luffy takes three tries to beat Crocodile, and when he finally does it truly means something special, and of course the defeat of Rob Lucci is a similarly great moment of triumph. I should probably talk about these arcs in finer detail, because I can and I can't do them justice with just a few lines, but for now I'll just say that they best encompass the adventurous, fun, dramatic, intense, and emotional stories that make One Piece and it's characters shine, and while I love all of the arcs in the series with the exception of Fishman Island, these two are the best in the anime and are worth every last minute.

2. Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise AND Roberta's Blood Trail (Black Lagoon)




Both of these arcs are top notch in awesome action AND great story AND developing the characters. Both arcs are in many respects tragic, highlighting the ruthlessness of the underworld and the harsh reality facing anyone experiencing it. Rock is put into positions where he has to come to terms where he stands morally in a moral less business, what he expects to achieve when he isn't able or willing to bloody his hands, and how far he is willing to go and how much he is willing to risk to achieve his goals. And of course, both Yukio and Ginji, and Roberta and Garcia are very compelling in their respective arcs as well, and are able to make a lasting impression in just a short amount of episodes, which is a very difficult thing to accomplish in any series. Both of these arcs are intense, Roberta's Blood Trail especially is quite atmospheric and eerie at times, and in both a whole lot is on the line, with the future of an entire clan up in the air in Gangsta and the whole fate of Roanapur itself in crises in Blood Trail. Really both arcs are a perfect blend of badassery and real character development and powerful story. They have style AND substance, and are two of the finest arcs I've seen in any animated series in general.

1. Dark Tournament AND Chapter Black (Yu Yu Hakusho)




Chapter Black is better than Dark Tournament bottom line, but I love both of these arcs such a whole lot that I figured I'd just tie them together. Everything great about the series is at it's peak during these arcs, with great, really interesting and human villains, gray morality, constantly growing characters (especially Yusuke and Kuwabara), heart-felt drama, and completely character driven plotlines. While Yu Yu Hakusho isn't my number one favorite show in the world, these are the two most well written, animated, and executed story arcs I've ever seen in television (barring stuff like Trigun and Monster where it's hard to separate the story arc into small components because of how interconnected everything is) with tightly paced, smartly written action, plot, and, character development with as few weak spots as possible. For me, they are obvious choices for number one on my list, and in terms of entertainment value are the two I enjoy the most out of all the arcs in this list (well, my unabashed love for all things Bobobo aside). There really is nothing else to say other than to agree with Ensatsu-Ken about Chapter Black being awesome and one of the finest stories in animation, and just adding Dark Tournament onto that sentiment as well.

Welp, that's my list. Now start the bashing! 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Excellent list! I'll comment on some of your entries in more detail a little later on, but I just wanted to mention that Dark Tournament would usually be among my top 10 as well, but at one point I decided to cut it out in order to keep some more variety in my list, and I ended up just ranking 1 arc per series (even though I actually wasn't initially intending that at all).

Also, I still need to finish reading/watching Roberta's Blood Trail.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Equinox is another great mini-arc in TB&TB. It's something that could only be done in that show, but it works incredibly well.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Equinox is another great mini-arc in TB&TB. It's something that could only be done in that show, but it works incredibly well.

Ooh, seconded. The Equinox episodes were a lot of fun, and Equinox (who I think was created for the series alone, but I'm not sure) was a pretty cool villain. The episode where Batman and Dr. Fate defeat him is probably a top favorite episode for me personally.

Excellent list! I'll comment on some of your entries in more detail a little later on, but I just wanted to mention that Dark Tournament would usually be among my top 10 as well, but at one point I decided to cut it out in order to keep some more variety in my list, and I ended up just ranking 1 arc per series (even though I actually wasn't initially intending that at all).

Thanks man! Glad you liked it!  As for me having multiple arcs from one series, I also wanted to have variety but just couldn't bring myself to mention just one arc from a series I really, really enjoyed, so I just tied two together in one slot and called it a day. 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Yeah, Equinox was another great story-arc. He was probably a better villain than Starro, but I suppose The Siege of Starro is still my favorite arc in the series because it involves a bunch of heroes working together rather than Batman just getting everyone's powers for a one-on-one fight.

10. The War of Paradigm City (The Big O)

I still need to finish this show. I've watched and really liked season 1 before, but I've always heard mixed opinions about the 2nd season. I think I'd probably like the 2nd half, though, as it kind of seems to be up my alley based on what I've heard about it.

9. York New City (Hunter X Hunter 1999)

Basically everything you said about this encompasses everything the series does right when its at its best. Its stuff like this that reminds me that Togashi, despite his faults, is a damn brilliant writer who can completely redefine what the shonen genre can achieve through great story-telling. Now, just imagine if he never decided to be a lazy jerk and made all of his story arcs at least relative to this arc's level of quality. Then HXH could have possibly been the best shonen ever, but as it stands, its a very good shonen with flaws, but not anywhere on the level of something like Yu Yu Hakusho or Rurouni Kenshin, IMO. This single arc, however, is just as good as the best story-arcs that I've read or watched in any medium, though, so that's still saying a lot.

8. City of Stone (Gargoyles)

This arc right here pretty much single-handedly made this series one of my favorite shows ever, animated or otherwise.

4. Red Ribbon Army (Dragonball)

Yeah, this arc definitely had the best balance of any arc in the entire DB story-line. The enemy was just threatening enough to be taken seriously on a danger level, but the show still managed to retain much of its charm and focus primarily on good comedy and fun adventures. Of course there were good fights in there as well, and some surprisingly effective dramatic scenes. I think the highlight of the arc for me, if I had to name one, was the mini-arc within this bigger arc where Goku had to face Mercenary Tao. Now, Goku had been beaten in battle before, but in this case it was really only by Master Roshi, and at that he just barely managed to take him down in the tournament. This was the first time that Goku was completely out-classed and dominated by another opponent, and didn't even stand a chance against him when he was fighting at his very best. It even got so serious to the point of costing Upa's father his life. But what followed was a really motivating story of Goku overcoming a challenge and really handing Tao's ass to him the next time they fought. I really think that this story was so powerful in its effectiveness to its readers that its probably single-handedly responsible for popularizing the shonen trope of the good guy fighting an opponent he can't even hope to defeat only to motivate him to get stronger and kick their ass later. The problem is that most writers run this trope into the ground with boring cliches. When Toriyama did it, you really did want to see Goku get back up and get stronger, which is why this is probably my single favorite segment of the Red Ribbon Army arc.

3. Baroque Works AND CP9 (One Piece)

Baroque Works was another good arc. Unfortunately the series lost some steam with the Skypiea arc, which just felt kind of slow (it also caused Desensitized to drop the series, IIRC). Then there was the Davy Back Fight arc which wasn't all up my alley but it was short and still kind of entertaining. Things started picking up with Water 7, though, when CP9 was introduced into the story, so yeah, that's when stuff got good again, and it stayed good for quite a while. It wasn't really until the Fishman Island arc that I felt the series took another nose-dive in quality.

2. Fujiyama Gangsta Paradise AND Roberta's Blood Trail (Black Lagoon)

I still need to finish this, but I really did love FGP. Up until then, the series was just an entertaining action show with some dark themes, but this arc was the first one that, to me, really felt like it was more about the characters than anything else, and you know me, I'm a character person. As a result of good characters, though, the story was top-notch as well, and that's why this arc in particular really stuck with me compared to any arc that had come before it.

1. Dark Tournament AND Chapter Black (Yu Yu Hakusho)

I also want to add that even though the DT arc is a 40+ episode tournament arc, its handled expertly well. I hate how some critics of the show just look at it as a generic shonen-arc for people who want mindless action. Its as if they didn't even watch the damn thing. There is just so much story and characterization going on all of the time in this arc. If it really were about nothing but mindless action, nobody would be able to sit through it for that long. I feel that sometimes, people just like to look at things on the outset and already decide what their judgement of it is by that alone, not really bothering to pay attention to what's going on with the actual content. I know that tournament arcs are a shonen trope that the more "sophisticated" anime fans love to look down on, but when Togashi writes it, you can be sure that he brings his own unique mix of style and substance into whatever he's writing, and in this case he completely bends the tournament sub-genre to something that honestly feels completely unique still still retaining a mainstream feel that basically made it the most popular arc in the series, and made YYH as popular as it is. That said, the Chapter Black arc is clearly better. I can't understand the fans who say that the series goes downhill after the Dark Tournament. People like those are just fuel for the argument of the critics, I suppose. That's not to say that there's anything wrong with the DT arc, as I just explained why its so great, but maybe there are a lot of fans who DO only just view it for the fights and action, and if that's the case, then its really sad, because its such a waste to look at just that when there's so much else to the story than that.