Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood excels with 3.68 million members and a near-perfect 9.11 score, setting the gold standard for storytelling. It is the highest-rated anime on the list, surpassing Death Note by 0.49 points, and is consistently cited by over 80% of critics as the pinnacle of shonen. Its balanced mix of action, emotion, and philosophy has earned it the top spot in many 'best anime ever' polls. The series' 64 episodes achieve a completion rate of 95%, far higher than the 80% average for long-running anime.