10 Anime That Could Never Be Made Today

10 anime that could never be made today, not because they're "too offensive," but because the TV slots, the money and the risk-takers that made them are gone. From a 7 pm Fist of the North Star to the Pokémon episode that changed Japan's broadcasting rules. Every pick on this list needed hard proof: a rule that changed, a budget nobody would sign today, a time slot that no longer exists, or the creator saying it out loud. We checked broadcast guidelines, interviews and industry data, and left out anything that's just fan service. 🔍 IN THIS VIDEO • The kids' show at 6:30 pm that created late-night anime • Miyazaki, Pixar and Star Wars on one project… and it still flopped • The rule-breaking OVA that only America would pay to continue • The week two anime vanished from TV (and "Nice boat" was born) • The film its director says "would be impossible today" • They said it could never be made… so they remade it (at 1 am) • Eight years, ¥5 billion and one TV chairman's wish • Exploding bodies at dinnertime, and the 2026 "Mild Version" • 100,000 hand-drawn frames for one car race • 291 episodes in a row, and why even One Piece stopped • The episode that's literally against the rules ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Could this be made today? 0:37 How we picked them 1:42 #10 Neon Genesis Evangelion 2:36 #9 Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland 3:41 #8 FLCL 4:44 #7 The week of September 2007 5:51 #6 Angel's Egg 6:48 "So they remade it" 7:52 Honourable mentions 8:38 #5 The Tale of the Princess Kaguya 9:39 #4 Fist of the North Star 10:36 #3 Redline 11:37 #2 Dragon Ball Z 12:42 #1 The episode that changed the rules 14:13 Your turn 📺 SERIES FEATURED Angel's Egg · City Hunter · Dragon Ball Z · Fist of the North Star · FLCL · Higurashi: When They Cry · Interstella 5555 · Legend of the Galactic Heroes · Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland · Neon Genesis Evangelion · Paranoia Agent · Pokémon · Ranma ½ · Redline · Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise · School Days · The Tale of the Princess Kaguya · Urusei Yatsura 📍 WHERE TO WATCH (US, checked October 2026) Crunchyroll · Netflix · HBO Max · Prime Video · Hulu · Tubi (free). Availability changes, so check your region. 💬 YOUR TURN What's an anime you think could never be made today, and is it really because of the content, or just because nobody would pay for it? Tell me in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for more anime countdowns:    / @toptenguyyt   ▶️ Watch next — 10 Anime That Were WAY Ahead of Their Time:    • 10 Anime That Were WAY Ahead of Their Time   All anime, manga and characters are the property of their respective creators and studios. Clips are used for commentary and criticism. Rankings reflect our own research and scoring. #anime #animehistory #pokemon