Black and white anime has a special kind of charm that still feels different from modern color animation. These shows and films rely on contrast, shadows, character design, and strong storytelling instead of bright palettes, which gives them a classic look that anime fans still love today.
If you’re looking for the best black and white anime to watch, this list is a great place to start. I included early television classics, old Japanese anime series, cult favorites, and a few monochrome anime picks that show how powerful black and white animation can be. π¬
Quick Picks: Best Black and White Anime To Start With π€π€
- Best classic pick: Astro Boy
- Best dark fantasy pick: Dororo
- Best mecha pick: Tetsujin 28-go
- Best superhero pick: 8 Man
- Best short film pick: She and Her Cat
- Best experimental pick: Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space
The Best Black and White Anime of All Time
Many early anime productions were made in black and white because that was the standard for Japanese television at the time. But these shows are more than historical curiosities. A lot of them helped shape the anime industry, from robot heroes and yokai stories to gag comedy and dark fantasy.
Here are some of the best classic black and white anime titles worth watching, especially if you enjoy vintage animation or older Japanese cartoons with a different visual mood. β¨
10Astro Boy
Genre: Science fiction, adventure | Creator: Osamu Tezuka | Original TV debut: 1963 | Japanese title: Tetsuwan Atom
Astro Boy is one of the most important black and white anime series ever made. Created by Osamu Tezuka, the story follows a powerful robot boy with human emotions who fights to protect people while trying to understand where he belongs in the world.
What makes Astro Boy so important isn’t just the story. It’s its place in anime history. The 1963 TV series helped define the look and structure of early Japanese television anime, and its influence can still be felt in modern sci-fi anime today.
This is one of the best starting points if you want to understand where classic anime came from. Robots, action, moral questions, and a surprisingly emotional core for such an early series. π€
9Dororo
Genre: Dark fantasy, action | Creator: Osamu Tezuka | Original anime debut: 1969 | Studio: Mushi Production
Dororo is a dark and memorable old black and white anime about Hyakkimaru, a young warrior whose body parts were taken by demons before he was born. Alongside a young thief named Dororo, he travels through a harsh world to defeat those demons and reclaim what was stolen from him.
This is one of the strongest classic anime picks on the list because the black and white presentation actually helps the atmosphere. The shadows, monsters, and emotional journey all feel more intense because of the stripped back visual style.
If you like older anime with serious themes, supernatural battles, and a darker tone, Dororo is one of the best black and white anime series to check out. βοΈ
8Tetsujin 28-go
Genre: Mecha, science fiction | Creator: Mitsuteru Yokoyama | Original anime debut: 1963 | Also known as: Gigantor
Tetsujin 28-go is a landmark mecha anime and one of the most famous old black and white anime series from the 1960s. The story follows Shotaro Kaneda, a young boy who controls a giant robot originally built during wartime.
The show is important because it helped popularize the giant robot anime formula long before the genre became packed with colorful super robots and complex mecha franchises. Without Tetsujin 28-go, you don’t get Gundam, Evangelion, or honestly any of modern mecha.
For fans of classic anime history, this is a must-watch because it shows how early anime handled action, technology, and heroism with a simple but powerful concept. π€
7Cyborg 009
Genre: Science fiction, superhero, action | Creator: Shotaro Ishinomori | Original anime debut: 1968 | Studio: Toei Animation
Cyborg 009 follows a team of nine cyborg warriors who were transformed against their will and now use their powers to fight dangerous enemies. Each cyborg has a different ability, which gives the series a team-based action style that still feels familiar to modern viewers.
This is one of the best black and white anime choices for anyone who likes superhero stories, sci-fi battles, and older anime with big ideas about technology and humanity.
I like how Cyborg 009 feels ahead of its time. It has action, tragedy, teamwork, and a darker edge than some other classic anime from the same era. β‘
6GeGeGe no Kitaro
Genre: Horror, mystery, supernatural | Creator: Shigeru Mizuki | Original anime debut: 1968 | Studio: Toei Animation
GeGeGe no Kitaro is a classic supernatural anime about Kitaro, a mysterious boy from the Ghost Tribe who protects humans from dangerous yokai and other strange spirits.
This series is a great example of how black and white anime could create mood and atmosphere without needing bright colors. The ghost stories, monsters, and folklore-inspired characters all work beautifully in a monochrome style.
GeGeGe no Kitaro has returned many times in later color versions, but the original black and white anime still has a spooky charm that makes it worth revisiting. It’s also responsible for popularizing yokai in Japanese pop culture, which is no small thing. π»
5Osomatsu-kun
Genre: Comedy, gag anime | Creator: Fujio Akatsuka | Original anime debut: 1966 | Manga magazine: Weekly Shonen Sunday
Osomatsu-kun is a black and white anime comedy about six identical sextuplet brothers who cause trouble wherever they go. The original 1966 anime has the playful, mischievous energy of an old-school gag cartoon.
The series later returned in color, including the much newer Mr. Osomatsu, but the original black and white version is still important for fans of classic Japanese comedy anime.
If you want something lighter after the darker picks on this list, Osomatsu-kun is a fun reminder that early anime was not only about robots and adventure. It could be silly, chaotic, and full of personality too. π
4Kaizoku Ouji (Pirate Prince)
Genre: Adventure, pirate anime | Creator: Shotaro Ishinomori | Original anime debut: 1966 | Studio: Toei Animation
Kaizoku Ouji, also known as Pirate Prince, is an old black and white anime adventure about a young boy named Kid who discovers that his real father was a famous pirate.
After learning the truth about his past, Kid sets out on a journey connected to pirates, danger, and the mystery of his family. It has the kind of simple adventure setup that made many 1960s anime easy to follow but still exciting.
This one is a good pick if you’re looking for a black and white anime that isn’t a robot story, superhero story, or supernatural series. Long before One Piece, there was Kaizoku Ouji. π΄ββ οΈ
38 Man
Genre: Superhero, science fiction | Original anime debut: 1963 | Original network: TBS | Also known as: Eighth Man
8 Man is one of the earliest Japanese cyborg superhero anime series. The story follows a man whose mind is transferred into a powerful robotic body after he’s killed, giving him a second life as a crime-fighting hero.
This is a strong black and white anime pick for fans who enjoy early superhero concepts, retro sci-fi, and old anime that helped shape later action series.
8 Man has a cool place in anime history because it arrived before many of the cyborg and android heroes that became more common in later decades. You can see its DNA in basically every cyborg hero since. π¦Ύ
2She and Her Cat
Genre: Drama, slice of life | Creator: Makoto Shinkai | Original release: 1999 | Format: Short OVA
She and Her Cat is a short black and white anime from Makoto Shinkai, who later became known for emotional films like Your Name and Weathering with You.
The story is simple but touching. It follows the bond between a young woman and the cat she adopts, with the story told from the cat’s point of view.
This isn’t a 1960s anime like many others on this list, but it deserves a place here because it shows how black and white anime can still feel intimate, emotional, and artistic even in a more modern era. It’s also a fascinating early Shinkai work if you’ve only seen his recent films. π
1Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space
Genre: Avant-garde, science fiction, dark comedy | Original release: 2002 | Format: Anime film
Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space is one of the strangest black and white anime films on this list. It follows Tamala, a rebellious kitten from Planet Cat Earth, as she gets pulled into a surreal story involving corporate control, identity, and strange cosmic mystery.
The film is mostly black and white, but its style is very different from the 1960s anime on this list. It feels experimental. Punk. Cute. Creepy. Weird. All at once.
If you like anime that feels more like an art film than a traditional series, Tamala 2010 is worth watching for its bold monochrome look and unusual atmosphere. π±π
Why Black and White Anime Still Matters
Black and white anime is worth watching because it shows how much early animators could do with limited tools. Without relying on bright colors, these shows had to use bold character silhouettes, dramatic shadows, simple movement, expressive faces, and strong story ideas.
For anime fans, these titles also work like a time capsule. You can see the early roots of mecha anime in Tetsujin 28-go, robot storytelling in Astro Boy, supernatural anime in GeGeGe no Kitaro, and dark fantasy storytelling in Dororo. Every major anime genre you love today has a black and white ancestor on this list.
My Take π€π€
If you’re new to black and white anime, I’d start with Astro Boy for history, Dororo for story, and She and Her Cat for something short and emotional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest black and white anime?
The earliest Japanese animation goes back to the 1910s and 1920s, but the oldest major black and white anime TV series most fans know is Astro Boy (1963). Both Tetsujin 28-go and 8 Man also debuted that same year, making 1963 a foundational year for Japanese television anime.
Why are old anime in black and white?
Most early Japanese television anime was made in black and white simply because that was the standard for TV broadcasting in Japan during the 1960s. Color anime started becoming more common in the late 1960s and early 1970s as color TV adoption grew across Japan.
What is the best classic black and white anime to start with?
For most viewers, I’d recommend starting with Astro Boy for its historical importance, or Dororo if you want something darker and more story-driven. Both are great gateway picks into classic black and white anime.
Is Dororo black and white?
The original 1969 Dororo anime is black and white. There have been later color adaptations including a 2019 remake by Studio MAPPA, but the original Mushi Production version uses the classic monochrome style throughout.
Is She and Her Cat a Studio Ghibli film?
No, but it’s an easy mistake to make. She and Her Cat was directed by Makoto Shinkai, not Studio Ghibli. Shinkai is the director behind Your Name, Weathering with You, and Suzume. She and Her Cat is one of his earliest works and shows the emotional storytelling style he later became famous for.
