Although the anime genre once considered a nerdy interest, its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years as more and more fans from around the world continue to join the craze.
However, in the Arab world, we were watching Arabic-dubbed anime waaaayyy before it became "cool".
From the most popular to the underdogs, here are some of the anime shows Arab kids watched nonstop in the early days:
1. Adnan wa Lina
The show's original name is "Future Boy Conan" and is a sci-fi anime series released in 1978.
It revolves around an innocent love story between Adnan (Conan) and Lina (Lana) in a post-apocalyptic era where humanity is facing extinction.
2. Grendizer
UFO Robot Grendizer is a Japanese "Super Robot" anime television series and manga.
It aired back in 1975 and gained major popularity all over the world. The plot follows a surviving prince from Planet Fleed who escaped to planet Earth and is fighting against the forces that destroyed his planet.
3. Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball revolves around the adventures of Son Goku and his friends as they seek the Dragon Balls to fulfill their greatest desires.
Although it originally aired in the mid-1990s, the show's popularity is still growing to this day.
4. Al Mohakek Conan
"Detective Conan," originally "Case Closed," is a Japanese detective manga series that aired around the mid-1990s.
The story follows the adventures of Shinichi Kudo, a detective mastermind who was stuck inside a child's body due to a poisonous spell.
He is then forced to take the name Conan Edogawa and starts living with his childhood friend and her detective father, solving cases on his behalf.
5. Captain Majid
Originally "Captain Tsubasa," Captain Majid is a popular long-running Japanese manga series.
It revolves around Captain Majid, an 11-year-old elementary school student, who is deeply in love with football. He works endlessly to achieve his dream of one day winning the FIFA World Cup for Japan.
6. Sandybell
Sandybell, originally "Hello! Sandybell", is the story of a girl who lives in Scotland with her father.
Sandybell spends her time playing around with her dog Oliver and her friends, not forgetting about her quest to find and reunite with her mother.
7. Remi
Remi, originally named "Nobody's Boy: Remi," is an anime series based on French author Hector Malot's novel Sans Famille.
It tells the heartbreaking tale of Remi, an orphaned boy who gets sold out to a traveling street artist when his foster parents fell on hard times.
8. Hazim Al Ra3d
Originally named "Thunder Jet," this anime tells the story of a young soldier called Hazim Al Ra3d (Rai Ryuga) and his struggles after the Sacred Galaxy Empire collapsed as many sides fight over control of the cosmos throughout outer space.
9. Pokémon
One of the most popular anime series ever created, Pokémon features the tale of Ash Ketchum and his pals in the world of Pokémon as he aims to become the best Pokémon trainer.
10. Ana wa Akhi
"Baby & Me" is about a fifth-grade student who loses his mother in a brutal car accident. He is then forced to take care of his little baby brother and sacrifice his childhood along the way.
11. Abtal Al Digital
"Digimon" is an anime series about a group of kids who suddenly receive strange devices and get transported to a different dimension.
The seven children then begin their survival journey in a monster-filled world, far from their own.
12. 3ahed Al Asdika2
"Romeo's Blue Skies" is the story of a young boy named Romeo who has to work as a chimney sweep to collect money to pay for his ill father's medication.
The story is about eternal friendships, self-belief, and optimism.