Many anime today are based on another medium, from visual novels, to manga, to video games.

Where are all the original anime? Right here, these 10 anime are not based on anything - they're 100% original.

10. Kill la Kill - IMDb Rating: 8.1

Kill la Kill is actually an original work from producer Otsuka Masahiko. The series is the first one from studio Trigger to be completely original, and the concept comes revolves around violence and fashion, two things that should go hand-in-hand more often.

9. Psycho-Pass - IMDb Rating: 8.3

Psycho-pass is a modern spiritual successor to the works of Mamoru Oshii, most famous as the creator of Ghost in the Shell.

The series brought writer Gen Urobuchi on board, after his script for Magica Madoka impressed the director. After all, who better to write about the psychological exploitations of a dystopian society?

8. Princess Tutu - IMDb Rating: 8.4

Princess Tutu is an explosion of pink inside a fairy tale where characters dance instead of fighting. It's an odd mix of ballet and fable, but somehow, it works. The completely original anime was created by Ikuko Ito and has stolen many hearts over the years with its passionate storytelling.

7. Puella Magi Madoka Magica - IMDb Rating: 8.4

When coming up with the idea, producer Atsuhiro Iwakami wanted to make a magical girl anime with a wider appeal, and without the constraints of an existing source material. The result is perhaps one of the darkest takes on the genre, which has won praise from both many critics and fans.

Call it a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, or don't. Either way, the series is bursting at the seams with symbolism.

6. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann - IMDb Rating: 8.4

Gurren Lagann is the brainchild of Hiroyuki Imaishi (and once again, the manga came later). Imaishi had always wanted to work on a mecha series, and when he finally got the chance, he really took off with it.

The anime was in production for quite a bit, as Imaishi and his teammates wrote the script and even researched how living underground would work.

5. Code Geass - IMDb Rating: 8.5

Eagle-eyed readers may notice that there is a manga for this series, but this is one of those rare cases where the anime came first. The anime was created in collaboration between Ichiro Okouchi and Gorou Taniguchi, with character designs from CLAMP.

The result is a critically-acclaimed anime set in an alternate Europe. Politics, mechs, and a touch of the supernatural make a winning formula.

4. Spirited Away - IMDb Rating: 8.6

Many Studio Ghibli films are adaptations of books, but Spirited Away is a Ghibli original. It's so original, in fact, that it was written without a script.

Instead of a book, the movie was inspired by the 10-year-old daughter of Miyazaki's friend, as well as some personal experiences.

3. Samurai Champloo - IMDb Rating: 8.6

Coming from the director of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo is another odd mashup of genres. Whereas Bebop places a Western tale in outer space, Champloo is set in an alternate version of Edo-era Japan, which runs on hip hop beats.

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion - IMDb Rating: 8.6

Airing in 1995, Evangelion was an original work from Anno Hidaeki and studio Gainax. The studio has gone on to back a number of other original anime, perhaps bolstered by their success here.

1. Cowboy Bebop - IMDb Rating: 9.0

This classic space Western is living proof that original anime series can make it big. Cowboy Bebop has reached a wide audience due to its mash-up of genres, a great cast of characters, and a brilliant soundtrack by Yoko Kanno.

The series was developed by Shinichiro Watanabe and his team at the Sunrise studio, fresh from his Macross and Gundam contributions.