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Another year, another completed list of anime. 2017 has been a year of highly anticipated sequels, so this list is going to be STACKED, and it's going to make the anime even harder to rank! In 2017, I have seen 53 different series. I actually watched more than that, but I removed some of the more minor anime because CHARACTER LIMITS! As I've done before, I will be listing the anime that I watched and the rank that I feel they belong to. Not all of these anime will be from 2017 as I continue to watch all kinds of anime. Think of it as anime of the modern day competing against the anime of the past. Since this will be focusing on anime TV series and OVAs, unless the movie is connected to a TV series, standalone movies will be excluded. And, with the exception of a few anime, anime consisting of multiple seasons will be ranked together as one. And because of the many sequels this year, expect a lot of "identical to the previous season" descriptions.

Because I watch all genres, it can be very difficult to rank such a list. While this list can generate a swarm of opinions, the fact remains that this is MY list. Remember that you are you and I am me. My opinions have been finalized, so here are the anime that I have seen in 2017. Time to trigger some fanboys!





Anime in the bottom tier simply did not appeal to me at all. I did not find them interesting in the slightest and found them to be a complete waste of time. Perhaps others might find them to their liking, but I wouldn't give these anime a second go.

53. Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujouou-hen
Season Aired: Winter 2017
Studio: A-1 Pictures
The story from the original manga that takes place some time during the second half of the first season which was original content, Kyoto Fujouou-hen centers on the exorcists and the mystery of a stolen artifact. Kyoto is pretty identical to the first Ao no Exorcist in terms of its story progression. That isn't really a good thing because my main gripe with Kyoto is how slow its progression is. Each episode has heavy amounts of dialogue centered on the characters which does not help progress the story at all. The forced comedy doesn't help it either. Even the action scenes didn't feel like anything new, and like season one, also has an anti-climactic ending. The first season was somewhat interesting with its characters, but the second season was such a chore to get through that I was dozing off into sleep in each episode. Kyoto Fujouou-hen failed to maintain my interest, making it fall to the bottom of my watched anime of 2017.

52. Kakegurui
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: MAPPA
In a school filled with rich students and rampant gambling, a new transfer student enters to bring her game to the table. Kakegurui looked promising at first with its theme and art style. The games were pretty interesting, and the "faces" were a nice touch. There was a lot of effort put into the opening animation, and the music in the series fits gambling well. However, with a protagonist who simply wins, and the face gimmicks, unless there was enough variety, the impact of these faces and games were going to get stale. Really really fast. And that is what brought Kakegurui to its downfall. The progression can be summarized with: New opponent > Play game > Opponent taunts MC with faces > MC wins > MC taunts opponent > End of Episode > Repeat. Gambling is meant to be an unpredictable game, and the fact that Kakegurui made it predictable is what destroyed all of my interest in it. The games were boring, the characters were being overly edgy, the "psychological aspect" didn't feel psychological, and the face gimmick just didn't do anything after the first few episodes. I know that this anime shouldn't be taken seriously, but if I have to TRY to not take the anime seriously, then the anime has failed in its intent. If you're looking for thrill in a gambling anime, Kakegurui is not that anime.




Anime within this tier do have some watching value, but not enough to make the watching experience fulfilling. Depending on the watcher's taste, these anime may have much more positive opinions. In my case, these anime could have done more, but just didn't make the cut. Watch if you're interested. Otherwise, pass.


51. Big Order
Season Aired: Spring 2016
Studio: Asread
A high school boy haunted by his memories of "The Great Destruction" is among one of many to be given the Order, a mysterious power that grants the wishes of those who wield it. Made by the same creator of Mirai Nikki, Big Order has a few concepts identical to its predecessor such as its characters and its "edge" factor. Simply put, Big Order is a disorderly mess. So many things happen very quickly, and trying to keep up with all of it makes watching the anime very difficult. It was doing decently in the beginning, and then things happen and then...uhh....yeah. One thing I will give the anime credit for is certain scenes in the series where it doesn't take itself seriously. Even though it isn't primarily a comedy, it does have a few scenes to give its watchers enough to laugh at it. Unfortunately this does not continue the whole way through, and the final episodes are pretty much a headache to get through. Big Order might be an anime heavily disliked by many, but at the very least I do have a few good memories out of it.

50. Lucky Star/Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku
Season Aired: Spring 2007
Studio: Kyoto Animation
An episodic anime about the daily lives of four high school girls and their observations of their experiences through different mindsets. I took an interest in watching this due to the main character being an otaku. As with all comedies, the jokes in Lucky Star can be hit and miss. Unfortunately for me, many of these jokes leaned towards the miss side. I found myself bored and having to struggle with watching the series. I did find a select few jokes that made me laugh out loud, but unfortunately these mostly occur at the beginning and end of the series. The parodies were pretty good, paying references to different anime. But unless you are familiar with these anime, the jokes involving these parodies will fly right over your head. The opening theme is fun. The ending theme varies though, and I personally wished that they stuck with the karaoke segments. The best part of the series is the Lucky Channel, but it's pretty sad since I have to wait until the end of the episode to get to it. Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku is a spinoff of Lucky Star and is pretty identical, but I found the jokes in Miyakawa-ke to be more satisfying. Lucky Star looks cute, sounds nice, and can be fun, but it didn't really satisfy the comedy aspect for me.

49. Netsuzou TRap
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: Creators in Pack
When a girl finds a boyfriend, she asks her childhood friend for advice which brings their friendship to a new level. The title isn't a typo with the caps. Netsuzou TRap represents NTR aka Netorare which put in simple terms means getting cucked. Everyone loves cucks because of how easily it is to emotionally tease a person. The anime looks normal on the outside, but has a lot of things happening in the background. Being a Shoujo Ai, many people were anticipating themes with the given tag. Unfortunately this is what made it disappointing to watch as the anime was more about abuse, misunderstandings, weak drama, and a dense protagonist rather than actual NTR and Shoujo Ai. The art wasn't bad, and the character designs were pretty appealing, but the overall concept of the anime as well as its short run time just wasn't enough to leave an impact. I did have fun watching it though hehehe...

48. Jigoku Shoujo: Yoi no Togi
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: Studio Deen
Season four of Jigoku Shoujo. I wasn't too thrilled on the announcement of a new Jigoku Shoujo, but given that I have watched the previous seasons, I decided to give this one a go. Sadly Jigoku Shoujo 4 has a few major problems with it. First off is that it is only 6 episodes long (with the other 6 being reruns). Given how Jigoku Shoujo progresses, there is no way for Yoi no Togi to develop a decent story within 6 episodes which was proven true given how it ended. Second is how it recycles some of the stories from previous seasons and uses them for this season, so it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. And third isn't as major as the previous two, but the art in the series is noticeably poor in quality. However, there is one thing that I highly praise Yoi no Togi for, and that is Episode 3 which I consider to be one of the best episodes to air in 2017 as well as perhaps being the best episode in the Jigoku Shoujo series. The anime as a whole may have been underwhelming, but Episode 3 will definitely be an episode to remember.

47. Mayoiga
Season Aired: Spring 2016
Studio: Diomedea
A bus full of people searching for a new life end up in an empty village that holds an ominous mystery. It's strange how this anime seems to be so disliked by the community. From the first episode, I was already able to tell that this "horror" was going to be a fun ride with its large cast of characters. Mayoiga felt like an anime parodying a Hollywood teenage horror flick where it feels more cheesy than scary. There are too many characters to keep track of, so all you can do is familiarize yourself with their distinct traits. The characters were unusual, but they weren't boring. They're not the most intelligent of individuals, but it looks like they were made that way to make them feel like normal everyday people to fulfill the tropes found in modern horror stories, and I'm fine with that. The anime deals with phobia in a way. The animation might not have been great for it, but it did get its point across. The anime did feel a little slow and congested at time with all the characters, and I personally found the overall story and conclusion rather weak. It wasn't great, but it certainly isn't the worst anime I've ever watched. Perhaps it may have failed as a horror anime, but it certainly succeeds in parodying teenage horror movies, so give Mayoiga a watch if you need some horror cheese.




The tier where anime range from below average to above average in rating. The anime within this tier are certainly watchable, but the experience for the watcher will vary depending on their tastes. They may not be groundbreaking, but they can still be enjoyable.

46. Seitokai Yakuindono + S2
Season Aired: Summer 2010
Studio: GoHands
A previously all-girls school has just turned co-ed, and a male transfer student is immediately chosen to become vice president of a student council where two of its members make sexual innuendos to everything. Sex jokes the anime, Seitokai Yakuindono (or SYD) follows a style similar to 4-koma Manga where a situation is presented, one character comments about it, and then a joke is made. This occurs throughout the entire series, so it becomes very repetitive. While I am one who is quite fond of lewd jokes, I found the humor in SYD to be rather weak. Throughout season 1, I only giggled once or twice, and some episodes didn't even make me crack a smile at all. The jokes come in very suddenly, so it's difficult for the humor to build up. However, I noticed an increase in quality entering the OVAs and Season 2, and along with it came better transitions and executions with the jokes. The voice acting helps it a lot as well. The art and animation isn't anything special, though they use quite the budget for the first and final episodes. Also, the 1st Ending theme is really catchy. It's not labeled as an Ecchi anime, but there's a lot of perverted going on in SYD. There is very little nudity, so I guess you can say it's a "safe ecchi".

45. Overlord
Season Aired: Summer 2015
Studio: Madhouse
A VR game player chooses to stay logged in his game during its final hours of activity, but discovers that he is still in the game even after the servers were supposedly shut down. Overlord uses the "trapped in a game" trope commonly used in modern day game anime. Typical overpowered protagonist who has all the power and such and sets forth to conquer his enemies. Cool. Sadly I didn't really find the anime all that interesting. It's got some nice character designs, but the side characters don't really do much throughout the anime since we already have our overpowered MC. The interactions he has with other characters feel very bland due to his "insensitive" passive skill that makes him immune to emotions and such. And the story doesn't really have much of an aim due to how open-ended it can be. Overlord is average at best as it doesn't really have anything special to set it apart from other anime with an identical concept.

44. Arata Kangatari
Season Aired: Spring 2013
Studio: Satelight
A student from modern day Japan incidentally changes places with a young man from a different world where he is given the responsibility to right its wrongs. Arata Kangatari has an interesting Isekai premise where someone from one world trade places with one from another. Unfortunately the story focuses more on character from the present more than it does on the character from the different world. This anime would have been amazing if both were given equal screen time to see how each reacts in the other's respective worlds. The animation is decent. The art is nothing special, but I will hand it to the character and weapon designs. I personally would want to see more of this, but the adaptation was butchered with an original ending. The progression is pretty slow, and the story can be rather predictable. The weakest aspect of the anime however is the MC and the villain. The conflict between them does not feel natural at all, and it seems like the director forced the conflict for the sake of making them enemies. This is especially apparent for the villain. He does have his reasons for fighting, but the way it shows just doesn't click at all. Aside from that, the anime is decent, but because it deviates from the Manga, you could just give the anime a pass and read the Manga instead.

43. Ojisan to Marshmallow
Season Aired: Winter 2016
Studio: Creators in Pack
A woman attempts to seduce an older co-worker by taking advantage of his love for marshmallows. It's a simple concept, but its execution is what makes it fun to watch. The characters are fun, and the seduction attempts are cute and exciting. Even though the ongoing theme is "seduction", you don't have to worry about anything offensive or fanservicey. The ending of the series is a bit of a letdown, but for a short series, Ojisan to Marshmallow is an entertaining watch. It's also not very often that you find an anime about an obsession over a certain something with someone using that to exploit said person, so this would be worth the watch just to see what would happen.

42. Spiritpact (Ling Qi)
Season Aired: Summer 2016
Studio: Haoliners Animation League
A young man dies, and is then revived into his younger self and is made the partner of a powerful exorcist. Ling Qi is my very first experience with a Shounen Ai anime, and honestly, it wasn't that bad at all. The Shounen Ai aspect only occurs about three times throughout the series and it wasn't really that big of a deal to take away from the watching experience. Adapted from a Chinese Web Novel, it might take some getting used to with the names. Also, the art and animation is average at best. The series' greatest flaw though is its pacing. The anime progressed really quickly, jumping from one incident to another and resolving conflicts seemingly just after they started. While the anime is labeled as a Shounen Ai, there are a few female characters about, and the main female character is pretty good comic relief for the stoic deuteragonist. Other than that, the anime is pretty average at best. Its concept is alright, but the pacing weakens its overall impact. I was thinking of it needing a second season to continue the story, and what do you know? A second season was announced. I won't be too excited, but I'll still watch it anyway.

41. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans S2
Season Aired: Fall 2016
Studio: Sunrise
Season 2 of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-blooded Orphans. Season 2 retains the formula of season 1 with the large amounts of dialogue with the many characters in the series. However, there is a tad bit more action in season 2, and it looks as great if not greater than season 1. However, the large number of characters and learning about their backgrounds tends to saturate most of the screen time, causing the pacing to be just as slow as season 1. During the second half, things just start happening, and it's pretty hard to feel for them because of how instantaneous they happen. I didn't really care about the side characters as they didn't really do much during the season, and the main characters only had tiny bits of development but are mostly the same as they were before. As for the ending, I understood what it was going for, but how it happened felt very anticlimactic. Iron-Blooded Orphans might have upped the action a bit, but the characters are still as poorly developed as they were in season one, making season 2 pretty disappointing.

40. Berserk (2017)
Season Aired: Spring 2017
Studio: Millepensee, GEMBA
Season 2 of Berserk (2016). Berserk Season 2 continues where it left off in season one. There have been some noticeable improvements in the animation, and the introduction of new characters give the anime some better entertainment value. However, there is one episode where the animation quality drops significantly, and this is due to the amount of work needed to animate the scenes. This was proven by having to delay the next episode by having to put up a recap episode, which shows that the studio was struggling. One thing to note was the final episode, where the final scene was drawn in a different kind of art and animation. While I do praise the studio for doing this, it also hurts to see it as it should have been the art style for the series from the beginning of season 1. The action scenes were still nice to watch though, and the series progressed in a good pace. It's not a bad watch if you can tolerate the CGI animation, but there will be that one episode where that animation reaches a new low, so be prepared for that.

39. Black Rock Shooter + OVA
Season Aired: Winter 2012
Studio: Ordet, SANGIZEN
A young schoolgirl attempts to befriend a shy and withdrawn classmate as her alter ego battles her in a different universe. Black Rock Shooter has a surprisingly interesting concept that displays its drama and conflicts through its action scenes. In the real world, we see the drama as the characters converse. At the same time in the alternate world, the characters in real life are represented by their alter egos and combat each other to resolve the conflicts between them. This was done quite well, and the 50/50 mix between hand-drawn and 3D CGI suit the anime's premise nicely. The action nice, but I can't say the same for its drama. The drama between the characters feel very overblown and unrealistic, and the way their conflicts are resolved feel all too sudden making the resolution feel unnatural. I guess this is what you would define as "Melodrama", and Black Rock Shooter's main conflicts revolve all around it. The action scenes and animation are great, so it still can be an entertaining watch if you can tolerate its melodrama.

38. Skirt no Naka wa Kedamono Deshita
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: Magic Bus
A college student comes across a beautiful woman who happens to be more than what she is under her skirt. 2017 seems to be starting this short H-anime trend where an H anime airs each season. The only one I've seen this year is Skirt, and despite its rapish theme, it actually isn't bad. The story is pretty straightforward, the characters get just enough development, and the H-scenes don't last very long due to the short run time. The ending however does end on a very satisfying note, which actually raised my opinion of it. It's an H anime, but it was able to present its story much better than most other anime nowadays. If you don't mind the H, then give it a watch.

37. Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai
Season Aired: Spring 2017
Studio: Artland, TNK
Lucifer has fallen from the Heavens for disobeying God, and now she must do battle against the Seven Deadly Sins to rise to power once again. Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai is an interesting tale of Lucifer's story with a dose of Ecchi mixed in. As Artland were on their last legs due to bankruptcy, the art and animation quality of the series is really subpar with the exception of a few specific episodes. Like Berserk, it also needed a recap episode for the studio to catch up. The story of Sin is pretty episodic, where the MC takes on a new trial in each episode. These trials are based on one of the seven sins, and how they are represented in the anime is actually one of the series' strong points. They can range from either being brutally violent, to just being plain silly, and each trial can be pretty fun to watch as long as you don't take the anime seriously. The art isn't the best, but the character designs as well as the character personalities suit their respectable characters very well. As for the animation, you can tell which episodes were given more budget, but for the most part doesn't look great. Another notable aspect of the series is its music in that there is an insert song in every episode, sometimes during still frames to pass the time, while other songs are played during action scenes. Most of these songs are forgettable, but there are one or two songs that sound pretty good. The ecchi aspect can be a little inconsistent. One episode can be loaded with fan service, while another episode might have only one or two brief moments of ecchi. Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai might not be the best choice if you're looking for a story with some fan service, but it's an ok watch if you don't take it seriously. The ending is a letdown, but at least we get Nanatsu no Bitoku (Seven Heavenly Virtues) as a spinoff to make up for it.

36. Nanbaka + S2
Season Aired: Fall 2016
Studio: Satelight
Nanbaka is about the world's most formidable prison and the daily lives of its guards and prisoners. This anime has got colors and sparkles for days, giving the series a bright atmosphere in a rather gloomy setting. Comedy is a hit and miss, but this anime got me laughing within the first minute. The humor is great, and the characters have their own quirks and traits that make each of them entertaining. Its action scenes are pretty dynamic as well with different kinds of variety and more humor to add to the mix. Nanbaka is pretty self-aware that it is a comedy anime, but it does have its serious and dramatic moments, and this is where the anime kind of stumbles a bit. It's not that the drama is bad, but after getting used to all the comedy, you kind of don't want the drama to be there to ruin the moment, so this tone shift kind of hurts its original premise. Season 2 tends to focus more on these serious scenes, and the action that comes with it makes Nanbaka more like a battle shounen rather than a comedy. Also, the series ends in a cliffhanger, and it is unknown whether or not a Season 3 will be made. All in all, Nanbaka is fun when it is being funny, but it becomes dull when it gets serious so I can understand if that is something that turns off its viewers.

35. Dirty Pair Flash (OVA 1-3)
Season Aired: Winter 1994
Studio: Sunrise
An alternate take of the original Dirty Pair where two unwilling partners work together to complete various tasks throughout the galaxy. As this is an alternate story, Flash can be watched without having to have seen the original Dirty Pair. The biggest notable change is the difference in characterization between the original Dirty Pair and Flash's Dirty Pair. In Flash, the MC's intellect is toned down a bit, so they might not be the brightest tools in the shed. That doesn't mean they're completely bad though. Kei is more of a shoot first ask questions later type of character, while Yuri's gone full anime girl with how self-conscious she is about her looks as well as her overall personality. I still prefer the original Kei, but Flash Yuri is just so fun to watch. As for the stories? Well it lacks the spy and adventure themes that the original Dirty Pair had, so it loses points there. It does have a few new scenarios that are somewhat interesting, but fall flat in comparison to the original. And don't worry about the Ecchi tag. Nudity only appears about four times throughout the three OVAs and occur very briefly, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Flash might not be as strong quality-wise compared to the original, but it's new take on its characters should still provide enough entertainment for a good watch.

34. Gokusen
Season Aired: Winter 2004
Studio: Madhouse
The acting head of a renowned Yakuza clan becomes the school teacher of an unruly classroom of students. I was first introduced to this anime from watching the live action adaptation of it back in the day. The younger sister anime of Great Teacher Onizuka, Gokusen is about an overpowered female teacher who must keep her power in check to keep herself and those close to her away from trouble. The character designs might be off-putting at first, but they stop being a bother after watching through a couple of episodes. The characters are funny, and seeing how the MC's struggle between lashing at anyone who offends her and maintaining her moral conduct is the highlight of the series. She's not afraid to start a fight, but she can't start a fight or her entire gang will get involved. It's a fun watch, but the few amount of episodes it has makes you want to beg for more. And because it is Madhouse, don't expect any sequels to be made. You'll have to read the Manga if you want to see more adventures of this gang leader of a teacher.

33. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! + S2 (Konosuba)
Season Aired: Winter 2016
Studio: Studio Deen
Upon death, a high school student is granted the chance to start a new life in a new world, and he brings the Goddess that revived him along with him. Konosuba can simply be described as a fantasy slice of life anime where crazy things happen. Rather than having to train and learn magic to fight an evil tyrant or something, Konosuba centers more on using these learned skills to survive and get by in everyday life. Something funny happens in just about every episode, so you'll be giggling pretty often. The art and character design isn't really pleasant to look at though (thanks Deen), and the characters themselves are a mixed bag. While they each have notable traits to add to the fun, they sometimes overplay their roles, causing the comedy to stale, reducing its humorous impact (especially in Season 2). The Goddess Female MC Aqua is the funniest and most dynamic of the bunch, and I always looked forward to seeing her mess up in something. Darkness has her moments as well. As for Megumin and the rest, I didn't find them all that special, but that's just me. The story doesn't really go anywhere, so if you're looking for some easy humor, Konosuba will give you a fair share of laughs.

32. Bikini Warriors
Season Aired: Summer 2015
Studio: feel.
Four maidens in defense-boasting bikinis set forth on a journey to defeat the evil that threatens the land. Some people may decide to watch this just for the bikinis, but the actual appeal of this anime is how well it parodies classic JRPGs. Anyone who has played a classic JRPG like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy will easily relate to the different situations brought upon our heroes. The art and character designs aren't bad, and the voice acting is pretty good. And while the characters are walking around naked throughout the series, the ecchi doesn't make itself apparent until the situation calls for it, so the fan service isn't really a bother. Short, arousing, and easy to relate to, Bikini Warriors is a comedy that lays itself bare for ecchi lovers and gamers to watch.

31. My Girlfriend is a Faithful Virgin Bitch (Shobitch)
Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: Diomedea, Studio Blanc
A student's confession to his crush is accepted, but this girl doesn't know how to be a girlfriend! A 4-koma style anime identical to SYD, Shobitch is a school comedy filled with sexual innunedos and a lot of misunderstandings. The most noticeable flaw with this series is its poor art and animation where there is minimal movement among the character actions (although the eyes on the female MC can be very mesmerizing). The jokes aren't that great in the early episodes, but they significantly get better during the second half. The delivery is great, the themes and concepts are hilarious, and I found myself laughing at least once in each episode. And the jokes don't just cater to the male audience. There's a character in this anime that gives some fan service to the females as well. One thing that sets Shobitch apart from other anime is that the couple is established from the very beginning. And despite it looking like a harem, the side couples don't interfere with the couple very often and seem to acknowledge them. The misunderstandings can add to the humor though Also, the MC doesn't fall for the common ecchi cliche tropes either, so that's another plus. While the jokes are simple, they do enough to make the anime entertaining. The word "bitch" in the title might be misleading though, since the female MC is pretty well behaved for the most part. And don't worry about nudity as there is almost none to be found in the series. If you can look past the bad animation, Shobitch is a good watch for some lewd laughs.

30. Shingeki! Kyojin Chugakkou
Season Aired: Fall 2015
Studio: Production I.G.
A chibi-fied, lighthearted school parody of Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) where the MC wants revenge against the titans for taking his cheeseburger. If you feel a little melancholic after watching Attack on Titan, Chugakkou is a great remedy for it. This anime series takes all the dark aspects of the original series and turns it all around into a fun little comedy anime. The characters and elements from the original series return, but with a comical twist. It's cute, funny, and easy to watch, and it is very entertaining to see the characters act in a new light while retaining their original personalities. Fans of the series who prefer the darker theme of the original might not enjoy this as much, and perhaps you may not take the main series as seriously after watching the same characters in comedy fashion. I still recommend it if you're a fan of the original. I don't recommend it if you haven't seen the original though, since it's a lot funnier if you understand the references.

29. Kakumeiki Valvrave + S2
Season Aired: Spring 2013
Studio: Sunrise
When a dispute arises between the nations on Earth and the nations in space, a small colony declares independence, and a young student becomes a vampire to pilot a powerful weapon known as a Valvrave to defend his friends. Hoo boy where to start with this anime? Well to summarize, it's dramatic, immature, and downright ridiculous. There's a war going on, and when the people that take control are a bunch of high school students, then you know that things are about to get crazy. The action scenes with the mechs may be done in CGI, but the animation is pretty flashy. The characters are...well there's many different kinds of characters. Some follow common anime tropes, while others like the second MC can be pretty clever. It's got good music though as expected from Sunrise. As for the story? Hahahaha...ehh...well, it's definitely entertaining that's for sure. This is one of those anime that you kind of need to have an open mind to get the most out of it. Season 2 is a little more focused and serious on the story, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its moments of "what the hell just happened?" Plot holes, themes that don't fit in, and over exaggeration are some of the things you'll find in Valvrave, so whether you find that entertaining or a waste of time is up to you. At least the music is good...

28. Ousama Game the Animation
Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: Seven
A class of students receive a text saying that they must play the King's game or they will die. There are anime that botch their execution so badly that it ends up becoming a complete disaster, and then there is Ousama Game, an anime that does everything wrong...BUT DOES IT SO RIGHT! Idiotic characters, super edgy gory scenes, melodrama taken to the next level, random sex, and things that make absolutely no sense happen in this series. See the horror tag? Change that to comedy, and you'll have yourself a rocking good time with Ousama Game. It's dumb, over the top, ridiculous, and loads of fun! It might not be the best anime ever, but it certainly will be one of the most entertaining anime that you'll ever watch!

27. Just Because!
Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: Pine Jam
A student transfers back to his previous school where he reconciles with past friends prior to graduation. This anime progresses quite slowly and takes its time to build up its atmosphere and tension for its upcoming conflict. The backgrounds in this anime are amazing, using both CGI and hand-drawn art styles to make it look as detailed as possible. You can't really say the same for the character designs since they don't really look as good, and there are some flubs where they mess up on the faces too. The anime has a quiet feeling where you can watch what happens with a sense of calmness and ease. As for the story and characters? Well it seems special, but in the end, it's a pretty straightforward anime that you can watch if you're looking for a simple romance. Not a bad anime, but nothing special. It's watchable just because.

26. Centaur no Nayami
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: Haoliners Animation League
A world where evolution has taken a turn, and centaurs, angels, demons, mermaids, and other animals are all classified as "humans", Centaur no Nayami centers around the life of a young Centaur and the world around her. This anime is quite different from your usual slice of life in that its major themes center around race and discrimination, making its world building its strongest aspect. Even though there are different races of different forms, they all live in harmony and respect each other's appearances and ethnicity. One thing that you have to keep in mind with this anime is that even though the races and appearances are different, all of them are humans, so you must not show prejudice to the characters in order to enjoy this anime. For example, you see an "angel", but this angel is a human, so you must cast out all thoughts and perceptions you have of angels to understand this character. Despite having racial themes, the anime is quite lighthearted and cute. The characters and how they react to different races is interesting, and these "monster girls" have surprisingly good designs even though the art isn't the greatest. The anime is pretty episodic in nature, and it does have a few boring episodes, but it being a different kind of anime speaks for itself. It's a pretty hard anime to describe because it is one of those anime where you must have the mindset and understanding to enjoy it to the fullest. Don't judge an anime by its cover. Give Centaur no Nayami a watch if you want to venture into something different from the norm.

25. Welcome to the Ballroom
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: Production I.G.
A young student with no goals for the future stumbles upon a competitive dance studio. Ballroom is a competitive dance anime with a simple and straightforward story commonly seen in Shounen sports anime where the MC goes from nobody to somebody with some training. The art is great, the character designs look excellent, and the music is very fitting. Characters get some overly long necks now and then, but you get used to that. However, Ballroom suffers from one very significant flaw, the dancing. The anime does a great job explaining how the dances work, but the animation of the dance itself is very lackluster. Many of the dance scenes are either repeated steps or still frames which completely destroy all immersion. Most of the dance scenes are a few frames of moving feet, then the action stops to show the dancers striking a pose. Dancing is a continuous motion, and I was expecting to see these dances in motion. Instead we get still frames, and that makes Ballroom's sport aspect a huge disappointment. A sport that relies on good animation has nearly no animation at all. There are a few scenes with some dancing, but that only occurs like 5 times throughout the series, and they're usually the high-budget episodes. There was even one episode where there was nothing but still frames with the characters giving commentary about their dances. They can describe the dances, but what's the point of these dances if we can't see them in motion? And dancing is done in tandem with the music, and not once does this occur throughout the series. That being said, Ballroom completely fails in the execution of its primary theme. The saving grace of this anime is actually its comedy. The anime does well in delivering humorous scenes with its characters. The characters may look like beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen, but they are still human beings when they're off the dance floor, so seeing these princes and princesses turn into tigers was a real treat. The characters aren't really anything special. They're usually fleshed out by a flashback or backstory episode dedicated to them, which hurts the pacing a bit. One notably funny character in the first half of the series disappears in the second half, which significantly reduces the fun factor of the anime. The series may fail as a sport anime, but it does have a good sense of humor and a variety of characters to keep itself entertaining.




I found the anime in this tier to be highly enjoyable and well done. While they do not make it to the top of my list, they are still worth a watch and are very memorable.

24. Hataraki Man!
Season Aired: Fall 2006
Studio: Studio Gallop
An anime about a magazine editor who struggles to maintain the balance between her devotion to work and her relationship with her boyfriend. A pretty obscure anime with a peculiar theme, Hataraki Man centers around life in the workplace where the MC deals with issues like relationships with her co-workers, finding new stories, meeting deadlines, scheduling interviews and so on and so forth. While this anime has comedy, drama, and romance tags, they are not as significant as the slice of life tag due to the work-centered focus of this anime. There will be some who will find this anime very boring because of the lack of humor or banter, but I found this anime to be very intriguing. The progression may be a little slow, but I was sunk into the anime to see how the MC deals with certain situations. This anime is tagged as a Seinen, and all of the characters in the cast are adults, so expect some adult-like themes. This anime might not be appealing to a younger audience, but if you're looking for a realistic anime that centers on the workplace, Hataraki Man might be one of those anime where you tilt your head at first and then nod in approval afterwards.

23. Princess Principal
Season Aired: Summer 2017
Studio: Actas, Studio 3hz
A group of teenage spies working for the Commonwealth of London engage in various tasks to counteract against the Kingdom that has created a wall to separate itself from the rest of the country. Young girls, technology, and skills in combat, espionage, and deception can be pretty common among the many anime we have today. What separates Princess Principal from the rest of them is its setting in the steampunk era of early 20th century London. The attention to detail of the city as well as the character designs suit the anime very well. The series is pretty episodic, but the way it tells its story in each episode is surprisingly engaging. The character designs look pretty identical, making it hard to tell who is who at first. But the anime does plenty to flesh out each character so that you can easily distinguish one character from another. It's action scenes are also well done, although some of these scenes have some notable issues with their animations. One of the common complaints with Princess Principal id the abilities of its characters in that they seem to always succeed in whatever they do. It makes their actions feel unrealistic at times, and one of the characters uses the same special tactic several times throughout the series without fail which makes it hard to maintain a suspension of disbelief. Nevertheless, Princess Principal is good at what it does, and each episode brings a new surprise to the table. The conclusion to the series feels weak and rushed, but I hope that means that we will get a sequel sometime in the future.

22. Kara no Kyoukai + Mirai Fukuin
Season Aired: Winter 2007
Studio: ufotable
A high school student converses with a shy young girl only to learn that she has an urge to kill. A movie series animated by ufotable, Kara no Kyokai has got some visually impressive scenes with the action and animation to boot. The movies are pretty long, but are quite intriguing. Combine those with interesting characters and entrancing music and you have yourself a pretty good package...well almost. I do have a few issues with the series. The biggest one is that the movies did not air in chronological order. The "first" movie that aired is actually the fourth story chronologically. I didn't give a the first movie a high rating because it didn't feel like an introductory movie, and when I learned that it wasn't the first story, it severely influenced my first impression of the series. So if you do plan to watch Kara no Kyoukai, watch it in chronological order (2, 4, 3, 1, 5, 6, 7, Mirai Fukuin). My other issue with the series is the 7th movie which concludes the main series in that there is a rather notable plot hole that didn't leave a satisfying feeling upon completing the movie. Perhaps it is just me who has a conflicting feeling with the ending, but overall Kara no Kyoukai is a great series. Just make sure you watch it in chronological order if you don't want to have the same bad first impression like I did.

21. Kagewani
Season Aired: Fall 2015
Studio: Tomovies
Mysterious creatures have been attacking innocent lives across the country, and a scarred researcher is on the pursuit to learn the origins of these vile creatures. The first thing you will notice about this anime is its animation style and presentation in that it uses something akin to cardboard cutouts and are moved as if they were picked up and put down while re positioning their body parts. It may not be the typical anime art style, but you'll soon come to see that it suits the anime very well. The anime progresses in a "monster of the week" style format. It's episodic for the most part, with only the main characters to carry the story forward. Given the short duration of the series, the characters are pretty simple, but get enough screen time to flesh them out. The greatest aspects of the anime however are its horror elements along with its sound effects. Kagewani is filled with jump scares, silent suspense, and terrifying-yet-well-designed monsters. The anime nails the Horror aspect perfectly, and the high thrill makes you hold your breath and wait to see what happens. And when you're done with one episode, you immediately want to go to the next to experience a new thrill. It is difficult to find an anime that executes its horror well. Kagewani is among the few that succeeds in delivering its horror. The series can be completed in 2 hours, so definitely give Kagewani a go if you're in need of a quick scare.
Best Horror

20. Flip Flappers
Season Aired: Fall 2016
Studio: Studio 3hz
A middle schooler comes across an energetic young girl who introduces her to a mysterious new world where they venture forth to search for magical crystal shards. Flip Flap...Flip Flap...that song's going to get stuck in your head if you choose to watch this bizarre series. Flip Flappers is a magical girl anime with some pretty innovative ideas. There's a lot of color with great animation and action scenes to compliment it. What makes Flip Flappers stand out from other anime is the various worlds that the girls venture through. A land of living snow, a factory, a haunted school, and a city that reminds you of Tron are just some of the places that you will get to see. The characters are pretty tolerable, but you'll understand them later in the series. One thing the anime does well is how these adventures add to the development of the MC in a rather subtle way. How she surpasses each obstacle reflects her current state of mind and current stage of development. It might be hard to catch, but it can be surprisingly complex if you give it some thought. This might not always apply though, especially near the end where things start to get a little out of hand. I wasn't really satisfied with the ending, but this is one of those anime where the journey is much better than the destination. Flip Flappers is a pretty strange anime, but it's got a lot going for it, so give it a watch if you want to try something with a bit of obscurity.

19. Shingeki no Kyojin S2
Season Aired: Spring 2017
Studio: WIT Studio
Season 2 of Shingeki no Kyojin. The story continues where we left off from Season 1, but this time we get more focus on the side characters rather than the main characters this time around. The action scenes were amped up a bit with some CGI, which is fine although pretty glaring during certain scenes. The progression is a bit slow, but at least unlike season 1, season 2 is actually getting somewhere. I was spoiled a bit, but I found the story to be a bit predictable so these "surprises" didn't really affect me that much. Action fans will be satisfied, and the number of cliffhangers are plentiful to get you watching from one episode to the next. The series actually ended at a pretty tense point, which might leave a bad taste for wanting more. Fortunately season 3 was announced next year, so we won't have to wait for long to see what happens next.

18. Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka? (SukaSuka/WorldEnd: What do you do at the end of the world? Are you busy? Will you save us?)
Season Aired: Spring 2017
Studio: C2C, Satelight
The last remaining human becomes the trainer of a group of girls who will become the weapons to fight against the great beasts responsible for the world's destruction. This description might make this anime sound like an action series, but actually it is more of a character-focused drama. One of the most important keys to immerse yourself into this anime is to put yourself into the shoes of the characters to understand how they feel during certain situations. The anime will not explain it to you, so unless you empathize with the characters, you won't find this anime very interesting. This element makes SukaSuka calm but at the same time very tense. There are not a lot of anime that can do this well, but SukaSuka is one anime that successfully does it. The art is beautiful, the music is fantastic, and the characters are cute. However, the premise leaves a constant melancholic state in the atmosphere which is what helps add to the silent tension. This tension slowly builds up towards the finale which leaves a powerful impression on the watcher. SukaSuka is a great watching experience, but it suffers from not explaining enough and thus desperately requires a second season to make the story feel complete. We do not know if that will ever happen, but SukaSuka is definitely a story that I want to continue to the end.

17. Net-juu no Susume
Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: Signal. MD
A woman quits her job to seek a new life as a NEET playing an online game. Net-juu no Susume breaks away from the usual "trapped in a game" premise and instead chooses to focus on both the game and reality. One of my favorite voice actresses, Mamiko Noto, voices the MC in this series, and her performance is simply flawless. The MC is a timid 30-year-old woman who's afraid to show her face, and Noto portrays this character extremely well. This behavior leads to many of the comical situations throughout the series, and many of them can be really cute to the point where you start to blush. The Male MC is in a similar predicament, and trying to figure out how to deal with uncomfortable situations adds even more humor to the mix. The art is clean and colorful to look at, and you can easily distinguish between the real world and the game world. Perhaps the only major flaw of the series is the minimal backstory given to the female MC, which makes her way of living questionable. Aside from that, the anime is really fun to watch. There is very little drama, so you can watch this without worry.
Best Female Voice Acting

16. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryoukou (Girls' Last Tour)
Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: White Fox
Civilization has been decimated, and among the survivors are two young girls who travel the world in their Kettenkrad in a constant search for supplies and a curiosity of the remains of humanity. A surprise hit of 2017, Girls' Last Tour is an adventure slice-of-life anime where the girls drive, come to a stop, look around, make a comment, and then continue on their way. As simple as this seems, the small amount of dialogue in each episode says a lot more than what is spoken. The two MCs are polar opposites. One is focused and calculated, while the other is a bit air-headed and carefree as if she's had too much dank weed. This helps in the dialogue when the two have opposing opinions or different perspectives on certain themes, and this is what helps make Girls' Last Tour's simple formula so enthralling. To add to that, the coloration and detailed backgrounds add more to the calm-yet-ominous atmosphere, and the use of music and sound enhances that feeling even more. And speaking of music, the OP and ED are really fun songs to listen to. Girls' Last Tour may be a simple watch, but its stunning visuals and philosophical themes are going to get you thinking about it.
Dankest Anime

15. Boku no Hero Academia S2
Season Aired: Spring 2017
Studio: Bones
Season 2 of Boku no Hero Academia. Looks like this little battle Shounen got a budget upgrade with more action scenes and double the episodes of season 1. The characters are mostly the same as they were before, but all of them get a good share of the spotlight. I also have newfound respect for some of the characters that I didn't really have interest in before, so that's a plus. The music, drama, and animation are as great, if not better, than season 1. The action scenes are exciting as well, although I found them to be a bit formulaic. Still, it does a good job doing what it does. A season 3 has been confirmed, so let's keep the hero train going! Plus Ultra!

14. Chikyuu Shoujo Arjuna (Earth Maiden Arjuna)
Season Aired: Winter 2001
Studio: Satelight
A girl dies, who is then revived and is chosen as the Avatar of Time to combat the creatures that will lead to Earth's destruction. As one of Satelight's first anime, Arjuna's art is bad...very bad. It also makes attempts to blend 2D animation with 3D CGI animation. Sometimes it works, but for the most part it doesn't work very well. So visually it's pretty bad. I do like the MC's hairstyle when she's entering Avatar mode hehe. Also, the anime centers on philosophical topics based on Hinduism, and these topics get pretty controversial where you will find yourself disagreeing with them. And yet I found these topics to be very interesting despite how controversial they are. Arjuna is an anime that completely sunk me in and got me indulged in its topics about environmental preservation, chemical waste, human deformities and such. I disagreed with some of them, but I liked it. It might feel slow paced and boring, but the dialogue and how things were explained caught me hook, line, and sinker. The characters were great to watch as well, seeing the problems they're facing and how they have to deal with it. There is one character who can get a little annoying, but I personally didn't mind him much. Earth Maiden Arjuna might not look great, but with the themes that it covers, it is most certainly one of the most interesting anime that I have ever watched. It's an anime that you will either love or hate. It's philosophical concepts may contradict your own, but I think that is what makes Arjuna such a delight to watch.

13. Oniisama e...
Season Aired: Summer 1991
Studio: Tezuka Productions
A young girl enters a prestigious school, and her sudden induction into its exclusive sorority makes her a target of envy of those who wanted her position. Oniisama e...An anime highly regarded as being one of the most dramatic works in the anime industry. I gave it a try with expectations about the drama and how it would go about it based on its art style and...WOW! I didn't expect this kind of drama! Most of the drama I see is the usual complaining and crying. Oniisama does that...and takes it a little further to the point of over exaggeration. Drama usually makes you feel bad, but in Oniisama e..., the drama is FUN! Seeing these girls go at it, lashing at each other, making comebacks, and sabotaging one another made this anime extremely entertaining. I thought it would be a melancholic and rather boring series, but this anime blew my expectations away and gave me something enjoyable. Sometimes the drama goes overboard to the point where you can't take it seriously, but it does have its more serious emotional moments to switch it up. The characters seem a little rough on the outside, but after taking several episodes to develop, they actually become really likable. The art is dated, but suits the anime's dramatic style. The animation is decent, but uses still frames for its more dramatic scenes, which is perfectly fine in my opinion since it lets you imagine how it happens in your mind. But if there's one thing about Oniisama e... that caught me completely by surprise, it's the sound direction. The use of sound to portray emotions and build tension is done so well in this anime. In certain scenes, the sound design can turn this drama anime into a horror series. This makes the anime really thrilling to watch, and I never got bored with the series even when I expected it to have a boring episode. Well...not every episode. The "fun" begins to slow down during the last arc of the series, which dropped my score of it a bit, but it is still an entertaining watch overall. Whatever perceptions and thoughts you have about drama in anime, don't bring them to Oniisama e..., because this anime has that style of drama that you won't find in modern anime.

12. Top wo Nerae 2! Diebuster
Season Aired: Fall 2004
Studio: Gainax
A girl leaves home to become a "TOPLESS" to combat monsters invading the Galaxy. Diebuster is the sequel to Hideki Anno's Gunbuster. In the beginning, it feels identical to its predecessor, but after the first episode, the action kicks in. There is a lot of color, and the smooth and fast animation makes these colors very vibrant. Aside from the MC, it was kind of hard for me to remember the side characters as they didn't really stand out that much. There are some dialogue-heavy scenes which can feel a little dragged out when the action is so intense. The pacing might be a bit iffy in the beginning, but the second half is where the anime shows how great it is when it comes to animating action scenes with a lot of detail, sound effects, and fitting music. And like Gunbuster, the ending is a big surprise that will leave a smile on your face. Just make sure that you have seen Gunbuster first, and you'll get to relive that experience again in Diebuster.

11. Infini-T Force
Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: Tatsunoko Productions
A schoolgirl comes across a wish-granting pencil that is coveted by beings from different worlds, and it is up to a group of superheroes to protect her. Infini-T Force is an anime fully rendered in 3D CGI, but unlike other CGI anime, the animation for Infin-T Force runs very smoothly. It looks like animation used for video games, but that is perfectly fine as it suits the superhero aspect well. While the story is mostly tropes commonly seen in superhero stories, Infini-T Force executes it well and adds some drama to this supposedly upbeat anime. The protagonist is very unlikable in the beginning, but she will change as the anime progresses and you will come to understand why she is who she is. There are some sad moments in this series, and I did tear up a few times. The strongest aspect of the series is actually the animation itself. The detailed backgrounds, the fluid action scenes, the lighting, and the great use of music all compliment each other to present a sense of realism to its story. The facial expressions in particular are highly animated, and the voice acting along with the mouth movements make the voices of the characters sound very natural. Both the heroes and villains have great designs with their own unique characteristics to distinguish themselves. If there is one issue that Infini-T Force has, it is that the side characters don't really get too much screen time and are kind of just cast to the side until they are needed. The series does end with a satisfying closure, but there is an upcoming movie to continue the story, so I am very much looking forward to that. Don't judge it by its CGI. Infini-T Force is a superhero series where you will get a nice balance of action and drama that will prove to be both entertaining and emotional.
Best Animation


Now then...because of this massive list, I do not have enough room to list my top 10 anime here. So...