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2018 comes to a close, which means another list of my Top Watched Anime! Unfortunately for me, 2018 was one of the worst years I've ever had. I had to deal with a lot of problems in 2018. As a result, I was unable to watch as much anime as I did in the previous year. In 2018, I have seen a total of 48 different series. 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 2018 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.

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 2018.





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.


48. Ulysses: Jehanne D'arc to Renkin no Kishi

Season Aired: Fall 2018
Studio: AXsiZ
An alchemist meets a young girl whom he grants the power to save France from the English. I'm fond of the story of Jeanne D'arc, so I picked this up. I soon found out that I came across a disaster of an anime. Poor art and animation, easily forgettable characters, protagonists who barely do anything, and writing that insults the very history of Jeanne D'arc herself. This anime had absolutely no direction whatsoever and proves that fan service alone is not enough to sell an anime.

47. Masou Gakuen HxH

Season Aired: Summer 2016
Studio: Production IMS
A teenager possessing a valuable Heart Hybrid Gear uses the power of his libido to strengthen the Gears of Earth's strongest women in order to combat creatures invading from another dimension. I gave this a go hearing about how sex can be used as a power source to fight enemies. The concept is interesting, but its execution is average at best as most of the scenes are simple softcore erotic scenes. Unfortunately for this anime, if it's not doing the ecchi, it's not doing anything. The characters are very generic and are nothing outside of the usual cookie cutter stereotypes. The action scenes are pretty basic, the story is something we've all heard of before, and it simply is not fun to watch at all. Other than its notable erotic scenes, Masou Gakuen HxH has nothing to offer outside of the ordinary.

46. Lord of Vermilion - Guren no Ou

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: Asread
A red fog descends upon Tokyo giving rise to vicious monsters, and it is up to a group of individuals with a special kind of blood to fend them off. From the first episode, I was able to easily tell that this series was going to be made on a super low budget. The art and animation is very poor, and all but a few characters are remotely interesting at all. The pacing of the series can be somewhat slow as it tries to expand upon certain events that don't really add up to anything. It does have a few characters who have notable personalities and designs, and they are probably the best thing to come out of this show aside from its pretty good OP and ED songs. The story does have something that may make it intriguing, but it does not expand upon it enough to make it worth watching. I would have recommended this anime for viewers looking for a certain type of story, but Vermilion does it so poorly that it would be best to just avoid it.



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.

45. Sora to Umi no Aida (Between the Sky and Sea)

Season Aired: Fall 2018
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Sea life are mysteriously unable to exist in the waters of Earth, so fish tanks are made in space where space fishers are sent to catch highly coveted seafood to bring back to Earth. Sora to Umi no Aida is a mix of Slice of Life and action elements surrounding a group of girls who aim to become recognized space fishers. It does a decent job of its space fishing element, but this anime being based off a mobile game kind of hurts it with the added element of deities that only players of the game would understand. The characters are pretty decent although it does have some sexism in it where girls are discriminated which honestly doesn't really help the series much. One thing that I personally disliked about the series is its focus on the slice of life portion more that the action portion which kind of made the series a drag to watch. It's a pretty average series overall but nothing to write home about.

44. Nanatsu no Bitoku (The Seven Heavenly Virtues)

Season Aired: Winter 2018
Studio: Bridge
The Seven Heavenly Virtues travel to Earth in search of a Messiah. Succeeding Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai, Nanatsu no Bitoku is a short ecchi series featuring each angel representing one of the seven virtues. The episodes are short, so not much can be done within the time limit of that episode. It also looks like the anime was made on a very low budget as the scenes in each episode don't have a lot of animation. The character designs are quite nice though, and the voice acting is decent. The different scenarios can be pretty fun to watch as well. Watch it for the ecchi, otherwise just give it a pass.




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.

43. Mahou Shoujo Site

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: production DoA
A bullied and abused girl is given the opportunity to become a magical girl where she must then face off against other magical girls to change her fate. Edge is the first thing that comes to mind when this anime is mentioned as it contains a lot of blood and over the top expressions that can be as more comical than horrifying. The concept of each magical girl having their own unique "stick" was rather interesting at first, but given the battle royale concept of the series, there wasn't a lot of action to utilize them. The characters aren't very memorable save for one or two, and this is made worse when a large number of characters are introduced midway who become completely forgettable afterwards. It's hard to tell exactly what the anime was trying to accomplish given its ending, so there isn't really much else to say. I will say though that its overdramatic scenes make for a pretty entertaining watch.

42. M3: Sono Kuroki Hagane

Season Aired: Spring 2014
Studio: Satelight
An area of darkness known as the Lightless Realm is a place where life ceases to exist, and it is up to a group of boys and girls with their darkness-resistant mechs to investigate the phenomenon. Despite having mechs, M3 is a more drama and mystery focused anime that focuses on its characters and their connection to the story's conflict. Because of the nature of the anime, there is a lot of gray to be seen, and the character designs and personalities are pretty gray themselves. The one thing holding this anime back though is the writing. M3's screen composition is written by the infamous Mari Okada, and she makes her characters dramatically talk...a lot...especially in M3 which slows the anime's pacing by a lot. In addition to that, despite the number of characters, most of the screen time and dialogue is centered on the main characters, leaving the side characters as time padders to add anything extra to the series if it needs it. For the most part, the anime is pretty average aside from the long sections of dialogue that feel like dragging the story longer than it should be. It has a pretty good ending though, so I will give it that at least.

41. Caligula

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: Satelight
All is well in a city in Japan until a virtual idol's song causes a massive disturbance, and those who are resistant to this distortion must discover the reasons of the city's sudden transformation. Caligula's first episode starts out rather slow where lots of psychological exposition is used and gives you the feeling that nothing particularly special is going on...that is until you reach the end of the episode when things start going haywire. What Caligula is is a character-driven show that delves upon each character's issues and resolves them through fighting. There is a plus and minus to this. The minus to this is that the characters have very bland designs, and the limited episodes that the series has hinders the development of the characters, making them rather uninteresting. To compensate for this though is the use of music during the more intense action scenes that describes the issues and feelings of the central character of the episode which I praise it for as it is done quite well. The art style also changes slightly depending on the current "world" which is a nice touch. The limited episode count makes the series feel rushed somewhat, but the last few episodes salvage the blandness of the series with a pretty interesting message. As most game adaptations go, Caligula may not be a great anime, but I did enjoy it for its themes and its ending.

40. Dorei-ku the Animation

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: TNK, Zero-G
When two people wearing a special mouthpiece meet, they can challenge each other in a duel, and the loser becomes the slave of the victor. I originally thought that Dorei-ku had a more disturbing premise, but it is actually quite tame. It does go a bit overboard at times, but only when the anime needs it to be necessary. The art and animation isn't that great, but its concept is pretty good. The master-slave rules stay consistent throughout the series, and there are many twists and turns to keep things interesting. Despite the large number of characters, each character gets their own share of the screen time to know their backgrounds, their personalities, and their motives enough to give them a reason in being in the series. The best part is that all of the characters are connected to each other one way or another, which makes for a pretty nice if somewhat rushed ending. The limited number of episodes may have compressed some of the story a bit, but it's a pretty entertaining watch overall.

39. Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu

Season Aired: Fall 2018
Studio: CloverWorks
The most huggable man in showbiz is overtaken by another man who happens to have a very special interest in the former top huggable man. This is my second Shounen Ai anime, and this one takes the sexual tension to the next level to the point that it becomes pretty rapey. Well it's rapey at first, but it becomes more tolerable as the series goes on. Despite the rape nature, it's pretty lighthearted and fun. It does get a little dramatic in the later episodes but never to the point that it breaks the lightheartedness. The art is passable, but having lined underchins for everyone can be a little distracting. The animation is pretty simple, but it does look great on certain episodes where the budget is upped a bit. It does have a filler episode or two despite its 12-episode length which doesn't help it much. The characters are what you would expect in a Seme-Uke relationship, but how you see it is up to you. It may be disturbing for a first time Shounen Ai watcher, but it is a relatively fun show nonetheless.

38. Citrus

Season Aired: Winter 2018
Studio: Passione
The result of a mom's remarriage leads her daughter to transferring into another school where she meets the student council president who becomes more than just her stepsister. A straight-up Shoujo Ai is quite uncommon in anime, and Citrus is one of these Shoujo Ai stories that takes the step forward. The art and animation is great for its first episode, but the quality gradually decreases as the anime progresses up to the last episode. The MC of Citrus happens to be a very interesting and enjoyable character to watch. She may be impulsive, but she is gutsy and very caring which makes her perhaps one of the most likable characters in the cast. Her co-MC however is rather hard to discern, and her sudden actions can make her a character that is hard to understand. The supporting characters aren't bad, but as the series reaches the 2nd half, the supporting characters feel more generic and are just there to cause some drama for our main characters. The drama in the series is pretty cliche in general if you're familiar with how Shoujo drama works, so it isn't much of a surprise. Well, there is a lot of cucking going on in the series, so you may find that either fun or disturbing. Citrus has its ups and downs, but it is pretty entertaining overall. If you're not fond of a lot of girl-to-girl kissing, Citrus might not be for you. But if you can tolerate these kisses, then Citrus can be a good introduction to the Shoujo Ai genre.

37. Hisone to Maso-tan

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: Bones
An innocent air force rookie who speaks her mind becomes the chosen pilot of a dragon. Once again, Mari Okada lends her script writing skills to the table, but for this anime it suits her style well with a protagonist who talks a lot. The story revolves around fighter jets that are secretly disguised as dragons that can only be controlled by select pilots. The story was doing well at first, but it tends to try to do a little too much during the second half which hurts it a bit. Shoji Kawamori being the master vehicle transformer of anime made the transformations of plane to dragon very well done, but sadly we only see this a few times in the series. The MC is quite prominent in the series, but aside from two other characters, all other supporting characters are forgettable and don't really add much to the series. The art can be hit and miss for some, but I didn't mind it and say that it adds to the charm of the series. The story might fall a bit after the second half, but at least the animation is pretty good.

36. Zombie Land Saga

Season Aired: Fall 2018
Studio: MAPPA
An aspiring young girl dies only to be revived as a zombie to form an idol group to save Saga. The zombie concept adds a fresh new take on the idol subgenre, adding comical horror elements as well as carrying a special message behind it. The series starts off very strong, but its momentum slowly diminishes as it progresses further. The characters are quite fun to watch, but only two of them really stand out from the rest which both helps and hurts the series. The art is decent, but the animation varies between episodes. Sometimes it goes for hand drawn performances while others go for a rather choppy CGI direciton. While the drama in the series is handled pretty well, it is nothing special and feels like the usual drama found in other anime. Since it's an idol anime, the one thing I'm critical about is the music. Some of the music is good, but for the most part they sound generic and thus rather forgettable which in turn makes the anime rather forgettable. It's a nice watch, but it could have done better.

35. Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai

Season Aired: Fall 2018
Studio: CloverWorks
A student comes across various girls who are under the effects of Puberty Syndrome. Bunny Girl Senpai is a series where a guy meets a girl who suffers from a social problem of some sort, and he tries to solve it. This anime's greatest strength is how the characters interact with each other. The dialogue that is spoken between characters is both amusing and intriguing which makes these interactions fun to watch. The issues that each girl has to deal with can be related to which make them rather easy to understand...well if it weren't for the scientific terms used to explain them. Why scientific rather than psychological? Given the nature of the series and the several arcs in it, the formula can get pretty repetitive. Meet girl, find out problem, ask a genius, solve problem, repeat. And most of these problems are pretty predictable and can be solved in your head if you're familiar with the situation. That leaves the execution which varies between arcs. Some arcs it does right, while other arcs feel rushed or poorly paced which weakens its impact to the viewer. One other notable issue I have with the series is the protagonist. He's definitely fun to watch, but what I have against him is that he seems too perfect and always seems to know the answer. It kind of takes the fun out of things when he already knows exactly what to say to save these girls in need. And when he isn't acting all high and mighty, he feels out of character. So when a dramatic event involving him occurs, I don't really feel much out of it. The series is not perfect, but it does what it needs to do.

34. Satsuriku no Tenshi (Angels of Death)

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: J.C. Staff
A girl trapped in a multi-story building must find a way out as she evades various people that aim to harm her. Angels of Death is an RPGmaker game adapted into an anime, but I have no knowledge of the game so I will not judge the anime based on that. The series starts out strong, giving out a survival horror vibe that catches its viewers' attention. From then on, the anime becomes more of an adventure puzzle game as expected of an RPGmaker game where the main characters must travel around the building and look for clues to progress forward. This aspect of the series is pretty well done even though the characters tend to find the answers pretty quickly. The MC is dead-eyed, seemingly apathetic, and soft spoken which makes her different from the usual protagonist. Her depressing personality also provides some of the humor found throughout the series which is nice. The art and animation is decent, and the backgrounds and environments do a good job in keeping a creepy and ominous feel. The dialogue is pretty straightforward as what you would expect to hear from a game. The one thing that hurts the series though is that the protagonists like to recycle the same topic over and over which leads to dragging out some episodes longer than they should be. The conversations between the characters isn't bad, but it gets tiring when they have to constantly reassure themselves on what they have to do. It has a pretty nice ending though that leaves it up to the watcher to interpret what happened. The watch can be a drag, but it ends in a satisfying manner.

33. Island

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: .feel
A man who only remembers his name is washed ashore where he meets a girl that he recognizes, but he also learns that the island he is on is not what it seems, and he begins to search for answers about the island as well as himself. A rather surprising hit of Summer 2018, Island looks like a basic slice of life anime at first, but begins to develop into something more as you progress into it. The story doesn't seem to go anywhere, but it is during the second half where things start being put together. The art is pretty clean given its island setting, and the music is not bad either. The characters don't really seem like much at first, but as you learn who they are, you begin to respect them more. That isn't saying that their relatively special since they are pretty basic for the most part. What makes this series is its final episodes and how the mystery is solved. Unfortunately I cannot say more than that to avoid spoilers. All I can really say is that I wished that the series extended into 24 episodes or so to give the characters and plot more time to develop. If this anime was given the time and budget to expand its story and characters, Island easily would have become one of the best anime of 2018.

32. Hanebado

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: LIDENFILMS
An abandoned daughter is reluctantly made to play badminton that sparks memories of her past where they only mindset she has is getting good. Hanebado seems like every other Sport anime at first until it decides to bring in some heavy drama, tragic backstories, and condescending characters to trigger its protagonist to becoming a badminton monster. Many of these seem to be put in just to get the MC riled up, but in all honesty it is what makes the series entertaining and different from the usual sport anime. Then again, sometimes the drama and insults being shout from one to another get to be a bit much. The animation is very well done, but I personally find the drama between characters more interesting. Speaking of characters, there are only two who I found remarkably interesting: one of the MCs and one of the characters who is related to her past. There are actually two MCs, but the other MC is just your typical sport protagonist who just wants to go as far as she can which is a trope that I have seen already and thus have no interest in said character. The story is not exactly the best, but is entertaining given the drama that goes around in the series. What is unfortunate though is that despite attempting to differ from other sport anime with all the drama, the series ends in a rather generic fashion which I found disappointing and predictable. Hanebado may not necessarily be a positive anime to watch, but it definitely is a pretty entertaining one.

31. Back Street Girls: Gokudolls

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: J.C. Staff
Three mafia members get a gender change to exploit the profits earned from being idols. This anime has almost no animation at all and is merely a slideshow of different scenarios that the trio experiences throughout the series. The element that brings out the comedy in this series is the voice acting as there is a LOT of screaming going on. Combine that with the perverse humor and the concept of girls having the minds of men and you got yourself a recipe for hilarity. There are three stories that occur in each episode. Sometimes these stories can be slow and boring, while other times it can get downright crazy. Some of the episodes can be a drag to watch, but when the humor kicks in, it kicks in with a bang. If you've ever wanted to experience the life of an idol behind the eyes of a man, Gokudolls will deliver that experience to you.

30. Mahou Shoujo Ore

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: Pierrot Plus
An aspiring idol witnessing her friend in trouble drives her to awaken her powers as a magical girl...except that instead of a girl, she becomes a magical man! Mahou Shoujo Ore takes all of the lighthearted elements that make a magical girl anime and twists it around by turning the girls into MEN! For the most part the series is a Magical Girl parody that makes fun of the genre in various ways. It also breaks the fourth wall a bit meaning that it is self-aware and knows that it's making fun of itself. Aside from the magical girls being magical men, the anime has some pretty weird and hilarious antics that make it enjoyable to watch. Despite the gender swap from girl to man, all you have to remember is that these magical men are girls inside who retain the same personalities as their original selves which adds more to the humor. The support characters are pretty fun too, especially the one character who speaks without saying anything which is always funny to see. There are a few instances where the art kind of changes a bit which seems intentional but can be a bit of a turn off to some. Also there is a filler episode in the middle of the series that, while still enjoyable, doesn't really add to the overall series. It is worth watching to the end though as the series like to throw some surprises at you. It's a fun show if you can get past the Shounen Ai tease aspect and realize that these are just girls in a man's body.

29. Mahoutsukai no Yome (The Ancient Magus' Bride)

Season Aired: Fall 2017
Studio: WIT Studio
A young girl is sold off to a Magus where she learns about the world of Magic. The Ancient Magus Bride is a fantasy slice of life anime about a girl who travels to various places, meets various creatures, and experiences various magic. The backgrounds of this anime are drawn very well and make you feel like you're in the fantasy world. The animation is also pretty good in some portions of the anime. The story is somewhat episodic to follow the MC's adventures, but there is an overarching story that leads somewhere. The stories are pretty good for the most part, but one thing that tends to get repetitive is that MC always seems to get herself involved in trouble somehow which basically acts as the trigger to start a new story. The stories aren't bad, but it's kind of a downer to see the MC have to suffer over and over again. The music is good and adds to the anime as well. Let's not forget the opening themes which are sung by Macross divas JUNNA and May'n respectively. Don't expect a lot of action with this series. See it more as a slice of life series where you get to explore a magical world alongside the protagonist.

28. Goblin Slayer

Season Aired: Fall 2018
Studio: White Fox
The world is filled with powerful monsters, but one man chooses to hunt down the world's weakest monster to show that even the lowest of threats can prove to be devastating if left unchecked. The art is decent, but the character designs are pretty good. The animation is decent as well, but it does look good where more budget was used in it. The characters don't have names but are called by their titles which works just fine for this anime. There isn't really much to the characters, but they all center around the MC which is good. It also does teamwork very well, giving each character their share of the spotlight. The series starts off pretty disturbing at first, but that is to establish the type of setting the anime takes place in. It's pretty identical to how Cross Ange started out so I'm used to it. Unlike most anime where there is a chosen hero to defeat the ultimate villain, Goblin Slayer centers on the average man fighting against monsters that veteran adventurers won't even bother with. It's like posting a quest to slay a wild boar in a guild surrounded by powerful adventurers that only want to fight dragons. This is the message that the anime is trying to convey, and it is important to understand that to be able to see this anime from the MC's perspective. Some of the episodes can be a bit slow, and the MC has a one track mind, but he calls himself the Goblin Slayer because he slays goblins. Is there anything else that needs to be said? He does what does best, and there isn't anyone else that can do a better job than him. He's the type of person that does the work no one else wants to do, and he gets respect and recognition for doing it. And that is what makes him one of the more unique protagonists of 2018.

27. Madan no Ou to Vanadis (Lord Marksman and Vanadis)

Season Aired: Fall 2014
Studio: Satelight
A young lord is captured by a warrior of Vanadis who then becomes her ally where they travel the land to defend their homes in the ongoing war. Despite this anime being labeled as an Ecchi and having quite a bit of fan service, the fan service is rather tame and only becomes apparent during the more comical scenes. This anime centers on war, but it uses a surprisingly simple but effective method of displaying war without having to spend too much budget on animation by using animated chess pieces to resemble the armies of different sides. Using the chess pieces to display the positions of the armies immediately tells the watcher what kind of situation the characters are currently in which makes things a lot easier to understand. Some of the war anime I've seen tend to try to animate armies, but execute it poorly. The use of chess pieces here make things very easy for the viewer to understand. The art and character designs are pretty good. The action scenes aren't all that great, but there are a few moments where the animation does a little more to make things look impressive. There is one episode where the background animation looks pretty hilarious but I can give that a pass for how funny it looked. Unfortunately the issue of limited episodes makes its mark on this series as well where some of the episodes and plot had to be cut short to fit within the duration of the series. There are some characters in the opening animation that get very little screen time which probably appear later in the story, but the anime stops at a point where you never meet them. Still, it's a good short series if you need some war and fan service. However, the one thing that bumps this anime really high up is its special episodes (Tigre-kun and Vanadi-chu). The specials are super hilarious and have some of the best comedy I've ever laughed at. Even if you didn't like the TV series, the hilarity of the special episodes make this series worth watching.

26. Violet Evergarden

Season Aired: Winter 2018
Studio: Kyoto Animation
The war has ended, and a young girl who was a weapon becomes an Auto Memoir Doll to learn the meaning of love. Violet Evergarden centers on the titular character who has known nothing but war her whole life, and she must transition from being a soldier to being a writer to provide her service to her clients. She starts off emotionless but begins to learn more about what it means to be human as the series progresses as she writes more letters. The MC heavily reminds me of Sagara Sousuke from Full Metal Panic, and I wished that the anime had some more humor to it to demonstrate her soldier-like personality. The art and animation is great as expected of Kyoto Animation, but there are a few moments in the series where the animation was either too much or surprisingly lacking. As for the characters, aside from the MC, there is only one other character that I found memorable. Everyone else is forgettable. I'm not saying that they were bad, but because of the nature of the series, the stories told from episode to episode tend to get repetitive which leads to its emotional impact getting more stale as it progresses. Meet Client, learn about the problem, write a letter, read letter, cry, repeat. A few of these episodes were good, while others tend to overdo the dramatic crying. Still, it's an interesting series and can be a good watch if you need something to cry over.

25. Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: Kinema Citrus
A girl joins an elite performance academy where she dreams of performing the play "Starlight", but the auditions are more than what they may seem. This anime immediately reminded me of Shoujo Kakumei Utena (my #1 of 2016) based on the outfits and how each "audition" begins. A lot of work was put in the animation and backgrounds of the auditions which makes the performances quite a spectacle to watch. The series seems episodic at first, but it leads to a twist that changes your entire perspective of the anime a la Utena. That being said, I do have two issues with the series. The first is that the character designs are pretty basic. The characters were all introduced at once in the beginning and it makes it hard to remember who's who. And while each character has different hair colors and hairstyles, their faces all seem to be the same which made them hard to connect with. That transitions to the second issue I have with the series in that despite the number of characters there are, only three of them matter. The rest of the cast is just there to fill the other episodes to lengthen the duration of the series to its required 12 episodes. But that is made up with the fun action scenes and interactions between characters. It can be a bit of a drag to watch when the auditions aren't happening, but how the plot adds up together makes the story as a whole pretty satisfying to watch.

24. Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: Studio 3hz
A spinoff of Sword Art Online, Gun Gale Online takes place in the same universe where a girl gets to play a game with an avatar that is much shorter than her true self. Gun Gale Online is a much lighter and more comical series than its parent anime that focuses on gunfights rather than sword fights. The action scenes are quite lively, and the short and quick MC makes things pretty interesting. Of course it also follows the Sword Art Online trend where the MC always has to be the strongest character on the battlefield. The art looks good for the most part, and the MC's voice acting works very well for her character. The story is pretty simple in that the MC just has to participate in the games. There aren't any real grudges aside from the series antagonist who wants nothing more than to have a good time. Other than the main three, every other character is pretty forgettable as they don't leave much of an impact. It's one of the few anime that focuses on gun play in a video game, so it will definitely appeal to people who are fans of the first-person-shooter game genre.

23. Juushinki Pandora

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: Satelight
An intelligent scientist is responsible for Earth's destruction, and now it is up to him to find a way to save it from the ever evolving biomechanical lifeforms that slowly close in on the planet's last settlements. Juushinki Pandora takes place in an apocalyptic setting that centers on one of the only remaining cities and where everywhere else is desolate wasteland. Led by Shoji Kawamori and animated by Satelight, you can expect the usual CGI animation that he implements in his anime. In all honesty, it doesn't really look that bad. It's a bit choppy, but certainly not bad. The location is based off of a city in China, and they way it looks in the background really captures how a city looks like in nighttime. The animation is decent, but become especially good during certain episodes where the action really goes in. The story is mostly monster of the week for the first half and can feel episodic, but it serves to introduce the characters and establish the foundation for the second half. The story isn't really delivered in the best way as there can be a lot of exposition in some episodes. What makes this anime stand out for me are the characters. Despite the number of characters in the cast, all of them get their share in the spotlight and none of them are left out up to the very last episode. And these characters aren't just your ordinary characters. Top them off with some Kawamori cheese, and they become pretty funny with their own likes, dislikes, and personalities. I really like how the MC is depicted: a hunched genius who wears pajama slippers and has no sense of direction. Despite his looks, he's very quick when it comes to analysis, and it is because of this that everyone depends on him in this desperate situation. The other characters are just as fun: a kung fu girl who loves sweets and is a master at housekeeping, a sniper who loves cats and adult establishments, a secretary who likes to cook, and a bold princess who has no objections of showing a little skin to make herself comfortable. The series has its notable flaws in its plot and villains, but it has its positives with its fun characters and cheesiness. Juushinki Pandora is an anime that leaves the message of remembering to stay positive even in the darkest of times. Also, the opening theme is beautiful, and it works with the opening animation very well.
Best Opening Theme for anime that aired in 2018

22. Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse

Season Aired: Summer 2012
Studio: ixtl, Satelight
Aliens from space known as BETA invade the Earth and humanity must unite to fend off these creatures, but humans uniting together is easier said than done. At first Total Eclipse may seem like the usual Mecha anime with some fan service added in, but the underlying political conflict between nations is the real meat of the series. Uniting humanity means bringing different races together, and as we humans know, not all races get along with each other, and this serves as the recurring issue throughout the series. The action scenes are pretty good with the CGI being relatively smooth. Fan service is apparent in the series, but it never gets in the way for the more serious moments, which is great. Fan service when having fun, but stop the service when things get serious. The characters are pretty decent overall. They're not bad, but they're not too special. The political conflicts and racism is what makes this series interesting as we constantly wonder which nation is acting suspicious towards another. It's one of the elements that make character interactions in this series thrilling to watch. The series is split into two different arcs. The first one is merely introduction and training while the second focuses on the political struggle. While the story is good, the one major flaw that the series has is that its pacing is pretty slow and it takes a while for it to progress. But the anime does get more intense as it progresses, so you will be rewarded if you are patient. Also, Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse's opening theme is kickass.
Best Overall Opening Theme of 2018





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.

21. Boku no Hero Academia Season 3

Season Aired: Spring 2018
Studio: Bones
Season 3 of Boku no Hero Academia. Season 3 has got a lot more action scenes than the seasons before it as well as giving the side characters more time to shine. The characters are put in more dangerous situations, and this makes the action scenes more thrilling to watch. The action scenes themselves are good, but I was rather disappointed in a major fight in the series that everyone said was going to be awesome. The dialogue was good, but the fight itself was pretty lame. Other than the major climactic episodes, Boku no Hero Academia S3 continues on with the usual training and character resolutions. It does have a few filler episodes, but those are enjoyable as well. The series still proves to be exciting to watch, and I expect to see the same quality in the following season.

20. Hataraku Saibou (Cells at Work)

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: David Production
An anime that shows how cells personified work in the human body. Personified cells isn't a unique concept, but it most certainly is an uncommon one, and Cells at Work executes this very very well. The accuracy of how each cell is portrayed in the anime compared to real life is spot on, and this makes this series both entertaining and educational. Each episode tackles on a different illness, and we get to see how the cells work to defend the body from the illness. The character designs are well done, how the body is depicted as different kinds of machines was a very creative thought, and how the anime describes each and every little detail makes the series a joy to watch. The one thing that gripes me with this series is its repetitive formula. Show Red Blood Cell, have her come in contact with a pathogen, White Blood Cell arrives and defeats the pathogen, analyze, defeat more, and summarize. It's like this for most of the series, and if I recall correctly, one episode uses most of the same animation in a previous episode which made me feel like I was watching an episode twice. As an anime, I find it just above average at best, but when it comes to execution with the educational aspect, no anime this year has Cells at Work beat.
Best Execution
Best Concept

19. Seven Deadly Sins - Revival of the Commandments

Season Aired: Winter 2018
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Season two of Seven Deadly Sins. The anime retains its art style and animation quality of its previous season but with even more action to boot. The background behind the characters get explored further, giving us more character development and understanding. It also introduces a new character that adds even more fun to the series. The one thing I noticed with this season is that it felt like it was trying to rush through certain events. Sometimes it felt like they were skipping a big fight or something just to get to a certain point. This became more noticeable in the second half. I guess they did it so that the series would end at a certain point. It's still as fun as it was before, so if you've seen the first season, you'll enjoy the second season just as much.

18. Yama no Susume Third Season

Season Aired: Summer 2018
Studio: 8bit
Third season of Yama no Susume. At first, I was disappointed that there wasn't going to be as much mountain climbing in season three compared to season two. However this was made up by adding some drama into the mix that helped add to the two lead characters. There was still some exploring in season three along with the new character that the girls met at the end of season two. The art was great like before, and the tension of the drama between the two leads was done very well in conjunction with the mountain climbing. While I did not like this season as much as season two, I feel like this season was made to prepare for the inevitable season four which I hope will definitely give me the mountain climbing that I've been waiting for.

17. Overlord II and III

Season Aired: Winter/Summer 2018
Studio: Madhouse
Season two and three of Overlord. When I watched Overlord season I, I didn't really feel much out of it since I didn't know where the anime was going to go. But after watching season two and three, I now understand the direction that this anime is going for. Simply put, Overlord is a series that focuses on how the world reacts to our protagonist rather than the other way around. Rather than see the world behind the eyes of the hero, we instead see the world behind eyes of the people who have eyes on the hero. It's a pretty unique concept that can be difficult to execute, but this anime does it well. What the hero is doing is manipulating the land and the people around him to see what will happen, and seeing how they act is what Overlord's signature aspect is. The art and animation is decent for the most part. Many people complained about the usage of CGI in Overlord III. I personally was not affected by it. Trying to describe the story of Overlord II and III is rather difficult because of the nature of the series, but what I can say is that if you can catch on to what the anime is trying to do, it can really hook you in.

16. Schwarzesmarken

Season Aired: Winter 2016
Studio: ixtl, LIDENFILMS
A prequel to the Muv-Luv series where aliens invade Europe during the Cold War, and Germany must do all they can to defend themselves not just from the invaders but also from each other. While this anime is related to Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, it would be best to watch Total Eclipse first to get an understanding of the aliens, the mechs, and the themes that revolve around the series. Both Total Eclipse and this share similar themes, but I rated this series higher because of its better pacing and story told in fewer episodes. Unlike Total Eclipse, there is almost no fan service in this series, which leaves its focus directly on the story itself. Given the current setting, the story is actually pretty dark. You don't know who to trust, and you don't know what will happen next just as a war should be were you don't know who's winning or who's losing. The characters aren't very memorable, but they do carry the story along very well. While Schwarzesmarken has better pacing than Total Eclipse, its flaws become very significant in the final episodes where it makes some questionable direction choices that leave you wondering if some scenes could have been done better. Nevertheless, Schwarzesmarken does a good job depicting war and is a worthy successor to Total Eclipse.

15. Shichinin no Nana (Seven of Seven)

Season Aired: Winter 2002
Studio: A.C.G.T
A middle school girl studying for exams to join her love interest in the same school stumbles upon a microwave that duplicates herself six times, each duplicate depicting one of her personality traits as well as super powers. Seven of Seven is a shoujo anime, but unlike the usual Shoujo about a girl trying to advance on her romantic interest, this anime instead focuses on the MC studying for her exams, and her six clones make things rather interesting for her. Each members of the seven get super powers, but are depicted as a sentai group rather than magical girls which is a change from the usual concept. The art is fine, but the animation takes it up a notch when the characters do more action than usual. While the seven clones are the same person, they are all voiced by different voice actors in the Japanese dub (in English, they're all voiced by the same person). One of the notable aspects of this series is how well the voice actors are able to speak in sync with each other in some scenes. Speaking of voice acting, Nana Mizuki is the lead voice in the series, and considering that the anime mostly focuses on studying, you get to hear Mizuki speak a lot of English in this series. English is spoken quite commonly in the series, especially during one episode where it is required for the MC to speak it. The anime itself is pretty lighthearted and fun with the many different situations and antics that the MC and her clones can pull off. It may look aged compared to modern anime, but Seven of Seven is one of those anime that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Also, the Opening and Ending themes are great, especially the ending theme.
Best Ending Theme

14. Killing Bites

Season Aired: Winter 2018
Studio: LIDENFILMS
A college student is dragged into the middle of a tournament where humans enhanced with animal traits are forced to fight to the death. This may look like an Ecchi anime at first, but it becomes more like a traditional battle anime. From the beginning, you'll see that this anime is cheesy and over the top with its accompanying narrator. However, praise has to be given to the excellent character designs as well as accurately portraying the traits of their respective animals. The action scenes are also pretty good compared to other ecchi anime. And despite the anime seemingly showing off its sexy female characters, it actually strikes a balance by giving the male characters ample screen time as well. The story is pretty simplistic, and the MC is more of a supporting character rather than a main so don't expect much with the plot. Instead, watch Killing Bites as a ridiculous, sexy, action-packed, educational, and fun anime. ^_^

13. Emma: A Victorian Romance

Season Aired: Spring 2005
Studio: Studio Pierrot
The life of an honest man of the gentry begins to change when he sets his eyes on a humble maid. Emma: A Victorian Romance is a story centered on the trope of a wealthy character falling in love with another character of a much lower class. The art is simple but very fitting for its setting, and the animation only does what is necessary to present the story. Outside of the Opening and Ending animations, the music is put to a minimum and rather uses silence to interpret the emotions of the characters. As the story trope is pretty common in various forms of media, the plot can be rather predictable, but it is presented in a way that keeps it entertaining. However, do take note that there is almost no comedy or humor in the series, and I believe that it is done to flesh out the characters' personalities more. The first few episodes can be a bit of a struggle as they seem pretty slow and it can feel like nothing is happening, but once the romance kicks in, the anime becomes highly engaging. I could have easily binge watched both seasons in a single week if I wanted to. The only major complaint I have about the series is its ending in that it felt like it tried to finish many things in a single episode and didn't have enough time to fill in a few gaps for the rest of the story. Emma is a great watch for romance fans who can tolerate a slow start, but while the ending may be conclusive, it might not be a satisfying one...

12. Poputepipikku (Pop Team Epic)

Season Aired: Winter 2018
Studio: Kamikaze Douga
Cute girls doing WTF? Things. Pop Team Epic is a series of short comedy skits that does whatever it takes to make fun of today's anime by using various references from movies, anime, and video games and mixing them up into random scenes that will bewilder any watcher. The anime is completely random, so you will find the anime either funny, boring, stupid, or in a way, honest. I will give it a lot of credit for its creativity and various forms of animation ranging from CGI, Still Frame, abstract, and video game parody. An episode is only around 10 minutes long, but it repeats itself to fill the 20-minute episode requirement for Japanese Television. While the episode repeats itself, the voice actors change from female to male in the second half, and the script and some scenes may be different from the first half, so it is worth it to watch the 2nd half to spot the differences. It's an anime that those new to the medium won't find interesting due to all of the references that it makes. However for those who have been playing video games and watching anime since the good ol days, Pop Team Epic might just spark up your perspective on today's modern anime.

11. Aquarion (Evol, Logos)

Season Aired: Spring 2005, Winter 2012, Summer 2015
Studio: Satelight, Production Reed, 8bit
The destruction of Earth has resulted in the last few remnants of humanity gaining special powers, and they must use their abilities combined with a powerful mechanical weapon to combat the shadow angels who aim to annihilate the human race once and for all.

Aquarion is a pretty interesting concept of combining humans with super powers and implementing it into a mecha which determine its abilities. That means that the mecha's abilities vary depending on who pilots it. Kawamori loves his 3s, and it is shown here again where the mecha requires three pilots to use it. Aquarion's story feels rather episodic where each episode deals with something about life or the environment. Basically it's the monster-of-the-week formula, which means repetition. The repetitiveness of the series kind of makes it stale in the first half, and I will admit that I got bored a few times in some episodes. The action sequences are really fun however, and knowing how Kawamori likes to top his anime with cheese, you can expect a lot of scenes to be a little over the top. Its story is also pretty interesting which involves two lovers from many years ago who are reincarnated into present day. Of course due to the series' slow pacing, it might take a while until that plot point becomes relevant. The characters are decent for the most part, but it has a pretty satisfying ending. The OVA however is amazing. You can say that the OVA is like a retelling of the TV series but in a different manner, much like how the Macross movies are the same story as the TV series but told in a different way. The OVA has got some really intense magic scenes, and it really goes to show what CGI can do when a studio has the budget for it. The Aquarion TV series is good, but the OVA is better.

Aquarion Evol is a direct sequel to the original Aquarion within the same universe and same background. It's a bit rocky at first, but once you meet the characters, the anime starts rolling. Evol is much more active and better paced than its previous season, and the characters are a lot more fun to watch probably because this series doesn't take itself too seriously. There are some moments of fan service and a lot of jokes that will keep you watching and wanting more. The action scenes are great as well, and the messages about life and the environment make its return as a kind of staple to the series. As great as Evol is, its weakest aspect are its two lead characters in that they are pretty bland. And you know that it isn't good when you prefer watching the supporting characters than the lead characters. While you could watch this without seeing the original Aquarion, it is strongly recommended that you watch the first Aquarion so that you will have the background knowledge you need to understand some of the story elements in Evol. It has a lot of fun twists where things may not be as they seem, so if you're looking for surprises, Aquarion Evol has got plenty of them.

Aquarion Logos differs from the previous two series in that it is in an alternate universe in a modern day setting, but the themes of Aquarion from the previous seasons remain. Because of the drastic change in setting, many people consider this to be the worst season. However, I personally think that Logos is on par with its previous two seasons, and it does a good job with its concept and characters. Where Aquarion and Evol center on life and the environment, Logos centers on the concept of words and their effects on humanity. This is a pretty relevant topic as we humans reach the digital age where we often communicate with the written (or typed) word. And when words become twisted, bad things happen. I liked this concept, and it is what kept me watching. Logos looks like it was made with a much lesser budget than the previous two seasons, but it makes up for that with having characters that are just as fun to watch. Logos is quite lighthearted including the action scenes, and the characters all have some weird trait that makes them distinct from one another. The action scenes can be hit and miss with its animation, but as the previous seasons have done, it likes to take things a little further than usual to add some spice to the series.

Aquarion has the slowest pacing, but has the most balance with its characters and story.
Aquarion Evol has the most fun and colorful cast with the best pacing, but with the worst lead characters.
Aquarion Logos is the simplest of the three with not as great art and animation, but has an interesting concept and bright characters along with it.

Even with the differences between the three series, all of them share one great thing in common: the music. The soundtrack of Aquarion and Evol sound very orchestral, operatic, and vibrant with choral voices that resound in various parts of the series. Logos has a more modern hip-hop like soundtrack that makes things sound intense and hype when the tension is high. I consider all three series to be great and make for a good watch when you want something philosophical and hilarious at the same time.



I guess even if I watched less anime than last year, I STILL don't have enough space to place my top 10 in the same blog post! Oh well, you know what that means...