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Since 2013, I've been keeping track of every anime that I watch and the year that I watch it in. This year, I have watched a total of 62 different anime, my current record for most anime watched in a year! I will be listing the anime that I watched and the rank that I feel they belong to. They do not necessarily have to have been aired in 2015 since we're always watching different kinds of anime. 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.

While this list can generate a swarm of opinions, the fact remains that this is MY list. My opinions have been finalized, so here are my rankings of anime that I watched in 2015.




Anime within this tier are the lowest of the low of what I watched this year. They can be very difficult to watch and serve as nothing more than something to waste time on. Avoid watching them...unless you're masochistic like that.



#62. Rail Wars
An anime centered on trains. Just as it begins to discuss about Japan's rail system, it shoves it aside and attempts to redeem itself with cheap ecchi comedy gags and cardboard characters. Trains may be loud, but Rail Wars will put you to sleep before it even begins to leave the station.

#61. Mars of Destruction
An "anime" designed to advertise a game. Mars of Destruction feels like a group of amateur animators that rushed to get this on the air as soon as possible. Animations are very bland, the story is simple, and the characters and voice acting are hilariously horrible. As limited as it may be, Mars of Destruction can at least give you a few giggles on its horrendous production value.

#60. Maken-Ki! (2)
A school has just gone co-ed, and a male student transfers into a special institution for the elementally-gifted. Generic is as generic does, and Maken-Ki is no different from the dozens of school/harem/magic/ecchi anime in the ever growing pool of anime. Fan service is generic, the "element" factor is quickly dismissed (as usual), and the comedy gags are cringeworthy. Though Maken-Ki offers little more than eye candy for the bra and panty-seeking viewer, it's OVA is actually fairly decent and is perhaps the only episode worth watching.

#59. Pupa
An anime short that centers on a girl and her meat-eating disease. The concept is not bad, but because of it being short and concise, the anime loses its potential of being anything but decent. You can get a few cheap giggles off the hilarious "voice acting", but that's all you will get from it. It's not a great anime, but it's not completely unwatchable.

#58. Mobile Suit Gundam: Reconguista in G
After a decade since the wonderful creation that was Turn A Gundam (My #1 Anime in 2014), Tomino returns to direct another Gundam Anime. Unfortunately, I was expecting too much, and the anime became a complete mess in terms of story and pacing. I did want to watch more, but for this to be cut down into only 25 episodes instead of the Gundam tradition of being 50 episodes, Reco in G just couldn't hold itself together. If you are a dedicated Gundam fan, watch this with caution as it can cause all of your expectations to collapse.

#57. Tokyo Ghoul: Root A
The second season of the highly-anticipated horror anime. Tokyo Ghoul started off with a good premise and built itself a foundation to prepare for its sequel. Unfortunately, Root A forgets of its foundation and decides to "uproot" itself into something questionable. While the action is fairly decent, the characters and story fall horribly short and bland. It had a good start, but the end result is just massively disappointing and unsatisfying. Apologies to Tokyo Ghoul fans.





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.

#56. To LOVE-Ru
A well-known harem/ecchi anime starring your typical harem male lead who meets an air-headed alien girl that brings all sorts of surprises to his life. Filled with every cliche in the book, To LOVE-Ru can be quite the experience for a first-time Ecchi watcher, but quickly becomes dull to more seasoned watchers. The story doesn't really seem to go anywhere, and the comedy gags become old, really really fast. Enjoy what little it has to offer, but don't expect any surprises when watching To LOVE-Ru.

#55. Rosario + Vampire (Capu2)
A human boy gets enrolled into a supernatural school where humans are forbidden to enter. Panty shots, panty shots, and more panty shots. When something is done over and over, it becomes stale and the impact is heavily reduced. Comedy skits do tend to repeat throughout the series, but they do have some charm to them. Consisting mostly of episodic fillers, the story only becomes present during the closing moments of the series. While the first season can be rather bland, the second season does make up for it with slightly better comedy. It's not too great at first, but you may find something to your liking if you're patient with it.

#54. The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan.
An alternative story to the well-received The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, this anime has Yuki Nagato as its lead character. The art style of this anime is significantly different from the original series, which can be a little upsetting to fans of the original art style. The anime itself feels rather episodic and progresses pretty slowly as a result. While it does have some story elements that connect to the original, those moments are short-lived and easily forgotten. As a standalone, the anime does not really do anything to make itself stand out from other anime, and follows a straightforward romcom story line. Other than to provide fan service for its titular character, Nagato Yuki-chan is a mediocre spinoff that only fans of the series and its characters can appreciate.

#53. Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de (When Supernatural Battles become Commonplace)
Students of the literature club suddenly possess super powers. I might be alone on this, but I found this anime to be utterly disappointing. The title is very misleading since "Supernatural battles being Commonplace" is actually the rarest occurrence in the series. While the characters are fun to watch at times, the excessive dialogue drags on for far too long, and the "chuuni" nonsense doesn't seem to help make up for it. The comedy moments are great, but are few and far between. The concept is completely thrown out the window, making this anime nothing more than a typical harem/slice-of-life series.

#52. Elfen Lied
A demonic girl breaks free from the facility that she was contained in and awakens to the face of a young boy. I wanted to like this anime, I really did. This was the story that I was looking for, and Elfen Lied truly could have lived up to its hype. But the execution was so bad, and the characters were so horrendously cringe-worthy that I found the violent and dramatic moments hilarious. I apologize to all Elfen Lied fans, but I could not appreciate this anime. It had the potential to be a great anime, but it ended up being a huge disappointment for me.

#51. Aldnoah.Zero Season 2
Directly continues from Aldnoah.Zero season 1. WHY...Season 1 was ok, but Season 2 decided to blow it. WHY...CGI mechs will be CGI mechs, and I don't really care about that. Music is fine, action is fine, but the characters...WHY....You know...there are limitations on what an anime can and cannot do. If it followed those limitations, then this anime could have been pretty good, but nooooo. This probably belongs much lower on the tier list, but there were a few things that I did like about it. That doesn't mean that I will forgive it for its mistakes though. WHY...

#50. Terra Formars
Bugged humans from Earth are sent to Mars to investigate a roach infestation. Concept, good. Action, good. Setting, good. Characters...dead. I saw what they were going for, but it seemed as though all that effort was in vain. The anime was fine as it was, but the development of irrelevant characters and very slow plot progression did some major damage to the enjoyment of this series. Terra Formars served as nothing more than a massive prologue full of introductions and character backgrounds. Some of those stories aren't really all that special, save for one specific character. It has the potential to be a great series, but it's going to need to tie up a lot of loose strings first.

#49. Mezzo Forte/DSA
A series about a small vigilante group that deals with all sorts of dangerous jobs. The art style of the characters are great to look at, and the animation is smooth...for the first episode of DSA. After that, the budget gets reduced for every other episode and the quality of the anime just drops overall. It's not exactly a bad anime to watch, but it doesn't do anything special to set it apart from other similar-themed anime. Forte was a good watch (despite being a hentai), but DSA fails to succeed it. The creator was aiming for a comedy, but it didn't really make me laugh that much. Mezzo DSA is average at best.

#48. Myself; Yourself
A visual novel adaptation about a high school boy who transfers back to the home where he met his childhood friends. The anime's art style may seem very familiar for those who have seen the infamous School Days, but this is a different story entirely. The anime progresses at an even pace to flesh out its characters. However, it's major flaw becomes apparent in the later half of the series where everything seems to have been cut short. The music is not bad, and the story itself is decent, but its closure greatly hinders its potential to being a fairly decent anime and pretty much tells the viewer to play the Visual Novel.




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.


#47. Kuusen Madoushi Kouhousei no Kyoukan (Sky Wizards Academy)
With the Earth overrun by bugs, humans now live on floating islands where they train to combat these overgrown insects. Well, you might as well ignore the bugs, since they're oh so irrelevant in this anime. So...the animation is obviously bad, and the bugs are CGI-rendered which is a common trend in anime nowadays. So while the action and animation quality are abysmal, at least the characters do have some substance to make the anime enjoyable. While this anime has a guy who is surrounded by girls, the series is not classified as a harem, where, surprisingly, it isn't! The development of the characters, while straightforward, was done rather well, and their personalities are definitely the anime's strongest aspect. It's a budget anime for quick laughs. Not the greatest anime, but it does have its perks.

#46. Recently, My Sister is Unusual
A girl gains a stepbrother when her mother marries her new father, and she suddenly falls victim to an angel who straps a chastity belt onto her. Chastity belts...haven't seen those in a while. This anime is subtle in terms of its sense of humor, which is all it needs to make itself entertaining. The characters are pretty straightforward, although the stepbrother seems a little different from most Onii-chans. The ecchi element uses subtle gestures and dialogue rather than showing off skin, and it does a pretty good job of teasing the viewer. The story is nothing spectacular, though I wish there was more to it, and the chastity belt kind of contradicts its own concept, which is a weird decision by the creator. Overall, it doesn't really over exaggerate, but it does keep itself tame. It's pretty lighthearted, and you'll get a few laughs here and there.

#45. Daily Lives of High School Boys
An anime about the daily lives of high school boys presented in compiled short comical skits. This anime follows the same episodic format as Nichijou in that there is no actual story and is simply meant for laughs. Many have considered this to be one of the funniest anime they have ever seen. Me? Not so much. I did giggle a few times here and there and I did enjoy the few references that it made, but the comedy was mostly short and simplistic, so the laughs that followed were also brief. Comedy is a hit-or-miss genre for many viewers. For me, Daily Lives of High School Boys lean towards the miss side.

#44. High School DxD BorN
The third season of High School DxD. I'll be honest here. I found this season to be the most boring of the three. Perhaps it is just me, but the ecchi and comedy are beginning to stale a little too much now, so nothing special really comes out of this season. While the newly-introduced characters did help make the anime watchable somewhat, it was not enough to impress me. Also...not enough screen time for Akeno...

#43. Mousou Dairinin (Paranoia Agent)
An anime about a boy who comes out of nowhere and whacks people with a bent bat. This anime decides to take paranoia to a new level and fleshes it out in all types of different scenarios. This anime was enjoyable somewhat, but it's episodic progression and heavy usage of metaphors made it very confusing and difficult to understand. Psychological thrillers are on the rise nowadays in anime, so this ought to give viewers a good taste of paranoia psychology. I do warn you though. Of all the anime that I have seen so far, Mousou Dairinin is the most mind-boggling of all.
THE HARDEST OF READS!

#42. Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April)
A young pianist is brought out of his slump after meeting an energetic young girl. This is an anime that is highly-praised by many. As it is centered on music, the soundtrack is the anime's greatest aspect. So if it is a great anime as many people have stated, why did I place it only as a mid-tier? Because there were too many things that I did not like about it. Hate me for being critical, but I'm going to be honest about this. The pacing was bad, the flashbacks got too repetitive, way too many monologues, and the over-exaggerating comedy skits were completely unnecessary (especially during dramatic scenes). It also does a couple things in the end that really annoyed me. Don't get me wrong, the story was good. As for the characters...they were not bad, but how they were developed was what irked me (especially for one specific character). Perhaps those who were new to anime may have appreciated this anime a lot more than I have, but for an anime that was to pull on the heart strings, I was not really feeling it. Apologies to the fans...

#41. Sword Art Online II
The second season of Sword Art Online that consists of the GunGale Online and Mother's Rosario arcs. After the poor pacing seen in the first season, Sword Art Online II learns from its mistakes and does a slightly better job with progressing the plot in the second season. The animation is great, and the action scenes look nice. The story is not too bad, at least for GunGale Online. We don't talk about the fillers in between the two arcs. As for Mother's Rosario...it felt...lacking and forced. It spent one too many episodes on this arc, causing the characters to overstay their screen time. I was feeling it a bit, but the melodrama kind of shied away from the online gaming concept. Basically, Mother's Rosario would have been completely fine without the gaming aspect. GunGale was not bad, Rosario not so good. Also, Kirito is still broken...

#40. Shadow Skill
A 1990s anime where a female martial artist adopts a brother to train him to become strong. To have a Shonen anime with a strong female lead is a rare sight, and Shadow Skill is one of those anime where the muscular female kicks some serious butt. The story progression is slow, but steady. The protagonists are good, but the supporting characters don't get a lot of screen time. Because of its age, the animation is not up to par with some of the more modern anime, but it does give a feeling of nostalgia to more old school watchers. The action is rather generic, and the story has its ups and downs. Overall, it's an average watch. However, it is recommended that you watch the film before watching the TV series to understand what the "Shadow Skill" really is. Though the TV series is average at best, the film (not the CGI one) is actually pretty good and worth the watch. Also, Megumi Hayashibara. :)

#39. Motto To LOVE-Ru
The supposedly 2nd season of To LOVE-Ru that features an episodic series of stories focusing on the supporting characters. Where I found To LOVE-Ru horrible and a chore to watch, Motto To LOVE-Ru was much more enjoyable to watch. The comedy and overall quality is much improved over the first season, which is why I rated this season separately. Though it has improved, it is still cliche and episodic, but I can let that slide since the cliches are handled better.

#38. White Album
Adapted from the Visual Novel of the same name, White Album centers on a college student and the struggles of his relationships with his "goddesses". I found White Album to be rather interesting, and I was intrigued by its characters and dialogue. The music was entrancing and I found the drama captivating. But did I enjoy it? Not really. The anime is a mess with too many events and characters happening at once to keep up with. There were a lot of plot holes, and the closure still left me with questions unanswered. The anime adaptation was executed poorly. If you're interested, perhaps you should look into its Visual Novel instead.

#37. Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu/Shoushitsu (The Melancholy/Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya)
An anime that deals with a fun-loving high school girl who is unaware of the great power she holds. So I chose to watch this in airing order rather than chronological order as it was intended. Why they chose to do this is completely beyond me, but anyway... The characters were fun to watch, and the comedy was good overall. As for the story? Well the non-linearity made it feel episodic. Then again, the anime itself is episodic. It was fun to watch...until the second season of course, where the infamous "Endless Eight" decides to give the series a full 360 eight times over. I don't understand why they chose to do this. It was completely unnecessary. Thankfully, the film (while surprisingly long) helps bring that nonsense to a stop. The movie is great, but it unfortunately requires watching the TV series first to understand it. This'll raise a lot of questions if you plan to watch it in airing order, so it is better to just watch it in chronological order.

#36. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (The Irregular at Magic High School)
This series focuses on a boy whose magical aptitude is low, yet happens to be much more than your average student. Things were going well at first. Introduce this guy and all of his rule-breaking abilities. It's fun to be overpowered, but it's boring to be too overpowered, and Mahouka happens to be too overpowered for its own good. The story's pacing feels unbalanced, slowing down on some events, and then skipping quickly over others. The story itself was not very impressive, giving the feeling that it's just going from one place to another. And because of the bright green uniforms that the students wear, I don't find the characters to be very memorable aside from one or two characters. Witnessing the protagonist being broken to hell is the last saving grace that this anime holds. While enjoyable to watch, the anime itself is going to need a lot more than just sheer power to impress me.

#35. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 2wei Herz!
The second part of the second season of the Fate/kaleid series (Not 3rd season, that's 3rei). The season starts with a bunch of comical episodes that have little to do with the actual story line. It is not until the latter half where the anime decides to get back on track. It had some tendencies to drag on, but I did laugh for the comical skits that it presented. As for the actual story, the usual magical girl stuff where not much has changed from the previous season (which I also said for the previous season...). The action is still great, though CGI once again decides to alter the animation a bit, which can be both good and bad. Despite these flaws, I found 2wei Herz to be the most enjoyable of the three seasons so far, and I will be looking forward to watching 3rei.

#34. Owari no Seraph/Nagoya Kessen-hen (Seraph of the End/Battle in Nagoya)
A story about a boy who wishes to take revenge against the creatures that took his family from him. Owari no Seraph establishes a good start, telling what happened, who the protagonist is, and what he aims to achieve. It follows a Shonen tradition of having an MC that dislikes giving up. The story is rather predictable, and the dialogue tends to overdo itself by repeating the same phrases about "family" throughout the series. The animation and art style is a rather unusual mix of having static backgrounds while leaving the animated characters more profound. The story itself is average and predictable, and I only found a few of the characters memorable (specifically Shinoa). Owari no Seraph is not exactly bad, but based on its writing and characters, I found it to be more suitable for a younger "family-friendly" audience.

#33. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom)
"If you don't kill the teacher, the teacher will kill all of us." A rather brutal concept dealt with in a more comical manner, Ansatsu Kyoushitsu is an anime where students pull all the stops to try to get rid of one lightning-fast tentacle alien. The anime sounded good on paper, but it has its ups and downs. For one, I dislike excessive monologue, and Ansatsu Kyoushitsu is loaded with them. Second, due to the large cast of characters, the only memorable ones happen to be the teachers. I don't even remember the protagonist's name to be honest. It has a few good comical episodes, but most of the anime is slow-paced due to the monologues. It is still funny when it intends to be, and the "antagonist" is fun to watch. I just wish it had more action to make it more spontaneous. I'm expecting a lot more in the second season.

#32. FLCL
An OVA series about FLCL, or Fooly Cooly, or Furi Kuri, or whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. This anime just takes everything out of whack and decides to go as over the top as possible with whatever it can. There is a story, and it can be hard to catch if the wackiness catches you off guard. And the characters? Also super wacky. The music and animation? Really wacky. Basically this anime is all wack. You either like it or hate it. Me? I don't know what to make of it. I mean it's cool, but I don't know exactly what makes it cool? The wack? Well, I liked it because it was wacky, but I didn't like it because it was wacky. I can't really decided what to make of it, so you'll have to watch it yourself if you need a dose of Wack in your anime.

#31. Kuragehime (Princess Jellyfish)
A jellyfish nerd crosses paths with a real man. Kuragehime is a fun and lighthearted anime with a good share of laughs and a story that is easy to understand. The art style looks a little different from what I'm used to, but it is clean for the most part. There is little drama, and the protagonists are fun to watch, so you can say that Kuragehime is a "safe" anime. It does falter from having poor supporting characters, and the story tends to divide itself without really following through with each of its divisions. The comedy is not bad, but it does force itself from time to time, causing the humor to stale. But most importantly, the anime's strongest aspect also happens to be it's greatest flaw, and that is having only one very interesting character. The only reason why I found this anime enjoyable was because of that one character.

#30. Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken(I Can't Understand what my Husband is Saying)
An anime short series about a hard-working wife and her otaku husband. For a short series, this anime does very well in conveying the attraction of two completely opposing characters. It's funny, it's cute, it's simple and easy to understand, and it's easy to relate to. The first season was very fun to watch, but I found the second season much less appealing and comical. It gets good scores in creating something simple and enjoyable, but I wish it was more consistent in the second season. Still, it's a short, and it should be easy to spare a few minutes of your time to watch this and give yourself a few quick laughs.

#29. Akame ga Kill
An anime about a group of rebels that fight against a tyrannous empire. Akame ga Kill does well in catching the viewer's attention. The anime does very well in terms of action and animation. However, it attempts to take its story to the next level, and it fails hard. The characters were underdeveloped, causing them to be much less memorable than what they could have been. The comedy scenes weren't bad, but I found them unnecessary. The anime tries too hard to force the viewer to be feeling it, but just like anything that repeats over and over again, it will stale, and the impact will be much less every time it repeats. This anime could have been good, if it didn't feel so forced. The action scenes and character designs are still great to watch though, so it still has that going for it.

#28. Donten ni Warau (Laughing Under the Clouds)
This anime centers over a cloudy village and the three brothers who watch over it. I did not expect much from this anime. I found it pretty generic at first, until a certain episode causes me to break down in tears. Donten ni Warau is a solid anime in terms of its characters, story, and setting. It does have several flaws such as a seemingly "misplaced" episode and a rushed ending, but it does very well overall. But to have this anime to get me to be REALLY FEELING IT, I was impressed by its execution. This anime would have had much more potential if it had a few more episodes so that it wouldn't feel as rushed.

#27. Yakitate!! Japan!
A cooking anime about an aspiring young baker whose Solar Hands give him the edge he needs to bake some of the greatest breads anyone has ever tasted. What makes Yakitate!! Japan unique is that the breads featured in the anime are real, so this is an anime with SCIENCE! (and Art:). This anime is more like an educational series, showing the process of how different kinds of breads are baked. It has a lot of humor, and it makes many different kinds of references, puns, and parodies. However, because the anime centers on bread baking, it can get very repetitive and very slow. And because this is a Shounen, it can also be very predictable. It may get bland as the series progresses, but if you have an interest in bread (or food in general), then this anime will feed you with a lot of laughs and food lingo. The ending felt rushed, and you kind of wished that there was more to it, but I guess it's better to serve it while it's fresh rather than accidentally overcook and ruin its taste.




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.

#26. Log Horizon S2
The direct sequel to the first season of Log Horizon. Political affairs aside, Season two indulges more into the MMO aspect of Elder Tale, this time focusing on raids and introducing new "coding" to the game. The anime still has it's annoyingly slow-paced moments with a lot of dialogue, although this time they're not as interesting as the 1st season's. But it succeeds in getting raids down correctly, strategies, formations, and enemy patterns included. New characters are introduced in the second season, and boy do they make this game a lot more interesting. It still has its slow moments where you wish you could just skip over it. Be patient with it, because it's got a lot to offer. And by how it closes...oh I can't wait for Season three! If you're an MMO fan, Log Horizon is the anime to watch. Oh, and it still uses the opening theme from the first season too! LIVIN' IN THE DATABASE!

#25. Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai! (So, I Can't Play H!)
A boy brings a soaked girl into his home only to discover that she is a Shinigami in search of "The One". As an avid ecchi watcher, I found many of the ecchi anime that I watched this year to be rather bland. However, this is one anime that I enjoyed from start to finish. The Male lead is not afraid to go full pervert, and the female lead is as tough as nails, but still pretty cute. The anime also has one of the best slaps I've ever seen.

The character designs and animation are mediocre at best, but it does well with the comedy and presentation. And though this is a harem anime, you may find something a little different compared to other harem anime that you have seen.
Best Slap
Best Ecchi

#24. Zettai Bouei Leviathan
An anime adaptation of a mobile game about three dragon girls who set out on a journey to combat the evil that is threatening their world. It's cute, it's funny, it's lighthearted, and it's simple. I love the design of the protagonist. She has blue hair, uses water magic, and wields a spear; three of my favorite things combined in one package. Speaking of water magic, how it is used in this anime is very creative, and it is exactly what I thought it would be. The story itself is pretty ordinary, but it is the characters that make it fun. The only flaw that hinders this anime is the usage of CGI to design some of the monsters which make them look completely out of place. If you're looking for a safe and lighthearted anime, then this would be a good choice. Besides, it's not every day where you see a young girl carrying 100 pounds of luggage with one arm while walking across a scorching desert.
Hidden Gem of the Year

#23. Serial Experiments Lain
When a girl gets her very first computer, she learns about the "Wired" and finds out that she's more than just "connected" to it. One of the harder reads, Lain is an anime that requires attention and patience to fully understand it. It is confusing at first due to the number of random events that happen early on. But it does become clear since it feeds you a lot of info later in the series. The unusual art style is quite fitting for an anime like this. It's a mind-blower, but the randomness may hinder it more than help it. Give this one a go if you're looking for something to challenge your mind.

#22. Psycho-Pass
In Psycho-Pass, the Sibyl system is law, and if you think bad thoughts, then it'll come out to get you. A psychological detective thriller anime...A very impressive combination indeed. The setting is excellent and the art style is clean. The thrill feels thrilling, and the action is not too overblown, trying to keep things real. And the psychological writing jots down every detail...well, maybe too much detail. The writing is fine, but did you really have to have so much dialogue? I get what you're saying! You don't have to remind me 5 more times! All of that philosophical talk nearly made me fall asleep in the middle of the anime! Well at least Season 2 reduces the philosophical talk by a large margin, and the action is much more prominent. Of course every anime has to have a flaw of some sort, so instead of excessive philosophical talk in Season 2, it decides to let it shoot itself in the foot instead. If you like philosophy and can get through all of that dialogue, Psycho-Pass may just be the thrill ride that you're looking for.

#21. Bartender
An anime about bars...and their tenders. This anime is all-dialogue meant to tell different stories about a bar, its drinks, its tender, and its customers. The presentation is episodic and repetitive, but what it does it does very well. It is educational, insightful, and intriguing, but it can be a bore for those who dislike anime that are all talk. If dialogue is not enough to interest you, then it will most definitely be the music, as the piano that constantly plays throughout the series is most certainly the anime's strongest aspect. If you are not a fan of Slice-of-Life anime with heavy dialogue, you can give this one a pass. But if you are even a little bit interested in alcohol (even if you are not a drinker) then perhaps you can pay this one a small visit and see if you can find it to your liking.
Best Soundtrack

#20. School Rumble
A high school rom-com with crushes chasing after their crushes, and then some. An anime filled with humor and a variety of characters, School Rumble is a good watch for those who are simply looking for a good time. While the anime does have a story, it seems to progress in an episodic manner, sometimes going over the top with a few episodes here and there. Though the anime is primarily a comedy, it does have its dramatic moments, especially in the 2nd season. Don't worry, the humor will always find its way back so that you can smile again. Being a romance, the closure is rather lackluster, making you ask for more. While there is a "third season", it is rather disappointing and requires you to read the manga to get the full details. Still, it is a fun take on the rom-com genre, and its great set of characters and music make the anime an entertaining watch throughout the entire series.

#19. Death Parade
It is in purgatory where it is decided which soul is reborn and which soul disappears forever. Death Parade is a psychological anime that shows the true nature of humans. The concept is great, and the writing is ideal for this type of anime, so it comes down to the execution. It has a strong start, but this strong start begins to dwindle as the anime progresses. There is a story, but the different scenarios make it feel episodic. There are also some episodes that don't really feel like they were necessary, setting the anime off track of its original concept for a bit. But it does have a good closure. A good anime, but could have been better if it stuck with its concept.

#18. NHK ni Youkoso! (Welcome to the NHK!)
A girl attempts to bring a NEET out into the world of the living. This anime does a very accurate job portraying a NEET's behavior. It was an interesting watch, albeit a strange one. While the characters aren't all too special in terms of design or personality, they do well in making themselves important to the story, which is excellent considering the psychological nature of the anime. The comedy is light, but it only occurs when necessary, which is good. I'm not particularly fond of the main character however. It's not that he's a bad character, but his lack of intelligence and common sense bothers me. I guess it's because he's really delusional hehe. The anime is great overall. The only thing I disliked about it was its closure. It kind of left me hanging, and it needed a little more "oomph!" to impress me.

#17. Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku (Now and Then, Here and There)
A boy meets a girl on top of a smokestack, and then they are suddenly teleported into an unknown world. I'll just say it: This anime is brutal. It's violent, depressing, and cruel. My #1 dislike of this anime is not exactly the inhumane actions that you are forced to watch, but rather the development of the protagonist or lacking there of. Seriously, how could you not change yourself when you're living in a world like that? Anyway...For its age, it knows how to get its watchers to be feeling it. You will either like this anime for what it does, or hate it for what it does. As for me, I'll just say that I will not be forgetting about this anime anytime soon...

#16. Ookami to Koushinryou (Spice and Wolf)
A wandering merchant stumbles upon a mysterious wolf girl. An adventure anime that centers on economics and trade, Spice and Wolf is a dialogue-heavy anime where the duo must barter, haggle, and trick people in order to continue their journey. Though the anime involves a lot of talking, the writing is interesting and executes the cleverness of the characters very well. This also adds to the thrill of the anime, since sometimes we don't know what to expect. The "Wolf" of this anime, Holo, is character I find to be...distracting. I mean really. Those stupid wolf ears, and that stupid wolf tail...I just want to squeeze it...Other than that, she is quite the character who likes to play sly and smart, and how she hides her intentions until the last minute makes her all the more fun to watch. The protagonist, Lawrence, also has his way of dealing with things, although Holo's influence usually is the reason why he can get out of tough situations. The setting is fitting with the matching art style. As for story...well...it needs more...Hopefully one day we'll get a third season. Also, Ringo Hiyori...I can't get that ending theme out of my head! ~Seven Apples on a Witch's tree, with seven seeds to plant inside of me...~

#15. Gin no Saji (Silver Spoon)
A student from a preparatory school in the city is enrolled to an agricultural school in a rural town, a setting that he is most unfamiliar with. This anime primarily centers on the MC and his struggles to adapt to his new environment. One factor that helps me gain interest in an anime is if I find a character whom I can relate with, and Yuugo Hachiken is that character. His struggles in his new school was something that I had to experience, and that includes the risks he took, the mistakes he made, and the relationships with his parents. The protagonist's development was good, and the way he encountered and solved his problems were executed well. Since the anime directly focuses on the MC, the supporting characters are not very memorable. Also, the anime feels episodic and may have a few unnecessary episodes. The anime is interesting, and nails the Slice-of-Life genre perfectly. I do not know whether or not it will get another season, but I am happy with what the anime presented to me.

#14. One Punch Man
This anime tells of an ordinary man who became a hero for a hobby, and it just so happens that he defeats every opponent he faces, with ONE PUNCH! Thanks to the success of the Manga, One Punch Man got itself an anime adaptation! So, how does it do? The first few episodes are rather slow to set up the concept of the anime. But as the anime progresses, the action gets more and more intense. Because of the power of the protagonist, his screen time is pretty short lived, but then again, anything that goes against him is short lived. While this does center on the humor, it also makes the MC less interesting than the other characters. The majority of the anime is focused on the supporting characters and them witnessing the MC's power. As a result, this tends to make the supporting characters more interesting than the MC himself (Licenseless Rider =), and this is pretty much the major flaw of the anime. Other than that, the music is good, the comedy is great, and the action is awesome. 12 episodes doesn't do it Justice. We need more!

#13. Akatsuki no Yona
A young princess must run away from her home to unite the dragons so that she may fight against the friend that turned against her. Yona's biggest flaw can be seen early on, and it is that the anime is a slow burner. It takes a few episodes to get it going, but once it does, it becomes highly enjoyable. This adventure anime takes Yona to undergo trials that she never experienced outside her home, and it is through these trials that symbolize the anime's greatest aspect: Yona's development as a character. The supporting characters also add to the development, providing comic relief. The screen time between the characters is very well-balanced, making each character feel important...for a time. After their initial introductions, the supporting characters tend to take a back seat for the rest of the series. As with the beginning episodes, the closing episode is quite the tease, making the series feel incomplete and the need to ask for more. The art style is decent. The setting works well along with the accompanying music, and the story and character interactions are done well. I just hope that we can get another season soon...

#12. Nanatsu no Taizai (Seven Deadly Sins)
A princess seeks the aid of a group of elite warriors to help her bring justice to the land. It's been a while since I've seen a medieval-European style adventure anime, and Seven Deadly Sins fills that void perfectly. It's got over-the-top action that reminds me of the old Dragon Ball Z days (the art style looks like it too). Plenty of humor from all of the characters, and simplistic-yet-memorable character designs. However, what this anime also has is a deep story for each character, and how this anime portrays their stories is executed very well, probably its strongest aspect. It knows when to be funny, and it knows when to be serious. Nanatsu no Taizai is a solid all-around anime that is great for anime watchers new and old. My only gripe with it is the cliche closure to the season. But then again, that's just the beginning. With a second season confirmed, I'm ready to journey alongside the Seven Deadly Sins once again!

#11. Gungrave
Adapted from the video game of the same name, when all is lost, two friends join a Mafia to seek a new life. I'm not really into Mafia/Gang themes, but this this one got to me. An excellent story, with great characters and an ideal setting. The pacing is slow, but done deliberately to allow the mood and atmosphere to sink in. Like in some video games, the protagonist of Gungrave is (nearly) silent, never speaking unless necessary. This intrigued me about what his thoughts and opinions were, though he never says anything outright until the very end, where the few words he speaks delivers a very powerful climax. As great as the story may be, there are two major flaws that heavily bring the anime down. 1. The first episode is a major spoiler for what is to come in the anime. If at all possible, skip the first episode. Unfortunately this is impossible for those who have no knowledge of the anime, so there really isn't anything I can do about that. 2. The supernatural aspect. It kind of shifts the concept of the anime entirely. I do understand that they're trying to stay true to the game, but I kind of wish that it did not have to be so. But oh well. Gungrave is a great anime, and I highly recommend it.




This it folks. The final 10 anime that I have chosen to be the best of the best that I have seen this year. Now just because these are my top 10 anime of the year doesn't mean that they're perfect. They don't have to be 10s or 9s or even 8s to be part of this tier. The reason why I chose these 10 from the rest of the anime that I watched this year is because these are the 10 that stood out the most for me. These are the anime that did something to truly impress me, so you can basically call this tier my "Favorites Tier".

Now...without further ado!

#10.