March 13th, 2015
My Recommendation Anime List
Anime Relations: Suisei no Gargantia
Shin Sekai Yori / From the New World
Shin Sekai Yori was one of the most fascinating anime of the year, though it seems to have been largely overlooked in favor of its dystopian cohort, Psycho-Pass. This far-future science fiction show not only presented a well-constructed future world and culture, but was one of those anime that really makes the most of the medium, combining a variety of animation styles and some truly stunning design elements. The show is at times quite uneven in quality, with some pacing issues and directorial missteps over its 25 episode run—although considering that the plot covers a span of twenty-four years, it flows much better than one might expect. But uneven as it may be, when Shin Sekai Yori is good, it’s brilliant, and very much worth watching to the final conclusion.
Hataraku Maou-sama! / The Devil is a Part-Timer
Hataraku Maou-sama! managed to rise above its seemingly tired and generic premise (a fish-out-of-water comedy with an evil being? Never heard that one before) to be a fresh and incredibly fun romp. Watching a great and terrible demon lord scrape together the next month’s rent while working at MgRonalds is amusing enough, but Maou-sama’s success is all in the execution: creative direction and character animation combined with great performances from the entire cast (including the protagonists performing much of the first episode in a fantasy language) made this show one of the most entertaining comedies of the year.
Silver Spoon / Gin no Saji
To be quite honest, Silver Spoon didn’t have to work very hard to be a success: based on an award-winning, bestselling manga by Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist), the folks making this adaptation would have had to work hard to screw it up. Silver Spoon is everything we were promised: a heartwarming tale about farm animals and adolescent self-discovery. Balancing protagonist Hachiken’s personal struggles and relationships with a broad cast of characters, Silver Spoon deals gracefully with both the hardships and rewards of agricultural life, not fearing ambiguous answers to the ethical questions it raises. The show’s greatest success, though, besides teaching us more about dairy farming than we ever thought we wanted to know, is in capturing that balance of seriousness and humor that Arakawa so excels at creating in her work.
Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin
Of course no look at anime in the year 2013 could possibly avoid discussing Attack on Titan certainly, if not the best, the most colossal anime of that year and will be remembered in the history books for years to come. Attack on Titan delivered some of the most spectacular action sequences and memorable characters, capturing a huge audience with its mix of fantasy, action, and intrigue. Despite being plagued with production issues and suffering from some painfully glacial pacing in order to stretch the material over the full 25 episodes, Attack on Titan’s portrayal of the desperate fury of Eren and his cohorts in the Survey Corps as they fight against the titan menace made for one of the most exciting shows of the year. And can we just get a word in about Hiroyuki Sawano’s dramatic musical score for this show? Watching titans devour Eren’s friends just wouldn’t have been the same without it.
Mirai Nikki
Yukiteru is a silent boy who doesn’t take part in any of his classmate’s activities and doesn’t have any friends at all. The only two things that bring him joy in life is writing banal notes about his surroundings into his cell phone diary and talking to his imaginary friend Deus Ex Machina. As it turns out Deus Ex Machina is in fact very real and Yukiteru is drawn into a secret survival game, where each contestant is given a cell phone diary that contains notes about the future, yet each according to different rules. Armed with his Future Diary Yukiteru has a hard time surviving the numerous attacks of the other contestants. To his Luck the contestant Yuno, who had a secret crush on him, uses her strength to protect him and defeat his enemies.
Mirai Nikki is based on a manga of the same name. The good animation quality and the absence of censored blood or violence make it into an adequate adaptation of an original story. Fans of thrilling mystery animes like Death Note, should also give this one a try.
Death Note
Light Yagami is an outstanding student and genius. His father is a high ranked police man and Yagami often helps him solve difficult cases, but still he is bored all the time. One day he finds the Death Note a shinigami (Death God) has dropped by accident. He can kill people by knowing their face and writing their real names into the Death Note. Just a few days later lots of criminals in Japan and all over the world die from heart attacks. Yagami intends to make this world a better place by killing hardcore criminals and making people afraid of committing crimes this way. Soon it becomes obvious that all those mysterious deaths cannot come by coincidence and there must be someone behind it. Society is split between those who support Yagami’s idea and those who think he is a sick murderer. The police of course have to find and stop him, but many officers are afraid of getting killed if they investigate Kira (Yagami’s new nickname). They hire a world-known detective who is known as “L” to catch Kira. Will Yagami be able to find out L’s real name to kill him before L finds out that Yagami is Kira?
Death Note is a unique story revolving around 2 unique and very intelligent characters with lots of unexpected and interesting plot twists. It is based on a manga bestseller that even has a few successful live-action movie adaptations. While the manga already is a masterpiece, I could not find many scenes where the anime lacks behind the manga, so you can have equally high expectations of the anime. The 2nd half of the show does stray from the original plot and the character isn’t quite as ambiguous and methodical as the infamous L, but It’s still a fantastic experiencing all wrapping up into a solid closure that will leave you at the edge of your seat.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is based on a popular amateur-made mystery computer game of the same name by 7th Expansion.
Keiichi just recently moved to the small rural village Hinamizawa and already made some good friends in the small school he started to attend. But the peaceful days gets interrupted when suddenly a murder case happens during a local festival. As Keiichi gets involved in the investigation he learns more and more about the mysteries of this murder. There were a project of building a dam 5 years ago, which would unfortunately flood this town. Of course the locals were against leaving their homes and it was a heated situation. One day, somehow the project was dropped and since then always on the day of the festival a person went missing and a person died. The victims always are somehow connected to the dam-project. None of his friends told Keiichi about this, but everyone knew. The locals are convinced it is a curse and as Keiichi tries to find out the truth, he gets more involved in the mysteries of this case than he’d like.
This is a different type of mystery anime. This anime’s episodes are divided into different arcs. All of these arcs start the same way with the same characters, but focus on different aspects and have different outcomes. It is like different small stories based on the same settings. With each arc come new questions and mysteries, but also new answers. The show has an episodic like nature to it but eventually all of the plots tie-in to gather to a seamless overarching plot that unfolds; this is most notable in season 2.
BTOOOM!
BTOOOM! is about a group of random people that get thrown together on an island. On this mysterious island a videogame called BTOOOM, where you butcher each other by throwing bombs, is being recreated. It basically means that all the people who are dropped on the island will have to kill each other. Survival of the fittest so to speak!
BTOOOM! follows a group of fairly normal(for anime standards) people who try to survive the onslaught. When they come across other people the tensions rise quickly and alot of people end up dying. The story is terrific, it drags you in and will not let you go until you have watched all episodes.
Claymore
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Dark fantasy is what describes Claymore best. The fantasy lands of claymore are cursed by creatures known as yoma. These terrible monsters disguise themselves as humans in order to gain a human's trust. Once they have gained a human's trust they will eat them!
This is where the claymores come in. They are a half-yoma, half-human species who carry huge 2 handed swords. The claymores are the only reliable weapon against the yoma because they can detect them. The story is dark and action-packed. Massive swords cutting off limbs and splitting body's in two is a common thing in claymore. The storyline is great except the ending. It is different from the manga because the studio wanted to end the series.
Code Geass
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Code Geass is a total blast to watch. It is set in the near future where England has gained world domination and has degraded Japan to 'Area 11'. Lelouch is a school student who accidentally gets a very special, powerful 'mind control' ability. With this special power Lelouch starts a rebellion against the english dictators. Eventually Lelouch rebellion starts to get serious and world domination becomes an objective.
The story is simply awesome, i love 'evil' kind of stories where an anti-hero-like character tries to take over the world. Code Geass has awesome mecha-battles combined with tear-jerking moments where you shed tears of pure sadness. The characters are interesting and diverse. The ending is good but sad.
Steins Gate
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Steins Gate is a terrific anime about time traveling. Instead of the characters traveling back through time, messages are traveling back through time with the help of a modified microwave. You can imagine that sending messages back in time leads to some very interesting situations.
After sending some messages back in time the future changes drastically, but it does not always give the results that were intended. Steins Gate starts out a little cheesy but keeps getting more interesting and serious. The story is worked out very well and alot of attention has been given to the little details.
Sword Art Online
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I haven't seen anything this amazing in a very long time. Sword art online is set in the future where people can play games in a virtual reality. They put a helmet on their heads and all their senses are transported to the virtual reality. In sword art online an evil mastermind has trapped thousands of people in his game, if they remove the helmet or die in the game they die in the real world!
Sword art online explores how it would be if you had to live your life in a game world. The atmosphere and the story make this anime so addicting that I wish I was trapped in a virtual reality myself! Sword art online has everything a legendary anime should have and more. a definitive must-watch!
One Piece
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One piece is the longest running, best anime ever made! It has such a great atmosphere of adventure and friendship. I watched one Piece when i was little and still love it today!
One Piece is about a pirate named Luffy who wants to become the pirate king, the greatest of all pirates. In one piece there are the so-called devil fruits which give you great powers. Luffy has the rubber power meaning he can stretch all parts of his body. During his adventures, he recruits other pirates, gets himself a decent ship and kicks alot of ass. The fights in one piece are always a blast to watch. Although one piece does not have alot of fillers, some can be pretty bad.
California Crisis
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California Crisis is on this list to represent my love of “terrible” 80’s OVAs– those 30-50 minute direct-to-VHS shows that cram a hell of a lot of plot into a minute amount of time. It almost always results in a story wrought with plotholes and inconsistencies, and I love that shit. This is the sort of stuff that made my love anime in the first place– where you have to make up half the story in your head in order for it to make the least bit of sense. I miss that sort of stuff, and I get annoyed by how many current series err in the exact opposite direction by over-explaining everything. Crisis also has an awesomely anti-climactic ending that does a hell of a job of symbolizing everything I love about these OVAs. It’s a shame that current trends don’t allow for more stuff like this to be made.
Cromartie High School
While there’s plenty of comedy series on my list, there’s three that make something of a holy trinity when it comes to a certain brand of humor: Making the surreal seem mundane. Cromartie is the “lesser” of the three, but it’s still a brilliant comedy in its own right. It takes the “delinquent” formula often seen in Japanese pop culture– where we see the inner workings of trouble-making youth in a school where such students are dominant– and then injects all manners of oddities into the mix. A robot as a classmate? Yeah, doesn’t every school have one? Freddie Mercury is alive and lurking about in the hallways riding a horse? Perfectly normal. Aliens invading and then integrating into the school? What’s new? It’s all played off in a matter of fact way, and it’s hilarious.
Perfect Blue
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I’m not the biggest Satoshi Kon fan. And by that I mean that most of his movies were ones that I liked but didn’t love. But Perfect Blue is the exception as far as his movies go. All those reviews you read comparing it to Hitchcock and the like are dead on– this is a brilliant psychological thriller. It isn’t so much the mystery of it all that’s great so much as it is the execution of the whole thing. By toying around with our perspective of things and not showing the whole truth (Even when the big reveal goes down.), we get to share in the main character’s psychosis to some extent. And all of that makes the movie’s ambiguous ending all the more fulfilling. Who in the hell knows what’s really true? That’s one of Kon’s major themes, and Perfect Blue nails it better than his other movies.
Paranoia Agent
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With all of the above said, Paranoia Agent is Kon’s masterpiece. It plays around with modern pop culture– screwing around with the affects of video games, animation, mascot characters, and the like– and turning it all into a psychedelic freakshow. It’s all about how much of an effect we have on the way we perceive reality and the ways we can affect others’ perspectives, and it ain’t a pretty picture. But that’s part of what makes Paranoia Agent awesome. It’s one of those series that isn’t afraid to show all the potential ugliness that comes with the “human condition.” Whatever epiphanies and whatnot that it gets, they’re earned.
The Legend of Koizumi
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Fuck all that other political satire you see out there. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report? Screw that noise. The Onion or whatever? Yeah, like I said, whatever. None of that shit tells you the truth about politics– that they may as well be playing silly games of mahjong when it comes to the idiotic decisions they make. It manages to skewer all sides of the issue, and while many of the shots it takes are all too easy to make (Anyone can mock North Korea or Bush Jr.), it manages to do so in ways that aren’t quite as obvious as most takes. And it’s about motherfucking MAHJONG being the deciding force in international politics. It’s absurd. It’s ridiculous. It’s hilarious. It’s exactly like politics. And you gotta give them credit for being willing to take it to China in addition to everything else they skewer. Give everyone the proverbial bird.
Macross: Do You Remember Love
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I’m not a huge fan of the Macross franchise. I dig Macross Plus well enough, and I probably like Macross 2 more than most hardcore Macross fans (Although that’s not saying much since I just kinda tolerate it since I saw it at an early stage in my anime career.). I also never really developed a love for Robotech since I don’t remember it getting any kind of regular airplay on local stations when I was a kid. But I love the movie rendition of the story. I distills everything that’s good about the TV series, gets rid of all the tedious bits, and amps up the right things to ridiculous proportions. The final battle, set to Minmay’s horrifically cheesy and awesome pop tune, is one of the greatest anime action scenes of all time, and it still looks better than almost everything that’s come after it.
The Big O
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It’s Batman: The Animated Series meets Dark City, except the creators thought it’d be super-awesome to toss in some steampunkesque giant robots for good measure. The concept is one of those brilliant messes that somehow end up far exceeding what it sounds like on paper. It’s another one of these “what in the hell is reality” series, and it manages to pull it off with a certain style we never see in anime. I’d love to see more anime purposely use a more American style when appropriate, since the look of Big O goes a long way towards distinguishing it from the rest of the post-Evangelion mecha series. That style adds an entirely new layer to the whole situation that wouldn’t be there if it was drawn like every other mecha series at the time. Easily one of the best mecha series of all time.
Ghost in the Shell
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I love the entire GitS franchise. Everything from the two TV series to the maligned second movie. It has all the makings of a great political thriller. It has all of the fetishism of modern warfare stories but without a lot of the nu-rock/pro wrestling-styled machismo. It hits up existential shit like identity and the nature of consciousness, since what the fuck is life when a computer AI can exhibit all of the trappings of a human consciousness, and what exactly am I if the only part of me that’s human is my brain, and that’s something that can be created artificially? It asks this shit and tackles all manners of political and sociological topics, and it does it while also delivering on the explosion content required by the Surgeon General. The only thing I can say against it (And hence why it’s a little lower on this list than it should be) is that it takes itself a little too seriously at times. Dang, Makoto, lighten up a bit. You should take after Batou.
Record of Lodoss War
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Lodoss War speaks to my inner D&D geek. I was an RPG geek long before I was an anime geek, and Lodoss War was one of the series that got me into anime. It merged my love of rolling d20’s with my love of animation. It’s a pretty straightforward fantasy story that’s blatantly lifted from the Dragonlance setting (The Lodoss novels were based on some dudes Dragonlance D&D campaign, I believe.), but it’s that simplicity that makes it work. No fat. No needless side plots or drama. It just sticks with the basics and rocks with them. It also has the only dwarf character I’ve ever liked. And I fucking hate dwarves.
Azumanga Daioh
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Daioh’s number two in my holy trinity of matter-of-fact humor. Like Tenchi Muyo, it has the dubious position of being the prototype of a terrible trend– in Daioh’s case the “girls doing cute shit” genre– but like Tenchi it was created before many of the stereotypes had been established. It just happens to be one of the models that said stereotypes used as a foundation, so it’s only crime is that it was so fucking good that people of lesser talents took it upon themselves to copy it. But yeah, cute girls doing genuinely funny cute shit is what it’s all about. What’s always appealed to me about Daioh is that despite its cheerful, sunny disposition, there’s a certain nasty streak hidden underneath. These girls aren’t, as some people like to put it, “insufferably nice” to one another. They rag on each other. They’re mean to each other sometimes. They act like real friends in that respect, but there’s also a decidedly sadistic approach to some of the humor. Pushing over penguin-suited pigtailed girls is thoroughly nasty, and thoroughly enjoyable. Cheerfully malicious.
Detroit Metal City
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Krauser said he’d rape my blog if I didn’t put DMC on my list. He’ll probably rape it anyway. And that’s what’s awesome about DMC. It’s a nasty, filthy, horrid comedy series. It doesn’t give a fuck if its offending you with its rape jokes, dick jokes, and other manners of “inappropriate” behavior. Just like Krauser, if you were to talk down on the series and tell it to “behave,” it’d bend you over and proceed to mock-rape you until you finally gave in and worshiped at the altar of Krauser. Beautifully nasty.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
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Chiri would bury me if Zetsubou wasn’t in my top anime list. She’ll probably do it anyway since I didn’t do it properly. If Legend of Koizumi is the best political satire out there, then Zetsubou-sensei is the best social satire around. Sometimes the topics can be a little esoteric or abstract, but each vignette plays out like some sort of demented afterschool special– a topic is chosen, we’re shown all of the pitfalls of said problem, and then in a twist of fate we’re shown how said deviant behavior is actually a good thing. The whole show personifies the Chaotic Neutral alignment– playing both sides when said side works to its advantage, and doing it properly each way.
Mnemosyne
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I’m gonna copy what I said in my 2008 list, since I can’t say it any better: Repulsive, grotesque exploitation. Awesome, repulsive, grotesque exploitation. It’s more than a little hateful. It’s more than a little trashy. It’s about immortals screwing around with each other over petty conspiracies and grudges and some fucked up spiritual shit. I love this stuff. It’s unforgivably violent and nihilistic. People, especially women, are treated horribly. There’s absolutely nothing nice about it. The story’s secondary to the sensationalism. It’s everything you, dear reader, dread about anime. It’s the shit that gave anime a bad reputation back in the 90s. It’s kissing cousins with Urotsukidouji. And I fucking dig it. Yeah.
Genshiken
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It’s hard to balance between delusional glorification of fandom and mocking it like an asshole. Creating a story that celebrates fandom while being fully capable of laughing with and at it in equal amounts is a pretty damn impressive feat. That’s what Genshiken pulls off. And it doesn’t hurt that I totally empathize with Sasahara and his otaku “plight.” That said, the main thing that makes Genshiken totally awesome is Saki. We get to see otakudom through her eyes and we get to see how she reacts, evolves, and resists fandom. Awesome stuff.
The Tatami Galaxy
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Slice of life by means of quantum physics. I think the main thing that makes me love the series is the fact that, despite all of the foreshadowing we see in the series, it doesn’t boil down to “find true love.” Yeah, part of the main dude’s revelation is to finally put his foot down and ask out Akashi, but the primary trigger that frees him from his Groundhog Purgatory is the realization that he needs to love his own life and the choices he makes. That and the fact that the person who acts as a focal point for that isn’t the girl but his best friend. “Love conquers all” is fine and all, but it’s nice to see a series that skirts away from that and takes on things from a different angle.
Dirty Pair
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Dirty Pair is a bit like my all-time favorite: Space Adventure Cobra. They’re both made of the sort of space opera stuff that’s native to the late 70s and early 80s. It’s that future where everyone wears latex body suits and hotpants. It’s all about laser guns and wanton destruction in a future that’ll never be. It’s all planet hopping and planet decimating. It’s the sort of shit you get when someone looks at Star Wars and says “I can do better than that. Watch!” The only thing going against Dirty Pair is its lack of any real coherent narrative. It doesn’t need one, but it doesn’t hurt to let things brew over a few episodes rather than resolving everything all nice and neat at the end of the episode as the Dirty Pair blows up all guilty parties and several non-guilty bystanders.
Black Lagoon
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As far as straight-up, straight-faced action anime goes, Black Lagoon is tops. Black Lagoon knows its shit when it comes to the action genre. It plays like a doctoral thesis on 80s action clichés, and anyone who thinks that’s a bad thing is likely a communist nazi terrorist mole man from mars sent to destroy everything that’s good about human civilization. Also, Revy and Rock make for one of the greatest anime couples of all time. Their love is like twin Desert Eagles being two-fisted by a blood opera gunman. It’s natural and beautiful.
Darker than Black
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Cold War James Bond through the lens of X-Men. This is a series that gets better and better the more I think about its ambiguous plot threads. If they make more of this series down the road, don’t be surprised if this jumps into my top 10. The OAV that helped explain some of the shit that went down in the second season didn’t quite push it over the edge, unfortunately. Maybe a third season that goes off in a new direction will do that.
Ninja Scroll
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Beautifully nasty. Ninja Scroll is filled with brutal violence, horribly amoral characters, and everything that’s downright wrong with the world. Even the hero, Jubei, is something of a selfish prick. The only reason why we root for him is because he’s the lesser evil, and I really dig the movie for playing up that angle. And I love how it plays up all sorts of samurai and martial arts movies all while adding in that old school anime exploitation angle that we rarely see nowadays. In a lot of ways its Kill Bill without the pop culture references– it’s a genre-savy martial arts flick that builds on everything we know about that style and turns it into something wholly unique. The TV series that was spawned from the movie isn’t nearly as great as the movie, but it’s worth watching as well, but it’s the movie itself that earns this spot on my list.
Occult Academy
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If it weren’t for a slow spurt of episodes halfway through, Occult Academy would likely be up there at #1 instead of Cobra. Like Cobra later on in this list, Occult Academy thinks the same way I do. All of its climaxes are awesomely anticlimactic. The characters are awesomely eccentric. It plays off of all manners of occult phenomenon and conspiracy theories. It has a wicked sense of humor that doesn’t play off of the same tropes as most other anime comedies. And the end. Damn. Seriously, Occult Academy’s last three episodes are the single greatest anime ending of all time. It’s a shame that the preceding storyline with the ghost girl just doesn’t work within the context of the series in any manner imaginable. But damn. That ending. It’d move me to tears if I didn’t have such a bleak soul.
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
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It’s the Evangelion of cute girls. Everything that’s held upon a pedestal when it comes to “let’s eat cake” anime is run through the mud. Every blessing is turned into a curse. Joy is transformed into pain. Purity dies, replaced with incompetence and sin. The second season especially is something of a modern masterpiece, turning the very otaku who worship this sort of thing into the Angels that destroy existence by means of their single-minded powers of consumption. The series also has one of the most tragic of heroes, as we see Arsene trapped inside of an anime so far beneath her magnificent capabilities. She’s that last strand of the past that desperately clings to the present, hoping the present will somehow right itself and be birthed anew. That ain’t gonna be the case.
Air Master
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Simply put, Air Master is the greatest fighting anime of all time. Nothing else comes remotely close. The action scenes are brilliantly choreographed. Sure, you might not be able to physically re-enact what’s going on, but you can actually follow what’s happening in the fights. It’s as if someone actually planned the fights blow by blow, rather than depending on animation tricks to mimic action. And on top of all of that, the side characters are an awesome cast of misfits, psychos, and freaks that make for one of the best anime casts ever. If only every Shounen Jump adaptation was half as good as Air Master. Sakiyama! Sakiyama!
Neon Genesis Evangelion
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I am a full-fledged Eva apologist. I love the original ending, where we essentially interrogate each character and accost them for failing in life. I love End of Evangelion, where the world goes to shit and all of the nasty things prophesied in the anime series are shown to us in gory, apocalyptic glory. Seeing the world drenched in blood/primordial ooze and watching Shinji and Asuka sit on the “shore” is a beautiful sight. It’s even more beautiful that Shinji turns around and tries to kill Asuka immediately after. Maybe I’m messed up in the head for finding Eva’s nihilism and cynicism fun.
Baccano!
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If I called Baccano! the best pulp anime series of all time I’d be lying, but that’s only because it’s up against the (second) best anime series of all time for those bragging rights. Baccano! is a series that manages to bring the full package. It has humor, action, drama, everything that makes for an entertaining and awesome storyline. It does everything and does it right. The breakneck pace and disjointed narrative makes it all the better.
Ranma 1/2
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While Projet A-Ko was my first anime, and it made me want to seek out more shit, Ranma 1/2 was the series that made me a fan. First love and all that jazz. That love may have waned ever so slightly. It’s like how a married couple cease being madly in love with one another but are still best friends and can’t imagine being away from one another. That explains my feelings towards Ranma perfectly. And like I said earlier, between Ranma and Lum, Rumiko Takahashi’s one of the greatest comedy writers of all time.
Maison Ikkoku
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The way Air Master is the only fighting anime you ever need to watch, Maison Ikkoku is the only “mature” romantic comedy you ever need to watch. It’s that simple. It’s probably more of a comedy than it is a romance, but that doesn’t matter. It’s also the greatest thing Rumiko Takahashi has ever made. Considering the fact that she has two other series on this list, that’s a mean feat.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
No other anime is open to interpretation to the same extent as Utena. It’s like it was deliberately crafted to act as a jumping off point for all manners of discussion and character analysis. The only reason why I haven’t written anything substantial about the series is because I’m not quite sure where I should start. It also has the single greatest anime soundtrack of all time. The duelist songs are brilliant.
The Book of Bantorra
Bantorra hits many of the same buttons that X did back in the day, except it hits those buttons better. Hamutz may very well be my favorite anime character of all time. She’s one of the most ambiguous, amoral, baffling characters I’ve ever seen, and the fact that we never really discover her true intentions makes her all the more fascinating. She was created to do battle with Ruruta, but her own ambitions lie elsewhere. She battles against her encoded drive, but at the same time relishes it. She’s a walking mass of contradictions and curves. The only thing keeping Bantorra from being my all-time favorite series is the lackluster animation and music. Those production values really add to a series’ overall awesomeness.
Project A-Ko
The first anime I saw with full knowledge that this thing I’m watching is some silly cartoon made in Japan. Its placement is due to no small degree of nostalgia, but numerous rewatches have proven to me that it stands the test of time. It’s a wicked parody of 80’s anime, but at the same time it stands up on its own as an example of that era. The characters are endearingly over the top– even the ever-obnoxious C-Ko and her whining is charming in its own way (Even if you still wish she’d die a horrible firy death.). The rest of the movies in the series are pretty solid in their own right, and expand on the world and characters from the first movie, but A-Ko’s up here mainly for the sheer awesomeness of the first movie. It’s still the funniest anime I’ve ever seen.
Kemonozume
Damn Perfect. The story is simple. Monster loves monster hunter. Monster hunter loves monster. They give both societies the proverbial middle finger and kill everything that gets in the way of their undying love. It’s the anime equivalent of the 60’s Bonnie and Clyde movie in that regard, and just as brilliant. I love the music. I love the sexual nature of the series. I love the art and animation. It’s the closest an anime has come to capturing the magic of Aeon Flux, which happens to be the best series I’ve ever seen– anime, western animation, live action, whatever.
Cowboy Bebop
Also Damn Perfect. The only criticism I can level against the series is the way it demystified Faye and turned her into a generic “lost little girl.” Other than that, Cowboy Bebop is the perfect anime. While I’m all for being wowed by another series and having it uproot Bebop, I seriously doubt that’ll ever happen. Perfect storms like Bebop are once in a lifetime.
Kino’s Journey
Kino’s Journey is, unsurprisingly, about the journey. Not just the overt journey, though it is a travel show – every episode, Kino and her bike Hermes visit a new nation, staying just three days before moving on. Through Kino’s adventures in these strange, mystical lands, Kino’s Journey eventually reveals itself to be about the journey towards greater understanding – of how people work, of why we do the things we do, of what purpose we can possibly seek in this world. And it doesn’t offer easy answers – Kino’s Journey is rife with ambiguity, its various fables and conflicts only muddying the waters of human nature further and further. But that is, like I said, not what it’s about – there are no easy answers, but as this thoughtful, pretty, and inventive show continuously demonstrates, the journey is its own reward.
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The Eccentric Family
The Eccentric Family takes the Ghibli sense of whimsy and magical realism and applies it to a grounded, thoughtful family drama. Written by the same writer responsible for The Tatami Galaxy, its story bounces through a handful of gorgeous little vignettes before pulling together into a exuberant exploration of duty, family, and the meaning of life itself. That might sound heavy, but Eccentric Family is anything but – it’s filled with moments of ecstatic beauty that revel in the little joys life has to offer, and its characters bounce off each other with the buoyant geniality of a truly loving family. It’s beautiful and deftly written and basically about as warm as a show can be.
OreGairu
I said in my 2013 year-end post that OreGairu is basically anime’s Catcher in the Rye, and I stand by that. OreGairu knows exactly what it feels like to be young, smart, and isolated, and it expresses that with both cynical wit and overwhelming empathy for its very flawed protagonists. Hachiman and Yukino build fortresses of superiority and psychoanalysis around themselves, but they can’t hide their desire for connection, or their underlying empathy. The show sticks pretty close to romcom formatting, and its aesthetics are only serviceable, but OreGairu soars where it counts – human characters, vivid dialogue, and a frank exploration of youth politics and identity. It’s pretty much the high school romcom I’ve always wished existed.
Monogatari
If you’ve read this far, you probably know I like stories about people. Flawed people, broken people – people whose sharp edges make them hurt each other even as they strive for connection. Monogatari really knows people, and it understands that it is often our weaknesses that defines us. And to illustrate this, Monogatari makes those weaknesses real. Its spirit-hunting stories are compelling in their own right, but each of them also dig at the souls of their central characters – it matches mystery with human truth point for point every season. And beyond its central metaphor, outstanding character writing, and very distinctive dialogue, Monogatari does so much else, too – the ways it plays with visual storytelling vary from season to season, but pretty much always come off as more driven and intelligent than virtually anything else out there. Whether it’s exploring power dynamics through shot framing, investigating the dark hearts of its various protagonists, or simply reveling in its own visual language and wit, Monogatari is always expressing something worthwhile, clever, and true.
FLCL
Created right in the middle of Gainax’s golden age, FLCL’s about as good of a coming of age story as you could possibly imagine. Puberty sucks, and learning who you are is tough, and becoming an adult doesn’t really come with instructions – FLCL knows all of this, and instead of expressing it through an understated character drama, it chooses to go for the gusto. Robots popping from foreheads, guitars wielded as battle axes, wild visual slapstick crossed with awkward personal moments. It’s a show that comes off as crazy while actually featuring some of the sharpest, most grounded character work in anime, and all of this is backed by a delirious visual palette, a stacked animation budget, and one of the most iconic soundtracks in anime history. Growing up is hard to do, but FLCL still makes it look fun.
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The Tatami Galaxy
Considering this is the only Masaaki Yuasa show I’ve actually seen, you can expect The Tatami Galaxy to gain some company over the coming year (edit: Ping Pong has arrived!). In spite of that, I strongly doubt the rest of his work will top it – though The Tatami Galaxy does feature Yuasa’s signature direction and a completely unparalleled visual aesthetic, it is equally buffeted by the sharp, lunatic writing of the source material, written by the author of The Eccentric Family. Either way, as I said in my review, The Tatami Galaxy is a ride. From a stint in the bike thief mafia to a daring blimp rescue, from colorful, impressionistic visuals to vivid, mile-a-minute monologues, it never lets up and it never calms down. As its protagonist desperately seeks the richness of life he never seems to find, the audience is treated to a rich spectacle as relatable as it is insane. There’s nothing quite like The Tatami Galaxy.
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Katanagatari
Though I love Monogatari for its sprawling, convoluted ideas, Katanagatari proves Isin is equally capable of telling a focused story as well. It works as a witty, poignant love story. It works as an engaging collection of vignettes, a travel diary in an evocative, beautifully depicted time of adventure. It even works as a meditation on the meaning of humanity, and on the ways we are all prisoners of history. Like Seven Samurai, it perfectly captures the strange beauty inherent in the end of an era – as the age of swords and heroes draws to a close, Katanagatari’s characters cling to relevance, power, or just each other. It made me laugh and made me cry, and it’s easily one of my favorite shows.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Though it’s not at the top of my list, I think it’d be difficult to argue any anime tries to do more than Utena. It’s a story about adolescence and sex and identity and gender and performance, and maybe those are all actually parts of the same thing. It weaves in ten thousand visual motifs and then muddles them just for the hell of it. It catalogues the emotional hills and valleys of over a dozen characters, and yet even at the end you could still call half of them mysteries. It features an episode where a girl is repeatedly chased by elephants, and another where that same girl lays an egg. It also features the most thoughtful and piercing exploration of gender politics I’ve seen in the medium. It’s strange and circuitous and funny and profound, and if nothing else, it’s almost certainly one of the best anime of all time.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Considering it sits at #2 on my all-time list, I think it’s fair to employ a little hyperbole here: of everything I’ve seen, I believe Madoka is probably the “most perfect” anime there is. Its visual aesthetic is creative and stunning, its soundtrack is powerful and evocative, and it tells a gripping, smartly composed story of friendship, sacrifice, the tragic cycles of living, and the greater spirit of humanity. Its narrative and thematic elements lock into place like a perfectly crafted music box, and yet it still leaves room for rich interpretation. Though I like all of Urobuchi’s works, Madoka stands on a tier far above the others – its aesthetics are by far the most impressive, and beyond that, it’s also the most pure, iconic expression of the anger and hope at the heart of all his stories – an understanding of the callous nature of the universe forever challenged by the indomitable, irrational spirit of charity and love that makes us human. Madoka is a triumph.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion + End of Evangelion
It might seem odd to place Eva over Madoka, considering I just stated I consider Madoka the “most perfect” show. But it’s true – Evangelion is not perfect. It has tonal issues throughout the first half, it meanders through a slowly building central arc, and little cracks and flaws indicative of its troubled creation are apparent throughout. But for all that, I strongly believe Eva is the best anime of all time. Why? Because it understands people. Because it respects and cares about people. Because it is people. There is just so much truth and empathy in Evangelion’s depiction of its characters that I find it hard even beginning to compare it to other anime.
And that character truth doesn’t just stand alone – the entire show is carefully constructed around it, with Anno’s wonderful, claustrophobic direction and all the show’s grand, apocalyptic aspirations working in service of the fundamental honesty of characters like Shinji, Asuka, and Misato. Because it is so very, very true, and because it is so deeply, honestly afraid, Evangelion’s statement in favor of human connection isn’t just a truism – it’s the bravest, most optimistic choice imaginable. In the context of how true and how overpowering the emotional struggles of its characters are, nothing short of apocalypse seems worthy of depicting them – in the mind of a scared, lonely boy, the decision to accept the pain of living might as well be the rebirth of the universe. Evangelion uses all the tools at anime’s disposal to tell the smallest and most important story in the most resonant, insightful, authentic terms imaginable, and in doing so it easily establishes itself as the most successfully ambitious anime there is. Flawed, convoluted, and deeply personal, Evangelion is anime’s masterwork.
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.
Yahari Ore No seems like your typical romantic comedy anime – and for some, that’s okay! Some people (myself included) don’t actually care if a show seems cliche or not, as long as it is entertaining. This show however, goes over and above the expectation. What seems like a cliche show turns out to be a hilarious yet emotional adventure.
The story follows loner protagonist Hachiman Hikigaya as his antisocial behaviour leads to a teacher’s concern, forcing him to join a club. The “Volunteer’s Club” as it is called, and he is then asked to join his club members – one of which is the icy but beautiful Yukino Yukinoshita. Those of you who are in the know would know that Yuki translates to snow in Japanese, so even the names are selected with a tongue in cheek humor. Partially slapstick, partially satirical, and partially romantic, this show has smooth, colorful and vibrant visuals with an equally vibrant soundtrack. It is more than your typical rom-com and the sales show it!
Hataraku Maou-sama!
Produced by both well known and lesser known names alike, such as FUNimation, Lantis, Pony Canyon and White Fox – Hataraku Maou-sama (literally translating into “the devil is a part-timer”) follows the comedic misadventures of the devil himself! More specifically, Devil King Sadao who is defeated by Emillia and thus is banished to modern day Tokyo. As his skills as a devil king are useless in this world, he now has to work oddjobs to simply sustain himself. It already sounds hilarious, and this is just the description!
First I take over this restaurant, then I take over this list!
Working in a parody of the real world fast food chain McDonald’s, Sadao faces various funny situations episode after episode and this is considered by many as the funniest show of the year. Definitely worth the watch for someone looking for a laugh. Some complain the story is too slow paced, but with a show like this, one doesn’t expect much of a story to begin with
Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai. (Season 2)
The second season of incest-friendly slice of life comedy more simply referred to as OreImo has managed to top charts for the second time since its release, being the 3rd highest sold back in 2010 when its first season was released. This show needs little introduction as not only is it exceedingly popular, but it has been so for several years. However, for those who do not know, it is about loser older brother Kyousuke Kousaka who discovers his “little miss perfect”, goodie two shoes sister Kirino Kousaka is actually an avid otaku – her favorite games being incest themed eroge!
I bet you wish you had a sister who would do this to you as well. Trust me, it’s no fun…
A strong yet attractive tsundere lead as well as a witty, unexpectedly likeable protagonist, this show swept pervs over when it first released, and continues to do so even today with its second season. I use the term perv in jest, however, it does indeed have a deep, fulfilling feel-good story, albeit caked behind light ecchi and occasional fan service! Having said that, it is absolutely unmissable for fans of the series, but also recommended to those who haven’t seen it yet already. Visually pleasing animation with a funny, yet interesting story and great characters.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S
Another continuation of a long running series, this is actually the second season of an adaptation of the original Toaru Majutsu no Index. A supernatural sci-fi adventure/comedy that was extremely popular in its original run years ago, thus spawning this canonical, yet independent spin-off of one of the arcs. The focus of this arc is on the story of Mikoto Misaka, the powerful brown haired esper girl who has a strong sense of justice and what is right. She is easily one of the most likeable characters in recent years and fans have come to love the brave little schoolgirl.
What many fans like about this show is the fact that unlike most supernatural shows in which characters have powers, every power or increase in strength is given a logical reason, rather than just for the sake of “looking cool”. (I’m looking at you, Bleach). Too many shows have paper thin excuses for a sudden burst of the protagonists power, launching him up to be the most powerful character in the series. Something many have come to dislike. Luckily, Raildex does no such thing throughout its storyline. Even better visuals than before and thrilling storyline
Infinite Stratos 2
For those who watched the first season, you would know that this show certainly isn’t for kids! With a mature rating, the second season of Infinite Stratos includes much of the first season’s occasional glimpse of ecchi, however, that isn’t to say it is an ecchi show -far from it, in fact. Infinite Stratos is pretty much any teenage boy’s wet dream. It is about a boy named Ichika Orimura who lives in a futuristic world in which a specialized armor called Infinite Stratos has been created, however only women can operate this armor, and thus society is dominated by women. Ichika accidentally activates one set of armor in the IS training academy one day, and as it turns out, he is the only male that can operate one. He is then sent to be trained in the military academy that until then was exclusively dominated by girls.
A mecha anime with almost nothing but strong, sexy girls. Like I said, every teenage boy’s wet dream. Fortunately, going beyond just tapping into our wildest fantasies, the show actually has a reasonable plot line and beautiful visuals. It is, however, for the most part simply a mecha harem anime, and thus one cannot expect the depth of Serial Experiment Lain from something like it. It’s enjoyable for what it is, and if one is looking for a sexy joyride with some sci-fi action thrown into the mix, this is exactly what you’ll want to be watching.
Love Live! School Idol Project
One can deduce simply from the name, the type of show this is. An idol show. Idol shows are simply about a person, or group who want to become famous, usually through music. Many shows have run on this formula, and are quite successful. This is one of them. The story takes place in a city with three distinct districts of different types of people. There is, however one school which is on the verge of shutting down due to a lack of students. Nine girls set off to become famous pop idols to then restore the fame of their school and keep it from shutting down. While the story may seem generic, it is pulled off excellently, and one comes to understand what to expect from these kinds of shows. Idol shows are a dime a dozen, but this is certainly the prize out of this year’s entrants.
Produced by Sunrise, Lantis, and NIS America, the show has a large cast of varied and unique, yet equally cute main characters. It isn’t difficult to pick out a waifu or two from a show like this! Fans of the slice of life genre will not be disappointed, as it is funny, interesting, and the characters are well developed, not to mention beautifully animated. The theme and feel is actually very reminiscent of one of my personal favorites K-ON! For fans of that show, I certainly recommend this one.!
Uta no Prince-Sama Maji Love 2000%
Sequels of slice of life romance/harem comedies are often a disappointment as compared to the first (looking at you Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai) Mainly because they mess with the integrity and conclusion of the first. It leaves you feeling like the entire first season was a waste of time. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the second season of A-1 Picture’s Uta no Prince-Sama. Fans of the first season will surely enjoy and love this one just as much. While this is a shojo harem anime, there is a decent storyline one grows to truly enjoy and grow attached to. The plot revolves around amateur songwriter Haruka Nanami who dreams of writing songs for her favorite pop idol. After being enrolled into an arts school, she thrives through challenge after challenge until finally coming out on top. The second season begins as she is enrolled into her Masters program, only to find another series of challenges lay ahead! The animation style is nice looking and the characters are certainly deep and varied enough to make for an interesting dynamic between the various ones shown.
Monogatari Series: Second Season
Unsurprisingly, Monogatari is back this year, topping the charts once again. Last year having achieved the most sales, it was only expected that it would return. Holding a respectable position this year, the Aniplex series continues, its unique animation style and thrilling arcs capturing hearts a second year in a row. One wouldn’t be surprised if this comes to be known as one of the best series’ of all time. Anyone familiar with the first season who enjoyed it will certainly be blown away by the second one.
We’re here to save this list from angry otakus.
Boasting a cast of adorable, unique and well developed characters as well as a solid set of thoroughly engaging arcs, the series does not disappoint in the least. One can expect all the sexy little flashes of ecchi as well as clever dialogue and enthusiastic voice acting we have all come to enjoy. For many, it is an alternative favorite show of the year as opposed to what some may think of as over sensationalized shonen action anime. This is a very strong contender in its own right with its amazing visuals, sci-fi/slice of life theme and excellent production quality
Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack On Titan)
This would not come as a surprise to many, but one show that has undoubtedly swept the world this year, converting many people who were not previously fans of anime in general into hardcore enthusiasts, is the critically acclaimed Shingeki no Kyojin – more commonly known by its English translation: Attack On Titan. Since it began airing in early April of 2013, the show managed to get audiences hooked into its magnificently crafted dark world with its own alternate history and unique setting. The show mixes a true sense of terror with genuine badassery as the lead character Eren and his friends quest to protect their city from the impending threat of enourmous skinless man-like beasts known as “Titans”. These giant monsters can be hundreds of feet tall and demolish cities within minutes. There is always a feeling of dread when one is shown on screen. This is easily the most exciting show of the year.
Keep Calm and Attack!
The mind blowing visuals and spectacular animation make for some of the most memorable action scenes ever made in an anime – large scale God of War like fight scenes blend in with the dark themed more calm scenes in which the story and characters are masterfully developed with the help of the spot on voice acting and expertly written script. The word “epic” isn’t epic enough to describe this show.
Do not let this lead you to believe however that this is an action oriented show. While there are many a fight until the climatic conclusion of the show, this is without a doubt an emotional story that revolves around revenge, loss, suffering, redemption and survival. One begins to feel a close connection with each and every character the more they develop, and they are done so very well. Overall, there is absolutely nothing left to chance with this show.
Silver Spoon
I generally don't enjoy slice-of-life anime; that should tell you how enjoyable Silver Spoon must be to make it on this list. Silver Spoon is the tale of a city boy entering an agricultural high school in rural Japan as a means of escaping his old life. Of course, this leaves him in a world of horses, cows, pigs, and chickens that he knows nothing about.
But more than being a fish-out-of-water comedy, Silver Spoon is a story about growing up—the struggle to find what you really want to do in life. Yet, on top of that, there are even more layers to Silver Spoon: a commentary on the moral quandaries of raising animals for food and an investigation of old versus new ranching techniques. But perhaps the most telling aspect of Silver Spoon is how interesting and entertaining all of this becomes.
Beyond the Boundary
There are a lot of things to like about Beyond the Boundary: It's visually stunning, with a wonderfully creative world, and meticulous in building a believable love story between its protagonists. One of its best aspects is that it doesn't hold your hand. Rather, it throws you headlong into a world hidden within our own—one brimming with monsters, magic, and monster hunters—leaving you to learn the rules of the world by observation instead of exposition.
Another strong point is its characters—especially insofar as their motivations. Everyone has their own secrets which dictate their actions in Beyond the Boundary—though many are far from what they appear to be on the surface. Best of all, Beyond the Boundary is one of the few anime out there that isn't afraid to use the viewers’ knowledge of anime tropes against them in order to build a surprising (not to mention satisfactory) twist.
Chihayafuru (season 2)
I really can’t express how much I love this anime… it always make me tear up for some reason. I can understand that you might be hesitant to watch an anime about a card game, but if you love well made slow paced anime, you really should look this up.
Suisei no Gargantia
A beautifully executed anime about finding a meaning of life and understanding each other. The struggle of the main character to adapt to his new environment, all the beautiful seascape, the charming cast and the awesome AI of Chamber… make Suisei no Gargantia one of my favorite this season.
Nagi no Asukara
The setting of the Nagi no Asukara is simply stunning. The tale of two cities… the difficulty of accepting each other differences… how stubbornness lead nowhere… Slow progression… multi faceted characters… outstanding animation (like seriously, this shit is just so fucking beautiful). I can’t wait to see where this is going.
Kill la Kill
I’m not gonna lie, i’m placing this one here more by principle then anything. I acknowledge that the creator of this anime created something great, that they went in a very different direction and made it work. I will however not gonna say that i’m enjoying it that much. As you seen from this list already, i’m much more into slow progression anime and Kill la Kill is pretty much the antithesis of that. I need to be a in certain mood to enjoy such fast paced anime… I just don’t happen to be in it lately.
Log Horizon
I first dismissed this anime as being a bad rip off of SAO… but after the suggestion of a friend and few of you, I decided to pick it up. Log Horizon did was Sword Art Online should have done in his season two… more politics and no endless stuff about a princess in the sky. The main characters are however less relatable and likeable then SAO. But if you liked SAO and wish it went further, you will most probably like Log Horizon.
Samurai Flamenco
You start Samurai Flamenco thinking it’s gonna something, then it’s something else… then you think it’s something, but it’s really only something else. Then it goes into an other direction and yet an other one. This show is either horrible or genius and it’s gonna be hard to say until it’s done. But right now, i’m enjoying it (-ish). Nevermind this shit is terrible.
Magi (season 2)
Still as enjoyable as season one, but less political… nevermind that, the start was slow, but this shit is getting intense. Classwar, fascism, tears. Good stuff.
Kyoukai no Kanata
Not much to say about this one. It’s a funny, well made, fast and interesting anime. It’s not a Suisei no Gargantia with deep story line about war or understanding each other. Just turn your brain to off and enjoy the the danm show.
Shin Sekai Yori was one of the most fascinating anime of the year, though it seems to have been largely overlooked in favor of its dystopian cohort, Psycho-Pass. This far-future science fiction show not only presented a well-constructed future world and culture, but was one of those anime that really makes the most of the medium, combining a variety of animation styles and some truly stunning design elements. The show is at times quite uneven in quality, with some pacing issues and directorial missteps over its 25 episode run—although considering that the plot covers a span of twenty-four years, it flows much better than one might expect. But uneven as it may be, when Shin Sekai Yori is good, it’s brilliant, and very much worth watching to the final conclusion.
Hataraku Maou-sama! / The Devil is a Part-Timer
Hataraku Maou-sama! managed to rise above its seemingly tired and generic premise (a fish-out-of-water comedy with an evil being? Never heard that one before) to be a fresh and incredibly fun romp. Watching a great and terrible demon lord scrape together the next month’s rent while working at MgRonalds is amusing enough, but Maou-sama’s success is all in the execution: creative direction and character animation combined with great performances from the entire cast (including the protagonists performing much of the first episode in a fantasy language) made this show one of the most entertaining comedies of the year.
Silver Spoon / Gin no Saji
To be quite honest, Silver Spoon didn’t have to work very hard to be a success: based on an award-winning, bestselling manga by Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist), the folks making this adaptation would have had to work hard to screw it up. Silver Spoon is everything we were promised: a heartwarming tale about farm animals and adolescent self-discovery. Balancing protagonist Hachiken’s personal struggles and relationships with a broad cast of characters, Silver Spoon deals gracefully with both the hardships and rewards of agricultural life, not fearing ambiguous answers to the ethical questions it raises. The show’s greatest success, though, besides teaching us more about dairy farming than we ever thought we wanted to know, is in capturing that balance of seriousness and humor that Arakawa so excels at creating in her work.
Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin
Of course no look at anime in the year 2013 could possibly avoid discussing Attack on Titan certainly, if not the best, the most colossal anime of that year and will be remembered in the history books for years to come. Attack on Titan delivered some of the most spectacular action sequences and memorable characters, capturing a huge audience with its mix of fantasy, action, and intrigue. Despite being plagued with production issues and suffering from some painfully glacial pacing in order to stretch the material over the full 25 episodes, Attack on Titan’s portrayal of the desperate fury of Eren and his cohorts in the Survey Corps as they fight against the titan menace made for one of the most exciting shows of the year. And can we just get a word in about Hiroyuki Sawano’s dramatic musical score for this show? Watching titans devour Eren’s friends just wouldn’t have been the same without it.
Mirai Nikki
Yukiteru is a silent boy who doesn’t take part in any of his classmate’s activities and doesn’t have any friends at all. The only two things that bring him joy in life is writing banal notes about his surroundings into his cell phone diary and talking to his imaginary friend Deus Ex Machina. As it turns out Deus Ex Machina is in fact very real and Yukiteru is drawn into a secret survival game, where each contestant is given a cell phone diary that contains notes about the future, yet each according to different rules. Armed with his Future Diary Yukiteru has a hard time surviving the numerous attacks of the other contestants. To his Luck the contestant Yuno, who had a secret crush on him, uses her strength to protect him and defeat his enemies.
Mirai Nikki is based on a manga of the same name. The good animation quality and the absence of censored blood or violence make it into an adequate adaptation of an original story. Fans of thrilling mystery animes like Death Note, should also give this one a try.
Death Note
Light Yagami is an outstanding student and genius. His father is a high ranked police man and Yagami often helps him solve difficult cases, but still he is bored all the time. One day he finds the Death Note a shinigami (Death God) has dropped by accident. He can kill people by knowing their face and writing their real names into the Death Note. Just a few days later lots of criminals in Japan and all over the world die from heart attacks. Yagami intends to make this world a better place by killing hardcore criminals and making people afraid of committing crimes this way. Soon it becomes obvious that all those mysterious deaths cannot come by coincidence and there must be someone behind it. Society is split between those who support Yagami’s idea and those who think he is a sick murderer. The police of course have to find and stop him, but many officers are afraid of getting killed if they investigate Kira (Yagami’s new nickname). They hire a world-known detective who is known as “L” to catch Kira. Will Yagami be able to find out L’s real name to kill him before L finds out that Yagami is Kira?
Death Note is a unique story revolving around 2 unique and very intelligent characters with lots of unexpected and interesting plot twists. It is based on a manga bestseller that even has a few successful live-action movie adaptations. While the manga already is a masterpiece, I could not find many scenes where the anime lacks behind the manga, so you can have equally high expectations of the anime. The 2nd half of the show does stray from the original plot and the character isn’t quite as ambiguous and methodical as the infamous L, but It’s still a fantastic experiencing all wrapping up into a solid closure that will leave you at the edge of your seat.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is based on a popular amateur-made mystery computer game of the same name by 7th Expansion.
Keiichi just recently moved to the small rural village Hinamizawa and already made some good friends in the small school he started to attend. But the peaceful days gets interrupted when suddenly a murder case happens during a local festival. As Keiichi gets involved in the investigation he learns more and more about the mysteries of this murder. There were a project of building a dam 5 years ago, which would unfortunately flood this town. Of course the locals were against leaving their homes and it was a heated situation. One day, somehow the project was dropped and since then always on the day of the festival a person went missing and a person died. The victims always are somehow connected to the dam-project. None of his friends told Keiichi about this, but everyone knew. The locals are convinced it is a curse and as Keiichi tries to find out the truth, he gets more involved in the mysteries of this case than he’d like.
This is a different type of mystery anime. This anime’s episodes are divided into different arcs. All of these arcs start the same way with the same characters, but focus on different aspects and have different outcomes. It is like different small stories based on the same settings. With each arc come new questions and mysteries, but also new answers. The show has an episodic like nature to it but eventually all of the plots tie-in to gather to a seamless overarching plot that unfolds; this is most notable in season 2.
BTOOOM!
BTOOOM! is about a group of random people that get thrown together on an island. On this mysterious island a videogame called BTOOOM, where you butcher each other by throwing bombs, is being recreated. It basically means that all the people who are dropped on the island will have to kill each other. Survival of the fittest so to speak!
BTOOOM! follows a group of fairly normal(for anime standards) people who try to survive the onslaught. When they come across other people the tensions rise quickly and alot of people end up dying. The story is terrific, it drags you in and will not let you go until you have watched all episodes.
Claymore
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Dark fantasy is what describes Claymore best. The fantasy lands of claymore are cursed by creatures known as yoma. These terrible monsters disguise themselves as humans in order to gain a human's trust. Once they have gained a human's trust they will eat them!
This is where the claymores come in. They are a half-yoma, half-human species who carry huge 2 handed swords. The claymores are the only reliable weapon against the yoma because they can detect them. The story is dark and action-packed. Massive swords cutting off limbs and splitting body's in two is a common thing in claymore. The storyline is great except the ending. It is different from the manga because the studio wanted to end the series.
Code Geass
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Code Geass is a total blast to watch. It is set in the near future where England has gained world domination and has degraded Japan to 'Area 11'. Lelouch is a school student who accidentally gets a very special, powerful 'mind control' ability. With this special power Lelouch starts a rebellion against the english dictators. Eventually Lelouch rebellion starts to get serious and world domination becomes an objective.
The story is simply awesome, i love 'evil' kind of stories where an anti-hero-like character tries to take over the world. Code Geass has awesome mecha-battles combined with tear-jerking moments where you shed tears of pure sadness. The characters are interesting and diverse. The ending is good but sad.
Steins Gate
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Steins Gate is a terrific anime about time traveling. Instead of the characters traveling back through time, messages are traveling back through time with the help of a modified microwave. You can imagine that sending messages back in time leads to some very interesting situations.
After sending some messages back in time the future changes drastically, but it does not always give the results that were intended. Steins Gate starts out a little cheesy but keeps getting more interesting and serious. The story is worked out very well and alot of attention has been given to the little details.
Sword Art Online
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I haven't seen anything this amazing in a very long time. Sword art online is set in the future where people can play games in a virtual reality. They put a helmet on their heads and all their senses are transported to the virtual reality. In sword art online an evil mastermind has trapped thousands of people in his game, if they remove the helmet or die in the game they die in the real world!
Sword art online explores how it would be if you had to live your life in a game world. The atmosphere and the story make this anime so addicting that I wish I was trapped in a virtual reality myself! Sword art online has everything a legendary anime should have and more. a definitive must-watch!
One Piece
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One piece is the longest running, best anime ever made! It has such a great atmosphere of adventure and friendship. I watched one Piece when i was little and still love it today!
One Piece is about a pirate named Luffy who wants to become the pirate king, the greatest of all pirates. In one piece there are the so-called devil fruits which give you great powers. Luffy has the rubber power meaning he can stretch all parts of his body. During his adventures, he recruits other pirates, gets himself a decent ship and kicks alot of ass. The fights in one piece are always a blast to watch. Although one piece does not have alot of fillers, some can be pretty bad.
California Crisis
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California Crisis is on this list to represent my love of “terrible” 80’s OVAs– those 30-50 minute direct-to-VHS shows that cram a hell of a lot of plot into a minute amount of time. It almost always results in a story wrought with plotholes and inconsistencies, and I love that shit. This is the sort of stuff that made my love anime in the first place– where you have to make up half the story in your head in order for it to make the least bit of sense. I miss that sort of stuff, and I get annoyed by how many current series err in the exact opposite direction by over-explaining everything. Crisis also has an awesomely anti-climactic ending that does a hell of a job of symbolizing everything I love about these OVAs. It’s a shame that current trends don’t allow for more stuff like this to be made.
Cromartie High School
While there’s plenty of comedy series on my list, there’s three that make something of a holy trinity when it comes to a certain brand of humor: Making the surreal seem mundane. Cromartie is the “lesser” of the three, but it’s still a brilliant comedy in its own right. It takes the “delinquent” formula often seen in Japanese pop culture– where we see the inner workings of trouble-making youth in a school where such students are dominant– and then injects all manners of oddities into the mix. A robot as a classmate? Yeah, doesn’t every school have one? Freddie Mercury is alive and lurking about in the hallways riding a horse? Perfectly normal. Aliens invading and then integrating into the school? What’s new? It’s all played off in a matter of fact way, and it’s hilarious.
Perfect Blue
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I’m not the biggest Satoshi Kon fan. And by that I mean that most of his movies were ones that I liked but didn’t love. But Perfect Blue is the exception as far as his movies go. All those reviews you read comparing it to Hitchcock and the like are dead on– this is a brilliant psychological thriller. It isn’t so much the mystery of it all that’s great so much as it is the execution of the whole thing. By toying around with our perspective of things and not showing the whole truth (Even when the big reveal goes down.), we get to share in the main character’s psychosis to some extent. And all of that makes the movie’s ambiguous ending all the more fulfilling. Who in the hell knows what’s really true? That’s one of Kon’s major themes, and Perfect Blue nails it better than his other movies.
Paranoia Agent
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With all of the above said, Paranoia Agent is Kon’s masterpiece. It plays around with modern pop culture– screwing around with the affects of video games, animation, mascot characters, and the like– and turning it all into a psychedelic freakshow. It’s all about how much of an effect we have on the way we perceive reality and the ways we can affect others’ perspectives, and it ain’t a pretty picture. But that’s part of what makes Paranoia Agent awesome. It’s one of those series that isn’t afraid to show all the potential ugliness that comes with the “human condition.” Whatever epiphanies and whatnot that it gets, they’re earned.
The Legend of Koizumi
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Fuck all that other political satire you see out there. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report? Screw that noise. The Onion or whatever? Yeah, like I said, whatever. None of that shit tells you the truth about politics– that they may as well be playing silly games of mahjong when it comes to the idiotic decisions they make. It manages to skewer all sides of the issue, and while many of the shots it takes are all too easy to make (Anyone can mock North Korea or Bush Jr.), it manages to do so in ways that aren’t quite as obvious as most takes. And it’s about motherfucking MAHJONG being the deciding force in international politics. It’s absurd. It’s ridiculous. It’s hilarious. It’s exactly like politics. And you gotta give them credit for being willing to take it to China in addition to everything else they skewer. Give everyone the proverbial bird.
Macross: Do You Remember Love
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I’m not a huge fan of the Macross franchise. I dig Macross Plus well enough, and I probably like Macross 2 more than most hardcore Macross fans (Although that’s not saying much since I just kinda tolerate it since I saw it at an early stage in my anime career.). I also never really developed a love for Robotech since I don’t remember it getting any kind of regular airplay on local stations when I was a kid. But I love the movie rendition of the story. I distills everything that’s good about the TV series, gets rid of all the tedious bits, and amps up the right things to ridiculous proportions. The final battle, set to Minmay’s horrifically cheesy and awesome pop tune, is one of the greatest anime action scenes of all time, and it still looks better than almost everything that’s come after it.
The Big O
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It’s Batman: The Animated Series meets Dark City, except the creators thought it’d be super-awesome to toss in some steampunkesque giant robots for good measure. The concept is one of those brilliant messes that somehow end up far exceeding what it sounds like on paper. It’s another one of these “what in the hell is reality” series, and it manages to pull it off with a certain style we never see in anime. I’d love to see more anime purposely use a more American style when appropriate, since the look of Big O goes a long way towards distinguishing it from the rest of the post-Evangelion mecha series. That style adds an entirely new layer to the whole situation that wouldn’t be there if it was drawn like every other mecha series at the time. Easily one of the best mecha series of all time.
Ghost in the Shell
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I love the entire GitS franchise. Everything from the two TV series to the maligned second movie. It has all the makings of a great political thriller. It has all of the fetishism of modern warfare stories but without a lot of the nu-rock/pro wrestling-styled machismo. It hits up existential shit like identity and the nature of consciousness, since what the fuck is life when a computer AI can exhibit all of the trappings of a human consciousness, and what exactly am I if the only part of me that’s human is my brain, and that’s something that can be created artificially? It asks this shit and tackles all manners of political and sociological topics, and it does it while also delivering on the explosion content required by the Surgeon General. The only thing I can say against it (And hence why it’s a little lower on this list than it should be) is that it takes itself a little too seriously at times. Dang, Makoto, lighten up a bit. You should take after Batou.
Record of Lodoss War
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Lodoss War speaks to my inner D&D geek. I was an RPG geek long before I was an anime geek, and Lodoss War was one of the series that got me into anime. It merged my love of rolling d20’s with my love of animation. It’s a pretty straightforward fantasy story that’s blatantly lifted from the Dragonlance setting (The Lodoss novels were based on some dudes Dragonlance D&D campaign, I believe.), but it’s that simplicity that makes it work. No fat. No needless side plots or drama. It just sticks with the basics and rocks with them. It also has the only dwarf character I’ve ever liked. And I fucking hate dwarves.
Azumanga Daioh
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Daioh’s number two in my holy trinity of matter-of-fact humor. Like Tenchi Muyo, it has the dubious position of being the prototype of a terrible trend– in Daioh’s case the “girls doing cute shit” genre– but like Tenchi it was created before many of the stereotypes had been established. It just happens to be one of the models that said stereotypes used as a foundation, so it’s only crime is that it was so fucking good that people of lesser talents took it upon themselves to copy it. But yeah, cute girls doing genuinely funny cute shit is what it’s all about. What’s always appealed to me about Daioh is that despite its cheerful, sunny disposition, there’s a certain nasty streak hidden underneath. These girls aren’t, as some people like to put it, “insufferably nice” to one another. They rag on each other. They’re mean to each other sometimes. They act like real friends in that respect, but there’s also a decidedly sadistic approach to some of the humor. Pushing over penguin-suited pigtailed girls is thoroughly nasty, and thoroughly enjoyable. Cheerfully malicious.
Detroit Metal City
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Krauser said he’d rape my blog if I didn’t put DMC on my list. He’ll probably rape it anyway. And that’s what’s awesome about DMC. It’s a nasty, filthy, horrid comedy series. It doesn’t give a fuck if its offending you with its rape jokes, dick jokes, and other manners of “inappropriate” behavior. Just like Krauser, if you were to talk down on the series and tell it to “behave,” it’d bend you over and proceed to mock-rape you until you finally gave in and worshiped at the altar of Krauser. Beautifully nasty.
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
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Chiri would bury me if Zetsubou wasn’t in my top anime list. She’ll probably do it anyway since I didn’t do it properly. If Legend of Koizumi is the best political satire out there, then Zetsubou-sensei is the best social satire around. Sometimes the topics can be a little esoteric or abstract, but each vignette plays out like some sort of demented afterschool special– a topic is chosen, we’re shown all of the pitfalls of said problem, and then in a twist of fate we’re shown how said deviant behavior is actually a good thing. The whole show personifies the Chaotic Neutral alignment– playing both sides when said side works to its advantage, and doing it properly each way.
Mnemosyne
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I’m gonna copy what I said in my 2008 list, since I can’t say it any better: Repulsive, grotesque exploitation. Awesome, repulsive, grotesque exploitation. It’s more than a little hateful. It’s more than a little trashy. It’s about immortals screwing around with each other over petty conspiracies and grudges and some fucked up spiritual shit. I love this stuff. It’s unforgivably violent and nihilistic. People, especially women, are treated horribly. There’s absolutely nothing nice about it. The story’s secondary to the sensationalism. It’s everything you, dear reader, dread about anime. It’s the shit that gave anime a bad reputation back in the 90s. It’s kissing cousins with Urotsukidouji. And I fucking dig it. Yeah.
Genshiken
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It’s hard to balance between delusional glorification of fandom and mocking it like an asshole. Creating a story that celebrates fandom while being fully capable of laughing with and at it in equal amounts is a pretty damn impressive feat. That’s what Genshiken pulls off. And it doesn’t hurt that I totally empathize with Sasahara and his otaku “plight.” That said, the main thing that makes Genshiken totally awesome is Saki. We get to see otakudom through her eyes and we get to see how she reacts, evolves, and resists fandom. Awesome stuff.
The Tatami Galaxy
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Slice of life by means of quantum physics. I think the main thing that makes me love the series is the fact that, despite all of the foreshadowing we see in the series, it doesn’t boil down to “find true love.” Yeah, part of the main dude’s revelation is to finally put his foot down and ask out Akashi, but the primary trigger that frees him from his Groundhog Purgatory is the realization that he needs to love his own life and the choices he makes. That and the fact that the person who acts as a focal point for that isn’t the girl but his best friend. “Love conquers all” is fine and all, but it’s nice to see a series that skirts away from that and takes on things from a different angle.
Dirty Pair
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Dirty Pair is a bit like my all-time favorite: Space Adventure Cobra. They’re both made of the sort of space opera stuff that’s native to the late 70s and early 80s. It’s that future where everyone wears latex body suits and hotpants. It’s all about laser guns and wanton destruction in a future that’ll never be. It’s all planet hopping and planet decimating. It’s the sort of shit you get when someone looks at Star Wars and says “I can do better than that. Watch!” The only thing going against Dirty Pair is its lack of any real coherent narrative. It doesn’t need one, but it doesn’t hurt to let things brew over a few episodes rather than resolving everything all nice and neat at the end of the episode as the Dirty Pair blows up all guilty parties and several non-guilty bystanders.
Black Lagoon
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As far as straight-up, straight-faced action anime goes, Black Lagoon is tops. Black Lagoon knows its shit when it comes to the action genre. It plays like a doctoral thesis on 80s action clichés, and anyone who thinks that’s a bad thing is likely a communist nazi terrorist mole man from mars sent to destroy everything that’s good about human civilization. Also, Revy and Rock make for one of the greatest anime couples of all time. Their love is like twin Desert Eagles being two-fisted by a blood opera gunman. It’s natural and beautiful.
Darker than Black
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Cold War James Bond through the lens of X-Men. This is a series that gets better and better the more I think about its ambiguous plot threads. If they make more of this series down the road, don’t be surprised if this jumps into my top 10. The OAV that helped explain some of the shit that went down in the second season didn’t quite push it over the edge, unfortunately. Maybe a third season that goes off in a new direction will do that.
Ninja Scroll
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Beautifully nasty. Ninja Scroll is filled with brutal violence, horribly amoral characters, and everything that’s downright wrong with the world. Even the hero, Jubei, is something of a selfish prick. The only reason why we root for him is because he’s the lesser evil, and I really dig the movie for playing up that angle. And I love how it plays up all sorts of samurai and martial arts movies all while adding in that old school anime exploitation angle that we rarely see nowadays. In a lot of ways its Kill Bill without the pop culture references– it’s a genre-savy martial arts flick that builds on everything we know about that style and turns it into something wholly unique. The TV series that was spawned from the movie isn’t nearly as great as the movie, but it’s worth watching as well, but it’s the movie itself that earns this spot on my list.
Occult Academy
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If it weren’t for a slow spurt of episodes halfway through, Occult Academy would likely be up there at #1 instead of Cobra. Like Cobra later on in this list, Occult Academy thinks the same way I do. All of its climaxes are awesomely anticlimactic. The characters are awesomely eccentric. It plays off of all manners of occult phenomenon and conspiracy theories. It has a wicked sense of humor that doesn’t play off of the same tropes as most other anime comedies. And the end. Damn. Seriously, Occult Academy’s last three episodes are the single greatest anime ending of all time. It’s a shame that the preceding storyline with the ghost girl just doesn’t work within the context of the series in any manner imaginable. But damn. That ending. It’d move me to tears if I didn’t have such a bleak soul.
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
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It’s the Evangelion of cute girls. Everything that’s held upon a pedestal when it comes to “let’s eat cake” anime is run through the mud. Every blessing is turned into a curse. Joy is transformed into pain. Purity dies, replaced with incompetence and sin. The second season especially is something of a modern masterpiece, turning the very otaku who worship this sort of thing into the Angels that destroy existence by means of their single-minded powers of consumption. The series also has one of the most tragic of heroes, as we see Arsene trapped inside of an anime so far beneath her magnificent capabilities. She’s that last strand of the past that desperately clings to the present, hoping the present will somehow right itself and be birthed anew. That ain’t gonna be the case.
Air Master
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Simply put, Air Master is the greatest fighting anime of all time. Nothing else comes remotely close. The action scenes are brilliantly choreographed. Sure, you might not be able to physically re-enact what’s going on, but you can actually follow what’s happening in the fights. It’s as if someone actually planned the fights blow by blow, rather than depending on animation tricks to mimic action. And on top of all of that, the side characters are an awesome cast of misfits, psychos, and freaks that make for one of the best anime casts ever. If only every Shounen Jump adaptation was half as good as Air Master. Sakiyama! Sakiyama!
Neon Genesis Evangelion
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I am a full-fledged Eva apologist. I love the original ending, where we essentially interrogate each character and accost them for failing in life. I love End of Evangelion, where the world goes to shit and all of the nasty things prophesied in the anime series are shown to us in gory, apocalyptic glory. Seeing the world drenched in blood/primordial ooze and watching Shinji and Asuka sit on the “shore” is a beautiful sight. It’s even more beautiful that Shinji turns around and tries to kill Asuka immediately after. Maybe I’m messed up in the head for finding Eva’s nihilism and cynicism fun.
Baccano!
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If I called Baccano! the best pulp anime series of all time I’d be lying, but that’s only because it’s up against the (second) best anime series of all time for those bragging rights. Baccano! is a series that manages to bring the full package. It has humor, action, drama, everything that makes for an entertaining and awesome storyline. It does everything and does it right. The breakneck pace and disjointed narrative makes it all the better.
Ranma 1/2
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While Projet A-Ko was my first anime, and it made me want to seek out more shit, Ranma 1/2 was the series that made me a fan. First love and all that jazz. That love may have waned ever so slightly. It’s like how a married couple cease being madly in love with one another but are still best friends and can’t imagine being away from one another. That explains my feelings towards Ranma perfectly. And like I said earlier, between Ranma and Lum, Rumiko Takahashi’s one of the greatest comedy writers of all time.
Maison Ikkoku
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The way Air Master is the only fighting anime you ever need to watch, Maison Ikkoku is the only “mature” romantic comedy you ever need to watch. It’s that simple. It’s probably more of a comedy than it is a romance, but that doesn’t matter. It’s also the greatest thing Rumiko Takahashi has ever made. Considering the fact that she has two other series on this list, that’s a mean feat.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
No other anime is open to interpretation to the same extent as Utena. It’s like it was deliberately crafted to act as a jumping off point for all manners of discussion and character analysis. The only reason why I haven’t written anything substantial about the series is because I’m not quite sure where I should start. It also has the single greatest anime soundtrack of all time. The duelist songs are brilliant.
The Book of Bantorra
Bantorra hits many of the same buttons that X did back in the day, except it hits those buttons better. Hamutz may very well be my favorite anime character of all time. She’s one of the most ambiguous, amoral, baffling characters I’ve ever seen, and the fact that we never really discover her true intentions makes her all the more fascinating. She was created to do battle with Ruruta, but her own ambitions lie elsewhere. She battles against her encoded drive, but at the same time relishes it. She’s a walking mass of contradictions and curves. The only thing keeping Bantorra from being my all-time favorite series is the lackluster animation and music. Those production values really add to a series’ overall awesomeness.
Project A-Ko
The first anime I saw with full knowledge that this thing I’m watching is some silly cartoon made in Japan. Its placement is due to no small degree of nostalgia, but numerous rewatches have proven to me that it stands the test of time. It’s a wicked parody of 80’s anime, but at the same time it stands up on its own as an example of that era. The characters are endearingly over the top– even the ever-obnoxious C-Ko and her whining is charming in its own way (Even if you still wish she’d die a horrible firy death.). The rest of the movies in the series are pretty solid in their own right, and expand on the world and characters from the first movie, but A-Ko’s up here mainly for the sheer awesomeness of the first movie. It’s still the funniest anime I’ve ever seen.
Kemonozume
Damn Perfect. The story is simple. Monster loves monster hunter. Monster hunter loves monster. They give both societies the proverbial middle finger and kill everything that gets in the way of their undying love. It’s the anime equivalent of the 60’s Bonnie and Clyde movie in that regard, and just as brilliant. I love the music. I love the sexual nature of the series. I love the art and animation. It’s the closest an anime has come to capturing the magic of Aeon Flux, which happens to be the best series I’ve ever seen– anime, western animation, live action, whatever.
Cowboy Bebop
Also Damn Perfect. The only criticism I can level against the series is the way it demystified Faye and turned her into a generic “lost little girl.” Other than that, Cowboy Bebop is the perfect anime. While I’m all for being wowed by another series and having it uproot Bebop, I seriously doubt that’ll ever happen. Perfect storms like Bebop are once in a lifetime.
Kino’s Journey
Kino’s Journey is, unsurprisingly, about the journey. Not just the overt journey, though it is a travel show – every episode, Kino and her bike Hermes visit a new nation, staying just three days before moving on. Through Kino’s adventures in these strange, mystical lands, Kino’s Journey eventually reveals itself to be about the journey towards greater understanding – of how people work, of why we do the things we do, of what purpose we can possibly seek in this world. And it doesn’t offer easy answers – Kino’s Journey is rife with ambiguity, its various fables and conflicts only muddying the waters of human nature further and further. But that is, like I said, not what it’s about – there are no easy answers, but as this thoughtful, pretty, and inventive show continuously demonstrates, the journey is its own reward.
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The Eccentric Family
The Eccentric Family takes the Ghibli sense of whimsy and magical realism and applies it to a grounded, thoughtful family drama. Written by the same writer responsible for The Tatami Galaxy, its story bounces through a handful of gorgeous little vignettes before pulling together into a exuberant exploration of duty, family, and the meaning of life itself. That might sound heavy, but Eccentric Family is anything but – it’s filled with moments of ecstatic beauty that revel in the little joys life has to offer, and its characters bounce off each other with the buoyant geniality of a truly loving family. It’s beautiful and deftly written and basically about as warm as a show can be.
OreGairu
I said in my 2013 year-end post that OreGairu is basically anime’s Catcher in the Rye, and I stand by that. OreGairu knows exactly what it feels like to be young, smart, and isolated, and it expresses that with both cynical wit and overwhelming empathy for its very flawed protagonists. Hachiman and Yukino build fortresses of superiority and psychoanalysis around themselves, but they can’t hide their desire for connection, or their underlying empathy. The show sticks pretty close to romcom formatting, and its aesthetics are only serviceable, but OreGairu soars where it counts – human characters, vivid dialogue, and a frank exploration of youth politics and identity. It’s pretty much the high school romcom I’ve always wished existed.
Monogatari
If you’ve read this far, you probably know I like stories about people. Flawed people, broken people – people whose sharp edges make them hurt each other even as they strive for connection. Monogatari really knows people, and it understands that it is often our weaknesses that defines us. And to illustrate this, Monogatari makes those weaknesses real. Its spirit-hunting stories are compelling in their own right, but each of them also dig at the souls of their central characters – it matches mystery with human truth point for point every season. And beyond its central metaphor, outstanding character writing, and very distinctive dialogue, Monogatari does so much else, too – the ways it plays with visual storytelling vary from season to season, but pretty much always come off as more driven and intelligent than virtually anything else out there. Whether it’s exploring power dynamics through shot framing, investigating the dark hearts of its various protagonists, or simply reveling in its own visual language and wit, Monogatari is always expressing something worthwhile, clever, and true.
FLCL
Created right in the middle of Gainax’s golden age, FLCL’s about as good of a coming of age story as you could possibly imagine. Puberty sucks, and learning who you are is tough, and becoming an adult doesn’t really come with instructions – FLCL knows all of this, and instead of expressing it through an understated character drama, it chooses to go for the gusto. Robots popping from foreheads, guitars wielded as battle axes, wild visual slapstick crossed with awkward personal moments. It’s a show that comes off as crazy while actually featuring some of the sharpest, most grounded character work in anime, and all of this is backed by a delirious visual palette, a stacked animation budget, and one of the most iconic soundtracks in anime history. Growing up is hard to do, but FLCL still makes it look fun.
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The Tatami Galaxy
Considering this is the only Masaaki Yuasa show I’ve actually seen, you can expect The Tatami Galaxy to gain some company over the coming year (edit: Ping Pong has arrived!). In spite of that, I strongly doubt the rest of his work will top it – though The Tatami Galaxy does feature Yuasa’s signature direction and a completely unparalleled visual aesthetic, it is equally buffeted by the sharp, lunatic writing of the source material, written by the author of The Eccentric Family. Either way, as I said in my review, The Tatami Galaxy is a ride. From a stint in the bike thief mafia to a daring blimp rescue, from colorful, impressionistic visuals to vivid, mile-a-minute monologues, it never lets up and it never calms down. As its protagonist desperately seeks the richness of life he never seems to find, the audience is treated to a rich spectacle as relatable as it is insane. There’s nothing quite like The Tatami Galaxy.
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Katanagatari
Though I love Monogatari for its sprawling, convoluted ideas, Katanagatari proves Isin is equally capable of telling a focused story as well. It works as a witty, poignant love story. It works as an engaging collection of vignettes, a travel diary in an evocative, beautifully depicted time of adventure. It even works as a meditation on the meaning of humanity, and on the ways we are all prisoners of history. Like Seven Samurai, it perfectly captures the strange beauty inherent in the end of an era – as the age of swords and heroes draws to a close, Katanagatari’s characters cling to relevance, power, or just each other. It made me laugh and made me cry, and it’s easily one of my favorite shows.
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Though it’s not at the top of my list, I think it’d be difficult to argue any anime tries to do more than Utena. It’s a story about adolescence and sex and identity and gender and performance, and maybe those are all actually parts of the same thing. It weaves in ten thousand visual motifs and then muddles them just for the hell of it. It catalogues the emotional hills and valleys of over a dozen characters, and yet even at the end you could still call half of them mysteries. It features an episode where a girl is repeatedly chased by elephants, and another where that same girl lays an egg. It also features the most thoughtful and piercing exploration of gender politics I’ve seen in the medium. It’s strange and circuitous and funny and profound, and if nothing else, it’s almost certainly one of the best anime of all time.
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Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Considering it sits at #2 on my all-time list, I think it’s fair to employ a little hyperbole here: of everything I’ve seen, I believe Madoka is probably the “most perfect” anime there is. Its visual aesthetic is creative and stunning, its soundtrack is powerful and evocative, and it tells a gripping, smartly composed story of friendship, sacrifice, the tragic cycles of living, and the greater spirit of humanity. Its narrative and thematic elements lock into place like a perfectly crafted music box, and yet it still leaves room for rich interpretation. Though I like all of Urobuchi’s works, Madoka stands on a tier far above the others – its aesthetics are by far the most impressive, and beyond that, it’s also the most pure, iconic expression of the anger and hope at the heart of all his stories – an understanding of the callous nature of the universe forever challenged by the indomitable, irrational spirit of charity and love that makes us human. Madoka is a triumph.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion + End of Evangelion
It might seem odd to place Eva over Madoka, considering I just stated I consider Madoka the “most perfect” show. But it’s true – Evangelion is not perfect. It has tonal issues throughout the first half, it meanders through a slowly building central arc, and little cracks and flaws indicative of its troubled creation are apparent throughout. But for all that, I strongly believe Eva is the best anime of all time. Why? Because it understands people. Because it respects and cares about people. Because it is people. There is just so much truth and empathy in Evangelion’s depiction of its characters that I find it hard even beginning to compare it to other anime.
And that character truth doesn’t just stand alone – the entire show is carefully constructed around it, with Anno’s wonderful, claustrophobic direction and all the show’s grand, apocalyptic aspirations working in service of the fundamental honesty of characters like Shinji, Asuka, and Misato. Because it is so very, very true, and because it is so deeply, honestly afraid, Evangelion’s statement in favor of human connection isn’t just a truism – it’s the bravest, most optimistic choice imaginable. In the context of how true and how overpowering the emotional struggles of its characters are, nothing short of apocalypse seems worthy of depicting them – in the mind of a scared, lonely boy, the decision to accept the pain of living might as well be the rebirth of the universe. Evangelion uses all the tools at anime’s disposal to tell the smallest and most important story in the most resonant, insightful, authentic terms imaginable, and in doing so it easily establishes itself as the most successfully ambitious anime there is. Flawed, convoluted, and deeply personal, Evangelion is anime’s masterwork.
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.
Yahari Ore No seems like your typical romantic comedy anime – and for some, that’s okay! Some people (myself included) don’t actually care if a show seems cliche or not, as long as it is entertaining. This show however, goes over and above the expectation. What seems like a cliche show turns out to be a hilarious yet emotional adventure.
The story follows loner protagonist Hachiman Hikigaya as his antisocial behaviour leads to a teacher’s concern, forcing him to join a club. The “Volunteer’s Club” as it is called, and he is then asked to join his club members – one of which is the icy but beautiful Yukino Yukinoshita. Those of you who are in the know would know that Yuki translates to snow in Japanese, so even the names are selected with a tongue in cheek humor. Partially slapstick, partially satirical, and partially romantic, this show has smooth, colorful and vibrant visuals with an equally vibrant soundtrack. It is more than your typical rom-com and the sales show it!
Hataraku Maou-sama!
Produced by both well known and lesser known names alike, such as FUNimation, Lantis, Pony Canyon and White Fox – Hataraku Maou-sama (literally translating into “the devil is a part-timer”) follows the comedic misadventures of the devil himself! More specifically, Devil King Sadao who is defeated by Emillia and thus is banished to modern day Tokyo. As his skills as a devil king are useless in this world, he now has to work oddjobs to simply sustain himself. It already sounds hilarious, and this is just the description!
First I take over this restaurant, then I take over this list!
Working in a parody of the real world fast food chain McDonald’s, Sadao faces various funny situations episode after episode and this is considered by many as the funniest show of the year. Definitely worth the watch for someone looking for a laugh. Some complain the story is too slow paced, but with a show like this, one doesn’t expect much of a story to begin with
Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai. (Season 2)
The second season of incest-friendly slice of life comedy more simply referred to as OreImo has managed to top charts for the second time since its release, being the 3rd highest sold back in 2010 when its first season was released. This show needs little introduction as not only is it exceedingly popular, but it has been so for several years. However, for those who do not know, it is about loser older brother Kyousuke Kousaka who discovers his “little miss perfect”, goodie two shoes sister Kirino Kousaka is actually an avid otaku – her favorite games being incest themed eroge!
I bet you wish you had a sister who would do this to you as well. Trust me, it’s no fun…
A strong yet attractive tsundere lead as well as a witty, unexpectedly likeable protagonist, this show swept pervs over when it first released, and continues to do so even today with its second season. I use the term perv in jest, however, it does indeed have a deep, fulfilling feel-good story, albeit caked behind light ecchi and occasional fan service! Having said that, it is absolutely unmissable for fans of the series, but also recommended to those who haven’t seen it yet already. Visually pleasing animation with a funny, yet interesting story and great characters.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S
Another continuation of a long running series, this is actually the second season of an adaptation of the original Toaru Majutsu no Index. A supernatural sci-fi adventure/comedy that was extremely popular in its original run years ago, thus spawning this canonical, yet independent spin-off of one of the arcs. The focus of this arc is on the story of Mikoto Misaka, the powerful brown haired esper girl who has a strong sense of justice and what is right. She is easily one of the most likeable characters in recent years and fans have come to love the brave little schoolgirl.
What many fans like about this show is the fact that unlike most supernatural shows in which characters have powers, every power or increase in strength is given a logical reason, rather than just for the sake of “looking cool”. (I’m looking at you, Bleach). Too many shows have paper thin excuses for a sudden burst of the protagonists power, launching him up to be the most powerful character in the series. Something many have come to dislike. Luckily, Raildex does no such thing throughout its storyline. Even better visuals than before and thrilling storyline
Infinite Stratos 2
For those who watched the first season, you would know that this show certainly isn’t for kids! With a mature rating, the second season of Infinite Stratos includes much of the first season’s occasional glimpse of ecchi, however, that isn’t to say it is an ecchi show -far from it, in fact. Infinite Stratos is pretty much any teenage boy’s wet dream. It is about a boy named Ichika Orimura who lives in a futuristic world in which a specialized armor called Infinite Stratos has been created, however only women can operate this armor, and thus society is dominated by women. Ichika accidentally activates one set of armor in the IS training academy one day, and as it turns out, he is the only male that can operate one. He is then sent to be trained in the military academy that until then was exclusively dominated by girls.
A mecha anime with almost nothing but strong, sexy girls. Like I said, every teenage boy’s wet dream. Fortunately, going beyond just tapping into our wildest fantasies, the show actually has a reasonable plot line and beautiful visuals. It is, however, for the most part simply a mecha harem anime, and thus one cannot expect the depth of Serial Experiment Lain from something like it. It’s enjoyable for what it is, and if one is looking for a sexy joyride with some sci-fi action thrown into the mix, this is exactly what you’ll want to be watching.
Love Live! School Idol Project
One can deduce simply from the name, the type of show this is. An idol show. Idol shows are simply about a person, or group who want to become famous, usually through music. Many shows have run on this formula, and are quite successful. This is one of them. The story takes place in a city with three distinct districts of different types of people. There is, however one school which is on the verge of shutting down due to a lack of students. Nine girls set off to become famous pop idols to then restore the fame of their school and keep it from shutting down. While the story may seem generic, it is pulled off excellently, and one comes to understand what to expect from these kinds of shows. Idol shows are a dime a dozen, but this is certainly the prize out of this year’s entrants.
Produced by Sunrise, Lantis, and NIS America, the show has a large cast of varied and unique, yet equally cute main characters. It isn’t difficult to pick out a waifu or two from a show like this! Fans of the slice of life genre will not be disappointed, as it is funny, interesting, and the characters are well developed, not to mention beautifully animated. The theme and feel is actually very reminiscent of one of my personal favorites K-ON! For fans of that show, I certainly recommend this one.!
Uta no Prince-Sama Maji Love 2000%
Sequels of slice of life romance/harem comedies are often a disappointment as compared to the first (looking at you Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai) Mainly because they mess with the integrity and conclusion of the first. It leaves you feeling like the entire first season was a waste of time. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the second season of A-1 Picture’s Uta no Prince-Sama. Fans of the first season will surely enjoy and love this one just as much. While this is a shojo harem anime, there is a decent storyline one grows to truly enjoy and grow attached to. The plot revolves around amateur songwriter Haruka Nanami who dreams of writing songs for her favorite pop idol. After being enrolled into an arts school, she thrives through challenge after challenge until finally coming out on top. The second season begins as she is enrolled into her Masters program, only to find another series of challenges lay ahead! The animation style is nice looking and the characters are certainly deep and varied enough to make for an interesting dynamic between the various ones shown.
Monogatari Series: Second Season
Unsurprisingly, Monogatari is back this year, topping the charts once again. Last year having achieved the most sales, it was only expected that it would return. Holding a respectable position this year, the Aniplex series continues, its unique animation style and thrilling arcs capturing hearts a second year in a row. One wouldn’t be surprised if this comes to be known as one of the best series’ of all time. Anyone familiar with the first season who enjoyed it will certainly be blown away by the second one.
We’re here to save this list from angry otakus.
Boasting a cast of adorable, unique and well developed characters as well as a solid set of thoroughly engaging arcs, the series does not disappoint in the least. One can expect all the sexy little flashes of ecchi as well as clever dialogue and enthusiastic voice acting we have all come to enjoy. For many, it is an alternative favorite show of the year as opposed to what some may think of as over sensationalized shonen action anime. This is a very strong contender in its own right with its amazing visuals, sci-fi/slice of life theme and excellent production quality
Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack On Titan)
This would not come as a surprise to many, but one show that has undoubtedly swept the world this year, converting many people who were not previously fans of anime in general into hardcore enthusiasts, is the critically acclaimed Shingeki no Kyojin – more commonly known by its English translation: Attack On Titan. Since it began airing in early April of 2013, the show managed to get audiences hooked into its magnificently crafted dark world with its own alternate history and unique setting. The show mixes a true sense of terror with genuine badassery as the lead character Eren and his friends quest to protect their city from the impending threat of enourmous skinless man-like beasts known as “Titans”. These giant monsters can be hundreds of feet tall and demolish cities within minutes. There is always a feeling of dread when one is shown on screen. This is easily the most exciting show of the year.
Keep Calm and Attack!
The mind blowing visuals and spectacular animation make for some of the most memorable action scenes ever made in an anime – large scale God of War like fight scenes blend in with the dark themed more calm scenes in which the story and characters are masterfully developed with the help of the spot on voice acting and expertly written script. The word “epic” isn’t epic enough to describe this show.
Do not let this lead you to believe however that this is an action oriented show. While there are many a fight until the climatic conclusion of the show, this is without a doubt an emotional story that revolves around revenge, loss, suffering, redemption and survival. One begins to feel a close connection with each and every character the more they develop, and they are done so very well. Overall, there is absolutely nothing left to chance with this show.
Silver Spoon
I generally don't enjoy slice-of-life anime; that should tell you how enjoyable Silver Spoon must be to make it on this list. Silver Spoon is the tale of a city boy entering an agricultural high school in rural Japan as a means of escaping his old life. Of course, this leaves him in a world of horses, cows, pigs, and chickens that he knows nothing about.
But more than being a fish-out-of-water comedy, Silver Spoon is a story about growing up—the struggle to find what you really want to do in life. Yet, on top of that, there are even more layers to Silver Spoon: a commentary on the moral quandaries of raising animals for food and an investigation of old versus new ranching techniques. But perhaps the most telling aspect of Silver Spoon is how interesting and entertaining all of this becomes.
Beyond the Boundary
There are a lot of things to like about Beyond the Boundary: It's visually stunning, with a wonderfully creative world, and meticulous in building a believable love story between its protagonists. One of its best aspects is that it doesn't hold your hand. Rather, it throws you headlong into a world hidden within our own—one brimming with monsters, magic, and monster hunters—leaving you to learn the rules of the world by observation instead of exposition.
Another strong point is its characters—especially insofar as their motivations. Everyone has their own secrets which dictate their actions in Beyond the Boundary—though many are far from what they appear to be on the surface. Best of all, Beyond the Boundary is one of the few anime out there that isn't afraid to use the viewers’ knowledge of anime tropes against them in order to build a surprising (not to mention satisfactory) twist.
Chihayafuru (season 2)
I really can’t express how much I love this anime… it always make me tear up for some reason. I can understand that you might be hesitant to watch an anime about a card game, but if you love well made slow paced anime, you really should look this up.
Suisei no Gargantia
A beautifully executed anime about finding a meaning of life and understanding each other. The struggle of the main character to adapt to his new environment, all the beautiful seascape, the charming cast and the awesome AI of Chamber… make Suisei no Gargantia one of my favorite this season.
Nagi no Asukara
The setting of the Nagi no Asukara is simply stunning. The tale of two cities… the difficulty of accepting each other differences… how stubbornness lead nowhere… Slow progression… multi faceted characters… outstanding animation (like seriously, this shit is just so fucking beautiful). I can’t wait to see where this is going.
Kill la Kill
I’m not gonna lie, i’m placing this one here more by principle then anything. I acknowledge that the creator of this anime created something great, that they went in a very different direction and made it work. I will however not gonna say that i’m enjoying it that much. As you seen from this list already, i’m much more into slow progression anime and Kill la Kill is pretty much the antithesis of that. I need to be a in certain mood to enjoy such fast paced anime… I just don’t happen to be in it lately.
Log Horizon
I first dismissed this anime as being a bad rip off of SAO… but after the suggestion of a friend and few of you, I decided to pick it up. Log Horizon did was Sword Art Online should have done in his season two… more politics and no endless stuff about a princess in the sky. The main characters are however less relatable and likeable then SAO. But if you liked SAO and wish it went further, you will most probably like Log Horizon.
Samurai Flamenco
You start Samurai Flamenco thinking it’s gonna something, then it’s something else… then you think it’s something, but it’s really only something else. Then it goes into an other direction and yet an other one. This show is either horrible or genius and it’s gonna be hard to say until it’s done. But right now, i’m enjoying it (-ish). Nevermind this shit is terrible.
Magi (season 2)
Still as enjoyable as season one, but less political… nevermind that, the start was slow, but this shit is getting intense. Classwar, fascism, tears. Good stuff.
Kyoukai no Kanata
Not much to say about this one. It’s a funny, well made, fast and interesting anime. It’s not a Suisei no Gargantia with deep story line about war or understanding each other. Just turn your brain to off and enjoy the the danm show.
Posted by ArtimesGamer | Mar 13, 2015 2:32 AM | 0 comments
October 23rd, 2013
My Profile Layouts
Anime Relations: Clannad, Aria the Origination
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Posted by ArtimesGamer | Oct 23, 2013 2:59 PM | 0 comments
January 1st, 2013
Anime list: Some of my favorite Slice of life/romcom
Anime Relations: Clannad
Ai yori Aoshi - old school harem type with comedy and romance in daily life
Air - A series involved around some physiology between characters and reincarnations.
Bamboo Blade - fun slice of highschool life in a kendo club
Genshiken - light humor slice of life show, if you want to see the otaku life style
Itazura na Kiss - nice romantic comedy anime
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien - a dramatic slice of life romance
Love Hina - again an old school harem romance filled with comedy
Lovely Complex - amazing romcom
NANA - probably the best romcom / drama + slice of life show i've seen
School Days - start's off with a nice romantic feeling and ends up in blood
School Rumble - one of the best comedy romances i've seen about teenagers (the style takes some getting used to.
Suzuka - really nice anime filled with romance , comedy , drama and a track field club :))
To Heart - old school slice of life / romance
Welcome to the NHK - truly epic comedy filled with a nice romance story in a hikikomori's life.
Ef a tale of memories (romance/drama) Perhaps one of my all time favorite series in this genre.
Clannad - A great dramatic romance series
Kare kano (high school romance)
Chobits (romance/drama/andriod)
Strawberry Panic (romcom/harem)
Honey and Clover (serous romance, friends, slice of life)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (dark comedy, slice of life, otaku culture, paranormal)
The Melancholy Haruhi Suzumiya - (magical, slice of life, otaku culture, school)
Toradora - (comedy, romance, slice of life, school)
Ouran High School Host Club (clubs, slice of life, otaku culture)
Azumanga Daioh (school, slice of life, romcom)
Fruits Basket (romcom, slice of life)
Fushigi Yuugi (romance, maho shoujo, shoujo, action)
Onegia Teacher (slice of life, paranormal, school, drama, romance)
Ayashi no Ceres - (Romance, drama, shoujo)
OTHER ROMANCE ANIME SERIES THAT DON't FALL INTO THE SAME CATEGORY AS JUST ROMANCE/SLICE OF LIFE
________________________________________________
Ah! My Goddess
Ai Yori Aoshi
Aishiteruze Baby
Angel Tails
Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru
Bokura ga ita
Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan
Canvas 2-Niji Iro no Sketch
D.N.Angel
Da Capo
DearS
Elemental Gelade
Futakoi
Gift ~eternal rainbow~
Girls Bravo
Green Green
Guardian Angel Getten
H2O ~Footprints in the Sand~
Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora
Hand Maid May
Happiness!
I"s
Ichigo 100%
Iketeru Futari
Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu
Kage Kara Mamoru!
Kamisama Kazoku
Karin
Kimagure Orange Road
Kimikiss Pure Rouge
Koi Kaze
Lamune
Love Love?
Maburaho
Magikano
Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~
Mahoromatic
Maison Ikkoku
Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku
Midori no Hibi
Myself ; Yourself
Nagasarete Airantou
Oku-sama wa Joshikosei
Oku-sama wa Mahō Shōjo
REC
Rizelmine
Romeo x Juliet
Rosario + Vampire
Saikano!
Sola
Steel Angel Kurumi
Sumomo Mo Momo Mo
The World of Narue
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
ToHeart
Tokimeki Memorial Only Love
Tona-gura
True Tears
Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~
UFO Princess Valkyrie
Ultra Maniac
W-Wish
Yoake Mae yori Ruri Iro na ~Crescent Love~
Zero no Tsukaima
Air - A series involved around some physiology between characters and reincarnations.
Bamboo Blade - fun slice of highschool life in a kendo club
Genshiken - light humor slice of life show, if you want to see the otaku life style
Itazura na Kiss - nice romantic comedy anime
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien - a dramatic slice of life romance
Love Hina - again an old school harem romance filled with comedy
Lovely Complex - amazing romcom
NANA - probably the best romcom / drama + slice of life show i've seen
School Days - start's off with a nice romantic feeling and ends up in blood
School Rumble - one of the best comedy romances i've seen about teenagers (the style takes some getting used to.
Suzuka - really nice anime filled with romance , comedy , drama and a track field club :))
To Heart - old school slice of life / romance
Welcome to the NHK - truly epic comedy filled with a nice romance story in a hikikomori's life.
Ef a tale of memories (romance/drama) Perhaps one of my all time favorite series in this genre.
Clannad - A great dramatic romance series
Kare kano (high school romance)
Chobits (romance/drama/andriod)
Strawberry Panic (romcom/harem)
Honey and Clover (serous romance, friends, slice of life)
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (dark comedy, slice of life, otaku culture, paranormal)
The Melancholy Haruhi Suzumiya - (magical, slice of life, otaku culture, school)
Toradora - (comedy, romance, slice of life, school)
Ouran High School Host Club (clubs, slice of life, otaku culture)
Azumanga Daioh (school, slice of life, romcom)
Fruits Basket (romcom, slice of life)
Fushigi Yuugi (romance, maho shoujo, shoujo, action)
Onegia Teacher (slice of life, paranormal, school, drama, romance)
Ayashi no Ceres - (Romance, drama, shoujo)
OTHER ROMANCE ANIME SERIES THAT DON't FALL INTO THE SAME CATEGORY AS JUST ROMANCE/SLICE OF LIFE
________________________________________________
Ah! My Goddess
Ai Yori Aoshi
Aishiteruze Baby
Angel Tails
Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru
Bokura ga ita
Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan
Canvas 2-Niji Iro no Sketch
D.N.Angel
Da Capo
DearS
Elemental Gelade
Futakoi
Gift ~eternal rainbow~
Girls Bravo
Green Green
Guardian Angel Getten
H2O ~Footprints in the Sand~
Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora
Hand Maid May
Happiness!
I"s
Ichigo 100%
Iketeru Futari
Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu
Kage Kara Mamoru!
Kamisama Kazoku
Karin
Kimagure Orange Road
Kimikiss Pure Rouge
Koi Kaze
Lamune
Love Love?
Maburaho
Magikano
Mahoraba ~Heartful Days~
Mahoromatic
Maison Ikkoku
Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku
Midori no Hibi
Myself ; Yourself
Nagasarete Airantou
Oku-sama wa Joshikosei
Oku-sama wa Mahō Shōjo
REC
Rizelmine
Romeo x Juliet
Rosario + Vampire
Saikano!
Sola
Steel Angel Kurumi
Sumomo Mo Momo Mo
The World of Narue
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
ToHeart
Tokimeki Memorial Only Love
Tona-gura
True Tears
Tsukuyomi ~Moon Phase~
UFO Princess Valkyrie
Ultra Maniac
W-Wish
Yoake Mae yori Ruri Iro na ~Crescent Love~
Zero no Tsukaima
Posted by ArtimesGamer | Jan 1, 2013 4:51 PM | 0 comments
November 12th, 2012
Why is naruto garnered by so much hate?
Anime Relations: Naruto, Naruto: Shippuuden
Some people may be wondering why naruto has gained such a huge following of haters towards the naruto franchise so these are my personal opinions on why this has happened. The hatred for naruto really derived from being over populated and over rated in alot of fans eyes, (fans would overly become obsessed with the franchise and the anime) this is where derogatory term "narutard" originated from. Now people are using that term to justify hating on bleach as well, or have you not heard Bleachtards used quite frequently.
Taken from the Urban Dictionary
This rebellious act started way back during the 80 episode filler arc. During the time in which naruto was loosing alot of popularity amongst fans, but yet people still continued to watch it despite it not following the main story line for a full 2 years. It was also overly populated at this time when it was aired on tv outside of japan and distributed into things like toys, merchandise, wall scrolls, etc. This imo is what garnered enough hate towards the show.
10 years ago people viewed naruto very different to how people view it today. I wish i still had my forum database up and running so i can show you how people commented on the early episodes of this series when they were first aired in japan, but unofortantly it was hacked. People were just obsessed with the series at this time and it was like the gold standard for the mainstream medium of anime. That and bleach. This obsession towards naruto and bleach and its over rated popularity it was lead people to hate upon the show once it started its 2 years of fillers and started to become a popular franchise within the US and serlized.
Perhaps maybe the reason I love naruto so much and the reason it feels very nostalgic to me personally, is because I was around when I watched it first aired in japan and I remember the fanbase during that time of the original series. It was one of THEE most popular anime series on the net and not a single person had anything remotely unscrupulous to say about it.
Suddenly after the 80 episode filler arc began, it lost its reputation and became a show just muddled by idiots that call any one narutards for watching it. I have seen how the fanbase has changed significantly over the past 10 years of watching naruto. Now that same type of hatred to over popularity has continued to grow even now and has not stopped. Its a shame really. People are also easily swayed by this hatred towards a very popular anime series and their for try to find faults in the show and eventually some people even are swayed to the point to where they don't even consider watching it now because of how the hatred for a franchise has spread for this many years and how its considered over rated at this time.
I still consider naruto to be one of my favorite quality anime series, regardless of how the fanbase views it now, i have been a huge follower since its first serialization in shonen jump and it was my first real stardom into subbed anime, so i will continue to watch it till its end and support it for the last few years it has remaining.
Taken from the Urban Dictionary
This rebellious act started way back during the 80 episode filler arc. During the time in which naruto was loosing alot of popularity amongst fans, but yet people still continued to watch it despite it not following the main story line for a full 2 years. It was also overly populated at this time when it was aired on tv outside of japan and distributed into things like toys, merchandise, wall scrolls, etc. This imo is what garnered enough hate towards the show.
10 years ago people viewed naruto very different to how people view it today. I wish i still had my forum database up and running so i can show you how people commented on the early episodes of this series when they were first aired in japan, but unofortantly it was hacked. People were just obsessed with the series at this time and it was like the gold standard for the mainstream medium of anime. That and bleach. This obsession towards naruto and bleach and its over rated popularity it was lead people to hate upon the show once it started its 2 years of fillers and started to become a popular franchise within the US and serlized.
Perhaps maybe the reason I love naruto so much and the reason it feels very nostalgic to me personally, is because I was around when I watched it first aired in japan and I remember the fanbase during that time of the original series. It was one of THEE most popular anime series on the net and not a single person had anything remotely unscrupulous to say about it.
Suddenly after the 80 episode filler arc began, it lost its reputation and became a show just muddled by idiots that call any one narutards for watching it. I have seen how the fanbase has changed significantly over the past 10 years of watching naruto. Now that same type of hatred to over popularity has continued to grow even now and has not stopped. Its a shame really. People are also easily swayed by this hatred towards a very popular anime series and their for try to find faults in the show and eventually some people even are swayed to the point to where they don't even consider watching it now because of how the hatred for a franchise has spread for this many years and how its considered over rated at this time.
I still consider naruto to be one of my favorite quality anime series, regardless of how the fanbase views it now, i have been a huge follower since its first serialization in shonen jump and it was my first real stardom into subbed anime, so i will continue to watch it till its end and support it for the last few years it has remaining.
Posted by ArtimesGamer | Nov 12, 2012 12:51 PM | 1 comments
July 20th, 2012
Top Favorite Anime moments and Openings/ending themes
Anime Relations: Chrno Crusade, Mai-HiME
This is definitively a work in progress and will take some time for me to finish. For now just enjoy some of the video's i have uploaded to youtube already.
Please note that if you have not the seen the series listed here and want to, it is highly recommended that you do not watch the "favorite moment" video's as some of them may contain spoilers!
___________________________________________________________
Tokiha Mai leads a tough life, compounded by the responsibility of having to take care of her sickly brother, Takumi, both financially and domestically. However, when both are accepted to Fuuka Gakuen, a remote, yet respected private school, they see it as an opportunity to change their lives for the better and enjoy a fun and normal school life. Unfortunately for Mai, between her dormant powers and the conspiracies taking place in the shadows of the school, this was never destined to happen.
Favorite Anime scenes
Openings/Endings Themes
Opening Theme
Ending Theme
Alternate Ending Theme
Assorted Anime Selection, not yet updated
HItman Reborn:
______________________________________________________
Posted by ArtimesGamer | Jul 20, 2012 2:03 PM | 0 comments
July 14th, 2012
My anime Collection and a photo of my niece :p
First my anime collections, stuff i own and have collected over the years, now i know this is supposed to be an anime collection, but some of my video game collections are mixed in with alot of my anime, so i couldn't help it and i was to lazy to separate it all, so these are just photo's i took a while back, some are more recent.
First my house nothing fancy, just a bunch of posters mostly
This would be my computer and laptop if you care lol
Now these are some old anime collections i have, they currently right now are actually in a hamper box, cause i have no idea what to do with them. But mostly just various old dvd's.
Now this is the bulk of my collection i have two cubbards and some stuff i put on the floor so i can show everything off. Because some of my dvd's are behind other dvd's, etc. Mostly these pics were taken a while ago for marketing purposes and the pics above, for ebay, my intention was to sell alot of my stuff but ultimately I chose to keep the majority of my stuff.
Cubbard 1
Cubbard 2
And i guess since people are showing their digital collection. Here is mine separated by hard drives.
and last but not certainly least, me and my niece on my laptop.
So their ya go, my entire collection of everything in a nut shell. Although that does not include all my magazine, books and stuff in my closet. But i have like hundreds of those, been collecting for years so i didn't feel the need to create new photo's for that.
First my house nothing fancy, just a bunch of posters mostly
This would be my computer and laptop if you care lol
Now these are some old anime collections i have, they currently right now are actually in a hamper box, cause i have no idea what to do with them. But mostly just various old dvd's.
Now this is the bulk of my collection i have two cubbards and some stuff i put on the floor so i can show everything off. Because some of my dvd's are behind other dvd's, etc. Mostly these pics were taken a while ago for marketing purposes and the pics above, for ebay, my intention was to sell alot of my stuff but ultimately I chose to keep the majority of my stuff.
Cubbard 1
Cubbard 2
And i guess since people are showing their digital collection. Here is mine separated by hard drives.
and last but not certainly least, me and my niece on my laptop.
So their ya go, my entire collection of everything in a nut shell. Although that does not include all my magazine, books and stuff in my closet. But i have like hundreds of those, been collecting for years so i didn't feel the need to create new photo's for that.
Posted by ArtimesGamer | Jul 14, 2012 2:09 PM | 4 comments