Support NeoGAF

[Clov]

TV Anime

1) Yuri Kuma Arashi: Kuma Shock! I know not everyone will agree with this choice, but I absolutely adored Yuri Kuma. It's no Utena for sure, but I consider it to be one of Ikuhara's better works. Tightly paced, with a very memorable cast of characters and all of the strange directorial quirks I expect of Ikuhara, Yuri Kuma was the anime I enjoyed the most this year.
2) Osomatsu-San: The funniest show of the year; judging by its latest episode it will continue to hold that title for some time. Not only is this anime hilarious, it has great animation and a unique art style. Yet what makes Osomatsu great is more than just its humor, but its ability to make us care about these ridiculous characters. I never expected a gag comedy to handle drama as well as the second half of Osomatsu's ninth episode did, but it ended up being one of the best episodes I had watched of anything this year by far. Though my personal favorite segment is when Dayon and Dekapan go on a road trip; few anime handle surreal, dialogue-free comedy so well.
3) Shirobako: A fantastic second half to one of my favorite anime from last year! It remains incredibly insightful about the production process behind anime (both old and new), and it was wonderful seeing the production team overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles when creating an adaptation of a popular manga.
4) Gatchaman Crowds Insight: While not as well done as its fantastic first season, Gatchaman Crowds returns with its very lovable cast of characters and more interesting food for thought. Colorful, exciting, and with something to say, the second season provides both fun action scenes and great drama between the cast members. Like the first season, it still feels relevant to today with its emphasis on social media and the groupthink that often plagues it. A must watch if you enjoyed the first season.
5) Sound! Euphonium: This show has some of the best looking animation this year! More importantly though, it has interesting characters and conflicts. It feels very realistic in tone, but still manages to provide well done comedy and drama.
6) Death Parade: Death Parade has a unique setting, interesting characters, and some absolutely fantastic episodes! While some of the conflicts are more interesting than others, it manages to be very entertaining throughout. I found Chiyuki's story in particular to be very well done.
7) The Perfect Insider: A mystery anime that isn't truly about the mystery at all. While the central mystery is interesting, what's far more interesting is how well our protagonists, Nishinosono and Saikawa are developed. As they piece together the mystery on the island, we get a great sense of who they are. It does drag its feet somewhat though.
8) Show by Rock!: The cutest show of the year by far, but there's more to it than that! With some great music, great traditional animation, and the best CG I've ever seen in a TV anime, Show by Rock manages to stand out. The story isn't anything special, but how well it's executed does a lot for this show.
9) Koufuku Graffiti: One of my favorite slice of life shows this year. The show itself not only is cute, but incredibly relaxing as well. Not to mention how great the food looks. I can't recall any other show making me so hungry!
10) Blood Blockade Battlefront: Rie Matsumoto's newest series is a visual spectacle to behold. While I loved her direction for the action scenes in the bizarre, demon infested New York, the writing is unfortunately incoherent. It's quite enjoyable and exciting; it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Honorable Mention:
Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!: A very funny magical girl parody starring a group of very cute men. Worth a watch if you're a fan of the genre!

Films/OVAs

1) When Marnie Was There: As someone who wasn't a big fan of Yonebayashi's previous film, Arietty, Marnie really sold me on his talent. Brilliant and beautiful in both its visuals and its script, this film is definitely one of Ghibli's best. I certainly hope it won't be their last, but if so they've ended on a high note.
2) The Diary of Ochibi: As a fan of stop motion animation, I loved this! It was amazing seeing the form that Ochibi and her surroundings took depending on the season. I can't even fathom how much work must have gone into this visually ambitious short.
3) The Case of Hana and Alice: I don't know if many people watched this film, but I really enjoyed it. It uses an interesting rotoscoped style, and tells a cute mystery story that's really a vehicle for Hana and Alice bonding. A very pleasant movie overall.
4) Bureau of Proto-Society: An incredibly funny short film whose premise I don't want to spoil for those who haven't seen it. Go in to this one blind.
5) Kanon: Not to be confused with the various adaptations of the Key visual novel, Kanon is a fast-paced surreal short film about the destruction and creation of a new Earth. Well animated, funny, and very strange!

Honorable Mention:
Mushishi Zoku-Shou: Suzu no Shizuku: It's not my favorite Mushishi story, but I still found it to be a nice send off to the series. I'm so thankful that more of this was made. I'll miss you, Mushishi, and I'm eagerly anticipating Hiroshi Nagahama's next work.

 

[Broank]

I actually just got back into watching more anime this year after a couple year hiatus. Tried to watch a few shows each season. Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything.

1. Prison School- First Anime to make me genuinely laugh this much in a loooooong ass time (Goldenboy?). Something I always love is a good escape story, it's something you never really see in anime. Well this one is one of a kind. I never thought it would make it as an anime but it works surprisingly well (despite some low budget music and animation). The way it manages to continuously ramp up the ridiculous situations, the way everything is so well though out and weaves and ties into everything else is pure brilliance. Definitely the stand out show of the year for me.

2. Shirobako - Cute little light drama/comedy anime about making anime. Strikes a good balance of not glorifying it too much and doesn't beat you over the head with drama. A glimpse into these different careers each girl has followed seamlessly woven into one narrative.

3. One Punch Man - Not much in the way of a coherent story or intrigue and not much in the way of comedy but makes up for it with it's delicious quirkiness and some of the best most intense action you will ever see in anything ever.

4. Kekkai Sensen - This show is just oozing it's own distinct style. Not only that but the sense of world building and the way it makes use of that world is really something I always find to be the most important element in anything I watch. Reminds me a little of another favorite of mine Baccano in that I didn't know what was going on for a few episodes but things gradually came together bit by bit.

5. Himouto! Umaru-chan - Show kinda brings me back to watching cartoons as a kid. Fun little vignettes I looked forward to watching each week.

6. Yamada-kun and the 7 witches - Probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. Sounded like a stupid show with a dumb premise. I don't even know why I watched an episode because it didn't seem like something for me but I did and I kept watching and it ended up being very entertaining and heartwarming.

7. Overlord - I could never get into the stuck in an MMO type shows but I watched this anyways and I'm glad I did. I liked the deliberate pace and the way Ainz systematically goes through everything.

8. Hibike Euphonium - Beautiful atmosphere and movie level animation. A show about music but it's really about the insecurity and problems of it's characters.

9. GATE - Really enjoyed the whole premise and atmosphere Gate brought. Felt like an adventure capturing the sense of being along traversing this fantasy world with the characters. I will say I started to read the manga and I'm surprised how incredibly watered down the anime is in comparison. Was kinda retroactively disappointed after seeing that. lol

10. Food Wars - I'm a sucker for food battle shows and this is a fun shounen. Kinda lost steam for me at the end much like the manga did in the same part but I was waiting for the next episode every week none the less.



Some notable mentions off the top of my head~

Nanatsu no Taizai - A fresh colorful and fun shonen series. Fairly standard but some good character development and a bit of a break from the shonens nowdays that have to try to be grimdark at times.

Cross Ange- Up to the mid way point it could have been AOTY but it REALLY fell apart for me there.

Ore Monogatari- Decent romance comedy with a unique protagonist. Also Suna runner up for best bro of the year after Gakuto.

Rokka no Yuusha - Nice engaging mystery with a unique aesthetic. Felt like an introduction rather than a satisfying tale.

Shimoneta - Another ridiculous ecchi show along the lines of Prison School. However where as Prison School is brilliant Shimoneta is garbage. Everything is just all over the place and not thought out and tedious, the humor falls completely flat, just nothing good in this show (besides the ed)


I think that's pretty much everything new I finished this year. I know i need to go back and finish Ushio to Tora because I was really liking that. There are a few other shows I want to watch as well eventually.

 

[Reset]

1. Gintama
2. One Punch Man
3. Parasyte
4. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU S2
5. Haikyuu S2

 

[Qurupeke]

Just a heads up. So far, it's about 110 different shows and 40 different OVA/films on everyone's top 10 lists. Also, I didn't count the votes but it doesn't seem really impossible for Shirobako to surpass OPM.

 

[Evilisk]

Disclaimer: I didn't finish/watch a lot of shows in 2015 (I have watched more, just catching up on shows, in the past month than in the last six months combined)

TV Shows

1. Gintama°; Man I don't care if it's cheating with its now 300+ episodes, this is my anime of the year. The show is still funny as ever, the story has actually managed to progress with the current arc and non-serious characters have finally gotten actual screentime. Basically, it's still my favorite show but even better than it usually is, so how can I not vote for this? The only weak link as far as I'm concerned is the animation hasn't been as good for this run (which is a bit unsurprising since it is a new studio, but is still seriously disappointing).

2. Lupin III (2015); Probably the best looking show (in terms of artstyle) I watched all year. Despite not having watched any Lupin shows beforehand (only the English dubbed movies), I found this really enjoyable. Some of the episodes were kinda dull (specifically the standalone character episodes), and the new characters seemed kinda lame at first. But said characters end up being used well. The show has also moved on from those standalone episodes (since it's still running) with the episodes becoming more interesting. While some of the episodes have been dull, the good ones have been really, really enjoyable to me (especially episode 13) I think it's definitely worth checking out.

3. One Punch Man; The best adaptation of a show (that I'd read the source material of beforehand) all year for me. While I did feel it was lacking in some areas as an adaptation, the area I was most interested in (the action) ended up delivering far more than I ever imagined. It's easily the most rewatched anime for me and honestly got me back into watching anime (since I kinda stopped through most of 2015).


Film

1. Psycho Pass: The Movie; Despite the gratuitous CG and English, this was a much more worthy continuation of S1 than S2 ended up being. While the penultimate moment of the movie ended up being rather easy to predict about halfway through the film, I really enjoyed the world building, the return and further development of Kogami and the action was even solid in a few places. The only weakness I'd give it is that it only feels like a continuation/set up for the next season. There's no immediate payoff or change as the movie is set far outside the main setting.

2. Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade; Was about enjoyable as I was expecting it to be, with the animation being even better than I was hoping. My only qualm would honestly be the new characters being extremely shallow/1-note, and the main character still managing to be the worst thing about it (though at least this time, it was purposely used as part of the story)

3. Kyoukai no Kanata Mirai-hen; As someone who enjoyed the TV series, this was rather disappointing. Visually it was as good as the TV show (but not better, disappointing given it’s a full movie) and just like the show, the action scenes sorely lack that oomph (or choreography) to really make them stand out, despite how well animated they are in parts. In terms of story, it puts a bit of a spin on the TV show’s ending. But instead of a final sendoff type deal, the story feels like a really unnecessary retread for the main characters. It comes off as another dumb roadblock before the story comes to a conclusion, or as an ending for the people that disliked the one in the show, rather than a continuation that really changes anything. The only thing I liked was really seeing certain character mysteries being cleared up (though there were as many questions being raised by the movie as they were being answered). I can’t say I disliked seeing all of the characters again though. I think, in all, it's an average, if misguided continuation for people with qualms about the TV series' ending, that's worth checking out if you liked the series at all.


Honorable Mentions

X. Rolling Girls; Not a great show, but it has some lovely watercolor styled backgrounds and the action is really well animated (when there is action). It's just a shame that the combination of focusing on bystander main characters, and also its town/story of the week formula made for a pretty meh show overall. I did also feel like a lot of jokes were going over my head (I caught on to characters being named after stuff like Shuten Doji, Kaguya and Momotaro but I felt like I was missing out on a lot, especially in regards to the unique setting). Still it's a really colorful show with some surprisingly great visuals and cool side characters.

X. Jojo's Bizarre Adventures: Stardust Crusaders - Egypt Arc; The battles were far more interesting (if a bit badly paced in some cases) and the final battle was great to watch (even if it was a bit dumb). Despite those dumb moments this was still a really solid and satisfying conclusion to Part 3.

X. Gangsta; I really, really liked this show. Despite the iffy looking action and the slow, exposition heavy pacing of the show, I really enjoyed the protagonists, the large side cast, the unique setting and the focus on world building first. Unfortunately the massive case of blue balling with the anime's ending really drops the show down, and it stops me from giving it a proper vote, because it was really enjoyable despite that ending.


Notable/Favorite OP's and ED's of the year
(No links because I can't find legal links for all of them on YT)

Lupin III (2015)
OP - Theme from Lupin III 2015 (composed by Yuji Ohno/performed by You & The Explosion Band)

One Punch Man
OP - The Hero!! (by Jam Project)

Gintama°
OP - Beautiful Days (by OKAMOTO's)

 

[hat_hair]

1 - Shirobako - Well made, consistently good, about a topic I'm interested in, and surprisingly relatable as someone who works in an office.
2 - Maria the Virgin Witch
3 - One Punch Man
4 - Punch Line
5 - Gatchaman Crowds Insight
6 - Parasyte -the Maxim-
7 - Owarimonogatari
8 - School-Live!
9 - My Love Story!
10 - Blood Blockade Battlefront

Honourable Mentions:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Stardust Crusaders: Egypt arc - I love Jojo, but this series was a touch too inconsistent, and it's about the fourth time I've gone through it.
Gundam Build Fighters Try - Not quite as good as the first one
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans - I don't like to vote for unfinished shows
Osomatsu-san - as above
Concrete Revolutio - I haven't finished it yet

If anyone really wants to read my more detailed thoughts, they're at https://bensanime.wordpress.com/


Films/OVAs
1 - The Case of Hana and Alice
2 - Digimon Adventure Tri

 

[Cwarrior]

1.World trigger

World trigger is the most intelligent anime of 2015 and the most unique action anime to come out in a very long time, never are the fights resolved by who has more more power but are decided by intelligent squad based combat about team work, strategy making the most of your main weaponairy like sniper,sword,shot guns and sub special tools.

This anime is pretty much Halo Multiplayer Meets Rainbow six Meets Vanquish.

It starts off really slow as it slow builds it's world up it's not untill ep14 the show starts to ascend into greatness.

2.parasyte

3.Jojo

4.One punch man

 

[Dedication Through Light]

1.World trigger


World trigger is the most intelligent anime of 2015 and the most unique action anime to come out in a very long time, never are the fights resolved by who has more more power but are decided by intelligent squad based combat about team work, strategy making the most of your main weaponairy like sniper,sword,shot guns and sub special tools..

Its really good. Glad to see it get some love. Invasion arc is so epic.

 

[Paltheos]

As it turns out, I've watched exactly 10 new shows this year. Figure that.

1) Shirobako - Shirobako is just swell. If you haven't heard by now, it's the anime about making anime, and it's just great. Shirobako works for two reasons: 1) It feels real, probably because it's written from personal experience and 2) The characters don't give into the despair of these seemingly hopeless scenarios and deadlines. It's just good and from what I understand it's also accurate, which makes it educational too. The things I don't like about Shirobako are few. I don't like that half an episode of cute girls doing cute things for no good reason because the core cast of cute girls work well in the context of the premise of the show, not on their own, and I don't like Taro. Period. He exists only to create crises, and his stupid ass should have gotten fired long before the show started. Thankfully he's not a consistent source of episode-long problems, so I can mostly overlook him.

2) My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! - It's a little tough to rank SNAFU 2. Unlike most people I like the first season more, really. Oh sure, SNAFU 2 isn't talking, bobble heads and has glorious PA Works animation, but I'm not sure if it's better written. Mainly, I have a tougher time following it than I did season 1. I found after talking it over with other fans in discussion topics I'd understand or think I understand what's going on. I can tell there is allot going on though. Peeling away at the layers of subtext is part of the fun though, and I had a ton of fun with SNAFU.
I will say I'm def. not alone though, and there's a remarkably high number of fans who don't get what this show's about at all. SNAFU's a show about a group of awkward and/or damaged teenagers struggling in their relationships with others and with growing up, and whose progress is consistently set back by being thrown into the romantic comedy situations you find in romantic comedies because in real life those situations don't play out the same. It is not a shipping show, and when I see someone romantically pair characters together, especially Hachiman and Yukino, by far the least likely scenario because that's not what their character arcs are about or how they've been portrayed, I tend to think they're not following the show.

3) Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - I had high expectations of this one after learning the writer of Toradora was in on it, and it's better than I hoped. After an entirely impossibly-hard-to-follow expository first episode, the show gets going, and a few episodes in it's built up a momentum for an "actually slow moving but feels fine" drama (on this point, my friend disagrees - He thinks the pacing is just bad). The mecha battles are exciting if not as frequent as I'd like, the political intrigue is engaging, and the cast is on the whole pretty good. Plus there's no Riddhe! Not even a stupid Zeta Gundam character, or a main character who we're supposed to root for who blows up a hospital full of orphans! All positive changes. I'll be blunt - IBO is probably the best Gundam show in a very long time.

4) My Love Story!! - I was looking forward to this show after Chihayafuru. MADHOUSE could do no wrong in my eyes. My Love Story!! is.... worse than Chihayafuru, but it's still a good show (and Chihayafuru is one of the GOATs so it shouldn't feel bad). It's a feel-good show through-and-through with a vanilla romance without any real twists. It's just done well. There are two episodes I don't like because of an awful guest character, but that's it. The main characters are all good, and consistent (which is essential in this kind of show). Takeo and Yamato are so enthusiastic and energetic it's hard not to love them. My favorite is probably the low-key Sunakawa though, who's earned himself a spot on the "best bros of all time" list. Dude is great.

5) School Live - This is a cute girls doing cute things show I can get behind! I can't say why without spoiling the twist, but the show's success comes from playing a neat concept well with an all-around competent cast. It doesn't really make many missteps, aside from the first episode which can be tough to get through, and Megu-nee in general who I think is the biggest weak point in the cast (I know what the idea is with her - It seldom works. It def. could work though).
A particular shout-out to how well Ri-san is played out in the end. The amount of responsibility that could land on her shoulders if shit goes wrong, a responsibility I wasn't sure she could bear, was something always lurking in the background, and when the trigger's smashed, the point comes to a head magnificently.

6) Aldnoah Zero 2 - Entertaining. Aldnoah Zero adopts allot of the worse elements of a Sunrise mecha show - Namely a splattering of every kind of character regardless of how appropriate they are for the situation and story - But overall it comes out on top. It has fun battles with exciting music, the abilities of the mecha are cool, and I care about the story. Season 2 moves at a better pace than the beginning of season 1 too, although I think some of the Sunrise-Code Geass elements are a bit more pronounced (a huge game changer that was never mentioned or alluded to suddenly appearing) and the ending takes a huge nosedive.

7) Charlotte - Maybe the best Jun Maeda show I've watched. Superpowers are cool, and flawed superpowers is a neat concept (although I'm not too hot on the "only while you're a teenager bit"). I don't like the meandering, melodramatic sequences (I know, I know what I was getting in for), the BS plot twists, or the supporting cast which is almost wholly terrible. But the main characters are pretty good, especially Nao, and the show explores dealing with tragedy... kinda well. Still too melodramatic, but a few points are pretty good.

8) Maria the Virgin Witch - Ok, I suppose. I'm not a fan of most of the cast.. Michael the Archangel is clearly a Lawful SMT character thrust into this universe and I didn't accept him because of the tone of the show. The comically insane monk dude EDIT: I noticed I hadn't finished this entry. This accurately attests to how strongly I feel about this show.

9) Death Parade - Ok, again? I had a notion built up in my head of what the show would be like from the first episode, which is pretty good if a bit overly explained. Then the second episode ruined everything by spelling out everything and shattering my concept of the show. I'm halfway through actually and it's... ok for what it is. I definitely like some of the artistic choices but the actual story itself? Eh.

10) One Punch Man - Biggest disappointment of the year, I think, although I came into this with somewhat tempered expectations because the premise seemed shaky, and I was right. It's one-note - Saitama beats everything with one punch. No matter how glorious the fight animation is, the experience is tensionless because I know he'll win every fight at no cost, and nothing else in the show is particularly compelling ("Super sentai is over the top, guys! Aren't we funny?!"). Even the final battle is cold to me since I'd been so dulled on everything so far. I had a few "LOL" moments but for the most part this one's very underwhelming.

I'm throwing in a few other categories of stuff because I want to.
---
Disqualified stuff:
Tokyo Ghoul - I watched only the first season this year. Pretty bleh though, except that last episode which is A+.
Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works - Again I watched part of the first season this year. Disappointing to see a show with such wonderful animation and direction have such a poor script.
---
Best old shows I watched this year:
Shiki - After heavy recommendations from the low key crowd, I checked this one out. It might be the best show I watched this year period. Tough to call. Shiki's a traditional horror show, a slow burner right up until the climax and for that reason I can't recommend it to everyone. If you have the patience though, it's very rewarding. It's beautiful and haunting, and vampires (the subject of the show) aren't romanticized in it. These are traditional vampires, and they're ugly.
Psycho Pass - Some elements especially early on feel like Ghost in the Shell-Lite, and the show has a bad habit of spelling too much out for the viewer, but it largely comes together very well by the end. I still think Fate/Zero is the best Urobochi show (better than Madoka too), but Psycho Pass is pretty good.
---
Worst old shows:
Angel Beats - Dear god this show is a mess. Jun Maeda just kept throwing more shit in without regarding to flow of the story or thematic connection between the ideas.
---
Character of the year:
Nao Tomori (Charlotte) - Nao is a force of nature. She's brusque, tough, focused, manipulative, and a whole bunch of other strong adjectives. In a cast largely full of nobodys, she stands out as the most characterized and interesting character by a wide margin. Top character slot is close because the SNAFU cast is great, but Nao is so entertaining on-screen because she's so much better than everyone else and she knows it that I just don't care.

 

[Kansoku]

This year I'm really lazy, so I'm just going to do some quick words and simple formatting.

1. SHIROBAKO
It was my 3rd place last year. The second part was so. so good, that despite having a Monogatari series anime in the year, I had to put it in first.

2. Owarimonogatari
The Monogatari series is my favorite series. Owari is a great entry. Ougi formula was a good beginning, Sodachi Lost is amazing and Shinobu Time is focused on the best girl Shinobu, so what more I have to say.

3. One Punch Man
It was an amazing adaptation, despite some moments that I felt lacked a little, but then again, Murata is amazing so is hard to top him.

4. Working!!!
I loved the first two season so this one was a delight. It certainly the best season, as it wants to close all ends so

Spoiler

Aoi get reunited with her mom, Otoo-san gets reunited with his with (and then loses her again), we see Takanashi's mom, Satou x Chief HAPPENS, Takanashi x Inami HAPPENS (on the special Lord of Takanashi)

. In other words, everything that needed to happen, happened, and in a great way. I will never forget Satou

Spoiler

declaring himself

.

5. Gatchaman Crowds Insight
First season was amazing, this one was even greater. They really managed to depict the problems with a society without individuality, which is controlled by peer pressure. Not many people watched o if you're reading this, please watch it.

6. Death Parade
Great premise, nice execution. Kurokami no Onna's story was really great. Best OP ever.

7. Hibike! Euphonium
There's no yuri baiting here, you guys all suck.

8. Subete ga F ni Naru
Surprisingly nice mystery, as a programmer I enjoyed the tech aspects of the show.

9. Plastic Memories
That final episode. I knew it was coming. It still hit really hard.

10. Koufuku Grafitti
Nice SoL, great food, made me hungry. Cutest next episode preview.


Also, shout out to the Worse Anime of the Year (that I watched of course): Parasyte. Had a strong start in 2014, really awful end in 2015.

 

[Pellaidh]

1. Gintama° ; Even a slightly weaker season of Gintama still manages to be just about the funniest thing out there. A comedy that consistently manages to make me laugh has clearly accomplished what it needs to.

2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders ; Not quite as good as the second arc, but still very good, with an amazing visual style and imaginative fights and scenarios. This is a show that is clearly made by people that love the source material, and it shows.

3. One Punch Man ; The best animated fights in any show this year, by an absolutely insane margin. And it was consistent, too, with almost every episode providing at least one insane set piece. The writing might not be for everyone, but the sheer visual spectacle is enough to earn it its place on this list.

4. Garo: The Animation ; Due to its rough visuals and use of CG, Garo isn't a show that makes a great first impression. Sticking with it past its rough episodes reveals a real gem however. With a dark world (that never feels like it's trying too hard to present itself as bleak and depressing), some cool monster designs and great character arcs. The animation quality also picks up considerably later one, with one extremely well animated fight scene being a standout. It might not do anything super original, but it does manage to nail both its world and the characters and their arcs.

5. Blood Blockade Battlefront ; Rie Matsumoto needs to work on more shows, as both this and Kyosougiga looked spectacular, with vibrant colors and amazing looking worlds. The overall writing had some issues, and the show wasn't long enough to develop its large cast of characters at all, but the amazingly imaginative world and visuals are enough to still give this a solid recommendation.

6. Food Wars! Shokugeki No Soma ; A show about cooking filled with fanservice managed to be the hypest show this year. I wouldn't have given this a try if it wasn't for the great reception it received during its run time, but I'm glad that I did. This is a show that manages to make something as "normal" as skinning a fish more exciting than taking on an army, and it deserves recognition for that.

7.Owarimonogatari ; Anyone who stuck with this series for this long will probably like this, as it's more Monogatari. While Owari doesn't come close to the best parts of the show, it's still a good set of arcs that's almost completely devoid of the usual aggressive fanservice that otherwise drags the show down. It also features some of the best voice acting in the show, and anime in general.

8. Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans ; A good Gundam show is certainly a rare thing, but IBO seems like it's going to be one. Unfortunately, the shoes in the franchise have an almost consistent track record of their second halves being much worse than the first. Hopefully, that won't happen here.

9. Haikyu!! Second Season ; Still an extremely solid show, just like its first season. Haikyu doesn't attempt to do anything groundbreaking, but it's very effective at providing sports action with a cast of fun characters.

10. Mr. Osomatsu ; Very inconsistent. When it's good (like the first episode) it's really good, but most of the time it just isn't that great. It's hard not to compare it to Gintama, especially considering that they share a lot of the staff, and Gintama is a better and much more consistent show to me, even considering Gintama has over 300 episodes.


Unfortunately, I didn't manage to watch a lot of other candidates due to mostly watching older shows, so this a list from the things I watched that are actually from this year. Other things I'm interested in checking out and might edit in later are Shirobako and Death Parade.

 

[Kapi96]

1. Parasyte -the maxim-: Thought this was 2014, but had to edit it in after seeing it counted. One of the best anime I've seen in a long time. Just sucked me in from start to finish which is pretty rare these days.

2. Arslan Senki: Really loved seeing an epic fantasy anime like this with plenty of action but also a good story behind it all as well. Looking forward to the second season already.

3. One Punch Man: Nearly skipped this as the trailer kind of turned me off and I generally hate superhero stuff. So glad I didn't, absolutely fantastic anime. Some good fight scenes and so so funny.

4. Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo: Always liked the body swap plot device and it was used really well here. Lots of interesting characters and some good comedy too.

5. Kangoku Gakuen Prison School: Another that I wasn't expecting much from, but it was surprisingly good. Intriguing story with some tense moments, oh and Gakuto FTW!

6. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri: Cool fantasy stuff mixed with modern day army troops? Yep, great premise there and it worked really well. Looking forward to watching the 2nd season of it soon. Oh and what an amazing character Rory is. Really cute but also a total badass!

7. Tokyo Ghoul √A: Can't complain about more Tokyo Ghoul. Just wish we got to see more of what Ken was like after escaping. Still a lot of interesting character development there and some awesome battles too.

8. Aoharu x Kikanjuu: Kinda surprised that a story about toy guns could be so good, but it really was.

9. Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou: So so funny. Plus cute girls, and creepy ones too if you're in to that sort of thing.

10. Owari no Seraph: What can I say? I have a huge vampire fetish and Krul Tepes = best waifu!

 

[Basileus777]

So I guess I should get around to doing this before I completely forget.

1. Haikyuu!! Second Season
2. Shirobako
3. Sound Euphonium
4. Baby Steps 2nd Season
5. Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road
6. Is the Order a Rabbit?? Season 2
7. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
8. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!
9. One Punch Man
10. The Perfect Insider

I'll add films later.

 

[CDiggity]

Series
1. One Punch Man:My only real metric for scoring shows is how much I enjoyed them, and this was the show I enjoyed the most. This series is not very deep, the story is very weak and the fights, while pretty, have no real tension, but the way it simultaneously embraces and parodies genre tropes made me have this stupid grin when watching the whole time. The soundtrack and characters, especially Saitama, are just gravy to just a really fun show.

2.Death Parade: Character studies sure are fun, especially when it involves air hockey. I was a fan of the original short, but now we get an expanded view of their strange and interesting world and that's great. Also best OP 2015.

3.Kekkai Sensen: Oh hi, BONES. You sure made something real pretty this year. That said, this show is most definitely not for everyone, but I had a lot of fun with it's shenanigans. I think the setting is the most interesting I have seen this year and both the episodic as well as the over-arching stories which explore this strange place and the people in it are fun tales. It's a shame that some of the characters get the short end of the stick, but that just seemed to be the consequence of it all. I say give it a shot, but I understand if you don't like it. Also best ED 2015.

4.Prison School: One of the 2015 shows I was looking forward to the most. The manga was great and I wanted to see how it would make the transition, and I was not disappointed. It's a great adaptation. While shows like like OPM have great comedy, this show got the most belly laughs out of me. It's rude and crude, but damn it if it isn't entertaining.

5.Shokugeki no Soma: Great food is one of my favorite things in life, and shows about great food is at least worth looking at in my book. The only reason I haven't read the manga is that I am not all that big on Shonen Jump, so I think this anime made a great introduction. While there were other anime about good food this year, Soma added some flair, mainly by having a better cast, to make it the better show.

6.JoJo's Bizzare Adventure:Stardust Crusaders:A fun conclusion, but it's JoJo...do I really need to explain more? Here's to keeping the JoJo streak on GAF's AOTY list going. Bring on Part 4.

7.Shirobako: The anime about making anime is back, and it's still great. It is fun and interesting to see how the show, and the shows being made in the show progresses. While what I saw about the industry was enjoyable, I kind of wished that the show better explored the really dark side of anime production or the industry itself, but then again if it did I don't think this show would have been greenlit. It can sometimes also be a little too slice-of-life for my tastes, but I still had fun and am glad I saw this.

8.Cross Ange: Because Nana wills it, but I also think Ange just might be my favorite protagonist of 2015. This show is dumb. I mean really dumb, and while I generally don't like shows that too far, I tend to love shows that go much much further than just too far. Grab some popcorn with your drink of choice and have a laughing good time.

9.Gatchaman Crowds Insight: More Gatcha, more fun....I got nothing else.

10.Owarimonogatari: Ougi too spooky....it's more of the same monogatari, so again nothing really more to add.

Movies/OVAs
1.Mushishi: The Next Chapter - Drops of Bells: This series has always been amazing, and this is a worthy conclusion.

2.Little Witch Academia 2: The Enchanted Parade: It's more of the same, which in this case is fantastic, but not enough to grab my #1 spot.

3.When Marnie Was There Same Ghibli magic, but has it's problems which I can't exactly go into because that would be spoilers.

 

[AquaWateria]

1.Kekkai Sensen
2.Gintama
3.Noragami Aragoto
4.Osomatsu
5.Haikyuu
6.JoJo
7.Rokka
8.Young Black Jack
9.Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans
10.Shokugeki no Soma

 

[Tuck]

1. One Punch Man; This fucking show, man. What a pleasure. What a treat. Its just so much fun. With great animation, a decent story and an extremely fun, loveable cast of characters, One Punch Man takes the top spot by a wide margin.

2. Death Parade; Oh, Death Parade - you were so close! For most of the year I was certain this would win. Its just an incredibly well produced show. Good direction and animation, alongside a unique story and likeable characters. The episode "Momento Mori" where the girl starts skating was beautiful. I did have a few issues however: in the side plot with the girl and the pop star, it seemed like some very critical scenes were cut, leaving a subplot that felt half baked and didn't entirely make sense. Also some of the judgements passed down were VERY questionable. Overall though, a wonderful show and one that can easily be recommended to someone who doesn't watch anime often.

3. Garo The Animation; Garo is not an incredibly inventive show. It doesn't do a lot of new stuff. But what it does, it does exceptionally well. Its just a well rounded, excellently produced fantasy show, which just so happened to scratch an itch at the time. The cast is great, the action sequences were great (even if they relied heavily on CG), and the story in the second half goes to some interesting places. I eagerly look forward to the sequel movie. Hopefully it turns out better than Crimson Moon.

4. Shokegki no Soma (Food Wars); I thought about placing this one higher. Like One Punch Man, its incredibly fun. It does lose points for fan service and being much more reliant on tropes than the ones in the top 3, as well as the fact that it remains unfinished unlike Garo and Death Parade. Even so, I had a blast watching this - a highlight of my week, easily. Can't wait for season 2!

5. Haikyuu!!; My first sports anime. And what a joy it is. Great animation, great cast, a surprising amount of tension and suspense. I'm not even big on volleyball, but this was a pleasure to watch!

6. Kuroko no Basket 3; Basically the same thoughts as Haikyuu!! The show never quite reaches the heights of the Aomine battle in season 2, but season 3 wrapped things up sufficiently well, and the OVA was a great victory lap.

7. Shirobako; This caught me by surprise. I expected some MOE fan-service shit show. But in the end it was a great look at anime making. It is held back by some really stupid shit (Like the girl who can't talk) and the fact that both cours they make a show I couldn't give a damn about. But the cast was great, the animation was great and I felt really connected to what was going on.

8. Arslan Senki; I thought this would place higher. When I started watching, I thought it might be my AOTY. But ultimately, the competition was too fierce. The show unfortunately didn't have amazing animation, but I loved the story, the setting and the cast. I hope it gets another season.

9. Log Horizon; Ah, Log Horizon. Did you think I forgot about you? I wasn't sure if I would include you, but you scraped by, as some of the other shows I thought about including ended up getting dropped. Log Horizon season 2 had some issues - the animation somehow got worse, and it was slow. But they introduced a lot of cool ideas that show that the author might actually (Shockingly!) PLAY MMOs. Unlike some other shit anime I won't name *Cough*SAO*Cough*

10. Plastic Memories; Not amazing, but I enjoyed it well enough. Had a few really great moments, a sufficiently sad ending. Don't think they went as far with the concept as they could have, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

Dishonorable Mentions:
Garo: Crimson Moon: A step down in every way from Garo: The Animation. What the fuck happened?

Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works: More like Unlimited Talking Works. Second half was a shit show. Characters wouldn't shut the fuck up and kept repeating their poorly thought out philosophical bullshit ad naseum.

God Eater: Yawn.

Indifferent:
Blood Blockade Battlefront: I like the show, but the plot was a mess. They keep introducing characters that do nothing. Theres an over arching plot yet half of the episodes feel completely detached from it. Still haven't watched the finale.

Gundam Orphans: Fuck Atra. Fuck Blondie. Fuck that Gjallhorn 12 year old girl. The guys are all awesome. The girls brought this show down significantly. Borderline dishonourable mention list, tbh - dunno if I'll continue.

Concrete Revolutio: Had to drop this - it wasn't bad, but I couldn't figure out wdf was going on. I'll watch it after season 2 in one go, hopefully it'll make sense then.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Since this thread is rolling by and my casual anime arse watched like three whole series from this year I may as well post a thing.

I'm just ordering this in the order that I watched said shows, feel free to not actually count this as a vote because, well I haven't seen nearly enough to give a proper judgement on anime of the year.


One Punch Man
You know how sometimes you end up checking something out because GAF avatars? because despite having cropped up in a few over time the sudden explosion of avatars containing Saitama's chrome dome had me checking out what all this One Punch Business was all about.
And it was indeed about a One Punch Man, the fun of this how is how it plays around with its overpowered protagonist which by itself could get stale fast. Fortunately the supporting cast provide another angle to look at the superheroics, it's hard not to root for a guy like Mumen Rider and his unique abilities of being....a guy who rides a bike? wonderful.

A blast to watch with some frantic fight scenes, spoofing humour and all digestible in 12 episodes.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders
So in actuality here with JoJo I was starting from the beginning with phantom blood and marathoned my way to the conclusion of Stardust Crusaders.
To say I had a bloody good time would be an understatement, this was some straight up "yeah I can squeeze in another 2 episodes at 2am" kinda show.

Specifically though I should be focusing on the latter half of Stardust Crusaders for this thread which mostly continues the monster of the week formula which continues to endure with perhaps the most enjoyable stand encounters so far.
Honestly I'm not sure what else to say, it's just damn fun, fabulous style and a loving dosage of gratuitous English.
Also has a smug as fuck killer bird, bonus points obtained.

Food Wars
A friend of mine was super into this and showed me one episode to give me a taste of what this show was all about, what I took away from my taster was that this was about the tasting of food causing people to explode out of their clothes and basically orgasm over the subtle nuances of various egg dishes (at least in this one example).
Anime as fuck but I figured it could be a laugh.

If you've ever watched a fair amount of shonen stuff I like to think you've probably had that conversation with someone where you wonder how any mundane activity, hobby or job could undergo anime logic to become an absurdly silly shonen style show.
Well shit here's one that actually went and did it, it took cooking and started running through all the usual tropes I'd expect to see from people punching each other out, except no one punches, they cook.

While it can be repetitive at times and lacks much in the way of suspense seeing that there's nary a negative meal delivered by any character fortunate enough to have a name there's still something oddly engrossing about this.
Like just what twist is going to be applied to an otherwise safe looking meal this time? just how hungry am I going to get looking at these exceedingly detailed dishes? and of course what absurd flavour describing fantasy is this character going to undergo?

Movies?
Well I did take the time in 2015 to finish the Ghibli catalogue (cheers Film4, you saved me a fair amount of cash), the only one that released in the UK this year was the Tale of Princess Kaguya which was a marvel to look at but otherwise didn't resonate with me as much as I'd hoped, which seems to be a recurring thing with Isao Takahata for me.


LTTP Award because why the heck not
Evidentially I just can't get enough shonen shows in my life because Hunter X Hunter (2013) was my reliable viewing experience for the first half of 2015 and to this day I'm still surprised they took a character who I thought was surely a rather flavourless "too cool for school" kid in Killua and slowly had him develop into something much stronger than his initial appearances would suggest.
Alas now I've landed in the trap, being invested in something that will never finish though the anime left it at a decent concluding point so I'll just stay blissfully ignorant of what little more there is to the series.

 

[KillerMike]

1. One Punch Man
2. World Trigger
3. Ore Monogatari
4. Assassination Classroom
5. Eden of Grisaia
6. Prison School

 

[Grexeno]

1. One Punch Man

2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

3. Shirobako

4. Death Parade

5. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma

6. Assassination Classroom

7. Log Horizon

8. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans

9. Snow White with the Red Hair

10. Ushio & Tora

 

[Audio Dope]

1. One Punch Man
2. Eden of Grisaia
3. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma
4. Seven Deadly Sins
5. World Trigger
6. Cross Ange
7. My Love Story
8. Shimoneta
9. Chivalry of a Failed Knight
10. Haikyuu S2

Didn't watch that many this year.

 

[KillerMan91]

1. Garo: Honoo no Kokuin
Such a great show and it's shame so few people watched it. Perfect combination of dark fantasy, action and drama.

2. Shokugeki no Soma:
Never would have guessed that cooking anime makes almost to the top of my list but this series was just so finely made all around that every episode was enjoyable.

3. Shirobako:
Another surprise as if this would have been solely about making of anime I probably hadn't enjoyed it that much but it also had enjoyable characters that you started to care about.

4. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!
First season was already good but this was step up in pretty much in every sense of the word.

5. Cross Ange
Mostly this series was just so dumb that it was great but weirdly enough it also had some traits of actually good show. The main protagonist for example had great character development trough the series and she was like different person when the series ended.

6. Jojo: Stardust Crusaders
Well it's more of Jojo. Time jump back to the 80s.

7. Rokka no Yuusha:
Surprisingly well made mystery series.

8. One Punch Man:
Pretty simple series but sometimes it's not a bad thing. Also animation was top notch in pretty much every episode.

9. Prison School:
maybe not the best adaption it could have been but still the source material was so great that with the combination of spot on voice acting I really enjoyed this.

10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans:
Only first half of the first season aired in 2015 but that was already best Gundam material since SEED for me.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

1. One Punch Man; A show that relied on its humor and amazing action scenes. It doesn't have much depth, but it has mass appeal, fantastic humor, a great OST, and breathtaking action scenes. There's some discussion on whether the webcomic humor translated well into a full-blown anime. And honestly, I think it did. The amount of effort the team put behind this show is worth the praise alone, they went above and beyond the call of duty.

2. Death Parade; A show that visually it hits all the right marks. The comments on the ugly side of humanity get a bit overbearing at points but they balanced these out with examples of human selflessness every now and then. The B plot dealing with the gods was a bit boring, but everything else is worth a watch.

3. Rokka No Yuusha; Probably the surprise of the year for me. I don't think anyone who watched this week by week expected it to turn the way it did. It's hard to not have bad expectations though. Everything pointed for it to be a generic fantasy light novel adaptation. But instead we got a fun mystery aztec-based mythology fantasy show with a solid cast of characters.

4. Working!!!; As someone who has followed the series since the beginning I never thought the third season could end as well as it did, especially after that atrocious second season that brought all progress to a halt. But let me tell you, it's definitely worth a watch. All the relationships and story plots are neatly closed, including the annoying 'going nowhere' romances. If you're looking for a slice of life comedy about a group of workers in the restaurant, where 95% of the show is their day to day life in the restaurant then watch the whole show, as this ending season was fantastic.

5. Ushio to Tora; There's little to say about this series. It's a fun shonen action series. A lot of the enjoyment comes from the banter between Ushio and Tora, the titular characters. If you're looking for a solid shonen action series to watch, this isn't a bad choice.

6. Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans; I'm not much of a Gundam fan, I've watched maybe 3 shows that deal with Gundam with two more I plan to watch at most anytime soon. But Iron Blooded Orphans is honestly very newbie friendly. Show is currently still airing but I have never felt like knowledge from robots/previous seasons was necessary or would add to the enjoyment of the series. The series focuses on a cast of children/teen soldiers and their adventures. It gets props too for being one of the few anime I've watched where the chubby character doesn't have a stereotypical voice or his whole character revolves around being a pervert or eating.

7. Itoshi no Muco; This is probably up here honestly because as a dog owner a lot of the humor and situations really hit home. It still is a very enjoyable light hearted comedy about the life of a glass blowing owner with his adorable pet shiba inu. Should you watch this? If you're a pet owner, definitely as the humor seems to rely on shit you've seen your pet do or situations you've been in and you've wondered about their state of mind.

8. Utawarerumono; A show that while I'm not particularly crazy about it does an extremely solid job with its setting and mood. I'm always relaxed, save for a small arc near where it's currently airing. The show is a very light fantasy series for the most part, as the grand majority is spent on the main city with the cast of characters relaxing and having conversations. Nothing to write home about, but definitely a recommendation for anyone looking for a light fantasy series focused more on the day to day activities vs action.

9. Noragami Aragoto; Noragami's first season was a favorite of mine the first time around, and the second season doesn't quite live up to the first imho but is still very much worth a watch. It's soundtrack, while largely recycled, is still fantastic. The characters continue to be fun. Little more to say.

10. Ore Monogatari; Ore Monogatari is largely here if you watch romantic anime or read romantic manga and are tired of the forced melodrama that tends to plague these works. The show is, after 1 or 2 episodes, the sweet tale of a big gorilla looking dude with his tiny moe girlfriend and basically how much they love each other. Is there a source of drama? Occasionally, but outside of one particular arc at the end, it's minimal and you'd expect it given the looks of the leads. It's a show though that at points can be TOO fluffy and sweet. The humor didn't quite work as well as the manga as jokes were stretched for too long at points. But between this show and Snow White with the Red Hair, I'd recommend this ten times over because not many romantic anime/manga get the leads together fairly quickly with little to no drama in its run.

updated my post in the second page with my list. Won't be changing from this as I'll be fairly busy this week so any shows I planned to watch won't likely make it.

 

[Crash Station]

Really wanted to do a countdown list, but Qurupeke is a butt.

1. One Punch Man

The only possible choice. This right here is why people like anime. Both a parody and a love letter to shounen, general super hero stuff, tokatsu, and whatever else is awesome. The source material alone would have made this take the top spot, but the adaptation went above and beyond, bringing along an absolutely stellar soundtrack and some kind of Madhouse animation magic despite having an apparently modest budget.
Being perfectly honest, this alone is enough to justify the otherwise crappy year for anime.

Probably the best TV one since Gurren Lagann and the best anything one since Hells Angels.

2. Ushio and Tora

So 90s! Well, not really, it's actually pretty standard shounen, but it's a damn good one. A fun Yokai adventure that's pretty much the template for Inuyasha, only you know, actually good and not filled with Rumiko Takahashi fuckery.

3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventures: Stardust Crusaders - Egypt Arc

It's JoJo. Got exactly what I expected out of it, which happened to be exactly what I wanted.

4. Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX

Honestly, not as good as the other two seasons, but it's still the most hot-blooded (and therefore best) magical girl franchise out there.

5. Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma

It's shounen in food form, but a thousand times more coherent and sexy than Yaitake Japan!

6. Death Parade

It's like Death Note with bar games. Well not really, but it definitely has a unique enough concept and direction for wider appeal. Unfortunately some squandered potential here and there, but the way things played out wasn't awful.

7. Prison School

If anyone tells you that sexy things can't be ridiculously tense and suspenseful, show them Prison School. Not a perfect adaptation by any means, but the strength of the source material definitely makes this a damn good show.

8. Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist

Dick jokes.

9. School Live

How could I not vote for a series so cute moe kawaii kowaii uguu cute!?

But seriously, this almost deserves a mention for the studio's dedication to the facade on its own. From the double meaning in the OP's lyrics to the screwing around with the website to the very deliberate direction that hid the secret of the series longer than the manga did. That being said, they did kind of fuck up the pacing. Had it been a more faithful adaptation, it would have been higher on the list. I don't say that as a manga purist, I say that as someone that thought outside the first episode and a few select scenes scattered throughout, the manga just did it all better.

10. Punchline

Best thing Uchikoshi has done.


So yep, that's 2015. Shit year as far as numbers go, but no year with OPM can be totally bad.

 

[Darkness Unleashed]

Just in time to post my vote.

1. Shirobako; This show just has it all; an incredibly deep and insightful look at the whole anime industry, accompanied with an incredibly engaging drama/comedy story about a group of friends trying to follow their dreams, with some beautifully realized emotional moments; chapters 19 and 23 specifically are simply two of the best chapters ever made in an animated series. Shirobako manages to entertain and educate the viewer in superb fashion.

2. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma; A series that fills all the correct spots. Tt has amazing character development, with some of the best flashback use in the medium. It also accomplishes both dramatic/tense moments and funny/ecchi moments in such an addictive way that goes way beyond in any other cooking show I´ve ever watched. This was an incredible ride that had me begging for season two at the end, (which is coming by the way, yay!!!) and one the best adaptations from the source material that has come out in recent times.

3. Your Lie in April; In one word: Gorgeous. One of the most emotive experiences I have ever seen. You get to feel the tension, the internal struggles and the despair in each of these young artists, all while you also get to enjoy some of the best musical pieces that mankind has to offer. Just remembering the ending brings a few clouds back to my mind, but still, in a good way.

4. Sound! Euphonium; An exceptional slice of lice in which we are shown the day to day in the world of a very particular school band, the musical performances took a seat back while I got to enjoy the intense relationships between each of its members, and every time these performances went to the front, they were also great to watch. And all of it was coupled with some insane detail and care in regards to the actual animation and presentation.

5. One Punch Man; Might as well be the gold-standard for superhero anime, insanely fun to watch, with some of the hypest battles ever drawn. Even if the comedy and dialogue fell a bit flat sometimes, it compensated greatly with pure audiovisual spectacle and many really charming characters.

6. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans; My first Gundam show ever and it has been quite interesting to say the least. It features a likeable cast of characters, a well thought out story with many political aspects, and of course, some awesome looking mech fights. The way it transitions from grim and dark to light and chill is very nicely done too. Will keep watching in 2016.

7. Himouto Umaru-chan; A simple, fun show about the lives of a brother and sister, and while it nails the comedic factor at times it also leaves room for a few heartwarming, really cute moments.

8. School-Live!; The “episode one twist” of the year, by far. It may have gotten lost along the way in many of the usual anime tropes, but when it when it tried to pull the heartstrings or create suspenseful moments, it definitely succeeded.

9. Beautiful Bones: Sakurako´s Investigation; The mundane and straightforward mysteries, kept me intrigued enough to come back, week after week, (some that even resonated greatly with me on a very personal level), but above all it was the amazing personality of Sakurako and every of its interactions with the rest of the cast especially with Tatewaki. It is a series that has a huge unfulfilled potential, so I hope we get another season.

10. Charlotte; It started off so good, only to get completely wrecked in a mishmash of atrocious pacing and stupid characters actions. A few cool moments and the overall nice production values save it from mediocrity.

Honorable Mentions:
- Plastic Memories: Terrific start, everything went downhill from there.
- Classroom Crisis: Some decent political melodrama hidden behind layers upon layers of nonsensical and boring stuff.

 

[firehawk12]

I almost forgot to update my ballot. Although I lost half of it because Firefox decided to die. lol

 

[jman2050]

1. Shirobako
2. Hibike Euphonium
3. Owarimonogatari
4. Working S3
5. Koufuku Graffiti

Only sticking with 5 choices this year.

I haven't watched OPM yet, that's the only real hole I notice in my watchlist.

 

[duckroll]

Gonna submit mine over the weekend. I think I'm only going to have 5 shows too, plus some extra mentions. Just can't justify more than that for 2015. It was a pretty weak year for me.

 

[QuantumSingularity]

1. Sound! Euphonium
2. Shirobako
2. Cross Ange
3. Monster Musume
4. Working!!!
5. GATE
6. Prison School
7. Koufuku Graffiti
8. Shokugeki no Soma
9. Etotama
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

 

[victreeb3l]

1. Shirobako
I had a few paragraphs written for this but it was basically just gushing incoherently. All I'm gonna say is Thank You P.A. Works. I love animation and this show made my passion for it burn furiously.

2. Non Non Biyori Repeat:
More heart and feels than most dramas. Funnier than most comedies. Add a stellar soundtrack and art and you have the second most pleasant anime experience of 2015.

The first season was exceptional and somehow they managed to hit another grand slam with this one. Great characters, great life lessons with some gut busting comedy sprinkled throughout. It's hot chicken soup for the soul on a snowy evening. Every SoL needs to learn from this series.

3. SNAFU Season 2
I enjoyed season 1 but I genuinely loved the second. Much better animation, and holy crap at the character development. Some of the best writing and characters I've had the pleasure to watch.

4. Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers
This one came out of nowhere. I too expected some generic fantasy LN garbage but the mystery and the setting grabbed me and refused to let go. The character designs are lame but the characters themselves are great. Loved watching the mystery unfold and the payoff at the end was excellent. I've been reading the LN since and its become one of my favorite series.

5. Yona of the Dawn
Great fantasy with an awesome cast of characters. Yona is also a strong female lead. You cant help but be proud of her as you follow her trials and tribulations. Ao is the cutest thing ever too. Been reading the manga after the series ended and I absolutely cannot wait for S2. This series reaches some crazy heights.

6. Hibike! Euphonium
Yes its still cute girls doing cute things but the music was top notch and the animation was the usual KyoAni God level amazing. Solid SoL.

7. Shokugeki no Soma
I never thought I'd be this hyped for a cooking show, but I am. I dont understand most of the cooking but its engaging and has great characters.

8. Haikyuu!!
Still ongoing but I really enjoyed seeing the character development and the new characters that were introduced. Nothing like sports anime that gets you pumped up and make you want to be your very best.

9. My Love Story!!
Great shoujo SoL. Quality was very consistent. Takeo is that dude.

10. Your Lie in April
The story itself was pretty unremarkable. I hated the MC and how slow paced everything was. The art was pretty but its really the music that makes this stand out. This show has the best soundtrack of 2015, and probably one of the best I've ever heard. Its really fucking good and its the only reason its on my top 10. Seriously, the OST is fucking amazing. I wish it was used on a better show but oh well.

Honorable mentions:

One Punch Man: The animation was pretty but it was pretty meh overall. The schtick kind of grew old quickly. I didnt hate it but I also didnt really love it.

DanMachi: I love generic fantasy anime, its my guilty pleasure. This show had some pretty awesome action. Goddess Big Tits was annoying but aside from the fan service, it was a nice weekly escape.

Punchline: Excellent premise but the execution was kind of flubbed. I loved the twists though and the soundtrack was pretty chill.

Noragami Aragato: I liked the first season and I also liked this too. Nothing else to say really.

Koufuku Graffiti: Another chill SoL about eating food and spending time with people you care about. Great fuzzies.

Biggest waste of time:

Charlotte. Why P.A. Works why.

 

[Mortemis]

1. Gintama°; One of my favorite shows, now even better. It's still funny as hell, and this year went more into depth with older characters that didn't get much screen time in the past. It's currently in an amazing arc, and I have a hard time picking anything but this for my AOTY.

2. Ushio to Tora; Awesome show, it's kinda crazy that they're animating a manga that ended so long ago but I'm glad they did, really like some of the characters and action is spot on. If you're looking for a crazy action anime that's kinda from the 90's, this is it.

3. Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans; A decent gundam show for once in a long time. I like that it's a lot smaller in scale in the beginning, just focusing on the characters in tekkadan is great, instead of immediately starting off with tons of plot lines. The characters are enjoyable, and the show is doing a decent job of introducing the world around slowly. I'm hoping it doesn't turn to shit once it picks up.

4. Jojo's Bizzarre Adventure: Part 3; Awesome ending to this part.

5. Ace of Diamond: Second Season; I picked this show up this year, and quickly caught up. What a ride, Seido's probably one of my favorite sports teams in anime. Loved how much development nearly everyone on the team got, and Sawamura is a good MC. Kinda wish more development was given to the MC though, but still, great show.

6. One Punch Man; I still don't believe it lived up to Murata's art, but I'm glad it did so well. Definitely enjoyable.

7. Yona of the Dawn; I'm not exactly sure why I ended up watching this show, but I'm glad I did. Yona's character is great, and I enjoyed this show a lot overall.

8. Noragami: Aragoto; Both arcs animated were handled well.

9. Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works; Glad this path got animated, was never a fan of the other two paths. Shiro is a lot better in this path imo (which doesn't mean much tbh), but I liked Archer's story a lot. The show was really well animated too, probably the best looking show this year imo.

10. Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers; I checked out this show since I was interested in it's setting, don't see an aztec/mayan setting all that often. I expected it to be an action show, and while it does have it's fair share of action, the show is primarily focused on mystery, and I enjoyed the twist and turns it took to get to the reveal. Ultimately, is a good show, held back by unsightly bad fan service and bad animation.

I agree with people saying it was a weak year. I could probably just watch only the top 5 of my list and call it a year. I guess for me, this year just didn't have that amazing new anime for me, like space dandy last year.

 

[wonzo]

TV

1. Prison School; Tsutomu Mizushima does it yet again with this tonally perfect adaptation of one of the most important literary works of the 21st Century. Gakuto’s love & respect for Guan Yu’s unwavering sense of justice & loyalty is something every man should aspire…

for!

2. Magical Somera-chan; Yet another absurdist masterpiece brought to life by Itsuki Imazaki and his zeal for animating as many Choboraunyopomi works as he can. God bless him.

3. Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider; Riveting character driven locked-room murder mystery novel from the 90’s brought back to life in anime form™. Here’s hoping noitamina pushes for adaptations of the rest of the book series as both it & the industry as a whole needs far more of this stuff. Bonus points for the most experimental Opening & Ending of the last several years.

4. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Egypt Arc; Beautiful.

5. Maria the Virgin Witch; Goro Taniguchi’s expanded & more sober take on a really good (and very crude) manga by Moyashimon author Masayuki Ishikawa makes for a far more brilliant and ernest fantastical tale based in the Hundred Years’ War.

6. Hackadoll the Animation; Had no expectations for a glorified mobile social app ad going in but this just exudes passion and creativity with each and every episode.

7. Wake Up, Girl ZOO!; terrible human being Yamakan not content on just saving idol anime from their own hyper-idealised genre trappings seeks to do the same for the coveted SD idol Anime spinoffs.

8. Kagewani; Brilliant paper drama stylised horror serial.

9. Wakako-zake

10. Himouto! Umaru-chan; Studio Dogakobo’s highly energetic approach to animation was the perfect fit for a series renowned for its visual charm.

Shorts/Films

1. Shashinkan; Most powerful short I've seen since La Maison en Petits Cubes
2. Kanon (Animator Expo)
3. Can Friday By Day (Animator Expo)
4. Go! Samurai
5. Little Witch Academia 2

Honourable Mention:

x. Ninja Slayer 26; The Inferno Cop & old 4:3 laden gimmick of Ninja Slayer gets rather tired after a while but the payoff of it all in the final episode makes it more than worth it. The standout action episode of the year.

 

[JWNSY]

1. Death Parade

Thoroughly enjoyable. upbeat and fun with great characters while also having many emotional moments. Great art by Madhouse.​

2. Sidonia no Kishi: Daikyuu Wakusei Seneki;

Great sci-fi and mech action. Romance subplots were a bit more prevalent this season though.​

2. Gatchaman Crowds: Insight

Fun upbeat hero show with great music and characters. Like the first season it is light and fun to watch.​

3. One-Punch Man

Superb animation and amusing characters. The joke does wear a bit thin at times, but mostly hits its mark.​

4. Owarimonogatari

Continuing the quality of the monogatari series with great dialogue and animation. The second arc was a bit less engaging for whatever reason though.​

5. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders 2nd Season

Excellent action and ridiculous all round as is expected of JoJo was very enjoyable especially in the lead up to the finale.​

 

[AnathemicOne]

Coulda sworn I made a reserved post in here, no matter I'll do my list now I suppose:

TV Series
1. Death Parade
2. One Punch Man
3. Plastic Memories
4. SNAFU 2
5. GATE
6. Shimoneta
7. Yuru Yuri S3

OVA
1. Digimon Tri
2. Psycho-Pass: The Movie

Dishonorable Mentions: Worst at the top
1. Charlotte: WORST ANIME OF THE YEAR. Fuck this show and everything about it. Jun Maeda is shit.
2. Aldnoah/Zero S2: I loved the first season, season 2 fucked everything up but I enjoyed giant robots in space blowing shit up.
3. Assassination Classroom: I couldn't finish it, got a few chuckles from the first few episodes but got bored. Wtf is up with the MC's hair?
4. Your Lie in April: I refuse to put this one in my list even though I've watched it. Melodrama is unrealistic and to the extreme.
5. Shirobako: Couldn't get into it unfortunately.

 

[Semblance]

TV

1. Owarimonogatari; Shinobu Mail.
2. Death Parade; Didn't nail everything, but this was one of those shows I really appreciate just existing.
3. Yuri Kuma Arashi; Ikuhara's still got it, not that there was ever any doubt.
4. Shirobako; All the right emotional beats with a charming cast.
5. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders 2nd Season; Voice acting and sound effects were terrific.

Movies

1. Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie; Arise (finally) establishes itself, becomes easily the best thing to happen to the GitS brand in over a decade. Still anime's superior cyberpunk franchise.
2. Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade; I'll happily take more of the same, sure.

 

[Jasconius]

1. Shirobako ; the second cours was amazing
2. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata ; It's hard to say why I enjoyed the series so much but I just really liked the characters and their interactions. The plot may have been nothing special but I really looked forward to every episode
3. Tesagure Bukatsumono Spin-off Purun Purun Sharumu to Asobou ; If I could go back in time and put the first and second seasons at #1 for when they came out I would because they're amazing but I never watched them until this one was on Crunchyroll. This season was pretty funny, too
4. Subete ga F ni Naru ; Good characters, good setting, interesting story!
5. Ore Monogatari ; It's great seeing shoujo manga like this
6. Death Parade ; Didn't fully live up to its possibilities but it was still better than most anime this year.
7. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?? ; Actually got better than the previous season at the end - cuteness is off the charts
8. Charlotte ; I loved it, I hated it, but I still feel like it was worth watching although I would never recommend it to anyone lol
9. Akagami no Shiroyuki-hime ; Basically just for Shiroyuki, this show would be better with better other characters!
10. Yuruyuri San Hai ; Improvement over season 2 but not as good as the first - still had some great moments

 

[Narag]

TV

1. Concrete Revolutio

Thankfully AOTY is basically a popularity contest so I could vote for whatever I wanted as #1 which I did. I don’t think I’ve had as much fun with a show like Concrete Revolutio as I have in a long while.

Imagine an examination of the Showa-era through the lens of superheroes and you have this show. They’re not the traditional capes though, they’re the very Japanese tropes of robot detectives, giant heroes, magical girls, giant robots, and so on are all brought together under the same umbrella to create a world that’s most like a western comic book universe than anything else. The show’s use of achronological storytelling gives it a great hook too since more questions are raised with each subsequent answer given. This can make the show superficially daunting but think it rewards the patient viewer as pieces fall into place and things become clear.


2. Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider

If I had to say, this one’s objectively better than my #1 pick and an overlooked gem of a show. Great mystery, great characters, and a great ending that seems to rub people the wrong way because, while complete, it isn’t as neatly tied up as some might like. It also has this unfounded reputation for being “too smart for its own good” which, in turn, is sad since that narrative isn’t reflective of the show, just the propagation of opinions by people who either gave up on the show early or simply read about it online.

3. Kagewani

Horror anime is rare and even then it’s typically bad. Kagewani is this beautiful reprieve from that as it takes the basic conceit of Yami Shibai’s paper cutout horror presentation, refines it considerably with better direction and incredible atmosphere, and shores it up with an overarching narrative that connects each story before coming together so very, very well.

4. Yurikuma Arashi

Even flawed, compacted Ikuhara is a sight to behold but it’s hard to rate this higher due to lost potential. I was certain this would be a top 3 show for me but the compromises early on are all too apparent and it’s sad to think about what we should have got.


5. Death Parade

As a show that grew off the old Anime Mirai episode called Death Billiards, it’s a novel take on the afterlife. Strong direction throughout, writing not so much. But when the stars aligned and both came together, it gave the best two part episode (8 & 9) I’d seen all of last year which kept the show from ever fully leaving my memory despite airing last winter.

6. Hackadoll

I’ve a soft spot for people doing licensed/adapted works fully making it their own and Hackadoll does just that with its overflowing energy and humor. Even it’s reference humor is rock solid as it demonstrates just how important care for the subject matter goes when parodying it.

7. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders S2

Egypt felt like a return to Battle Tendency form as the encounters became far less predictable and there was a degree of delicious “What’ll happen next?” for anyone not in the know. Putting the bizarre back into bizarre adventure if you will.

8. Magical Somera-chan

While weaker than the previousAi Mai Mi Choboraunyopomi/Imazaki works, it made a nice addition to what I hope is a burgeoning little corner of anime where they have future collaborations.

9. Show by Rock!!

Anime that for the most part never gets too full of itself by creating unnecessary drama and instead revels in being a cartoon which too few shows actually do.

10. Wakako-zake

Another short anime that’s little more than celebration of the meal which, in turn, is sensible for the working adult without enough time to partake in life’s other pleasures.



Movie/OVA

1. When Marnie Was There

It’s a shame Ghibli shuttered its doors as I really think Yonebayashi could have become the third face of the studio that had sought for years. Arriety was already this somber take on the transience of relationships and Marnie continued that tone with the exploration of a world where one didn’t belong. Hopefully he’ll be able to continue making movies outside of that studio as his examinations of the melancholy of existence feel so very underrated.

2. Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark

It was so great to revisit Yamato in what was ostensibly a Star Trek movie. The start was admittedly strange but once things got rolling, doubts were easily forgotten.

3. Strike Witches: Operation Victory Arrow

This probably would have been #3 even if I had watched more stuff but since I only watched three eligible items for this category, here we are.

 

[duckroll]

Okay let's get this over with. I really wasn't feeling anime much in 2015 because Aldnoah/Zero S2 had such a shitastic ending, and everyone wanted to talk about Fate/Shit Night Unlimited Bore Works. Only caught up with some of the stuff I was interested in earlier in the year very recently... oh well.

TV

1. Shirobako - Da best. If you care about animation at all and want to watch a fun, well made and quirky show about people who work in the animation industry made by the people who work in the animation industry, can't go wrong with this. Really great stuff.

2. Garo the Animation - Also da best. Dark fantasy action adventure done right. Lots of weird episodic stories, some tragic, some funny, some just silly. Solid framing storyline as well with dual protagonists. Lots of good action. Excellent monster designs and music. The production values are all over the place initially, but gets pretty consistent after a while. Also has some of the best action fights in anime in 2015.

3. Death Parade - Life and death. Sin and redemption. An episodic series of stories about people being judged in the afterlife for their. The atmosphere is really good, and while some of the ideological stuff is hit or miss, I enjoyed the overall message a lot.

4. Concrete Revolutio - Stylish designs, great animation, tons of creativity. This Japanese spin on western style ensemble superhero commentary ala Watchmen often reaches further than it can grasp, but ambition is something we should encourage and support, not laugh at. When it lands a homerun, it really lands, so that makes up for the somewhat inconsistent narrative. The way it celebrates and critiques the Showa era in Japan through an alternate history lens is also something that deserves far more appreciation.

5. Blood Blockade Battlefront - NYC reimagined as a melting pot of humans and demons living side by side, amazing art direction and backgrounds, solid production values. The ending totally failed to land, but the episodic stories it told were great while it lasted. Probably the best TV anime soundtrack for the year too. The ending animation sequence in particular is really amazing, and both opening and ending songs are awesome.


Honorary mentions:

X. Haikyu Season 2 - Great sports anime just like the first season, I love how it humanizes all the characters and teams to create a really pleasant competitive atmosphere in the setting. Will vote for this properly next year since it is still running now.

X. Gatchaman Crowds Insight - As I said above, I do value ambition even when it misses, but the attempt in this new season to deal with politics, terrorism, and voter responsibility just didn't quite work. Nakamura is a very talented director, but I think he should stick to dealing with subjects he is good at expressing instead, such as characters, personality, and psychology.

X. Yatterman of the Night - I really liked the designs and the loose animation style. Didn't get to finish the show though, and some episodes were pretty sloppy. Don't have a definitive opinion yet.

X. One Punch Man - Has some pretty rad action animation. I hear people really like this.




Movies/Shorts

1. Animator Expo Hammerhead (Short) - I love this short. It's not particularly deep or anything, but for a super edgy take on a reluctant superhero, it had tons of great action and effect animation and crazy regenerative sequences. I really liked the look and feel of the entire short and it just made me feel... satisfied. Can't ask for much more.

2. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (Film) - Instead of a direct sequel, this is sort of a Star Trek type side story that takes place just before the end of the series. It's a pretty neat haunted house mystery story which also has a bunch of hooks for the upcoming sequel series, expanding on the next alien race which will play a larger part in the future.

3. New Ghost in the Shell Movie (Film) - This is the climax of the GitS Arise OVA series, and while I didn't care for the OVAs much at all, this film does a pretty good job of tying stuff together into an exciting and entertaining techno thriller. I like how the assembled team works together and all the set pieces involve teamwork. Very nice fights too, with fluid melee combat.

4. Animator Expo Cassette Girl (Short) - There are a number of good CG shorts in the Animator Expo series, but this one is the best. It is also a really well made homage to classic indie anime tropes originating from Gainax's old Daicon shorts. Okay, actually the main reason it is on this ranking is because it basically has a Transformer in it at the end, and I love Transformers.

5. Little Witch Academia The Enchanted Parade (Kickstarter) - I kickstarted this so I have to vote for it. I think those are the rules. The remote control robot and the pole dancing were the best. Yay!

 

[Tekomandor]

TV

1. Owarimonogatari

It's not the absolute best monogatari, but it is still very, very good. Also contained 100% more Ougi than any other show this year.

2. Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX

This was the most Symphogear Symphogear to ever Symphogear. Massacre Harp is the best song in the series, and the first episode was probably the series' best.

3. Yuri Kuma Arashi

Another seriously quality show from Ikuhara, with more meaning and shit packed into a single frame than most shows have at all. That was sometimes a flaw, but it's a flaw inherent in what makes it good. At least it is in my mind.

Movies/Shorts

1. Psycho-Pass: The Movie

A worthy successor to season one in every way, with even more development for Akane and a return to Kogami.

2. Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade

It's like the first one, and that should be all the information you need to decide to watch it or not. If you haven't seen the first one, stop browsing neogaf and go watch it right now.

 

[boo]

1. Baby Steps 2;
2. Mobile Suit GUNDAM: Iron-blooded Orphans;
3. Prison School; Pervert Anime of the Year. Looking forward to the uncensored version.
4. Your Lie in April;
5. Parasyte;
6. Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine;
7. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Too!; The Bat is back.
8. JoJo`s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders: Egypt Arc;
9. Charlotte;
10. Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon?

 

[TheRancor]

TV

1. Shirobako;

Hugely enjoyable, filled with great camaraderie and satisfying payoffs. It successfully conveys the inner workings of the anime industry with an even handed look while never forgetting to have fun. As each member scrambles to adapt a popular manga we see diverse states mind and situations that could very well be based on real life anecdotes.

2. Sound! Euphonium;

The journey of a high school concert band captured in vivid detail with a good handle on its ensemble cast. Filled with thoughtful direction and storyboarding, many shots and scenes manage convey meaning through its visuals while the drama and characters tie naturally with the pain and joy of being musicians.

It contains a level of visual polish only KyoAni could pull off and the show even looked increasingly better rather than the inverse. The well realized details on instruments and band playing give the show a tremendous amount of authenticity.

3. Death Parade;

A unique take on judgment in the afterlife with visually accomplished aesthetics and slick direction. Uneven by nature of its episodic jaunts, some of the writing or ideas don't quite land while some characters have a tendency to overact. Nevertheless, the moody tone conveys a great deal and when it works, the stories and themes successfully touch on human conditions.

4. Haikyu!! Season 2;

Not particularly groundbreaking but unashamedly executes its trappings with great energy and amusing cast interactions. It shows off a real flair in and out of its volleyball matches that make for some smooth entertainment. The production is also to be commended for its consistency. Unfortunately it's plagued with the usual overlong developments and tiresome narrative beats that is commonly associated with the genre which might be bothersome. Still, good fun all in all.

5. Jojo's Bizzare Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Season 2;

Continues to be a competent adaption with a welcome sense of immediacy and more creatively wacky scenarios. Every week always ensured something uniquely new could occur which made it fresh to watch.

6. Concrete Revolutio;

Interesting concepts and ideas on superheroes in an alternate history wrapped in a clumsy package. The back and forth period transitions don't really work out too well in practice but is an intriguing novelty nonetheless. The usage of (loosely) real world events and movements help give the series a nice framing that grounds its supehero antics while steeping it with relevant themes. The attempts at juggling all these elements don't always work, but it's an effort that made me continue watching.


Honorable Mentions:

One Punch Man; Contains some fantastic action sakuga in an otherwise average production, enjoyable popcorn with rather rote but occasionally amusing jokes.

Wakako-zake; Relaxing ruminations of a working lady over various meals each episode.

Lupin the Third Part 4; What I saw of it was some nice harmless fun.

Snow White with the Red Hair; Inoffensive shoujo pleasantries with Bones competency, but the music score by Michiru Oshima is to die for.


Overall 2015 TV felt sort of weak as a whole and I also couldn't get to some other shows in time. Ah well.

------------------------------------------------

Movie/OVA

1. Shashinkan;

This short film of a portrait studio on top of a hill is a prime example of an unfettered singular vision brought to life by Takashi Nakamura who expertly brings an understated atmosphere and emotion behind it.

With the help of Studio Colorido, Nakamura not only directs but does all the key animation himself which is adorned with an attractive xerography type line art. As such, the character animation is both measured and cohesive. The gorgeous background art provided by Shinji Kimura brings the visuals together to show various periods and events in stunning fashion.

It would be remiss to mention Colorido and Nakamura without mentioning the Animator Expo short Bubu & Bubulina which is also well worth watching.

2. Miss Hokusai;

Comprised of loosely connected vignettes as it seeks to touch the various aspects of life with its convincing depiction of the Edo period and the daily ordeals of the protagonist O-Ei. The low key and restrained tone gave a really sincere exploration of an artist and the people around her. The subject of art is shown to transcend and decorate reality while different approaches are presented in meaningful contrasts.

3. When Marnie Was There;

Hopefully not the final film from Ghibli. Portrays a moving relationship between two girls from seemingly different circumstances and gives an intimate look on a sullen introvert plagued with anxiety. There were sudden awkward developments and perfunctory side characters that I wasn't too big on but as a whole, it can stand as a really well made film and a fine addition to Ghibli's filmography.

(In truth I couldn't accurately choose over which Animator Expo shorts to highlight but here are two really good ones.)
4. I Can Friday by Day (Animator Expo);

Tsurumaki and Sushio team up in this visually fun quirky short of aliens masquerading as school girls.

5. Kanon (Animator Expo);

A short based on a Czech play and confidently directed by Mahiro Maeda who seems bursting with enthusiasm, a manic kaleidoscope of events and visuals showing a delusional creator driven mad by his creations.


Honorable Mentions:

Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade; Yoshinari returns with some great animators and those other animators from the first Little Witch Academia! Great fun with neat visuals that fuse conventions from the west with anime.

Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark; Basically like a long extended episode of the show, nice to be back into the world as it strayed into some reality bending hijinks and featured cool spaceship battles once more. Season 2 when.

Animator Expo; Contains a whole gamut of creative shorts with differing quality, a whole range of cool stuff. Just go watch them all before they are taken down and you'll be better for it.

 

[MikeHattsu]

26 hours left to vote now.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Edited my post on page 2. So ignore the recent quote I made. Basically I didn't realize the second LWA film was 2015, so I added it to my list.

 

[3Kaze]

1. Ninja Slayer;
2. Charlotte;
3. Chaos Dragon;
4. Aldnoah Zero 2;
5. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid;
6. To LOVE-Ru Darkness 2nd;
7. Punchline;
8. Cross Ange;
9. Kantai Collection;
10. Garo: Crimson Moon;

 

[Qurupeke]

26 hours left to vote now.

And there are still reserved posts. lol

 

[phaze]

3. Kyoukai no Kanata Mirai-hen; As someone who enjoyed the TV series, this was rather disappointing. Visually it was as good as the TV show (but not better, disappointing given it’s a full movie) and just like the show, the action scenes sorely lack that oomph (or choreography) to really make them stand out, despite how well animated they are in parts.

Maybe cause the TV show already was movie levels of polish. ;p I dunno I remember feeling that action at the very least was better in the movie.

 

[Hitsukara]

1. Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - Exodus; It was the best mecha anime that no one watched. I didn't really liked the first season but this one was very good.
2. One Punch Man; Everything was excellent.
3. Rokka no Yuusha; I really liked the mystery.
4. Gundam Build Fighters Try; Not as good as the first one but very enjoyable
5. Garo: The Animation; fun dark fantasy even if 3d is meh sometimes.
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders; It was fine.
7. Concrete Revolutio; A fun mess.
8. Ushio to Tora; Sometimes boring but solid overall.
9. Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine; Mecha part is cool but the rest not really.

 

[Decado]

TV - Caveat: I've watched very little 2015 TV anime. Not a lot grabbed my attention, as usual these days.

1. Mobile Suit GUNDAM: Iron-blooded Orphans ; First Gundam show I've seen that doesn't have a really annoying protagonist. This also makes it the best Gundam show I've seen. Competition wasn't tough in 2015.
2. Haikyu!! Season 2 ; Surprisingly entertaining shounen. Impressive enough that I kept watching, which generally doesn't happen. Reminds me of Ippo in that it really humanizes opponents.
3. Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works; Male lead is fucking annoying, but it is easily the prettiest anime on TV (2015).
4. Gangsta; Really wants to be the new Bebop. It isn't. Nice to watch a show where children aren't the main protagonists. Still not very good, though.

Unfortunately, I didn't have access to One Punch Man or the new Lupin.


OVA/Film

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark ; film version of favourite anime TV series in a long time. Yes pls.
2. Psycho-Pass: The Movie ; Never saw season 2, but season 1 was pretty good and the movie easily lived up to that first season.
3. Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie ; Um...I might have this confused with the OVAs. Not the best GitS, but still a damn sight better than most anime these days.

 

[hosannainexcelsis]

3. Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works; Male lead is fucking annoying, but it is easily the prettiest anime on TV (2015).

I can't agree with that. Ufotable's Type-Moon aesthetic style has problems in general, and Fate Stay/Night is definitely not the best example of it. There are many more attractive 2015 TV anime: Yona of the Dawn, Garo the Animation, Koufuku Graffiti, Sound Euphonium, Kagewani, Osomatsu-san, for example.

 

[ColossalLazy]

TV

1. One Punch Man - Excellent animation and soundtrack resulted in an adaptation that elevates its original material.

2. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! - The jump in animation quality and art made the second season even better with its great characters and drama. I will never forget the jazz hands guy.

3. Haikyuu!! Season 2 - The story and animation maintains the same quality as the first season. A lot of character development.

4. Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road - Great ending for this anime. So much shounen heart.

5. Rokka no Yuusha - Despite the average animation quality, its greatest hook was its mistery. It was very engrossing trying to piece the clues together. The characters helped make the story better.

6. Blood Blockade Battlefront - Great world and setting coupled with great animation and soundtrack. Made for many crazy stories with how chaotic it is. Unfortunately the final arc wasnt that interesting.

7. Log Horizon 2 - DATABASE DATABASE. I want a next season now, dat hook.

8. Snow White with the Red Hair - So comfy and sweet. It made my diabetus worse. With Season 2 going on, I might go to the hospital.

9. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders - ZA WARUDO.

10. Shokugeki no Soma - Great adaptation. Unfortunately, the lewd was unnecessarily increased.

Honorable Mentions - Because it couldnt fit the top 10

X. Gatchaman Crowds Insight
X. Gintama


OVA/Movie

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Odyssey of the Celestial Ark - Excellent movie. More Yamato 2199 is always a good. Bring on the next season.

 

[#1 defender]

TV

1. One Punch Man; This show really took me by surprise. I've noticed some of the manga buzz on GAF when the show was announced, but didn't pay further attention to it until the premiere. Once i watched it, i found it to be a surprisingly funny series with endearing characters, awesome action scenes and a memorable soundtrack.

2. Shirobako; The second season is another very insightful and delightful look into the production of an anime series, this time a manga adaptation.

3. Lupin the Third (2015); Stylish and solidly entertaining if unremarkable new adventures with this classic crew of lovable rogues.

FILM

1. When Marnie Was There; Sadly the only anime movie i got around to watch last year. The plot might have some issues, but overall it really pushed all the right emotional buttons for me and deeply affected me, which is a fairly rare thing for me.