-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
NeoGAF Anime of the Year 2016 - Voting Thread
- Thread starter Cornbread78
- Start date
- Status
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
try Mob Psycho 100 and Thunderbolt Fantasy
MHWilliams
Member
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Yuri on Ice
3. Haikyuu
4. My Hero Academia
5. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans S2
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable
7. Erased
8. Kiznaiver
9. Konosuba
10. Orange
2. Yuri on Ice
3. Haikyuu
4. My Hero Academia
5. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans S2
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable
7. Erased
8. Kiznaiver
9. Konosuba
10. Orange
davidwhangchoi
Member
TV
1. First 10 episodes of Macross Delta
OVA
1. Gundam Thunderbolt; music was hot and the animation.
1. First 10 episodes of Macross Delta
OVA
1. Gundam Thunderbolt; music was hot and the animation.
It probably would be if we forgot like the last 3 episodes lol
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Too bad I didn't watch Natsume, or I'd probably have that on the list too. lol
Oh they're finally jumping back? I'll probably watch then.
1) Hibike! Euphonium 2
This show is just gorgeous in every way. There was no show I wanted a sequel to more than eupho 1, and I got it. Immaculate visuals, great great great voice acting, moving drama... it was just fantastic on every level. I prefer the first season for being more focused (and for having a better OP/ED), but still, there's no question that this tops this year's list.
2) Love Live! Sunshine!!
It's no secret that I love live, but I've always acknowledged the weaknesses of the OG anime. Sunshine addresses most of those: the cast act more like friends, the humor is better and more varied, the drama is spread out and foreshadowed rather than dropping like a bomb in the last few episodes, and I like all the characters. It's not without its flaws, most notably eternally-moody Kanan and the bizarre choice to make the last episode of a one cour show mostly a recap, but it's cute and funny and pretty (the hair! the eyes!) and I love it.
3) Flip Flappers
ＦＬＩＰ　ＦＬＡＰ　ＦＬＩＰ　ＦＬＡＰ
I was tempted to leave it at that, but that would be doing this incredible show a disservice. Flipflaps is cute, and colorful, and imaginative, and it's got great action, great romance, and an absolutely phenomenal ED. I love it. I preferred its early "two girls falling in love as they go on wacky episodic adventures" episodes to its latter half, but the latter half was still good, and the ending was solid.
4) Haikyuu!!
The volleyboys! If I'd watched the first season in whichever year that aired it probably would have been on my list, and the second season topped it in every way. The third season was also fantastic, but would have been lower on my llist by itself. Haikyuu is quite simply the best traditional sports anime I've ever seen. Engaging characters, amazing animation, tense matches, a great sense of progression, good comedic interludes, and dorky boys I want to see flirt with each other. It conveys speed better than any other animation I can think of. Its only real competition, sports anime-wise, is Chihayafuru, and that's quite different in many ways, so I'm going to excuse myself from putting one over the other.
5) Macross Delta
The latter half of Delta was very flawed, so much so that I ended up pausing around episode 20 for half a year. The ending was good and fun, but by the end the show was unfocused and not much was resolved. HOWEVER, the beginning was just so much fun that I still love the show. The first ep is my favorite first episode of an anime since Star Driver's. It's all just so much fun! The music, the characters, the dancing robot, the fun alien worlds, I love it. Hayate and Freyja are just too cute together! If the second cour could have lived up to the first, this would have probably been up there with eupho. Alas. At least I'll always have Ikenai BORDERLINE.
6) Flying Witch
Amazingly chill and cute, it would have set a new bar for chill SoL if NNB didn't already exist. Makoto is the Cutest Witch.
This really was a fantastic year for anime. There are a good dozen or more shows that would compete for the next four slots, but these are the six that stood out for me, so I'll leave it there.
Shoutouts to good-anime-I-haven't-finished-yet-but-might-otherwise-have-been-contenders Osomatsu-san, Tonkotsu DJ Agetarou, and Yuri on Ice.
For movies and OVAs, I don't think I saw a ton that are from this year in Japan. I really really wish I could have seen Koe no Katachi, but that will have to wait until it comes to theaters over here or gets a disc release. As it is, I can only think of one I saw that warrants mention, so
1) Doukyuusei/Classmates - A super cute flick about two high school boys falling in love and dating. That's all there was to it, but it was well-executed and had neat animation.
This show is just gorgeous in every way. There was no show I wanted a sequel to more than eupho 1, and I got it. Immaculate visuals, great great great voice acting, moving drama... it was just fantastic on every level. I prefer the first season for being more focused (and for having a better OP/ED), but still, there's no question that this tops this year's list.
2) Love Live! Sunshine!!
It's no secret that I love live, but I've always acknowledged the weaknesses of the OG anime. Sunshine addresses most of those: the cast act more like friends, the humor is better and more varied, the drama is spread out and foreshadowed rather than dropping like a bomb in the last few episodes, and I like all the characters. It's not without its flaws, most notably eternally-moody Kanan and the bizarre choice to make the last episode of a one cour show mostly a recap, but it's cute and funny and pretty (the hair! the eyes!) and I love it.
3) Flip Flappers
ＦＬＩＰ　ＦＬＡＰ　ＦＬＩＰ　ＦＬＡＰ
I was tempted to leave it at that, but that would be doing this incredible show a disservice. Flipflaps is cute, and colorful, and imaginative, and it's got great action, great romance, and an absolutely phenomenal ED. I love it. I preferred its early "two girls falling in love as they go on wacky episodic adventures" episodes to its latter half, but the latter half was still good, and the ending was solid.
4) Haikyuu!!
The volleyboys! If I'd watched the first season in whichever year that aired it probably would have been on my list, and the second season topped it in every way. The third season was also fantastic, but would have been lower on my llist by itself. Haikyuu is quite simply the best traditional sports anime I've ever seen. Engaging characters, amazing animation, tense matches, a great sense of progression, good comedic interludes, and dorky boys I want to see flirt with each other. It conveys speed better than any other animation I can think of. Its only real competition, sports anime-wise, is Chihayafuru, and that's quite different in many ways, so I'm going to excuse myself from putting one over the other.
5) Macross Delta
The latter half of Delta was very flawed, so much so that I ended up pausing around episode 20 for half a year. The ending was good and fun, but by the end the show was unfocused and not much was resolved. HOWEVER, the beginning was just so much fun that I still love the show. The first ep is my favorite first episode of an anime since Star Driver's. It's all just so much fun! The music, the characters, the dancing robot, the fun alien worlds, I love it. Hayate and Freyja are just too cute together! If the second cour could have lived up to the first, this would have probably been up there with eupho. Alas. At least I'll always have Ikenai BORDERLINE.
6) Flying Witch
Amazingly chill and cute, it would have set a new bar for chill SoL if NNB didn't already exist. Makoto is the Cutest Witch.
This really was a fantastic year for anime. There are a good dozen or more shows that would compete for the next four slots, but these are the six that stood out for me, so I'll leave it there.
Shoutouts to good-anime-I-haven't-finished-yet-but-might-otherwise-have-been-contenders Osomatsu-san, Tonkotsu DJ Agetarou, and Yuri on Ice.
For movies and OVAs, I don't think I saw a ton that are from this year in Japan. I really really wish I could have seen Koe no Katachi, but that will have to wait until it comes to theaters over here or gets a disc release. As it is, I can only think of one I saw that warrants mention, so
1) Doukyuusei/Classmates - A super cute flick about two high school boys falling in love and dating. That's all there was to it, but it was well-executed and had neat animation.
1. Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World
2. Mob Psycho 100
3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
4. Haikyuu!! Third Season
5. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
6. My Hero Academia
7. Space Patrol Luluco
8. Erased
9. ReLIFE
10. KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!
2. Mob Psycho 100
3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
4. Haikyuu!! Third Season
5. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
6. My Hero Academia
7. Space Patrol Luluco
8. Erased
9. ReLIFE
10. KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!
Bob Coffee
Member
1. Thunderbolt fantasy
2. Love Live Sunshine
3.Hibike Euphorium 2
4.mob psycho 100
5.Keijo!!!!!!!
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is unbreakable
Films
1. Shin Godzilla
2. Girls Und Panzer:the movie
3.Love live:the school idol movie(because fuck it, us got the bds this year dammit so it still counts.
)
4. Garo: divine flame
Dishonorable mentions
Macross Delta
2. Love Live Sunshine
3.Hibike Euphorium 2
4.mob psycho 100
5.Keijo!!!!!!!
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is unbreakable
Films
1. Shin Godzilla
2. Girls Und Panzer:the movie
3.Love live:the school idol movie(because fuck it, us got the bds this year dammit so it still counts.
)4. Garo: divine flame
Dishonorable mentions
Macross Delta
Cornbread78
Member
I'm happy with all the Erased and Konosuba love, lol. They need more of it tk crack the top 5-10, lol.
It is a nice show that feels quite relaxed, and pretty grounded regarding witches.
1. Erased
Technically not as proficient as Mob, and definitely falls apart near the end, but I was definitely most intrigued and attached to this show than any other show this year. If the plot didn't fall apart, I'd say it'd be darn near perfect.
2. Mob Psycho 100
A great technical wonder of art, music, and general panache. Falls short of the top because of its predictability, which is standard for its genre unfortunately. As cool as it is to see Mob go nuts, it's also elicits a groan from me in my brain's "criticism of writing" department.
3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable
It's dumb, it's fun, it's cool. Cool characters everywhere, lots of great moments, the drama can be effective too.
4. Nothing this year sucked bumass
Will probably watch some high ranked stuff at the results of this thread. Everything else I saw this year was awful. Re:zero, Kiznaiver, that AoT ripoff, most of the 2015 shows that finished this year (gate mostly). Berserk completely soured my entire year. Kiznaiver was the most frustrating thing I finished this year, a real struggle to get through how much it wanted to waste my time.
This year seems very weak, will probably end up watching My Hero someday but it never seemed like a show I'd like.
Technically not as proficient as Mob, and definitely falls apart near the end, but I was definitely most intrigued and attached to this show than any other show this year. If the plot didn't fall apart, I'd say it'd be darn near perfect.
2. Mob Psycho 100
A great technical wonder of art, music, and general panache. Falls short of the top because of its predictability, which is standard for its genre unfortunately. As cool as it is to see Mob go nuts, it's also elicits a groan from me in my brain's "criticism of writing" department.
3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable
It's dumb, it's fun, it's cool. Cool characters everywhere, lots of great moments, the drama can be effective too.
4. Nothing this year sucked bumass
Will probably watch some high ranked stuff at the results of this thread. Everything else I saw this year was awful. Re:zero, Kiznaiver, that AoT ripoff, most of the 2015 shows that finished this year (gate mostly). Berserk completely soured my entire year. Kiznaiver was the most frustrating thing I finished this year, a real struggle to get through how much it wanted to waste my time.
This year seems very weak, will probably end up watching My Hero someday but it never seemed like a show I'd like.
TV Series
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
Yes, we all saw this coming (as evidenced by the number of posts I have in the DiU thread), but this was a fantastic run. David Production definitely nailed it in adapting what's easily JoJo's 2nd best part (2nd only to Part 7, which won't be adapted for a good long while). I can't imagine anyone other than David Production handling this series at this point, & I look forward to seeing this dubbed. And to newcomers, you don't really need to watch the previous parts to understand what's going on (it's more of icing on the cake than anything else), though I do encourage you to watch Parts 1-3 if you can. - Mob Psycho 100
I went in blind for this & was taken for one hell of a ride. Hell, I'm not sure if I like this or One-Punch Man more. And while it just recently started, gotta give the dub points for being on-point so far. Even if Ritsu's Japanese VA made an impossibly-high standard, the English VA seems to be doing a great job so far. Overall, if you love anime, watch this show! - 91 Days
This is another show that I went into blind, but I didn't expect it to be as engaging as it turned out to be. Like with Mob Psycho 100, the dub for this is definitely good (& they actually did accents!). - My Hero Academia
While not on the level of hype as JoJo or MP100, the show was definitely exciting to the point where I can't wait for Season 2 to start. And yeah, the dub was great (bonus points for one of TFS's VAs voicing Deku extremely well). - Drifters
What can I say, this show is absolutely badass & was insanely awesome from start to finish. The concept itself was one that I didn't see coming, & I got Hellsing Ultimate vibes (not surprising given who made this), which is never a bad thing. - Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto
I'm sorry, but the swag in this show is on another level. It's not exactly thought-provoking, but it's one of those shows that's a delight to watch the whole way through. Just when you think Sakamoto can't get cooler, he proves you wrong in ways you both do & don't expect, & I love it! - Sweetness & Lightning
This isn't usually my cup of tea, but goddamn if Tsumugi isn't the cutest little thing ever. Plus the show hits you with feels when you least expect it. If this show doesn't melt your heart, then you probably didn't have a heart to begin with.
poipoipoi9
Member
TV Shows:
1. Flip Flappers; Fun, feel-good original. No cynicism, no mean-spirited jabs at anyone, just good plain fun. Great lovable characters too. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me scream. Was genuinely sad to see it end.
2. Space Patrol Luluco. Trigger nonsense at its finest. The short length is perfect for delivering nonsensical comedy at a rapid pace. Great stuff.
3. Amanchu; Had a stressful year due to exams and stuff. Amanchu helped alleviate that stress by being a very relaxing experience. Also the diving scenes are gorgeous. It filled the "Non Non Biyori" gap I needed.
4.One Punch Man; Hilarious. Over the top nonsense. I actually disliked the parts where the show started veering more towards drama and story. But the comedy is still top-notch.
Honorable mentions:
x. Gravity Rush : Overture ; Surprisingly good despite essentially being a 19 minute ad. Kat is as lovable as ever and it really made me wanna play Gravity Rush 2.
x. Brotherhood: FFXV; Also surprisingly decent despite being an ad for FFXV. Liked the characterizations of the 4 bros a lot. Didn't like the plot-focused 1 and 5 though, the series is at its best when it's just about the 4.
1. Flip Flappers; Fun, feel-good original. No cynicism, no mean-spirited jabs at anyone, just good plain fun. Great lovable characters too. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me scream. Was genuinely sad to see it end.
2. Space Patrol Luluco. Trigger nonsense at its finest. The short length is perfect for delivering nonsensical comedy at a rapid pace. Great stuff.
3. Amanchu; Had a stressful year due to exams and stuff. Amanchu helped alleviate that stress by being a very relaxing experience. Also the diving scenes are gorgeous. It filled the "Non Non Biyori" gap I needed.
4.One Punch Man; Hilarious. Over the top nonsense. I actually disliked the parts where the show started veering more towards drama and story. But the comedy is still top-notch.
Honorable mentions:
x. Gravity Rush : Overture ; Surprisingly good despite essentially being a 19 minute ad. Kat is as lovable as ever and it really made me wanna play Gravity Rush 2.
x. Brotherhood: FFXV; Also surprisingly decent despite being an ad for FFXV. Liked the characterizations of the 4 bros a lot. Didn't like the plot-focused 1 and 5 though, the series is at its best when it's just about the 4.
GreenTornadoX
Member
1. Poco's Udon World
2. Sweetness and Lightning
3. Saiki Kusuo no Ψ Nan
4. Flying Witch
5. Amanchu!
6. Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?
7. Sakamoto desu ga?
8. Mob Psycho 100
9. New Game!
10. WWW.Working!!
2. Sweetness and Lightning
3. Saiki Kusuo no Ψ Nan
4. Flying Witch
5. Amanchu!
6. Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?
7. Sakamoto desu ga?
8. Mob Psycho 100
9. New Game!
10. WWW.Working!!
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
One Punch Man is a 2015 series
TheGreatDirector
Banned
TV Shows
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Konosuba
3. Re-Zero
4. Kiznaiver
5. Osomatsu-san
6. Erased
7. Galko-chan
8. Flying Witch
9. Occult Nine
10. Space Patrol Luloco
Films
1. Shin Godzilla
2. Shin Godzilla
3. Shin Godzilla
4. Shin Godzilla
5. Shin Godzilla
6. Shin Godzilla
7. Shin Godzilla
8. Shin Godzilla
9. Shin Godzilla
10. Shin Godzilla
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Konosuba
3. Re-Zero
4. Kiznaiver
5. Osomatsu-san
6. Erased
7. Galko-chan
8. Flying Witch
9. Occult Nine
10. Space Patrol Luloco
Films
1. Shin Godzilla
2. Shin Godzilla
3. Shin Godzilla
4. Shin Godzilla
5. Shin Godzilla
6. Shin Godzilla
7. Shin Godzilla
8. Shin Godzilla
9. Shin Godzilla
10. Shin Godzilla
Temp list; might change.
Series:
Would love to have more slice of life animes next year too lol
OVA/Films
What about 2015 films that's just released internationally in 2016 (The Boy and the Beast)? does that count?
Series:
- Erased - one of the best anime series I've seen, grabbed me from the start to the end.
- Mob Psycho 100 - great animation, made me follow the manga, just like OPM.
- New Game - love how it shows games dev, somewhat relatable to my own game dev experience. And cute girls everywhere.
- Amaama to Inazuma - very cute (and much onions slicing scenes) slice of life.
- Konosuba - all around too funny lol
- Amanchu - just like Aria, beautiful and very relaxing slice of life.
- Tanaka-kun - very lazy and funny slice of life.
- Bakuon!! - slice of life with bikes
- Flying witch - witches and friends doing their things slice of life
- Kuma Miko - funny slice of life.
Would love to have more slice of life animes next year too lol
OVA/Films
- Your Name
- Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
- Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016
- Tamayura: Sotsugyo Shashin
What about 2015 films that's just released internationally in 2016 (The Boy and the Beast)? does that count?
MikeHattsu
Member
You enjoy SoL, but got no Flying Witch in your list?
I read the manga afterwards, and I feel like the anime didn't really quite capture the manga's feel.. but yea I may change my mind and include it haha XD
*edit* oh I've only listed 9 anime.. there it goes lol
EndlessSky
Member
Anime:
1 .Re: Zero
2. Sound! Euphonium S2
3. Erased
4. Girlish Number
5. Mob Psycho 100
6. Amaama to Inazuma
7. Flying Witch
8. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
9. Shokugeki no Souma S2
10. ReLife
Honorable Mentions:
x. 91 Days
x. Kiznaiver
Films:
1. Your Name.
2. A Silent Voice
So hard to order numbers 5-10 lol
1 .Re: Zero
2. Sound! Euphonium S2
3. Erased
4. Girlish Number
5. Mob Psycho 100
6. Amaama to Inazuma
7. Flying Witch
8. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
9. Shokugeki no Souma S2
10. ReLife
Honorable Mentions:
x. 91 Days
x. Kiznaiver
Films:
1. Your Name.
2. A Silent Voice
So hard to order numbers 5-10 lol
2016 was quite interesting for me, as I ended up watching more recent anime in that year than ever before. And most of it was better than anything that came out in 2015, with the exception of One Punch Man.
All in all, I think 2016 has been the best year for me since I started watching this stuff, although I only started in 2013 with Attack on Titan and still have a lot to catch up to.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my top 5, from top to bottom:
1) Re:Zero
This show has some huge flaws, yes, especially at the beginning. But I freaking love the way the show used the "Otaku getting transported into a fantasy world" principle. It makes it perfectly clear that anyone in that situation (i.e. the target audience for these kind of shows) would be really fucking helpless and a sore loser. Subaru - being the otaku that he is - probably in-universe knows about SAO-type shows, so he thinks he can be a tough motherfucker like Kirito was. So seeing him break, suffer and then endure again made this the most cathartic expericence since watching Neon Genesis Evangelion for the first time. It's nowhere near the quality of NGE, but it made me feel feelings I didn't have since watching NGE back in 2013. Episode 15 and 18 particularly are some of my all-time favorite anime episodes of all time by now. The problem is that this show probably will fall into those isekai tropes really badly once the second season drops and lose a lot of the dark deconstruction that made the middle part so good. I mean, hell, the final part of Season 1 already felt like Subaru could go in a direction where he still becomes a typical anime hero. But for the entertainment factor alone this easily is my favorite anime of 2016.
2) KonoSuba
Now, I'm not really into comedy shows when it comes to anime. I don't know if I just don't have a great sense of humor, but a lot of shows I tried in that genre managed to misfire their gags. The last comedy show I tried prior to this was Attack on Titan Junior High
and that got very, VERY old after only three episodes. KonoSuba on the other hand made me laugh out loud many times and I think that's down to the fact that this anime just knows the principle of tragedy becoming comedy too well. Also, the fact that every single
main character is either an asshole or incompetent could very easily made this show unbearable, but KonoSuba has the "rule of payback", where karma gets the better part of every single main character for their actions. That makes the show mean-spirited in a lot
of situations, but also extremely fucking enjoyable. It's also awesome to see a show that takes the isekai* tropes, just to deconstruct them in the most hilarious way possible. Because, let's be serious. The Sword Art Online-esque
"Otaku getting transported into fantasy worlds" thing is pretty overdone by now. Seeing a parody that is so well done is good stuff. Consider me hyped for Season 2.
(I do realize that calling isekai overdone and then calling Re:Zero the best anime of the year is hypocritical, thank you very much.)
3) Yuri!!! on Ice
Talk about a major suprise. I never expected a sports anime, let alone a show about figure skating, to be this entertaining for me. The characters were so sympathetic, the soundtrack was incredible, the animation quality was top-notch.
And the way they depicted the romance aspect of this show is really great for anime standards. Although it got a bit repetitive in the middle part of the show, it clearly is the winner of the Fall season.
4) 91 Days
Now that is a show that is pretty underrated, at least in my opinion. I love the fact that this is a straightforward crime/mafia drama with no crazy over-the-top stuff like Baccano had it. It's very much in the style of the good old mafia movies, while still having
that distinct anime vibe to it. I especially liked how shit was hitting the fan harder and harder with every forthcoming episode. This show really knows its cliffhanger game. The only major gripe is the length, as the overall story easily could've had 24 episodes.
5) ERASED
I seriously expected this to be my anime of the year before I came around to watch it, as it got so much ridiculous hype and praise that it was unreal. Interestingly enough I didn't see much criticism then for the ending, which brought the whole thing down.
This very well could've been really amazing and up until the end of the first half it's actually great, but it takes a dive later on. Too bad. At least the OP is amazing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still on my pile of shame:
* Definition of isekai: "other/different world", basically the "person x getting transported from the real world to a fantasy world" genre that got really popular with Sword Art Online. Since then there have been shows like No Game No Life or Log Horizon, which also fall under that genre.
All in all, I think 2016 has been the best year for me since I started watching this stuff, although I only started in 2013 with Attack on Titan and still have a lot to catch up to.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is my top 5, from top to bottom:
1) Re:Zero
This show has some huge flaws, yes, especially at the beginning. But I freaking love the way the show used the "Otaku getting transported into a fantasy world" principle. It makes it perfectly clear that anyone in that situation (i.e. the target audience for these kind of shows) would be really fucking helpless and a sore loser. Subaru - being the otaku that he is - probably in-universe knows about SAO-type shows, so he thinks he can be a tough motherfucker like Kirito was. So seeing him break, suffer and then endure again made this the most cathartic expericence since watching Neon Genesis Evangelion for the first time. It's nowhere near the quality of NGE, but it made me feel feelings I didn't have since watching NGE back in 2013. Episode 15 and 18 particularly are some of my all-time favorite anime episodes of all time by now. The problem is that this show probably will fall into those isekai tropes really badly once the second season drops and lose a lot of the dark deconstruction that made the middle part so good. I mean, hell, the final part of Season 1 already felt like Subaru could go in a direction where he still becomes a typical anime hero. But for the entertainment factor alone this easily is my favorite anime of 2016.
2) KonoSuba
Now, I'm not really into comedy shows when it comes to anime. I don't know if I just don't have a great sense of humor, but a lot of shows I tried in that genre managed to misfire their gags. The last comedy show I tried prior to this was Attack on Titan Junior High
and that got very, VERY old after only three episodes. KonoSuba on the other hand made me laugh out loud many times and I think that's down to the fact that this anime just knows the principle of tragedy becoming comedy too well. Also, the fact that every single
main character is either an asshole or incompetent could very easily made this show unbearable, but KonoSuba has the "rule of payback", where karma gets the better part of every single main character for their actions. That makes the show mean-spirited in a lot
of situations, but also extremely fucking enjoyable. It's also awesome to see a show that takes the isekai* tropes, just to deconstruct them in the most hilarious way possible. Because, let's be serious. The Sword Art Online-esque
"Otaku getting transported into fantasy worlds" thing is pretty overdone by now. Seeing a parody that is so well done is good stuff. Consider me hyped for Season 2.
(I do realize that calling isekai overdone and then calling Re:Zero the best anime of the year is hypocritical, thank you very much.
)3) Yuri!!! on Ice
Talk about a major suprise. I never expected a sports anime, let alone a show about figure skating, to be this entertaining for me. The characters were so sympathetic, the soundtrack was incredible, the animation quality was top-notch.
And the way they depicted the romance aspect of this show is really great for anime standards. Although it got a bit repetitive in the middle part of the show, it clearly is the winner of the Fall season.
4) 91 Days
Now that is a show that is pretty underrated, at least in my opinion. I love the fact that this is a straightforward crime/mafia drama with no crazy over-the-top stuff like Baccano had it. It's very much in the style of the good old mafia movies, while still having
that distinct anime vibe to it. I especially liked how shit was hitting the fan harder and harder with every forthcoming episode. This show really knows its cliffhanger game. The only major gripe is the length, as the overall story easily could've had 24 episodes.
5) ERASED
I seriously expected this to be my anime of the year before I came around to watch it, as it got so much ridiculous hype and praise that it was unreal. Interestingly enough I didn't see much criticism then for the ending, which brought the whole thing down.
This very well could've been really amazing and up until the end of the first half it's actually great, but it takes a dive later on. Too bad. At least the OP is amazing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still on my pile of shame:
- Bungou Stray Dogs
- Danganronpa 3
- Flip Flappers
- March comes in like a Lion
- Mob Psycho 100
- Orange
- ReLIFE
- Tanaka-kun is always listless
* Definition of isekai: "other/different world", basically the "person x getting transported from the real world to a fantasy world" genre that got really popular with Sword Art Online. Since then there have been shows like No Game No Life or Log Horizon, which also fall under that genre.
Turin Turambar
Member
~~Anim... er... non-Western series of the Year~~
1. Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū.
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy.
3. Mob Psycho 100.
4. Haikyuu!!
Mind the gap!
(gap in quality here)
5. The Great Passage. A very low key story about the road to create a new dictionary, about normal people and their mundane lives. Relaxing and with moving ending that pushes it up at 5th position.
6. JoJo' Bizare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable. An entertaining and original, if flawed in execution, series.
7. Erased. Yeah, it fell flat on the final sprint, but let's remember it was a very decent mystery/drama before that.
8. Space Patrol Luluco. Fun little crazy short series.
9. March comes like a lion / 3-gatsu no Lion. Yeah, it's too literal of an adaption and the conflicting parts of the series (fluffy vs edgy) are too jarring, but still has some nice qualities.
And that's it, I couldn't find 10 remarkable series. Honorable mention to Kiznaiver, which wasn't bad, but the story left me totally cold. I thought of putting it here, and just couldn't muster to evoke ANY feeling whatsover, positive or negative, about the series. I took that as a signal it shouldn't be here.
1. Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū.
An original 'fictional biopic' kind of story in an evocative setting of the pre and post war Japan, focused on Rakugo performers, with deep but 'natural' characters that engage your and trap into their lives, in their little successes and dramas. All with a very correct direction, visual production, and great voice acting. I wanted the end of the story, and we got it (season 2 starting in a few days).
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy.
Consider this basically tied to Rakugo, it isn't a true '2nd position'. A good wuxia adventure, which turns into something great in the last episodes, with twists and a hidden depth I didn't see at first. And man, dialogue is really tight here, Urobuchi really shines here. For what it tries to be, it's almost perfect.
3. Mob Psycho 100.
A great adaption that enhanced the original, Bones shone here with both animation and great imagination in how to adapt the look, the pace, the humor. A series that surprised me with its quality, as I didn't like the manga so much.
4. Haikyuu!!
(Second and third seasons). Very solid and engaging sport series, with at the third season is starting to feel too long in the tooth, but it's still recommendable.
Mind the gap!
(gap in quality here)
5. The Great Passage. A very low key story about the road to create a new dictionary, about normal people and their mundane lives. Relaxing and with moving ending that pushes it up at 5th position.
6. JoJo' Bizare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable. An entertaining and original, if flawed in execution, series.
7. Erased. Yeah, it fell flat on the final sprint, but let's remember it was a very decent mystery/drama before that.
8. Space Patrol Luluco. Fun little crazy short series.
9. March comes like a lion / 3-gatsu no Lion. Yeah, it's too literal of an adaption and the conflicting parts of the series (fluffy vs edgy) are too jarring, but still has some nice qualities.
And that's it, I couldn't find 10 remarkable series. Honorable mention to Kiznaiver, which wasn't bad, but the story left me totally cold. I thought of putting it here, and just couldn't muster to evoke ANY feeling whatsover, positive or negative, about the series. I took that as a signal it shouldn't be here.
TV Series:
1. Yuri on Ice ; It's really hard to choose between this and Rakugo as AOTY. It came down to "which show caused me to spend multiple days working from home so I could watch an episode of it three hours earlier", and that was Yuri on Ice. Normally I can't stand sports anime and I had no interest in figure skating before watching this, so I wasn't exactly expecting much of this show to begin with. But it kept me glued to my seat from beginning to end. All of the characters are lovable and their relationships are both fun and interesting. The soundtrack is easily the anime soundtrack of the year with all of the original compositions for the skating music. I bought the CD for the OST and have been listening to it over and over for a few days now, it's just so good. I hope whatever followup materializes manages to maintain the quality of the story and characters, while maybe improving on the animation side of things a little.
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ; Despite loving this show I really don't have a lot to say about it other than how well put together it is that other people haven't already said better. Hopefully season 2 is able to maintain the same amount of quality.
3. Mob Psycho 100 ; From studio BONES comes an adaptation of that ONE manga that isn't One Punch Man. It's also better than One Punch Man, which was pretty dang good to begin with. It's cool to have a superhero who's inspiring because of their desire for self improvement, not because of their superpowers/self-sacrifice/beating up bad guys. Reigen is one of the most interesting mentor figures I've ever seen too. I've read ahead in the manga, and now I really hope a season 2 gets greenlit because it only gets better from where the anime ended.
4. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; I'm the biggest Gen Urobuchi fan in the universe, and it's a really good freaking year for anime when this gem is all the way down at #4. All standard Urobuchi show descriptors apply: excellent characters, a structure that keeps you hanging on at the end of each episode for the next one, lots of memorable lines, not a single scene or line of dialogue feels "wasted" in terms of developing the story and characters, kickass action sequences, and so on. Apparently the followup should be a proper season 2 with Urobuchi involved, so here's hoping that's just as good. The only reason I think this is below three other things this year is that I already read Kikokugai and I liked that more as "Urobuchi does wuxia" despite its more problematic aspects.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; The best directed/animated season of Jojo yet for the best written part of Jojo yet. Josuke isn't quite as enjoyable a protagonist as Joseph, but he's still great. Koichi and Rohan are the best supporting characters since Speedwagon. Kira is an excellent villain who manages to be genuinely unsettling and human in a way that few Jojo villains are. And the fights are always clever and unique. Just a really solid shonen action anime.
6. Space Patrol Luluco ; This is another "why is a thing from one of my favorite creators so low" placement. I love Imaishi and I loved this show which was the most Imaishi show since Panty and Stocking, but there was just too many other good things this year.
(Quality gap, everything below this I wouldn't say is great, just good/decent/enjoyable)
7. OcculticNine ; This show is a total trainwreck but I liked it anyway. Snappy dialogue and direction along with mile a minute pacing went a long way toward making this enjoyable. Despite some dangling plot threads the final two episodes were still a pretty satisfying way to end the show, even if it was really similar to like every other Chiyomaru thing in how it ended.
8. Schwarzesmarken ; AKA Muv Luv East Germany edition. I'm in love with Muv Luv and Muv Luv Alternative, but I'm usually pretty skeptical of any of the spinoffs, but I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. It's not great, but it's a remarkably solid giant robot anime with characters who grew on me after I spent the first two episodes wishing they would all die (and then they mostly died anyway which was also cool).
9. Flip Flappers ; Excellent animation and a few outstanding episodes, but the overall plot is lackluster and a few of the "adventure of the week" episodes felt like duds in terms of writing even if they were remarkably well directed. I don't think there was a single character or plot development in this show that I haven't seen before, but done better elsewhere. Normally I wouldn't complain too much about "X is not as good as Y", but there's stuff on display in Flip Flappers I've seen a ton of times before and Flip Flappers is often just very lackluster about said things. The occasional fanservice felt horribly out of place, moreso than any other anime that I've watched in recent memory. All that said though this was a good show that I kept up with from week to week.
10. Oshiete! Galko-chan ; Good enough for me to preorder every volume of the manga as they've been going up. Fun characters and good jokes make for a good slice of life anime about sex education or something.
Movies/OVAs:
1. Doukyuusei ; A relaxing and charming, if slightly repetitive, movie about a high school romance between two young men. Solid direction and scripting. Mostly solid voice work but Kamiya sometimes feels a little weird in his role.
2. Planetarian ; A perfectly serviceable adaptation of my second favorite Key VN. Pretty easy to pull off considering the original material is only a few hours long to begin with, but this was a solid effort.
3. King of Prism by Pretty Rhythm ; I spent this entire film laughing my butt off. There's you're usual fujoshi pandering, and then there's THIS glorious, batshit masterpiece.
4. Gravity Rush The Animation ; This is really nothing more than an advertisement for Gravity Rush 2, but is has Kouhei Tanaka music in something that isn't One Piece and I didn't watch any other stuff this year in terms of OVAs/movies so it gets on here.
Honorable Mentions:
x. The Lost Village ; This show was dumb as heck but I still enjoyed it a lot. The whole thing felt like a homage to all the dumb B-movie horror films that I loved watching back in high school and college.
x. Kiss Him, Not Me! ; Not good enough to be in a "top" anything, but I still enjoyed watching this one quite a bit just for Mutsumi and Nishina.
x. Danganronpa 3 ; I liked a lot of this for being very Danganronpa in the sense that it's dumb and over the top, but this is never as clever or impactful as Danganronpa can be at its best. The UDG episode was the best part of the entire thing and I would have liked more of that.
1. Yuri on Ice ; It's really hard to choose between this and Rakugo as AOTY. It came down to "which show caused me to spend multiple days working from home so I could watch an episode of it three hours earlier", and that was Yuri on Ice. Normally I can't stand sports anime and I had no interest in figure skating before watching this, so I wasn't exactly expecting much of this show to begin with. But it kept me glued to my seat from beginning to end. All of the characters are lovable and their relationships are both fun and interesting. The soundtrack is easily the anime soundtrack of the year with all of the original compositions for the skating music. I bought the CD for the OST and have been listening to it over and over for a few days now, it's just so good. I hope whatever followup materializes manages to maintain the quality of the story and characters, while maybe improving on the animation side of things a little.
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ; Despite loving this show I really don't have a lot to say about it other than how well put together it is that other people haven't already said better. Hopefully season 2 is able to maintain the same amount of quality.
3. Mob Psycho 100 ; From studio BONES comes an adaptation of that ONE manga that isn't One Punch Man. It's also better than One Punch Man, which was pretty dang good to begin with. It's cool to have a superhero who's inspiring because of their desire for self improvement, not because of their superpowers/self-sacrifice/beating up bad guys. Reigen is one of the most interesting mentor figures I've ever seen too. I've read ahead in the manga, and now I really hope a season 2 gets greenlit because it only gets better from where the anime ended.
4. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; I'm the biggest Gen Urobuchi fan in the universe, and it's a really good freaking year for anime when this gem is all the way down at #4. All standard Urobuchi show descriptors apply: excellent characters, a structure that keeps you hanging on at the end of each episode for the next one, lots of memorable lines, not a single scene or line of dialogue feels "wasted" in terms of developing the story and characters, kickass action sequences, and so on. Apparently the followup should be a proper season 2 with Urobuchi involved, so here's hoping that's just as good. The only reason I think this is below three other things this year is that I already read Kikokugai and I liked that more as "Urobuchi does wuxia" despite its more problematic aspects.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; The best directed/animated season of Jojo yet for the best written part of Jojo yet. Josuke isn't quite as enjoyable a protagonist as Joseph, but he's still great. Koichi and Rohan are the best supporting characters since Speedwagon. Kira is an excellent villain who manages to be genuinely unsettling and human in a way that few Jojo villains are. And the fights are always clever and unique. Just a really solid shonen action anime.
6. Space Patrol Luluco ; This is another "why is a thing from one of my favorite creators so low" placement. I love Imaishi and I loved this show which was the most Imaishi show since Panty and Stocking, but there was just too many other good things this year.
(Quality gap, everything below this I wouldn't say is great, just good/decent/enjoyable)
7. OcculticNine ; This show is a total trainwreck but I liked it anyway. Snappy dialogue and direction along with mile a minute pacing went a long way toward making this enjoyable. Despite some dangling plot threads the final two episodes were still a pretty satisfying way to end the show, even if it was really similar to like every other Chiyomaru thing in how it ended.
8. Schwarzesmarken ; AKA Muv Luv East Germany edition. I'm in love with Muv Luv and Muv Luv Alternative, but I'm usually pretty skeptical of any of the spinoffs, but I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. It's not great, but it's a remarkably solid giant robot anime with characters who grew on me after I spent the first two episodes wishing they would all die (and then they mostly died anyway which was also cool).
9. Flip Flappers ; Excellent animation and a few outstanding episodes, but the overall plot is lackluster and a few of the "adventure of the week" episodes felt like duds in terms of writing even if they were remarkably well directed. I don't think there was a single character or plot development in this show that I haven't seen before, but done better elsewhere. Normally I wouldn't complain too much about "X is not as good as Y", but there's stuff on display in Flip Flappers I've seen a ton of times before and Flip Flappers is often just very lackluster about said things. The occasional fanservice felt horribly out of place, moreso than any other anime that I've watched in recent memory. All that said though this was a good show that I kept up with from week to week.
10. Oshiete! Galko-chan ; Good enough for me to preorder every volume of the manga as they've been going up. Fun characters and good jokes make for a good slice of life anime about sex education or something.
Movies/OVAs:
1. Doukyuusei ; A relaxing and charming, if slightly repetitive, movie about a high school romance between two young men. Solid direction and scripting. Mostly solid voice work but Kamiya sometimes feels a little weird in his role.
2. Planetarian ; A perfectly serviceable adaptation of my second favorite Key VN. Pretty easy to pull off considering the original material is only a few hours long to begin with, but this was a solid effort.
3. King of Prism by Pretty Rhythm ; I spent this entire film laughing my butt off. There's you're usual fujoshi pandering, and then there's THIS glorious, batshit masterpiece.
4. Gravity Rush The Animation ; This is really nothing more than an advertisement for Gravity Rush 2, but is has Kouhei Tanaka music in something that isn't One Piece and I didn't watch any other stuff this year in terms of OVAs/movies so it gets on here.
Honorable Mentions:
x. The Lost Village ; This show was dumb as heck but I still enjoyed it a lot. The whole thing felt like a homage to all the dumb B-movie horror films that I loved watching back in high school and college.
x. Kiss Him, Not Me! ; Not good enough to be in a "top" anything, but I still enjoyed watching this one quite a bit just for Mutsumi and Nishina.
x. Danganronpa 3 ; I liked a lot of this for being very Danganronpa in the sense that it's dumb and over the top, but this is never as clever or impactful as Danganronpa can be at its best. The UDG episode was the best part of the entire thing and I would have liked more of that.
YesNOnoNOYes
Member
1. thunderbolt fantasy
2. mob psycho
3. 91 days
2. mob psycho
3. 91 days
It's anime at least.
1) Sweetness and Lightning
2) Flying Witch
I watched other stuff, but these are the only two shows I remember that had any real impact. They feel uniquely human, which is what really sets them apart from other series. Even for enjoying a lot of other slice of life shows, these stood out as easily being the best of the year. Vibrant characters, lovely animation and situations that create a nice tension between a real world and a fantastical one give these shows an enduring vibrancy.
3) Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable
It's Jojo and it's always on the top ten list. Because Jojo.
I watched other anime, but after having watched so many, I can't really think of much I'd want to actively recommend to others or even really review. Hit these three and I think you'd be set for the year.
2) Flying Witch
I watched other stuff, but these are the only two shows I remember that had any real impact. They feel uniquely human, which is what really sets them apart from other series. Even for enjoying a lot of other slice of life shows, these stood out as easily being the best of the year. Vibrant characters, lovely animation and situations that create a nice tension between a real world and a fantastical one give these shows an enduring vibrancy.
3) Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Diamond is Unbreakable
It's Jojo and it's always on the top ten list. Because Jojo.
I watched other anime, but after having watched so many, I can't really think of much I'd want to actively recommend to others or even really review. Hit these three and I think you'd be set for the year.
phoenix296
Member
I'm assuming cornbread is going to count the votes manually.
phoenix296
Member
we can always count on you
Tizoc
Member
TV series
1. Mob Psycho 100; A fantastic adaptation of One's earlier works before his rise to fame with One Punch Man. Featuring great characters, humor, action and great emotional moments, this series has been a blast to watch.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4- Diamond is Unbreakable; Despite a few hiccups it was a GUREITO adaptation and fun to see all the absurdity of the series translated into animated form
3. Thunderbolt Fantasy; Great and flashy action.
1. Mob Psycho 100; A fantastic adaptation of One's earlier works before his rise to fame with One Punch Man. Featuring great characters, humor, action and great emotional moments, this series has been a blast to watch.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4- Diamond is Unbreakable; Despite a few hiccups it was a GUREITO adaptation and fun to see all the absurdity of the series translated into animated form
3. Thunderbolt Fantasy; Great and flashy action.
shira
Member
Scary Monsters
Neo Member
1. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is not Crash
2. Mob Psycho 100
3. Haikyuu S3
4. Space Patrol Luluco
5. My Hero Academia
6. Konosuba
7. Yuri (Yaoi) on Ice
8. Drifters
9. Kiznaiver
10. 91 Days
Special mention to Berserk for being one of the worst animated shows and one of the biggest disappointments of the year
2. Mob Psycho 100
3. Haikyuu S3
4. Space Patrol Luluco
5. My Hero Academia
6. Konosuba
7. Yuri (Yaoi) on Ice
8. Drifters
9. Kiznaiver
10. 91 Days
Special mention to Berserk for being one of the worst animated shows and one of the biggest disappointments of the year
MikeHattsu
Member
*counts TUSR anyway*
shira
Member
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
shaowebb
Member
TV Series:
1. THUNDERBOLT FANTASY
An army of the greatest killers ever. An ultimate sword sealing the king of demons that everyone seeks to steal for personal gain. A theft that requires traversing several impassable barriers across lands guarded by mystical threats as well as hordes of warriors. Who do you get to pull off such a heist? You gather the greatest horde of killers and monsters on earth who all want to kill you and bind them to your cause by promising them the right to your head after you succeed.
Sorry bout your other shows. This one is better.
1. THUNDERBOLT FANTASY
An army of the greatest killers ever. An ultimate sword sealing the king of demons that everyone seeks to steal for personal gain. A theft that requires traversing several impassable barriers across lands guarded by mystical threats as well as hordes of warriors. Who do you get to pull off such a heist? You gather the greatest horde of killers and monsters on earth who all want to kill you and bind them to your cause by promising them the right to your head after you succeed.
Sorry bout your other shows. This one is better.
I'm not sorry.
TV Series:
1. Showa Era Rakugo Shinju ; Rakugo is filled with amazing qualities but there a core reason that stands out for why this is such a special show. Rakugo is one of the best examples of period piece animation I have seen, not just because it depicts a specific era of history well but successfully evolves as time passes. We travel through these different eras, from pre-war Japan to modern day and this passage of time is used as a core for the tales of the show. And when I say that I don't just mean the friendship of Bon and Shin as they become adults and find their paths through life, but also the path of Rakugo as an art form through an evolving Japan, struggling to capture the Americanized youth and this only works as well as it does because the show nails the passage of time through the decades.
2. Mob Psycho 100 ; A lot of people appreciated One's One Punch Man last year for its satirical take on superhero and shounen action tropes and while that was enjoyable, Mob Psycho 100 reaches a higher level because of a core concept that One Punch Man was lacking, heart. From the passion that went into the animation and direction to the development of the main characters throughout the show, it's clear just how much genuine heart went into every aspect. As the show progresses, we learn so much about the beliefs of all these people, why they choose to fight or why they don't want to. The core relationship between Mob and Reigen is a brilliant core to the show, while at first it seems like Reigen is simply using Mob, we come to learn just how important they are to each other by the end of the season. This kind of genuine emotion and depth is refreshing in an era of unnecessary cynicism and sarcasm.
3. Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou ; The pinnacle of the anime short series. It's vibrant, fun and draws the viewer into the show's DJ scene with a fantastic soundtrack. The fact that the show was able to sell me on the concept of cooking Tonkatsu and spinning records sharing a similar skill set should show how great the show is. It's also about an hour to watch the entire show so I'd recommend anyone who hasn't watched it yet to give it a chance.
4. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless ; There's a catagory of shows I heartily enjoy that I like to call "comfort anime". They usually consist of light comedy, cute moments and a chilled out tone. This was a great year for comfort anime and Tanaka-kun crowned the genre. As evident from the title, the show revolves around the rest-loving Tanaka-kun and his day to day high school experiences. The relationship between Tanaka and Ohta, his best friend that carries him home when he's too tired, acts as a solid base that the show is built around. Their relaxed attitudes balances the high energy of the supporting cast which are all great in their own right. If you're looking for an easy show when you want to relax, Tanaka-kun is a great pick.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; JJBA has always been a show that I've had trouble discussing. As a fan of the manga, I'm incredibly happy to see Diamond is Unbreakable adapted to screen, something I never thought possible a few years ago, and aside from a short patch in the middle, the production values of DiU rival the best of the shounen genre. The problem occurs when I need to convey how amazing this really is, I've read all these stand battles multiple times and discussed them to death years ago so it's not possible for me to have some amazing reaction to the individual episodes. But what I will say is that Diamond is Unbreakable is the possibly the best shounen adaptation of the century so far and if you enjoy the genre, or used to but lost interest due to overused tropes and uninteresting action, this is the show for you. Nowhere else will you see a man punch a plate of spaghetti.
6. March comes in like a Lion ;
7. Yuri!!! On Ice ;
8. Sweetness & Lightning ;
9. Haikyu!! ;
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans ;
Honorable Mention:
x. Kiznaiver ;
x. Space Patrol Luluco ;
x. Osomatsu-san ;
x. Amanchu! ;
x. Flip Flappers ;
Might try to watch some films so I can vote for something in that catagory, I have been meaning to watch Doukyuusei.
1. Showa Era Rakugo Shinju ; Rakugo is filled with amazing qualities but there a core reason that stands out for why this is such a special show. Rakugo is one of the best examples of period piece animation I have seen, not just because it depicts a specific era of history well but successfully evolves as time passes. We travel through these different eras, from pre-war Japan to modern day and this passage of time is used as a core for the tales of the show. And when I say that I don't just mean the friendship of Bon and Shin as they become adults and find their paths through life, but also the path of Rakugo as an art form through an evolving Japan, struggling to capture the Americanized youth and this only works as well as it does because the show nails the passage of time through the decades.
2. Mob Psycho 100 ; A lot of people appreciated One's One Punch Man last year for its satirical take on superhero and shounen action tropes and while that was enjoyable, Mob Psycho 100 reaches a higher level because of a core concept that One Punch Man was lacking, heart. From the passion that went into the animation and direction to the development of the main characters throughout the show, it's clear just how much genuine heart went into every aspect. As the show progresses, we learn so much about the beliefs of all these people, why they choose to fight or why they don't want to. The core relationship between Mob and Reigen is a brilliant core to the show, while at first it seems like Reigen is simply using Mob, we come to learn just how important they are to each other by the end of the season. This kind of genuine emotion and depth is refreshing in an era of unnecessary cynicism and sarcasm.
3. Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou ; The pinnacle of the anime short series. It's vibrant, fun and draws the viewer into the show's DJ scene with a fantastic soundtrack. The fact that the show was able to sell me on the concept of cooking Tonkatsu and spinning records sharing a similar skill set should show how great the show is. It's also about an hour to watch the entire show so I'd recommend anyone who hasn't watched it yet to give it a chance.
4. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless ; There's a catagory of shows I heartily enjoy that I like to call "comfort anime". They usually consist of light comedy, cute moments and a chilled out tone. This was a great year for comfort anime and Tanaka-kun crowned the genre. As evident from the title, the show revolves around the rest-loving Tanaka-kun and his day to day high school experiences. The relationship between Tanaka and Ohta, his best friend that carries him home when he's too tired, acts as a solid base that the show is built around. Their relaxed attitudes balances the high energy of the supporting cast which are all great in their own right. If you're looking for an easy show when you want to relax, Tanaka-kun is a great pick.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; JJBA has always been a show that I've had trouble discussing. As a fan of the manga, I'm incredibly happy to see Diamond is Unbreakable adapted to screen, something I never thought possible a few years ago, and aside from a short patch in the middle, the production values of DiU rival the best of the shounen genre. The problem occurs when I need to convey how amazing this really is, I've read all these stand battles multiple times and discussed them to death years ago so it's not possible for me to have some amazing reaction to the individual episodes. But what I will say is that Diamond is Unbreakable is the possibly the best shounen adaptation of the century so far and if you enjoy the genre, or used to but lost interest due to overused tropes and uninteresting action, this is the show for you. Nowhere else will you see a man punch a plate of spaghetti.
6. March comes in like a Lion ;
7. Yuri!!! On Ice ;
8. Sweetness & Lightning ;
9. Haikyu!! ;
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans ;
Honorable Mention:
x. Kiznaiver ;
x. Space Patrol Luluco ;
x. Osomatsu-san ;
x. Amanchu! ;
x. Flip Flappers ;
Might try to watch some films so I can vote for something in that catagory, I have been meaning to watch Doukyuusei.
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
3. Space Patrol Luluco
4. Kiznaiver
5. Drifters (my love for Kohta Hirano's style is unreasonable)
Not a big list and indeed I don't have a lot of time to watch too many anime that aren't dubbed (hard to work and watched subbed anime at the same time) but I did watch more than what was listed. I just don't feel like Berserk 2016, Dangan Ronpa 3, or Occultic Nine deserve to be placed.
2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
3. Space Patrol Luluco
4. Kiznaiver
5. Drifters (my love for Kohta Hirano's style is unreasonable)
Not a big list and indeed I don't have a lot of time to watch too many anime that aren't dubbed (hard to work and watched subbed anime at the same time) but I did watch more than what was listed. I just don't feel like Berserk 2016, Dangan Ronpa 3, or Occultic Nine deserve to be placed.
Valdfellgar
Banned
Okay here's my entry:
1. Ajin - a stunning adaptation that elevates the original material by tightening up the story and fleshing out various plot lines.
2. Konosuba - Sometimes raunchy, but always funny.
3. Showa - Deep, dramatic, a rare delight in anime.
4. Kuromukuro - An excellent, original Mecha anime when the industry needs it the most.
5. ReLIFE - Another dramatic and deep series that adds some new elements to the school drama genre.
6. To Be Hero - A surprisingly deep short anime that has heart beneath all its crass humor.
7. Keijo!!!!!!!! - What Ecchi anime should all be aspiring to be.
8. Saiki K - A surprisingly hilarious comedy anime with plenty of meta humor.
9. Yuri!!! on ICE - One of the best sports anime of the year with a delightful portrayal of a gay couple/gay love.
10. Erased - A deep and dark anime that sadly bungles its ending just a tad.
1. Ajin - a stunning adaptation that elevates the original material by tightening up the story and fleshing out various plot lines.
2. Konosuba - Sometimes raunchy, but always funny.
3. Showa - Deep, dramatic, a rare delight in anime.
4. Kuromukuro - An excellent, original Mecha anime when the industry needs it the most.
5. ReLIFE - Another dramatic and deep series that adds some new elements to the school drama genre.
6. To Be Hero - A surprisingly deep short anime that has heart beneath all its crass humor.
7. Keijo!!!!!!!! - What Ecchi anime should all be aspiring to be.
8. Saiki K - A surprisingly hilarious comedy anime with plenty of meta humor.
9. Yuri!!! on ICE - One of the best sports anime of the year with a delightful portrayal of a gay couple/gay love.
10. Erased - A deep and dark anime that sadly bungles its ending just a tad.
OniBarubary
Banned
I was gonna type up a whole list with explanations again but then I remembered last year's AOTY thread and came to my senses. Also halfway through the year I dropped to watching like...one or two shows half-assedly because sometimes I stop watching anime for a year randomly I dunno?
1. Re: Zero - Because even though it wasn't the best anime of the year, it was pretty good; more importantly people passive-aggressively vomit over themselves whenever anyone even casually mentions they like this show so I'm moreso looking forward to the lips bitten and quivering in rage than actually putting a deserving show at the top.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu - A lot more people will probably say a lot more stuff about this so I don't really care to go into reasons. It's good, subtle and clever animation and a mature and nuanced story.
3. Konosuba - Shit's funny yo, and like, actually funny and not "Japan funny" where it makes you kinda smirk sorta? 3 times an episode. Great comedic timing even if the art was hit or miss all over the place. Funny enough to be 3? I dunno who cares
4. Mob Psycho 100 - As before, lotta people gonna vote this. It was entertaining with unique and beautiful animation, great characters and a good story. Whee.
5. Kiznaiver - Really good show with some very great characters, depth and characterization. Show was very good looking too and even with a kinda dumpy ending and some lack of third character focus the high beats of it really carried the show. Chidori is suffering.
6. Jojo Diamonds are Forever - I've never been a Jojo guy and I'll never be a Jojo guy. I've read Jojo 3-6 and while entertained could never connect with it for whatever reason. But this show was just executed so well I couldn't help but like it. It utilized some incredibly deft transitions and layouts that caught my eye the first time I watched it and really utilized it's drawn format to do things a camera could never do. I fell off midway but I've been catching up.
7. Fume wo Amu - Words words words this was good or whatever
8. Girlish Number - Shirobako except I actually felt something while watching it other than boredom. Even if that something was usually "Chitose is a twat" Cynical views normally connect much better with me.
9. Thunderbolt Fantasy - So anime
10. I'm sure something could go here like Izetta or Alderamin or Keijo but I honestly don't feel like exerting much more attention or thought to this.
Man, I really fell off anime hard this year. Fell off everything kinda hard, honestly except Manga.
1. Re: Zero - Because even though it wasn't the best anime of the year, it was pretty good; more importantly people passive-aggressively vomit over themselves whenever anyone even casually mentions they like this show so I'm moreso looking forward to the lips bitten and quivering in rage than actually putting a deserving show at the top.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu - A lot more people will probably say a lot more stuff about this so I don't really care to go into reasons. It's good, subtle and clever animation and a mature and nuanced story.
3. Konosuba - Shit's funny yo, and like, actually funny and not "Japan funny" where it makes you kinda smirk sorta? 3 times an episode. Great comedic timing even if the art was hit or miss all over the place. Funny enough to be 3? I dunno who cares
4. Mob Psycho 100 - As before, lotta people gonna vote this. It was entertaining with unique and beautiful animation, great characters and a good story. Whee.
5. Kiznaiver - Really good show with some very great characters, depth and characterization. Show was very good looking too and even with a kinda dumpy ending and some lack of third character focus the high beats of it really carried the show. Chidori is suffering.
6. Jojo Diamonds are Forever - I've never been a Jojo guy and I'll never be a Jojo guy. I've read Jojo 3-6 and while entertained could never connect with it for whatever reason. But this show was just executed so well I couldn't help but like it. It utilized some incredibly deft transitions and layouts that caught my eye the first time I watched it and really utilized it's drawn format to do things a camera could never do. I fell off midway but I've been catching up.
7. Fume wo Amu - Words words words this was good or whatever
8. Girlish Number - Shirobako except I actually felt something while watching it other than boredom. Even if that something was usually "Chitose is a twat" Cynical views normally connect much better with me.
9. Thunderbolt Fantasy - So anime
10. I'm sure something could go here like Izetta or Alderamin or Keijo but I honestly don't feel like exerting much more attention or thought to this.
Man, I really fell off anime hard this year. Fell off everything kinda hard, honestly except Manga.
1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
2. Mob Psycho 100
3. Konosuba
4. Yuri on Ice
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
6. Sound! Euphonium 2
7. Osomatsu-san
8. 91 Days
9. Space Patrol Luluco
10. Re:Zero
Honorable Mention:
ReLife
My Hero Academia
Wasted Potential Award:
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
2. Mob Psycho 100
3. Konosuba
4. Yuri on Ice
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
6. Sound! Euphonium 2
7. Osomatsu-san
8. 91 Days
9. Space Patrol Luluco
10. Re:Zero
Honorable Mention:
ReLife
My Hero Academia
Wasted Potential Award:
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
Work in Progress
TV Shows
1. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
I just want to recommend it to everyone, I'm sure a lot of people would like it if the give it a chance.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
3. Haikyuu S2 + S3
4. Mob Psycho 100
5. Kuromukuro
The plot is interesting and the characters are likeable (except the camera guy, but it has a really great explanation at the end). One thing that surprised me was the ending, I'm not gonna spoil it, but it's not a typical ending and I think it elevates the show. I hope we can get a second season.
6. The Great Passage
7. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable
JoJo is always great, especially this part. It looks amazing, is fun, is weird, it oozes style. David Production really like the source material or at least they treat it with a lot of care and respect. It had a rough bump of episodes but in the end they made it. The fanboy inside me wants to put it in the first place but I thought that I want to reward other series that aren't so well knwon. It's going to end in the top spots anyway.
8. 91 Days
9. Konosuba
10. Flying Witch
Honorable Mentions
x. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - When it is about mechas is pretty cool, when it is about politics not so much.
x. Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song - Great and interesting themes with cool action and designs, but a little convoluted if you don't pay attention.
x. Lupin III: Part IV - Classic Lupin, very beautiful with a lot of fun and a stupid story.
x. Yuri on Ice - A lot of pretty boys, but the resolution was not so great.
x. Watashi ga Motete Dousunda - Maybe a problematic premise but it was entertaining. The second best show for fujoshis after Yuri.
x. Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro - Groovy. A little more variety of songs would have been nice.
Movies/OVAs
1. Garo: Divine Flame
2. Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu
3. Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu
4. Gintama: Love Potion
5. Working!!! Lord of the Takanashi
Sadly, I haven't had the oportunity to watch A Silent Voice or Your Name. They probably would have been on the list. Maybe I can watch them before the votes are counted.
TV Shows
1. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
I am probably the only one who is going to put this series on the first spot. It's not the best animated nor does it have the most engrossing story, but it was a really great surprise. I usually don't enjoy Slice of Life stories except if they have some kind of fantasy element, like Mushishi or Flying Witch (another one in my list). But this was so relaxing and funny. The characters are all great. Their interactions are very entertaining and they don't feel forced in any way. It has a very warm color palette and the pace is not slow but not fast, it's just a relaxing pace. It doesn't have any heavy drama or things like that.
I just want to recommend it to everyone, I'm sure a lot of people would like it if the give it a chance.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Do you want a mature anime with great characters? Look no further. I'm not very good at writing, but others will probably talk of the the great things of this anime. So read them and go wacth it.
3. Haikyuu S2 + S3
Well, it's Haikyuu, a lot of people know it already. The best sport anime of the last years (along with Ping Pong). If it was only the third season I would probably put it below. It was still a great (great!) season, but I don't know, I think it dragged a litte. But the second season. Oh boy. The final match against Aoba Johsai was the stuff of legends. The last point was sooo good. I was on the edge of my seat and I think I lost some years of my life. But it was worth it. And let's not forget the music by Yuki Hayashi of course.
4. Mob Psycho 100
Best animated show of the year? Probably. I don't even know how they've done it. There are movies/ovas this year with worse animation (*cough*Toei*cough*Digimon Tri*cough*). And on top of that, it has great characters like Reigen and it touches interesting themes.
Best bros
5. Kuromukuro
One of the best mecha of recent times (not that there has been a lot of good competition). I really like the design of the characters. Kennosuke is great and is really fun to see hin trying to fit in the present. The battles are not flashy or over the top, they are slow and have great choreography like a samurai duel.
The plot is interesting and the characters are likeable (except the camera guy, but it has a really great explanation at the end). One thing that surprised me was the ending, I'm not gonna spoil it, but it's not a typical ending and I think it elevates the show. I hope we can get a second season.
6. The Great Passage
Another mature anime. Although in this case is a lot more lighthearted than Rakugo. Do you think that watching people making a dictionary is boring? You're wrong. It takes his story very serious and the characters are all well done. Nishioka being the standout, maybe because he's the most active of the bunch. It's really fun to watch the interactions between them. And the animation it's really good even if it's only gestures and things like that. It makes everything more realistic. It's only 11 episodes. Short and nice. Go watch it (if Amazon let's you do it).
7. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable
JoJo is always great, especially this part. It looks amazing, is fun, is weird, it oozes style. David Production really like the source material or at least they treat it with a lot of care and respect. It had a rough bump of episodes but in the end they made it. The fanboy inside me wants to put it in the first place but I thought that I want to reward other series that aren't so well knwon. It's going to end in the top spots anyway.
8. 91 Days
The mafia. Not what you expect from an anime. But it was good. The names were a little stupid and Fango, well, it was Fango. It's heavily influenced by mafia movies and their cliches. Even the logo. It has some goofy things (that mexican guy) but in the end is a serious tale about revenge. The ending is fantastic.
9. Konosuba
It's a boy trapped in a fantasy world. But that boy is a jerk. A jerk that is funny. Almost every other character is entertaining and everything is played for fun. Everyone hates Aqua but for me she is the best and funniest. And her seiyuu did a very great job.
10. Flying Witch
This is a slice of life. It's reeally relaxing and everything and everyone is cute. There isn't a lot of witchcraft, but what it has is entertaining. It has some really pretty scenes and the characters are just adorable.
Honorable Mentions
x. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - When it is about mechas is pretty cool, when it is about politics not so much.
x. Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou - The Last Song - Great and interesting themes with cool action and designs, but a little convoluted if you don't pay attention.
x. Lupin III: Part IV - Classic Lupin, very beautiful with a lot of fun and a stupid story.
x. Yuri on Ice - A lot of pretty boys, but the resolution was not so great.
x. Watashi ga Motete Dousunda - Maybe a problematic premise but it was entertaining. The second best show for fujoshis after Yuri.
x. Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro - Groovy. A little more variety of songs would have been nice.
Movies/OVAs
1. Garo: Divine Flame
2. Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu
3. Kizumonogatari Part 2: Nekketsu
4. Gintama: Love Potion
5. Working!!! Lord of the Takanashi
Sadly, I haven't had the oportunity to watch A Silent Voice or Your Name. They probably would have been on the list. Maybe I can watch them before the votes are counted.
- Status