1. Hyouka
Kyoani really outdid themselves with this one, and I would say its their best work so far. One of the most beautiful shows of all time, the visuals are always on point in all aspects of animation and art. Combine that with incredible direction and storyboarding and I don't think anyone can deny how impressive the production is. You'll often find yourself surprised with how much the show is able to convey in even the shortest scenes. On top that, the show has a high quality soundtrack with a number of memorable tracks throughout. It's mixture of
classical tracks and
original compositions is pretty tremendous to listen to. A true audiovisual experience.
The writing is strong, particularly when it comes to character developments and dialogue. The latter is often supplemented by great visual cues to help give the mystery solving a clear logic to follow. Some people will not enjoy the general nature of the show, in that the mysteries themselves are essentially commonplace, however that was not really an issue for me. Not to say that there were not a couple weak episodes in the show, there is certainly 1 or 2 standalone episodes that have very little happening due to the mystery being exceedingly silly. In contrast though the characters themselves deal with more complex issues, with the mysteries often being a springboard for this.
All in all, I have to give this show the top spot for the year.
2. Tsuritama
Tsuritama is a complete return to form for Kenji Nakamura after the disappointment of [C] back in 2011. This show is much more akin to Mononoke and Trapeze, in that it combines a unique premise with the quality of direction we have come to expect from Nakamura. Focusing primarily on fishing, aliens, and the bonds formed between the 4 main characters over their love of fishing the show builds each episode becoming more exciting and fun to watch each week. While most recognized that it was a quality show from the get go, I think it was hard to tell how good it was going to be as its starts out in a pretty simple sort of way. As I mentioned though, the show builds each week with excellent character writing and exciting plot developments getting the viewer really engaged in what is happening and delivering a wonderful conclusion. The characters all have very strong personalities, and are developed together in a heartfelt and compelling way as we see them become closer friends over the course of the show. The final arc of Tsuritama shows us just how far each of them have come over the course of the show, facing some pretty overwhelming odds together.
Tsuritama sports some great visuals as well, bright and colorful with detailed backgrounds and interesting animation. With regards to the soundtrack, which was done by Kuricorder Quartet, it has a very unique sound to it thanks to its instrument variety and upbeat nature.
Take this song for example, very light with a great composition I think. There are also more traditional songs as well, equally as impressive. Definitely an impressive and memorable soundtrack. Whats really great about the visuals and audio though is that they work together with the locations in the show to deliver a wonderfully unusual atmosphere to the show.
Going back and forth with Tsuritama and Hyouka was pretty tough, both are a step above the rest of the competition though.
3. Fate/Zero Season 2
I was really surprised that this 2nd half turned out as well as it did. There's a lot of moving parts to this story, and a huge cast, so it's not easy to manage all the different elements while continuing to deliver the kind of quality we came to expect from the first season, however ufotable managed to pull it off. Even knowing how it all ended, the conclusion is still satisfying and well done. As a prequel, that is also something that I think is pretty hard to accomplish.
The mix of CG and traditional animation continues to impress here. Ufotable has really become a top CG studio in the business, and it shows during a number of action scenes throughout the show. They get to showcase their skill even more in season 2 thanks to the amount of action we are treated to. Definitely the best looking action show this year, the fight scenes are well directed and a blast to watch.
The quality of writing continues to impress from season 1. I really enjoyed the background given on Kiritsugu, which were some of the best episodes of the show. Characters develop in step with the wild developments of the show, much of it being even more explosive thanks to the build up from season 1. Not to say there weren't some missteps in this regard, the pacing near the end certainly caused some problems. The most notable being the lack of development and background on Berserker, who is put in a very important position during the latter stage of season 2 but largely falls flat due to the abrupt nature of it all and the lack of details the audience has on the character. Many thought we would see some extra content added in the Bluray release as was seen in season 1, but that did not happen.
Either way though, great end to a great show.
4. K-On Movie
Not a whole lot to say here. Another great work from Kyoani, and the best form of K-On. Sporting a more cohesive self contained story for the movie, the girls really shine in their adventure in London. Everything you would expect from K-On but better. The simple fact is, its a damn good movie.
Kind of a banner year for Kyoani, even though Chunnibyou wasn't all that good. Between Hyouka and the K-On movie, they really delivered in 2012. 2013 is starting out great for them as well with Tamako Market.
5. From the New World (Shin Sekai Yori)
This has to be the most interesting show of the year. It's results in this list are a bit skewed since it is only half over, and it suffered from a rough patch during episodes 5-8, regardless though I'm sticking it in 5th for the high quality it has shown in the rest of its episodes. It definitely has the potentially to reach much higher on this list as well, depending on how the rest of the show goes.
From the New World presents us with a fascinating 1984-esque world with a more spiritual and psychological bent. Set in some far flung future, it focuses on a group a children who live in a small village where everyone has psychic powers. Because of the disasters these powers have caused, everything in the village is heavily controlled, as the children are taught to control their powers at an early age. The show does an amazing job slowly revealing bits and pieces of the history and nature of the world in which the kids live. During the early episodes we are treated to some very impressive openings delving into legends from the past, and the show continues to give the audience a lot of different myths and stories throughout. Much like the audience, the children are very much in the dark about their world, so we have learned with them as the show has progressed. The scenery of this world has a very twisted and fantastical atmosphere to it, showing us how much the world has been affected by humans with such warped power. Vivid backgrounds are common here, and strange beasts populate much of the surroundings.
Outside of the aforementioned 5-8, the show has been very well directed, and the character relationships have a deep emotional quality to them that make the cast very interesting to watch. The soundtrack has been a mixed bag, mainly with some of the upbeat tracks, although those disappeared from the show a number of weeks ago now. While the visuals are not always impressive, they are often very interesting and unique.
As I said earlier though, this show has immense potential as long as it can remain on track. If it hadn't been for those few bad episodes this would have easily been in the top 3 for what it has accomplished so far.
6. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
If you know Jojo, you know why you need to be watching this show. If you don't know Jojo, why don't you know about Jojo?
This show really is a love letter to the manga, you can tell how much the staff enjoys the material they are working with. Often scenes look pulled right out of manga panels, the direction is really cool in that regard. Jojo is always exciting, funny, and just a downright blast to watch particularly now that we are in Battle Tendency, although I do miss Dio. The pacing feels kind of odd at times, I think part of what makes the show so awesome also hurts it a bit when it comes to abrupt plot developments. However the show really embraces the ridiculous nature of Jojo, you can't help but love it.
What has really hampered this series is the production values, or lack there of. Ugly backgrounds, weak animation, etc. It's character art in stills is good at least, usually pretty detailed. It was expected given the studio, but ultimately disappointing considering how impressive the OVAs are (mainly the 90's ones), in this regard. Admittedly its gotten better since some of the earlier episodes, but its still not much of a looker.
OP2 is fucking amazing btw.
7. Code Breaker
Another excellent action anime for the list. This one was definitely the surprise of the year for me, I never expected the kind of quality we got out of this one. Initially I only started watching after some talk of good animation and staff, however once the show got going it became clear that it had much more going for it. A cast of characters who have unique personalities, backing up our two leads Ogami and Sakura who develop a great relationship over the course of the show. Ogami is a truly awesome male lead as well, not afraid to do both good and evil in the name of justice, his cold personality really help drive the show in the early going. As the show progresses and the other code breakers com into play, a really nice chemistry develops between the group making the show both exciting and often very funny.
Much like Jojo it embraces a decidedly over the top atmosphere, mixing humor and dark action pretty effortlessly. Its a credit to the staff that they managed to find a good balance of elements that gives this show a very old school action show appeal. On top of that we have a surprisingly good soundtrack that really helps the atmosphere and mood. Much like Tsuritama, this was a show that only got better with each passing episode. Each episode more exciting than the last, concluding with some absolutely fantastic action sequences in the last couple episodes.
As I mentioned earlier, I originally started watching it for the animation, and that is always constantly good in this show. The different effects used during fight scenes are lovely. The flames, lightning, and other attacks are very fluid with lots of movement and detail. Really impressive stuff, that's for sure.
I was tempted to put this above Jojo, but that show is still ongoing and continues to get better, so this is probably a good ranking. Regardless, this is am must see show for anyone who likes action anime.
8. Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Natsuyuki set itself apart as a shoujo show mostly on the strength of its characters, who are all adults acting accordingly, and the pacing of the relationships. It draws a bit on Ghost, with the dead husband haunting his wife and her new boyfriend, which leads to some humorous and painful situations during the show. What I found most compelling about the show was the character interactions. The entire cast is very straightforward about their feelings and their plans. It's quite refreshing from what you would normally expect from a show of this nature. I love the character designs too, very appealing and somewhat unconventional. Also some nice background art to be seen in this show, they get very detailed with flowers. It kind of goes into overdrive artistically in some of the later episodes too after certain plot developments.
The show really only has 2 main failings to look at. Some feet dragging in the latter stages, making the pace slow down considerably, and the final few scenes in the last episode were a bit annoying.
9. Space Brothers
For a anime about space, the show oddly spends very little time there. Instead the focus is on the characters struggles to make it as astronauts. Space Brothers is a real showcase in character writing, each week it delivers an experience that is very believable and sincere. It features a strong main cast, each with very different motivations and personalities, all working towards a common goal. Their interactions feel very natural, and there is great chemistry and humor between them. Mutta and the rest are also very introspective, able to expand on their feelings and internal conflicts giving the audience a deep understanding of what drives the characters in the show. This often makes everything seem much more heartfelt and touching, flashbacks in particular are pretty emotionally charged. This feeling is really helped by the amazing soundtrack, which is certainly one of the top from this year. I'd provide an example but I can't find any tracks
. The composition is fantastic though.
The show is pretty slow, and its often ugly, so its not something that I exactly look forward to or rush to watch. Each week though I am reminded of what makes it so great, and it remains consistently enjoyable.
10. Milky Holmes Season 2
Last but not least, the 2nd season of Milky Holmes. This series doesn't get nearly the love it should, and it's too bad because its a great action comedy show. The mix of hilarious characters and situations, colorful visuals with lots of variety in the art, and animation that can be expressive as well as awesome during action scenes, Milky Holmes is really a highly entertaining show. It's not afraid to bring all sorts of humor to the table, whether its references to old shows, having the characters break out into songs, or totally bizarre reaction faces, each episode will bring big laughs for various reasons. When the show decides to go action, it does that very well too. Bringing its special brand of humor to the fights, makes them even more fun to watch as you really have no idea what the characters will try next.
Most are turned off before checking it out because the premise involves a little girl team of mystery solvers, but I always try to encourage people on this once because it really is a lot of fun to watch.
Honorable Mentions
Ano Natsu
Kids on the Slope
Girls Und Panzer
Tonari no Kaibutsu