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NeoGAF Anime of the Year 2016 - Voting Thread
- Thread starter Cornbread78
- Start date
- Status
firehawk12
Subete no aware
All you need is Haifuri~I had to edit my list 3 times because I knew forgetting stuff that should clearly be on it but somehow I forgot. That just shows what I thought of 2016.
Xilium
Member
TV Series:
1. KonoSuba
2. My Hero Academia
3. Arslan Senki: Fuujin Ranbu
4. Alderamin on the Sky
5. Food Wars! The Second Plate
6. Bungou Stray Dogs
7. RIN-NE
8. GATE
9. Dimension W
10. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Haven't gotten around to Mob Psycho, 91 Days, or Keijo which are the only shows left I have to watch from 2016 that might have made the list but it's probably unlikely. Pretty meh year for me to be honest.
1. KonoSuba
2. My Hero Academia
3. Arslan Senki: Fuujin Ranbu
4. Alderamin on the Sky
5. Food Wars! The Second Plate
6. Bungou Stray Dogs
7. RIN-NE
8. GATE
9. Dimension W
10. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Haven't gotten around to Mob Psycho, 91 Days, or Keijo which are the only shows left I have to watch from 2016 that might have made the list but it's probably unlikely. Pretty meh year for me to be honest.
Permanently A
Junior Member
I haven't even watched 10 anime this year so I'm super unqualified to answer this question.
...
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
3. My Hero Academia
...
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
3. My Hero Academia
TV Series:
1. Ms. Bernard Says ;
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy ;
3. Yuri!!! on Ice ;
4. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ;
5. Mob Psycho 100 ;
6. Girlish Number ;
7. Please Tell Me! Galko-chan ;
8. Space Patrol Luluco ;
9. This Art Club Has a Problem! ;
10. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless;
Movies:
1. Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen ;
2. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen ;
3. Girls und Panzer der Film ;
4. Doukyuusei ;
1. Ms. Bernard Says ;
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy ;
3. Yuri!!! on Ice ;
4. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ;
5. Mob Psycho 100 ;
6. Girlish Number ;
7. Please Tell Me! Galko-chan ;
8. Space Patrol Luluco ;
9. This Art Club Has a Problem! ;
10. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless;
Movies:
1. Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen ;
2. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen ;
3. Girls und Panzer der Film ;
4. Doukyuusei ;
Admiral Woofington
Member
Updated my list shuffling things around to include 2 shows I watched recently watched before the deadline.
I totally forgot about this very important entry I needed to vote for. Thank you Narag! We must spread the good word!
GoldCrusader
Member
The only option to watch this legally is to buy the aniplex BD right? I really did want to check it out.
ThatChairMan
Member
It was an alright year.
TV Series
1. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ; Not really much to say for this. Strong characterization and great direction. Rakugo itself is something I had never seen or heard of before, but the anime made it pretty compelling to watch.
2. Kuromukuro ; Shenanigans of a modern day samurai combined with fun and interesting mecha fights and a lovable cast.
3. Konosuba ; I generally dislike the isekai trend that seems to be going on the past few years, but Konosuba did a fantastic job of parodying a lot of the common tropes in it. Laughed a lot, easily top comedy.
4. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; I didn't expect a puppet show to be so entertaining, but the Urobuchi writing in a fantasy setting like this worked out really well.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; This is probably my favorite Part in Jojo (though I haven't read anything after 5 yet), and the adaptation of it was extremely well-done. Some hiccups here and there in terms of direction and animation, but it got down the slice-of-life feel and over-the-top fights really well.
6. Mob Psycho 100 ; Animation hands down was one, if not the, best all year. Combined that with a compelling story and characters, it was really good.
7. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. ; The premise of "psychic just wants to live a normal life" combined with the ridiculous cast was just so fun. Gag series usually burn out for me after a few episodes, but this kept me hooked all the way till the end.
9. Active Raid ; Honestly, there are many things flawed with this in terms of pacing, overarching plot, and character motivation. But the episodic buddy cop action comedy and adult cast isn't really something I get a lot of, so I had a ton of fun with this.
10. Occultic;Nine ; Like Active Raid, pretty flawed in terms of pacing. But I'm always a sucker for a large cast of characters with multiple perspective shifts that all wind up interconnecting to an overarching plot, and I felt this one worked out decently well overall. The ending was a complete "buy the VN" tease though.
Movie:
1. Majestic Prince: Genetic Awakening ; Plot was nothing to write home about since it was just a flimsy excuse for some more mecha battles. A lot of fun since I enjoyed the series.
2. Girls und Panzer ; Plot was nothing to write home about since it was just a flimsy excuse for some more tank battles. A lot of fun since I enjoyed the series.
3. Garo: Divine Flame ; Plot was nothing to write home about since it was just a flimsy excuse for some more fantasy knight battles. A lot of fun since I enjoyed the series.
TV Series
1. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ; Not really much to say for this. Strong characterization and great direction. Rakugo itself is something I had never seen or heard of before, but the anime made it pretty compelling to watch.
2. Kuromukuro ; Shenanigans of a modern day samurai combined with fun and interesting mecha fights and a lovable cast.
3. Konosuba ; I generally dislike the isekai trend that seems to be going on the past few years, but Konosuba did a fantastic job of parodying a lot of the common tropes in it. Laughed a lot, easily top comedy.
4. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; I didn't expect a puppet show to be so entertaining, but the Urobuchi writing in a fantasy setting like this worked out really well.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; This is probably my favorite Part in Jojo (though I haven't read anything after 5 yet), and the adaptation of it was extremely well-done. Some hiccups here and there in terms of direction and animation, but it got down the slice-of-life feel and over-the-top fights really well.
6. Mob Psycho 100 ; Animation hands down was one, if not the, best all year. Combined that with a compelling story and characters, it was really good.
7. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. ; The premise of "psychic just wants to live a normal life" combined with the ridiculous cast was just so fun. Gag series usually burn out for me after a few episodes, but this kept me hooked all the way till the end.
9. Active Raid ; Honestly, there are many things flawed with this in terms of pacing, overarching plot, and character motivation. But the episodic buddy cop action comedy and adult cast isn't really something I get a lot of, so I had a ton of fun with this.
10. Occultic;Nine ; Like Active Raid, pretty flawed in terms of pacing. But I'm always a sucker for a large cast of characters with multiple perspective shifts that all wind up interconnecting to an overarching plot, and I felt this one worked out decently well overall. The ending was a complete "buy the VN" tease though.
Movie:
1. Majestic Prince: Genetic Awakening ; Plot was nothing to write home about since it was just a flimsy excuse for some more mecha battles. A lot of fun since I enjoyed the series.
2. Girls und Panzer ; Plot was nothing to write home about since it was just a flimsy excuse for some more tank battles. A lot of fun since I enjoyed the series.
3. Garo: Divine Flame ; Plot was nothing to write home about since it was just a flimsy excuse for some more fantasy knight battles. A lot of fun since I enjoyed the series.
Unfortunately yes. I don't understand why it isn't available for VOD on Daisuki. That would make it easier for people who might not want to put down that much money on the BD, to pay a small sum to at least watch it.
Cornbread78
Member
One week left; get your votes in and/or fix your ballots
godisntheradio
Neo Member
It was a good year overall, lots of comfy shows and a few surprises.
1. Mob Psycho 100 ; Excellent Action, amazing visuals and great characters, that's what composes mob psycho and makes it a great watch and easy recommendation.
2. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless ; I really like comfy shows, and this really stands out for its lazy(heh) pace and different artstyle. Their school had me amazed for how beautiful it looked. The situations they were in, despite being familiar, were unique for their personalities were portrayed well, which also helped on its light comedy.
3. Flying Witch ; Another comfy show i loved. It was cute and hearwarming. The scenes of witchery were so well made, they had impact maintaining the low key aspect of the show.
4. ReLIFE ; This was about the dark side of japanese workers using a familiar enviroment, it was cute and funny at times but manage to send its massage in a meaninful way when it needed.
5. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ; The way the story was told was perfect, the characters developed wonderfully and in a diferent fashion than most anime. This is really worth a watch.
6. Kiznaiver ; I have mixed feeling about the endings, but still managed to be great overall. The characters interactions were always amusing and power of friendship is my favorite trope. Poor Chidori though.
7. WWW.WAGNARIA!! ; I love the original series, and although it has a different cast, it made me love them really quickly, just as quickly as they paired the characters. Miyakoshi is very cute by the end of the show.
8. Please tell me! Galko-chan ; Oshiete! Galko-chan is a comedy about girls. But it tackles common doubts and insecurities of teenagers in puberty with major focus on the girls, in a fun way and without leaving especifics aside.
9. Orange ; This was emotionally heavy and it hit hard. The messages it was trying to convey were delivered in a good way, given how delicated the theme is. Heartwarming with a bittersweet ending.
10. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- ; It was just a crazy, fun ride. It made me go watch when it was released and right after read reactions of the episode.
i don't know if i should keep the link in the wagnaria name, tell me if i need to change it.
Honorable metions
x. Girlish Number
x. Alderamin in the Sky
x. Space Patrol Luluco
x. Dagashi Kashi
x. Amanchu
1. Mob Psycho 100 ; Excellent Action, amazing visuals and great characters, that's what composes mob psycho and makes it a great watch and easy recommendation.
2. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless ; I really like comfy shows, and this really stands out for its lazy(heh) pace and different artstyle. Their school had me amazed for how beautiful it looked. The situations they were in, despite being familiar, were unique for their personalities were portrayed well, which also helped on its light comedy.
3. Flying Witch ; Another comfy show i loved. It was cute and hearwarming. The scenes of witchery were so well made, they had impact maintaining the low key aspect of the show.
4. ReLIFE ; This was about the dark side of japanese workers using a familiar enviroment, it was cute and funny at times but manage to send its massage in a meaninful way when it needed.
5. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju ; The way the story was told was perfect, the characters developed wonderfully and in a diferent fashion than most anime. This is really worth a watch.
6. Kiznaiver ; I have mixed feeling about the endings, but still managed to be great overall. The characters interactions were always amusing and power of friendship is my favorite trope. Poor Chidori though.
7. WWW.WAGNARIA!! ; I love the original series, and although it has a different cast, it made me love them really quickly, just as quickly as they paired the characters. Miyakoshi is very cute by the end of the show.
8. Please tell me! Galko-chan ; Oshiete! Galko-chan is a comedy about girls. But it tackles common doubts and insecurities of teenagers in puberty with major focus on the girls, in a fun way and without leaving especifics aside.
9. Orange ; This was emotionally heavy and it hit hard. The messages it was trying to convey were delivered in a good way, given how delicated the theme is. Heartwarming with a bittersweet ending.
10. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- ; It was just a crazy, fun ride. It made me go watch when it was released and right after read reactions of the episode.
i don't know if i should keep the link in the wagnaria name, tell me if i need to change it.
Honorable metions
x. Girlish Number
x. Alderamin in the Sky
x. Space Patrol Luluco
x. Dagashi Kashi
x. Amanchu
GoldCrusader
Member
For shame, that's one of the reason why I hate aniplex....Unfortunately yes. I don't understand why it isn't available for VOD on Daisuki. That would make it easier for people who might not want to put down that much money on the BD, to pay a small sum to at least watch it.
I wouldnt even mind renting it on Daisuki if they want more money. So dumb.
Cornbread78
Member
You can vote for only one, but you have to at least put it into proper format...
Dedication Through Light
Member
Less than a week left. Hopefully I can see YGO so I can put the movie on the list.
1. Concrete Revolutio ; This year had a lot of great shows, but Concrete Revolutio was the one that resonated the most with me. The setting - an alternate history postwar Japan mixed with superheroes - is incredible, and would be enough to make the show great by itself, but that's barely scratching the surface of everything the show manages to pull of. The art style is great - incredibly colourful and with great character designs. Then there's the large ensemble cast full of great characters with varying goals and motivations. There's the amazing animation, with the show containing some of the best animated scenes out there. There's the direction, with its fun and quick pacing that rarely lets the show get boring. There's the ambitious storytelling, with the story spanning multiple years, containing a large number of characters and a lot of different subplots. There's just a lot to like here.
It also perfectly blends episodic and serial storytelling. Every episode drives the core story forward and develops at least one of the many characters, but they are also self contained, with their own story arcs and unique settings. This allows the show to have an episode about ski jumping, out of all things, not seem out of place. And that's great, because it means every episode is something new, something interesting, without negatively impacting the overall story.
2. Mob Psycho 100 ; After One Punch Man I expected this to be another amazingly animated and directed show, but it turned out to be so much more than that. It has some really good characterization, with Mob's character arc being particularly great. It also has some of genuinely touching moments, and one of the best climaxes in anime. Writing about what makes it amazing without spoilers is rather hard, since a lot of what really impressed me relies on clever and unexpected subversions of common anime tropes, but I can say that it's a thoroughly amazing show that delivers in every aspect.
3. Osomatsu-san ; With Gintama deciding to mostly ditch it's comedy in favour of focusing on a very long serious arc, it's nice to see that a suitable replacement has surfaced so quickly. Osomatsu-san is basically Gintama. It has the same brilliant comedic direction (which isn't terribly surprising, considering the director worked on Gintama for a very long time), great characters and the occasional out-of-nowhere emotional episode. It even shares the fact that the early episodes kind of suck, which is a bit disappointing, but the hilarity of later episodes more than makes up for it.
4. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; This was just incredibly cheesy fun all around. Great, fun characters, cheesy action made even cheesier by an incredibly fitting Sawano soundtrack and cool plot twists. It knows it's not a very serious show and it embraces that in the best way possible.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; The best season/part of JoJo yet. The stands got much more bizarre, which meant that the battles were much more interesting than part 3. And since the show is pretty much nothing but battles, that's a great improvement. The main villain is also great, and I like how much of a total opposite he is to Dio - and most other anime antagonists for that matter.
6. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu ; Despite putting it this low, I still really liked this show. It's a pretty good character drama, it looks nice, has solid direction and the voice acting is great. Sadly, I felt like the emotional moments didn't particularly resonate with me, partly due to the direction not emphasising them enough and partly because they felt a bit too by the numbers. It's not a very big deal though, and the show still tells a great tale about a dying art form. I just hoped for more, since the first episode really, really impressed me.
7. Haikyuu!! ; More Haikyuu really. The show is incredibly consistent, delivering both amazing volleyball action and just enough character development to make that action interesting. Sadly, season 3 didn't really do anything particularly new or interesting. Season 2 was still great though, particularly the last few episodes, which were some of the hypest things I've seen in anime.
8. Konosuba ; I initially disregarded this show as just another "reincarnated in a fantasy world with a self insert protagonist" but it actually turned out to be a great comedy. The story can be summed up as watching the worst RPG party stumble around and fail at pretty much everything, which is the kind of comedy setup I can get behind.
9. Kiznaiver ; Probably one of the most forgettable shows I've seen this year (I almost forgot to put it on the list), but despite that it's not actually pretty good. The character designs and their interactions with each other are great, and the focus on character interaction over action was nice to see. It just never really goes anywhere, and the ending is just about the least engaging way to end a series.
10. Kuromukuro ; I didn't get the chance to finish this yet, but from what I've watched this was actually pretty good, considering I'm really not a fan of CG mecha shows. However, the cast was great and the non-CG character animation was actually pretty good. Maybe it all turns to shit later on, but I feel like it at least deserves a mention so people like me don't just write it off as lame CG.
It also perfectly blends episodic and serial storytelling. Every episode drives the core story forward and develops at least one of the many characters, but they are also self contained, with their own story arcs and unique settings. This allows the show to have an episode about ski jumping, out of all things, not seem out of place. And that's great, because it means every episode is something new, something interesting, without negatively impacting the overall story.
2. Mob Psycho 100 ; After One Punch Man I expected this to be another amazingly animated and directed show, but it turned out to be so much more than that. It has some really good characterization, with Mob's character arc being particularly great. It also has some of genuinely touching moments, and one of the best climaxes in anime. Writing about what makes it amazing without spoilers is rather hard, since a lot of what really impressed me relies on clever and unexpected subversions of common anime tropes, but I can say that it's a thoroughly amazing show that delivers in every aspect.
3. Osomatsu-san ; With Gintama deciding to mostly ditch it's comedy in favour of focusing on a very long serious arc, it's nice to see that a suitable replacement has surfaced so quickly. Osomatsu-san is basically Gintama. It has the same brilliant comedic direction (which isn't terribly surprising, considering the director worked on Gintama for a very long time), great characters and the occasional out-of-nowhere emotional episode. It even shares the fact that the early episodes kind of suck, which is a bit disappointing, but the hilarity of later episodes more than makes up for it.
4. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; This was just incredibly cheesy fun all around. Great, fun characters, cheesy action made even cheesier by an incredibly fitting Sawano soundtrack and cool plot twists. It knows it's not a very serious show and it embraces that in the best way possible.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; The best season/part of JoJo yet. The stands got much more bizarre, which meant that the battles were much more interesting than part 3. And since the show is pretty much nothing but battles, that's a great improvement. The main villain is also great, and I like how much of a total opposite he is to Dio - and most other anime antagonists for that matter.
6. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu ; Despite putting it this low, I still really liked this show. It's a pretty good character drama, it looks nice, has solid direction and the voice acting is great. Sadly, I felt like the emotional moments didn't particularly resonate with me, partly due to the direction not emphasising them enough and partly because they felt a bit too by the numbers. It's not a very big deal though, and the show still tells a great tale about a dying art form. I just hoped for more, since the first episode really, really impressed me.
7. Haikyuu!! ; More Haikyuu really. The show is incredibly consistent, delivering both amazing volleyball action and just enough character development to make that action interesting. Sadly, season 3 didn't really do anything particularly new or interesting. Season 2 was still great though, particularly the last few episodes, which were some of the hypest things I've seen in anime.
8. Konosuba ; I initially disregarded this show as just another "reincarnated in a fantasy world with a self insert protagonist" but it actually turned out to be a great comedy. The story can be summed up as watching the worst RPG party stumble around and fail at pretty much everything, which is the kind of comedy setup I can get behind.
9. Kiznaiver ; Probably one of the most forgettable shows I've seen this year (I almost forgot to put it on the list), but despite that it's not actually pretty good. The character designs and their interactions with each other are great, and the focus on character interaction over action was nice to see. It just never really goes anywhere, and the ending is just about the least engaging way to end a series.
10. Kuromukuro ; I didn't get the chance to finish this yet, but from what I've watched this was actually pretty good, considering I'm really not a fan of CG mecha shows. However, the cast was great and the non-CG character animation was actually pretty good. Maybe it all turns to shit later on, but I feel like it at least deserves a mention so people like me don't just write it off as lame CG.
QuantumSingularity
Member
1. Konosuba
2. Flying Witch
3. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
4. Sound! Euphonium S2
5. WWW.Working
6. Re:Zero
7. ReLIFE
8. Food Wars! The Second Plate
9. Girlish Number
10. Keijo!!!!!!!!
2. Flying Witch
3. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
4. Sound! Euphonium S2
5. WWW.Working
6. Re:Zero
7. ReLIFE
8. Food Wars! The Second Plate
9. Girlish Number
10. Keijo!!!!!!!!
Spent a bunch of time recently catching up.
1. Amanchu! - Huge Kozue Amano fan, can't help but put this at #1. Spectacular scenery, amazing pace and enjoyable characters.
2. 91 Days - 91 Days never really settled for me, I didn't particularly enjoy the progression of the story but it was more than enough to keep me hooked. The more I want there to be serious faults with it the harder it is to find them. Can't help but admit that this was a solid show.
3. Grimgar - Gratuitous tits/ass shots aside, a very nice spin on the ever growing sucked into an mmo world setting. Instead of the characters charging forward and shaking up the world right off the bat, the crew struggles, struggles and struggles and the low end of the adventuring spectrum. The focus on that shines.
4. GATE - GATE balances quite a lot of things nicely and does so at it's own pace. It's just really impressive how it manages to tie it all together. The JSDF wankfest does get annoying though.
5. Showa Genrokou Rakugo Shinjuu - at first I thought it was a bit of a shame that it didn't follow the story of an ex-prisoner wanting to do rakugo but rather the backstory of the man who he wants to be his monster but that backstory quickly pulled me in.
6. Gundam: IBO - Finally a gundam show where the characters aren't afraid of going off the other end and knowing it.
7. Ajin - The beginning draws quite a lot of parallels with Tokyo Ghoul IMO and plays out a bit nicer. Didn't particularly enjoy the direction of the second season though.
8. Dimension W - The closest thing to a summer action flick for anime I think. Everything about it is inoffensive and ties together in a nice enough fashion. Which I think is starting to be rare thing.
9. Erased - + 100000000 points for using the asian kungfu generation OP, loads of flashbacks to my highschool days thanks to it.
10. Re:Zero - Started really strong and just nosedived. Can't ignore the start though.
Still got a few more series to watch but don't see the list changing by the end of the month.
1. Amanchu! - Huge Kozue Amano fan, can't help but put this at #1. Spectacular scenery, amazing pace and enjoyable characters.
2. 91 Days - 91 Days never really settled for me, I didn't particularly enjoy the progression of the story but it was more than enough to keep me hooked. The more I want there to be serious faults with it the harder it is to find them. Can't help but admit that this was a solid show.
3. Grimgar - Gratuitous tits/ass shots aside, a very nice spin on the ever growing sucked into an mmo world setting. Instead of the characters charging forward and shaking up the world right off the bat, the crew struggles, struggles and struggles and the low end of the adventuring spectrum. The focus on that shines.
4. GATE - GATE balances quite a lot of things nicely and does so at it's own pace. It's just really impressive how it manages to tie it all together. The JSDF wankfest does get annoying though.
5. Showa Genrokou Rakugo Shinjuu - at first I thought it was a bit of a shame that it didn't follow the story of an ex-prisoner wanting to do rakugo but rather the backstory of the man who he wants to be his monster but that backstory quickly pulled me in.
6. Gundam: IBO - Finally a gundam show where the characters aren't afraid of going off the other end and knowing it.
7. Ajin - The beginning draws quite a lot of parallels with Tokyo Ghoul IMO and plays out a bit nicer. Didn't particularly enjoy the direction of the second season though.
8. Dimension W - The closest thing to a summer action flick for anime I think. Everything about it is inoffensive and ties together in a nice enough fashion. Which I think is starting to be rare thing.
9. Erased - + 100000000 points for using the asian kungfu generation OP, loads of flashbacks to my highschool days thanks to it.
10. Re:Zero - Started really strong and just nosedived. Can't ignore the start though.
Still got a few more series to watch but don't see the list changing by the end of the month.
EvilKatarn
Member
Here's literally every 2016 show I watched. Except for Berserk. Fuck that atrocious, disgusting, revolting, pathetic, inexcusable piece of refuse into a burning pile of shit forever. Oh and Love Live Sunshine too. I thought it was awful.
TV Series:
1. Thunderbolt Fantasy
2. Hibike! Euphonium 2
3. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
4. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
5. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
6. Oshiete! Galko-chan
7. Dagashi Kashi
8. New Game!
9. Kiznaiver
10. Schwarzesmarken
TV Series:
1. Thunderbolt Fantasy
2. Hibike! Euphonium 2
3. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
4. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
5. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
6. Oshiete! Galko-chan
7. Dagashi Kashi
8. New Game!
9. Kiznaiver
10. Schwarzesmarken
Cornbread78
Member
3 more days
Dedication Through Light
Member
No images or gifs this time
OVAS/FILMS
1 I've Always Liked You - [Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita.: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai]
The combination of music and school life romance managed to make this stand out a bit more than the other movies and ova's this year. It may have been a standard run of the mill school life romance between friends but it eventually became something funner and something more memorable. The heart could be felt all throughout the movie with each song. The idols dancing at the concert too was a very memorable part.
Overall though it ended up potentially closing out one relationship, the open ending nature made me want to check out the next entry.
2 Chain Chronicle: The Light of Heacceitas Part 1
The most RPG of fantasy adaptations proved to be the most enjoyable start for a new film franchise. The familiar setting of the dawn of the day after the failed defeat of the final boss was interesting to explore. I enjoyed it mainly for how the main character, Yuri, must now regroup, regather comrades who temporarily formed an alliance and potentially make new ones. Though most interesting was how it seemed to shift the focus over to the newest character, the youthful inexperienced Aram, nearly making him seem like the lead. With the cool magic abilities, classic swordswinging madness, and a mix of hilarious fools and confident leads, I found this to be at the top of the list of movies in 2016. The continuations will no doubt be up here in 2017.
3 Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
4 Kingslaive: Final Fantasy XV
5 Monster Strike: Rain of Memories
6 Monster Strike: Mermaid Rhapsody
7 Digimon Tri Part 3
8 Digimon Tri Part 2
9 Anthem of the Heart
10. Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Side of Dimensions
TV ANIME
1 Trickster
The keywords immediately made this anime of the year for me. A Boys Detective Club anime is easily the best type of anime, and like the name implies it is an entry in the often overlooked and under served mystery genre (only previous one was Tantei Team KZ: Jiken Note, which with elementary kids, left me begging for much more). With the addition of gifts, mainly in the form of Kobayashi origin remains unknown, it ended up becoming a gift that wouldnt stop giving. The cast of the main club in addition to support from the adults and police department as well as Kobayashi made it one of the best and well put together casts of the year. The mysterys explored were certainly not trivial and many of them became big events that managed to not only shake the core of the affected but even the cast. Kensuke's, the lead characters, in particular with not only his brother but his father became the best miniarc of this half of the show. More playful opportunities, such as Kensuke taking Kobayashi around to solve various mysterys around his birthday was also great.
Overall I think it is the perfect anime of 2017 and one I will add to my yearly rewatch list.
2 The Morose Mononokean
For a more down to earth spirits based anime this was one of the best kept secrets of the year. I think it was also overlooked or rather just ignored. The touching story between two boys growing closer together as they try to help out people with their various ailments induced from being attached to spirits, to the developing bond between Ashiya and Fuzzy, I found it one of the shows that I just had to see right when it came out. Its so beautiful.
3 Cardfight!! Vanguard G: STRIDE GATE
4 Luck & Logic
5 Divine Gate
6 Monster Strike
7 Puzzle & Dragons Cross
8 Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON
9 Cerberus
10 Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song
Honorable Mention
Battery The Animation
Uta no Prince-Sama Legend Star
Haikyuu!!
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Prince of Stride Alternative
Cheating Craft
Rainbow Days
This Boy Is A Professional Wizard
Super Lovers
Servamp
Gundam Unicorn RE:0096
OVAS/FILMS
1 I've Always Liked You - [Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita.: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai]
The combination of music and school life romance managed to make this stand out a bit more than the other movies and ova's this year. It may have been a standard run of the mill school life romance between friends but it eventually became something funner and something more memorable. The heart could be felt all throughout the movie with each song. The idols dancing at the concert too was a very memorable part.
Overall though it ended up potentially closing out one relationship, the open ending nature made me want to check out the next entry.
2 Chain Chronicle: The Light of Heacceitas Part 1
The most RPG of fantasy adaptations proved to be the most enjoyable start for a new film franchise. The familiar setting of the dawn of the day after the failed defeat of the final boss was interesting to explore. I enjoyed it mainly for how the main character, Yuri, must now regroup, regather comrades who temporarily formed an alliance and potentially make new ones. Though most interesting was how it seemed to shift the focus over to the newest character, the youthful inexperienced Aram, nearly making him seem like the lead. With the cool magic abilities, classic swordswinging madness, and a mix of hilarious fools and confident leads, I found this to be at the top of the list of movies in 2016. The continuations will no doubt be up here in 2017.
3 Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
4 Kingslaive: Final Fantasy XV
5 Monster Strike: Rain of Memories
6 Monster Strike: Mermaid Rhapsody
7 Digimon Tri Part 3
8 Digimon Tri Part 2
9 Anthem of the Heart
10. Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Side of Dimensions
TV ANIME
1 Trickster
The keywords immediately made this anime of the year for me. A Boys Detective Club anime is easily the best type of anime, and like the name implies it is an entry in the often overlooked and under served mystery genre (only previous one was Tantei Team KZ: Jiken Note, which with elementary kids, left me begging for much more). With the addition of gifts, mainly in the form of Kobayashi origin remains unknown, it ended up becoming a gift that wouldnt stop giving. The cast of the main club in addition to support from the adults and police department as well as Kobayashi made it one of the best and well put together casts of the year. The mysterys explored were certainly not trivial and many of them became big events that managed to not only shake the core of the affected but even the cast. Kensuke's, the lead characters, in particular with not only his brother but his father became the best miniarc of this half of the show. More playful opportunities, such as Kensuke taking Kobayashi around to solve various mysterys around his birthday was also great.
Overall I think it is the perfect anime of 2017 and one I will add to my yearly rewatch list.
2 The Morose Mononokean
For a more down to earth spirits based anime this was one of the best kept secrets of the year. I think it was also overlooked or rather just ignored. The touching story between two boys growing closer together as they try to help out people with their various ailments induced from being attached to spirits, to the developing bond between Ashiya and Fuzzy, I found it one of the shows that I just had to see right when it came out. Its so beautiful.
3 Cardfight!! Vanguard G: STRIDE GATE
4 Luck & Logic
5 Divine Gate
6 Monster Strike
7 Puzzle & Dragons Cross
8 Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON
9 Cerberus
10 Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song
Honorable Mention
Battery The Animation
Uta no Prince-Sama Legend Star
Haikyuu!!
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
Prince of Stride Alternative
Cheating Craft
Rainbow Days
This Boy Is A Professional Wizard
Super Lovers
Servamp
Gundam Unicorn RE:0096
TV
1. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; Morioh is an incredible, intimate setting and this arc has best JoJo since young Joseph. Diamond has it all, from fantastic fights, to silly stand alone encounters, always heightened by spectacular music. Kira is a great villain and his theme is perfect.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu ; This is why I watch Anime in the first place, I never knew about Rakugo before this and the impact the show had on me was huge. I saw a lot of myself in Sukeroku. A beautiful and devastating journey.
3. Erased ; Say what you will about Erased, I loved it thoroughly. I'm a sucker for mystery stories, throw in the Sci-Fi elements and it worked even better for me.
4. Fune Wo Amu ; Another show that proves that Anime wasn't a mistake. If you had told me I would love a show about people making a dictionary, I woulda called you crazy. Not only did I love it, it moved me to tears. Poignant and bittersweet.
5. Poco's Udon World ; Seriously, this is cute as all kinds of Hell. I love noodles, I love Tanuki and I love feel good viewing. This is the perfect blend of all.
6. My Hero Academia ; This was the first show I had watched in a long time and it hit the right notes for me. I absolutely love the relationship between Midoriya and All Might. That epic music that played during their initial exchanges was stunning.
7. Shokugeki no Souma: Second Plate ; More incredible food porn battles. What else is there to say.
8. Bungo Stray Dogs S1 ; I'm a huge fan of Osamu Dazai and his Ningen Shikkaku book (and the Manga version) are some of the most intense and melancholy stuff ever written. So naturally, a show where the main character is named after him was awesome. Need to find time to watch S2.
9. 91 Days ; The Mafia show that I never knew I needed. Loved it and looking forward to rewatching when it hits BD.
10. Mob Psycho 100 ; Visual style was immense for me. Beautiful animation and insane characters. Can't wait for more.
Movies
1. Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen ; I love Monogatari, I love how slick and amazing these Monogatari films are. Fully formed Kiss-Shot is my waifu.
2. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen ; Dem fights.
3. Your Name ; Slightly overhyped and I watched it in shitty English dub, but it was so pretty.
4. Anthem of the Heart ; Not perfect, but I love Anohana and it reminded me of it.
5. The Murder Case of Hana and Alice ; Watched this a couple of times and was blown away by the amazing style and sweet partnership.
6. Shelter ; Brilliant tune and adorable, emotive animation.
Honourables
Yuri on Ice ; An Anime about iceskating, never knew I would love a show like this so much.
Sweetness & Lightning ; So freakin' cute. Had trouble deciding between this and Poco.
Kabaneri ; Mumei.
Orange ; Loved the Manga, this didn't quite hit that level.
Re:Life ; Surprisingly great stuff, well worth a watch.
Kiznaiver ; Best OP. RIP Michiyuki Kawashima.
1. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable ; Morioh is an incredible, intimate setting and this arc has best JoJo since young Joseph. Diamond has it all, from fantastic fights, to silly stand alone encounters, always heightened by spectacular music. Kira is a great villain and his theme is perfect.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu ; This is why I watch Anime in the first place, I never knew about Rakugo before this and the impact the show had on me was huge. I saw a lot of myself in Sukeroku. A beautiful and devastating journey.
3. Erased ; Say what you will about Erased, I loved it thoroughly. I'm a sucker for mystery stories, throw in the Sci-Fi elements and it worked even better for me.
4. Fune Wo Amu ; Another show that proves that Anime wasn't a mistake. If you had told me I would love a show about people making a dictionary, I woulda called you crazy. Not only did I love it, it moved me to tears. Poignant and bittersweet.
5. Poco's Udon World ; Seriously, this is cute as all kinds of Hell. I love noodles, I love Tanuki and I love feel good viewing. This is the perfect blend of all.
6. My Hero Academia ; This was the first show I had watched in a long time and it hit the right notes for me. I absolutely love the relationship between Midoriya and All Might. That epic music that played during their initial exchanges was stunning.
7. Shokugeki no Souma: Second Plate ; More incredible food porn battles. What else is there to say.
8. Bungo Stray Dogs S1 ; I'm a huge fan of Osamu Dazai and his Ningen Shikkaku book (and the Manga version) are some of the most intense and melancholy stuff ever written. So naturally, a show where the main character is named after him was awesome. Need to find time to watch S2.
9. 91 Days ; The Mafia show that I never knew I needed. Loved it and looking forward to rewatching when it hits BD.
10. Mob Psycho 100 ; Visual style was immense for me. Beautiful animation and insane characters. Can't wait for more.
Movies
1. Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen ; I love Monogatari, I love how slick and amazing these Monogatari films are. Fully formed Kiss-Shot is my waifu.
2. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen ; Dem fights.
3. Your Name ; Slightly overhyped and I watched it in shitty English dub, but it was so pretty.
4. Anthem of the Heart ; Not perfect, but I love Anohana and it reminded me of it.
5. The Murder Case of Hana and Alice ; Watched this a couple of times and was blown away by the amazing style and sweet partnership.
6. Shelter ; Brilliant tune and adorable, emotive animation.
Honourables
Yuri on Ice ; An Anime about iceskating, never knew I would love a show like this so much.
Sweetness & Lightning ; So freakin' cute. Had trouble deciding between this and Poco.
Kabaneri ; Mumei.
Orange ; Loved the Manga, this didn't quite hit that level.
Re:Life ; Surprisingly great stuff, well worth a watch.
Kiznaiver ; Best OP. RIP Michiyuki Kawashima.
victreeb3l
Member
TV
1. Haikyu ; The series continues its excellent character development, heart pounding matches and brilliant soundtrack. No other anime has made me feel so invested in their characters as Haikyu this year. The last 5 minutes of season 2 episode 24 are permanently etched into my brain.
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu ; I loved learning about Rakugo and the time periods the stories span. Complex characters with brilliant VA work.
3. Kuromukuro ; Another gem from PA Works. The CG took a while to get used to but it was a fantastic sci fi adventure that wrapped up fantastically. Hope we get more.
4. Mob Psycho 100 ; Jaw dropping fight scenes.
5. Sound! Euphonium S2 ; Even though the storylines were weak in the first half of the season, the climax as well as the production values make this sequel exceptional.
6. Flip Flappers ; Felt like a breath of fresh air. Lush and colorful series thats brimming with creativity. The first half was stronger than the second but overall it was solid.
7. Gundam IBO ; Dope giant robot battles.
8. Myriad Colors Phantom World ; Not a lot of substance but I found it hilarious with jaw dropping production values. No one does fan service better than KyoAni.
9. Erased ; If the series ended at episode 4, it would probably have been my favorite of the year. However it started to trail off and get kind of stupid. Nevertheless I still enjoyed it.
10. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress ; Ridiculous and over the top but it might have been the most beautiful show of the year. Good lord did it look beautiful.
Movies
1. Your Name ; Shinkais best work even though I wasn't a big fan of the "missed connections" stuff. Loved the concept and the art and animation were an absolute delight.
1. Haikyu ; The series continues its excellent character development, heart pounding matches and brilliant soundtrack. No other anime has made me feel so invested in their characters as Haikyu this year. The last 5 minutes of season 2 episode 24 are permanently etched into my brain.
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu ; I loved learning about Rakugo and the time periods the stories span. Complex characters with brilliant VA work.
3. Kuromukuro ; Another gem from PA Works. The CG took a while to get used to but it was a fantastic sci fi adventure that wrapped up fantastically. Hope we get more.
4. Mob Psycho 100 ; Jaw dropping fight scenes.
5. Sound! Euphonium S2 ; Even though the storylines were weak in the first half of the season, the climax as well as the production values make this sequel exceptional.
6. Flip Flappers ; Felt like a breath of fresh air. Lush and colorful series thats brimming with creativity. The first half was stronger than the second but overall it was solid.
7. Gundam IBO ; Dope giant robot battles.
8. Myriad Colors Phantom World ; Not a lot of substance but I found it hilarious with jaw dropping production values. No one does fan service better than KyoAni.
9. Erased ; If the series ended at episode 4, it would probably have been my favorite of the year. However it started to trail off and get kind of stupid. Nevertheless I still enjoyed it.
10. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress ; Ridiculous and over the top but it might have been the most beautiful show of the year. Good lord did it look beautiful.
Movies
1. Your Name ; Shinkais best work even though I wasn't a big fan of the "missed connections" stuff. Loved the concept and the art and animation were an absolute delight.
StoneHeart
Member
TV Series
1. Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou
2. Re:Zero
3. Boku no Hero Academia
4. Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara
5. Hibike! Euphonium 2
6. Boku dake ga Inai Machi
7. Orange
8. ReLIFE
9. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
10. Amaama to Inazuma
HM: Ajin, Hai to Gensou no Grim, Koyomimonogatari, Sakamoto desu ga?
Missed ( Will watch in 2017): Mob Psycho 100, Yuri on Ice, Ajin Season 2
Droped: Big Order, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, Keijo!!!!!!!!, All Out, Taboo Tattoo, Mob Psycho 100*, Berserk (2016), D.Gray-man Hallow**
* Will watch in 2017
** Did not watch the 1st season
Flims
1. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen
2. Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen
3. Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita.: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai
1. Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou
2. Re:Zero
3. Boku no Hero Academia
4. Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara
5. Hibike! Euphonium 2
6. Boku dake ga Inai Machi
7. Orange
8. ReLIFE
9. Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
10. Amaama to Inazuma
HM: Ajin, Hai to Gensou no Grim, Koyomimonogatari, Sakamoto desu ga?
Missed ( Will watch in 2017): Mob Psycho 100, Yuri on Ice, Ajin Season 2
Droped: Big Order, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, Keijo!!!!!!!!, All Out, Taboo Tattoo, Mob Psycho 100*, Berserk (2016), D.Gray-man Hallow**
* Will watch in 2017
** Did not watch the 1st season
Flims
1. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen
2. Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-hen
3. Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita.: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai
1- Mob Psycho 100 - Adored the animation work in this show, absolutely amazing. The story was also great and gave me many good laughs, enough to warrant a top spot for me.
2 - My Hero Academia - I feel like this is the new 'Naruto' it hits all the right notes in terms of Shounen Anime. The action was great, well thought out characters and genuinely funny moments in it.
3 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable - ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAOROAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA ...
4 - Re:Zero - Life in another World - The entire theme behind this poor fellow having to start from scratch over and over was very compelling. What made this such a great watch was how well executed the story was and the main protagonists emotions. Really enjoyed this show.
5 - Aldnoah Zero - I'm not entirely sure this even belongs in 2016, but I ended up watching this in that year. I enjoyed it a lot as a mecha anime, the 'gundam' designs were very cool and the plot was well done and not cliched. Looking forward to the next season.
6 - Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans - Well animated story of brotherhood and mecha action, this one hit all the right notes for me to put it in my top ten.
7 - One Piece - Damn I love this anime, been following it for so long now.
8 - Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash - Tits and ass aside (which I thought were totally unecessary), I thought this was a very grounded and cool take on the fantasy setting despite how overdone it is in anime these days, hope it gets a second season.
Others;
Ajin
Kuromukuro
Arslan Senki
2 - My Hero Academia - I feel like this is the new 'Naruto' it hits all the right notes in terms of Shounen Anime. The action was great, well thought out characters and genuinely funny moments in it.
3 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable - ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAOROAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA ...
4 - Re:Zero - Life in another World - The entire theme behind this poor fellow having to start from scratch over and over was very compelling. What made this such a great watch was how well executed the story was and the main protagonists emotions. Really enjoyed this show.
5 - Aldnoah Zero - I'm not entirely sure this even belongs in 2016, but I ended up watching this in that year. I enjoyed it a lot as a mecha anime, the 'gundam' designs were very cool and the plot was well done and not cliched. Looking forward to the next season.
6 - Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans - Well animated story of brotherhood and mecha action, this one hit all the right notes for me to put it in my top ten.
7 - One Piece - Damn I love this anime, been following it for so long now.
8 - Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash - Tits and ass aside (which I thought were totally unecessary), I thought this was a very grounded and cool take on the fantasy setting despite how overdone it is in anime these days, hope it gets a second season.
Others;
Ajin
Kuromukuro
Arslan Senki
Cornbread78
Member
Yeah, this is definitely 2014. Please correct your listing, if possible.
I finally watch enough anime from the past year that I can vote, not that I couldn't before but... decided to because of that. These are all TV shows:
1. Haikyuu!! ; Kageyama was like "HIT THE DAMN BALL HINATA" and Hinata was like *sheeew* *jump*. Then Tsukishima called them both idiots. This show had such fantastic teams. I always found myself cheering for Karasuno. Although I must confess, if you asked me who 6, 7, and 8 were I'd have no idea.
2. My Hero Academia ; It's Bones doing a shounen anime, I wasn't going to miss that. It was a really fun introduction so I hope there'll be lots more.
3. Food Wars! The Second Plate ; It moved a bit fast since it was shorter than the first season but I still loved all that food porn.
4. Mob Psycho 100 ; Another Bones series, but the animation for this was really crazy. I think if there was an award for best animation of the year this would definitely win that. Like many I was expecting another One Punch Man, so it was a nice surprise to find out it actually stands on its own.
5. Yuri!!! on Ice
6. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
7. WWW.Wagnaria!!
8. Erased
9. Kiznaiver
10. Assassination Classroom S2
1. Haikyuu!! ; Kageyama was like "HIT THE DAMN BALL HINATA" and Hinata was like *sheeew* *jump*. Then Tsukishima called them both idiots. This show had such fantastic teams. I always found myself cheering for Karasuno. Although I must confess, if you asked me who 6, 7, and 8 were I'd have no idea.
2. My Hero Academia ; It's Bones doing a shounen anime, I wasn't going to miss that. It was a really fun introduction so I hope there'll be lots more.
3. Food Wars! The Second Plate ; It moved a bit fast since it was shorter than the first season but I still loved all that food porn.
4. Mob Psycho 100 ; Another Bones series, but the animation for this was really crazy. I think if there was an award for best animation of the year this would definitely win that. Like many I was expecting another One Punch Man, so it was a nice surprise to find out it actually stands on its own.
5. Yuri!!! on Ice
6. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless
7. WWW.Wagnaria!!
8. Erased
9. Kiznaiver
10. Assassination Classroom S2
TV Series:
1. ReLife
2. Orange
Movies:
1. Your Name
What an incredible movie. I teared up multiple times. Loved absolutely everything about it. My wife feels the same about it.
Sorry these are so short but I just recently started watching anything that is not shonen so I had to get caught up with some of the greats from 2010-2016 and these were the ones I saw and enjoyed from last year.
I saw Mob Psycho but did not enjoy it at all so I wouldn't even put it at #10...
1. ReLife
2. Orange
Movies:
1. Your Name
What an incredible movie. I teared up multiple times. Loved absolutely everything about it. My wife feels the same about it.
Sorry these are so short but I just recently started watching anything that is not shonen so I had to get caught up with some of the greats from 2010-2016 and these were the ones I saw and enjoyed from last year.
I saw Mob Psycho but did not enjoy it at all so I wouldn't even put it at #10...
A busy year meant I watched less overall anime than usual. Still, there were certainly titles worthy of praise - even heavy praise. I'll just do a list for now (only of shows I've completed) since I know the deadline is soon and try to add to it if I have time in the next day.
1) Mob Psycho 100
2) Jojo's Bizare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
3) Kiznaiver
4) Space Patrol Luluco
5) Konosuba
Honorable Mention:
Dragon Ball Super
1) Mob Psycho 100
2) Jojo's Bizare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
3) Kiznaiver
4) Space Patrol Luluco
5) Konosuba
Honorable Mention:
Dragon Ball Super
RubberLuffy
Banned
1) JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: DIU
2) Mob Psycho
That's it for me, I didn't bother with anything else.
2) Mob Psycho
That's it for me, I didn't bother with anything else.
Series:
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Kiznaiver
3. Flip Flappers
4. March Comes Like a Lion
5. Flying Witch
6. My Hero Academia
7. Space Patrol Luluco
8. Erased
9. Kabaneri of the Iron Forest
10. Occultic;Nine
That's everything I watched I think? I'd love to vote for Natsume Yuujinchou because I'm sure it's great, but I'm working my way through the previous seasons still.
Movies:
1. Your Name - I guess I did watch this.
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Kiznaiver
3. Flip Flappers
4. March Comes Like a Lion
5. Flying Witch
6. My Hero Academia
7. Space Patrol Luluco
8. Erased
9. Kabaneri of the Iron Forest
10. Occultic;Nine
That's everything I watched I think? I'd love to vote for Natsume Yuujinchou because I'm sure it's great, but I'm working my way through the previous seasons still.
Movies:
1. Your Name - I guess I did watch this.
#1 defender
Member
Series:
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
1. Mob Psycho 100
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
Cornbread78
Member
Wow, this is an awesome late MOB Psycho push for the top.
Needs more votes:
Needs more votes:
Joe Molotov
Member
1. Amanchu
2. Anne Happy
3. Flying Witch
4. Konosuba
5. Dagashi Kashi
6. Please tell us, Galko-chan!
7. Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
8. Bakuon
9. New Game
10. Kiznaiver
2. Anne Happy
3. Flying Witch
4. Konosuba
5. Dagashi Kashi
6. Please tell us, Galko-chan!
7. Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R
8. Bakuon
9. New Game
10. Kiznaiver
Tv Series:
1. Kiznaiver; One of the more disgusting endings in a year of disgusting endings. So why is it here then? Because the rest is just that good. Slick would be the word for it probably and it just shows everywhere, the character designs are some the best in business, direction is stellar, so is the lighting and the OST that is well woven within the scenes. Even the script, before it collapses, is tight with some very enjoyable character interactions and comedy, all the while ably navigating its way towardthe end game its own demise.
Movies:
1. Harmony; Honestly, it's been a while and I don't remember a whole lot but this was an ably directed and pretty ambitious piece of Sci-Fi. I recall having issues with the ending but with the state of competition, this is comfortably my pick for the first spot. Bonus points for a number of fever dream sequences !
Real pretty series of life vignettes in XIX Kyoto. With quite a strong tale of passing and enduring to boot.
1. Kiznaiver; One of the more disgusting endings in a year of disgusting endings. So why is it here then? Because the rest is just that good. Slick would be the word for it probably and it just shows everywhere, the character designs are some the best in business, direction is stellar, so is the lighting and the OST that is well woven within the scenes. Even the script, before it collapses, is tight with some very enjoyable character interactions and comedy, all the while ably navigating its way toward
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy; This, like pretty much every Urobuchi show, took quite a while to get going but when it did boy did it come through. Docking points for that, most abominable and reprehensible cliffhanger ! Also a tiny bit too convenient ending.
3. Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū; Quite simply an exquisite and well produced period drama. Its incompleteness as well as my issues with certain character and the ending made it loose a bit of its lustre.
4. March comes in like a lion; This is probably my favorite depiction of depression in anime as of yet. The three distinct parts of the show; the shogi, the SoL bits and the character drama mix surprisingly well, offsetting each others potentially weak parts and making sure things don't get too heavy or too rote for any prolonged period of time. With some striking art direction, nice backgrounds, restrained yet unmistakably Shaft approach in storyboarding and Hashimoto doing, yet again, godly things with the OST, the occasionally needless monologues or a jarring mood shifts are but a tiny blemishes on an overally quite favorable picture.
5. Bungou Stray Dogs; This battle series doesn't quite reinvent the wheel far from it but with Igarashi at the helm, it manages to punch beyond its supposed weight. Sporting some truly glorious character reaction faces, good designs and character art, it gives life to a number of exceedingly endearing and memorable characters. The writing is not always subtle nor does the story avoids some stumbles, yet at the end, the character arcs come together more than you'd expect, making the very title be something more than just random words.[
6. Space Patrol Luluco; Imaishi's insanity works quite well in short doses. With Luluco he got himself a surprisingly well knit script that while sometimes delivers a dud, ultimately manages, with the help of Trigger putting a shift at the animation front, to outdo itself at the very end and leave you staring in a dazed disbelief.
7. To Be Hero; My Chinese cartoons can't possibly be this good. And have so much sakuga. In terms of comedy this was probably the winner, with many episodes reducing me to a giggling mess. Despite toilet level humour in more ways than one, it's actually quite a heartfelt story, which the twist at the end only reinforces while sadly leaving me with mixed feelings on it cause I detest this specific brand of them.
8. Sound! Euphonium 2; (Oboe a shit) Still as pretty as ever. The structure is a bit of mess, so is the finale of the first arc (Oboe a shit) but nonetheless, this second season relegated characters I was not all that fond of to near irrelevance, while giving time and shedding light on people I found much more compelling. Even Kumiko's arc, while naturally being an extension of what came before, resonated much more strongly with me, as she coped with Asuka, her sister and the unrelenting passage of time. Shuichi was robbed though
9. Haikyuu !! S2&S3; The execution remains strong, in select points even mindblowing but Haikyuu is sadly quickly starting to lose its luster. Aoba remain pretty much the only interesting opponents this story managed to paint and the show visibly suffers for it when they're not on the horizon anymore. That finale of S2 though !
10. Tanaka-kun is Always Listless; Tanaka&Ohta duo was frankly too listless for me to handle, the rest of the main and side characters however, made up in energy and quirkyness what they lacked. There is quite a lot of effort put into this show, with some of the best eyecatches ever, good comedic timing and direction adapting an enjoyable material devoid of some usual anime excesses.
Honorable mentions:
- Miss Bernard Said; Quite funny and educational comedy that manages to fit in a story of heartwarming friendship despite its miniscule timeframe.
- Naruto Shippuden 476-477; - I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Naruto saved anime this year. While the framework of the final battle didn't allow for as much adrenaline pumping hand to hand fights as per usual, this is still over 30 minutes of great animation, that deftly jumps from the amazingly choreographed close quarter beginning, through the mecha fight to just raw, exhausted pummeling and emotional finale.
- Mob Psycho 100; This probably deserves a spot on the list because of its animation and direction prowess alone but sadly ONE sucks so much I can't bring myself to do it !
- Re: Zero; Sadly faltered past the first third but even with that, it kept to a certain level of quality while delivering, here and there, some of the best episodes of the year.
Movies:
1. Harmony; Honestly, it's been a while and I don't remember a whole lot but this was an ably directed and pretty ambitious piece of Sci-Fi. I recall having issues with the ending but with the state of competition, this is comfortably my pick for the first spot. Bonus points for a number of fever dream sequences !
2. Miss Hokusai;
Real pretty series of life vignettes in XIX Kyoto. With quite a strong tale of passing and enduring to boot.
3. Doukyuusei; Suffers from its vignette nature and limited runtime, making its big moments not hit as hard as it should. But it's quite well directed, refreshingly grounded in its depiction of school life and teenagers and has this nice brand of comedy that while still exaggerated, slots nicely into the established template of chara designs and rest.
4. Kizumonogatari II; There were like, tits in this. And lots of gore. And a boss rush plot. Also enough intestines flying around to hang yourself on. Truly the Ninja Scroll of our times.
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
How dare you compare Kizu to Ninja Scroll. Kizu is actually good and has no rape scenes.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
I put my list in reverse order because I really wanted my #1 choice to end my post because of how much it meant to me. I hope that's okay.
7. Gi(a)rlish Number
6. Kuromukuro
5. Bungo Stray Dogs; Welcome back, Igarashi. I missed you
4. Sound! Euphonium Season 2;
3. Kiznaiver;
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu;
1. Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters;
7. Gi(a)rlish Number
6. Kuromukuro
5. Bungo Stray Dogs; Welcome back, Igarashi. I missed you
4. Sound! Euphonium Season 2;
It's impossible not to mention this, so I'll just have to lead with it. Sound! Euphonium Season 2 is not as good as the first season. But it's still a very good anime in its own right, and the show remained mostly enjoyable to me. There were a few missteps here and there (most notably with Asuka's story), and the Reina/Taki storyline was something that I could never really get on board with, but the positive moments still outshone them. The fifth episode, with its extended performance by the band, was one of the best anime episodes of the year by far. I also really enjoyed seeing the continued rise to prominence of Yuuko, who became the strongest character in the entire cast this season. Overall, I loved pretty much all of the core characters (no Midori and Hazuki don't count as core characters, so not caring about them isn't a contradiction), and the overall story of the band was something that I was really wrapped up in. It wasn't the very best that KyoAni had to offer at times, but it was still sterling work and a must watch anime.
3. Kiznaiver;
If you had told me a year ago that one of my favorite anime of the year would be a Trigger anime written by Mari Okada, I would have laughed in your face. But that's exactly what wound up happening. Kiznaiver is a really awesome anime that appealed to me a lot, between its compelling character writing, the great music, and the wonderful sense of style and color the whole show had. The story focus wound up being perfect for Okada, who was able to channel her love for suffering and explorations of pain into a story where it actually made sense for everything and was building up to something greater. Kiznaiver did a great job at balancing the whole cast, and I wound up caring for pretty much all of the main characters by the end of it (Chidori's suffering never got old, of course).
2. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu;
One of the most impressive anime since Flowers of Evil when you look at both the visual quality of the show, as well as the ambition and writing. The way they bring all of the rakugo performances to life is simply remarkable. Very frequently I would sit transfixed for the entire time. The character acting played out by both the animation as well as the vocal performances is second to none. And the story evolves in some very interesting ways, especially towards the end as I began to question how much of the story was unreliable narraiton. This is the anime for everyone who complains that they want a proper adult anime (none of them will actually watch it, because they really mean that they want Naruto or Gundam but with all adult characters and no comedy), and it's one of those rare shows that really elevates anime as a medium. If you were to only watch one anime from 2016, it should be Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu.
1. Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters;
No, this isn't a joke placement. While I'm unsure if I can say definitively if this was the best anime of the year overall for everyone, I think that for me, this was the show that had the most profound impact on me. What Appmon lacks in terms of the same overwhelming level of quality that Rakugo has, it made up for in terms of the sheer heart that it had on display. But most importantly of all, it taught me that it was okay for me to love again. And coming at the point it did in my life, as well as during such a brutal and unpleasant year, I think that's something of more value than almost anything else that I can think of.
I sat down to watch the first episode of Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters with a lot of apprehension. It had been four years since there was a new Digimon TV series, and the only new Digimon thing to come out in that timeframe was the supremely awful Digimon Adventure tri, a project so bad that I would fall into fits of depression just seeing tweets acknowledging its existence. Half an hour or so later, I sat there marveling at the episode I had just watched. I had been nervous going in with some of the talk from the staff and the preview stuff that the new series would be something that barely resembled Digimon, a resurrection in name only, wearing the name of the franchise but feeling more like Yokai Watch or something like that. Instead, what I saw was Digimon in every way possible, even as they challenged the conventions of the franchise. The staff working on the show did a wonderful job at figuring out what the essence of Digimon was, and making a show that managed to capture all of that while still shaking virtually everything up. This is the perfect way to modernize Digimon for children of 2016, and it feels like something that could fit in easily alongside Digimon Adventure or Digimon Tamers, too.
The characters, while they haven't yet hit the absolute peak of their development, have all been sketched out really well. Haru is a wonderful protagonist who defies traditional Digimon tropes in favor of being a much more bookish character. It's really nice to have a main character who isn't your typical hot blooded shounen protagonist, and his relationship with Gatchmon is really nice. Eri is also a really strong heroine, and very different from any previous Digimon character both when she's in character as her idol persona, as well as during her more normal/vulnerable moments. Astra has really captured the Youtuber thing perfectly, complete with me not understanding him half the time, and Rei wound up being a more interesting character than I first thought he would be. I also really like the designs in motion a lot more than I thought would based on how they first looked in stills. The main quartet all look pretty distinct, and I like the designs for most of the major appmon. The CG for the Super Grades sometimes leaves something to be desired (I think Mienumon looks nice and Dosukomon looks pretty solid in general, but Mediamon is ugly as all hell), but it's mostly been used decently to date.
The level to which the show has been exploring the concepts of AI stuff and what ramifications they can have on our society in the future is interesting. I really look forward to seeing where all of that goes, and I think the show is doing a good job at exploring the really Digital aspect of Digimon. This also ties into how they've really looked at the idea of what happens when the apps get infected with viruses. This is the most grounded Digimon has felt since Tamers. When I look at the whole package, I see Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters as something really special. A show which has meant a tremendous amount to me so far on an emotional level. Without this show, none of this list would likely exist as I was not really watching anime for most of last year until it debuted. This show has restored my hope in more new anime coming out in the future that I will love, and has given me a lot of positive feelings. And for that reason, it is my Anime of the Year for 2016.
ColossalLazy
Member
Series
1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy
3. Haikyuu!!
4. Mob Psycho 100
5. Kuromukuro
6. Kiznaiver
7. JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
8. Konosuba
9. Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou
10. Space Patrol Luluco
Movies
1. Garo: Divine Flame
1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy
3. Haikyuu!!
4. Mob Psycho 100
5. Kuromukuro
6. Kiznaiver
7. JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
8. Konosuba
9. Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou
10. Space Patrol Luluco
Movies
1. Garo: Divine Flame
Cornbread78
Member
About 26 hours left.... get your votes in and fix your lists now!
nabe_shogun
Member
Might as well get in on this before the deadline, even though I didn't even watch that much anime last year. Anyway
tv series
1. Konosuba
This anime is probably the funniest I've watched in a while. Takes a tired trope of boy from real world goes to fantasy world and makes it actually good.
2. Bakuon
This is about a group of high school girls who ride motorcycles. Its kinda like a girls do random things anime, but at the same time, its also made by someone who is definitely a fan of the hobby. Which for people who don't really know much about bikes, I'm sure quite a few of the jokes will be lost. Sadly some content is left out from the manga, which made some of the jokes less funny watching the anime.
3. Shokugeki no Soma
Story about a super difficult high school where the students battle it out with cooking, which is pretty much how the students are ultimately judged. I read the manga so I though I'd watch the anime as well. Its a pretty good adaption.
4. New Game!
Story about a girl fresh out of high school and lands a job for a game dev making 3d models. Its just a fun light-hearted story about cute girls doing cute things. Except for crunch time, nobody likes that.
5. High school fleet.
I pretty much just started watching this randomly looking for shows to watch. I though it might be a boring story about cute girls doing navy things, but it was actually much better than that. I though the story was interesting enough to watch through the end, so it ends up on my list.
tv series
1. Konosuba
This anime is probably the funniest I've watched in a while. Takes a tired trope of boy from real world goes to fantasy world and makes it actually good.
2. Bakuon
This is about a group of high school girls who ride motorcycles. Its kinda like a girls do random things anime, but at the same time, its also made by someone who is definitely a fan of the hobby. Which for people who don't really know much about bikes, I'm sure quite a few of the jokes will be lost. Sadly some content is left out from the manga, which made some of the jokes less funny watching the anime.
3. Shokugeki no Soma
Story about a super difficult high school where the students battle it out with cooking, which is pretty much how the students are ultimately judged. I read the manga so I though I'd watch the anime as well. Its a pretty good adaption.
4. New Game!
Story about a girl fresh out of high school and lands a job for a game dev making 3d models. Its just a fun light-hearted story about cute girls doing cute things. Except for crunch time, nobody likes that.
5. High school fleet.
I pretty much just started watching this randomly looking for shows to watch. I though it might be a boring story about cute girls doing navy things, but it was actually much better than that. I though the story was interesting enough to watch through the end, so it ends up on my list.
TV Series:
1. Space Patrol Luluco ; My favorite studio made a show in my favorite genre, and it's my favorite show of the year? Go figure. A Trigger reference comedy is something I never knew I wanted so much, but Luluco is amazing, a barrage of goofily animated high-octane comedy reminiscent of KLK episode 4, crammed with in-jokes, references, physical gags, and actual heart and sakuga when it counts. Praise Trigger! #CultOfImaishi
2. Mob Psycho 100 ; ONE's rough style is brilliantly adapted into fluid, Yuasa-like animation, especially its intense, dynamic fight scenes. The story features a number of characters who seem one-note at first but gradually reveal humanizing depths, and empathetically demonstrates themes of expectation, loneliness, and peer pressure. It has the OP of the year, with a great song, and trippy symbolism.
3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable ; This is where Jojo first becomes the most pure version of itself, with fights based around tactics, deception, analysis, and creative application of previously existing abilities. David Productions does the source material proud with interesting transitions, angles, and lighting. DiU foregoes the CG OPs we've had up until now, but the replacements are excellent, with catchy tunes and dense layers of allusion and meaning, and another memorable late-game twist. There are some off-model characters here and there, and a number of gags I quite liked were cut for time, but it would be churlish to ask for a better adaptation than this one.
4. Hibike! Euphonium ; People complaining about band drama taking time away from instrument porn and/or lesbians were missing the point rather dramatically, I think. That stuff is the heart of Eupho, and everything else is merely in service to its themes of honesty and communication. A few specific elements can grate (someone needs to take Reina aside for a frank discussion on the ethical implications of romantic student/teacher relationships and the limits of a healthy age difference), but overall a very moving, charming series.
5. Kiznaiver ; Another Trigger show, this time in another unexpected genre. As extravagantly animated as a character drama probably can be, this show brings together a group of distinct characters with a layered network of relationships that gets blown up only to come back together again by the end. I don't really think the climax made that much sense logically, but emotionally it felt satisfying.
(If Chidori wanted to win she should have actually tried when she had the chance instead of being a tsundere.)
6. Izetta the Last Witch ; A magical alternate history show that examines themes of power and responsibility, it also appeals to my inner military history nerd with some deep cuts, like a ship that's a combination of the Graf Zeppelin and the Tirpitz. It's brought down a bit by a few exploitative-feeling fanservice scenes, and there are a number of side plots and characters who feel like they could have used a bit more time to breathe, but overall it's still very good.
The main characters are also super gay. :sdburton
7. Miss Bernard Said ; This show was made for literary geeks like me. If you ever looked for Asimov books in your high school library, check this show out.
8. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 3rei ; The balance of drama and comedy is adjusted a bit more soberly compared to earlier entries, but there are still plenty of absurd indignities visited upon Illya. The density of quality fight scenes seems a bit higher too, and the final battle is extremely hype.
9. Kuromukuro ; A cool robot show with good fight scenes, likeable characters, and a good balance of drama and comedy. I wrote a couple huge posts about how Yukina and her mother are the anti-Shinji-and-Gendo, go look them up if that sounds interesting. The robot designs are pretty generic, and the villains do not live up to their early potential, but it's still an easy recommendation.
10. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; Gen Butch's Taiwanese puppet collaboration turned out pretty good! Interesting character dynamics, elaborate character designs, and witty dialogue. There are limits to what the puppets can do in fight scenes, but dynamic direction and flashy post-production effects keep everything feeling impactful. Sometimes the conversations where characters debate their motivations and whether they're trustworthy go on a bit long, and there isn't much thematic depth, but if you're curious about it it's totally worth watching.
Movies:
1. Girls und Panzer der Film ; The only eligible film I watched all year. (I'll watch all three Kizu movies in a row next year, I promise.) The GuP movie kind of rendered the TV series pointless, but this movie was basically an excuse to just show off some great action scenes, and it delivers on that front. There's tons of variety with all the different teams, and it was nice to see some reconciliation between the Nishizumi sisters. It's kind of transparent how they tried to one-up the Maus by giving the opposing team two bullshit superweapons, though.
Honorable Mention:
x. Shin Godzilla ; duckroll plz don't ban me. ;_;
1. Space Patrol Luluco ; My favorite studio made a show in my favorite genre, and it's my favorite show of the year? Go figure. A Trigger reference comedy is something I never knew I wanted so much, but Luluco is amazing, a barrage of goofily animated high-octane comedy reminiscent of KLK episode 4, crammed with in-jokes, references, physical gags, and actual heart and sakuga when it counts. Praise Trigger! #CultOfImaishi
2. Mob Psycho 100 ; ONE's rough style is brilliantly adapted into fluid, Yuasa-like animation, especially its intense, dynamic fight scenes. The story features a number of characters who seem one-note at first but gradually reveal humanizing depths, and empathetically demonstrates themes of expectation, loneliness, and peer pressure. It has the OP of the year, with a great song, and trippy symbolism.
3. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable ; This is where Jojo first becomes the most pure version of itself, with fights based around tactics, deception, analysis, and creative application of previously existing abilities. David Productions does the source material proud with interesting transitions, angles, and lighting. DiU foregoes the CG OPs we've had up until now, but the replacements are excellent, with catchy tunes and dense layers of allusion and meaning, and another memorable late-game twist. There are some off-model characters here and there, and a number of gags I quite liked were cut for time, but it would be churlish to ask for a better adaptation than this one.
4. Hibike! Euphonium ; People complaining about band drama taking time away from instrument porn and/or lesbians were missing the point rather dramatically, I think. That stuff is the heart of Eupho, and everything else is merely in service to its themes of honesty and communication. A few specific elements can grate (someone needs to take Reina aside for a frank discussion on the ethical implications of romantic student/teacher relationships and the limits of a healthy age difference), but overall a very moving, charming series.
5. Kiznaiver ; Another Trigger show, this time in another unexpected genre. As extravagantly animated as a character drama probably can be, this show brings together a group of distinct characters with a layered network of relationships that gets blown up only to come back together again by the end. I don't really think the climax made that much sense logically, but emotionally it felt satisfying.
(If Chidori wanted to win she should have actually tried when she had the chance instead of being a tsundere.)
6. Izetta the Last Witch ; A magical alternate history show that examines themes of power and responsibility, it also appeals to my inner military history nerd with some deep cuts, like a ship that's a combination of the Graf Zeppelin and the Tirpitz. It's brought down a bit by a few exploitative-feeling fanservice scenes, and there are a number of side plots and characters who feel like they could have used a bit more time to breathe, but overall it's still very good.
The main characters are also super gay. :sdburton
7. Miss Bernard Said ; This show was made for literary geeks like me. If you ever looked for Asimov books in your high school library, check this show out.
8. Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya 3rei ; The balance of drama and comedy is adjusted a bit more soberly compared to earlier entries, but there are still plenty of absurd indignities visited upon Illya. The density of quality fight scenes seems a bit higher too, and the final battle is extremely hype.
9. Kuromukuro ; A cool robot show with good fight scenes, likeable characters, and a good balance of drama and comedy. I wrote a couple huge posts about how Yukina and her mother are the anti-Shinji-and-Gendo, go look them up if that sounds interesting. The robot designs are pretty generic, and the villains do not live up to their early potential, but it's still an easy recommendation.
10. Thunderbolt Fantasy ; Gen Butch's Taiwanese puppet collaboration turned out pretty good! Interesting character dynamics, elaborate character designs, and witty dialogue. There are limits to what the puppets can do in fight scenes, but dynamic direction and flashy post-production effects keep everything feeling impactful. Sometimes the conversations where characters debate their motivations and whether they're trustworthy go on a bit long, and there isn't much thematic depth, but if you're curious about it it's totally worth watching.
Movies:
1. Girls und Panzer der Film ; The only eligible film I watched all year. (I'll watch all three Kizu movies in a row next year, I promise.) The GuP movie kind of rendered the TV series pointless, but this movie was basically an excuse to just show off some great action scenes, and it delivers on that front. There's tons of variety with all the different teams, and it was nice to see some reconciliation between the Nishizumi sisters. It's kind of transparent how they tried to one-up the Maus by giving the opposing team two bullshit superweapons, though.
Honorable Mention:
x. Shin Godzilla ; duckroll plz don't ban me. ;_;
TV
Ive long been a fan of Mamoru Hatakeyama since his work in elevating the third Rozen Maiden series into something watchable what with how adroitly he handled the human relationships in the show. There was only so much he could do with it given its required beginning and end so Id spent quite a while waiting for him to come onto a project, be it original or adaptation, where he could fully concentrate on that. For that, I was rewarded with what was the best show since Ping Pong aired and is the kind of show we should point toward when we discuss mature anime alongside the likes of other great works such as Ping Pong or Mushishi.
I was no real fan of either Sawano or Urobuchi going into this but instead thought the novelty of the project was endearing enough to hold my attention. Imagine my surprise when I realized this was one of the most tightly plotted works of the year. Not early on either but later in the series when resolutions to certain events caused the earlier episodes to be upended by these revelations and existing in a different context going forward. I know people ragged on this as not being anime but it was one of the most special shows to the AnimeGAF community at large and one of those rare occasions where we had something so special, we were eager to increase its visibility so others that weren't regulars to the community thread could enjoy it with us. I rarely ever make threads but for this I made an exception and was glad to see how excited everyone was each Friday it aired as we were all dying to see what happened next. Here's hoping the second season is just as good.
I was tepid on this at first given how rather strangely the show started, the concern of the Takuya Igarashi/Enokido combo, the strange oscillating tone, and just the general overall concept. What I didnt realize was I was being set up for the second cour being some of the best work Igarashi has done in years, smartly adapting a light novel in the middle of the manga adaptation to successfully draw out the characterization of one of the previously enigmatic leads and to give us a thematically rich work that left me thinking about it for days after I had finished watching it. For as unambitious as the first cour may have been, it was balanced entirely by the ambition displayed in making the second cour so memorable.
One of the best surprises of the year for me. I had high hopes for it but it didnt quite click when it first aired. Once it finished, I gave it another go and ended up floored by how it counterbalanced visuals in excess (not a flaw, mind you) and a relatively simple straightforward story with some real emotion to it. Its also an ideal show to learn how to analyze a work if one was so inclined given its relative transparency in its progression as opposed to other works that fail in execution by obfuscating messages and themes. Consequently, you have an excellent work thats very, very accessible to anyone.
The best JoJo's Bizarre Adventure adaptation to date as it managed to look great, remain stylish, and offer a complete adaptation in one package when the others would often fail to hit one of those ideals. It's a rare thing for a show to manage to end as well as it started.
One of my favorite shows in recent memory that suffered right at the finish line, unable to manage its plot threads as well as it had managed its themes. It still deserves credit for the alt history Japan that doubled as a celebration of Showa pop culture. If the first cour had been nothing but questions, this one was nothing but answers and in that regard the show kept every promise it made to the viewer.
We like to pretend they dont make mecha like they used to but this show was eager to prove us wrong (aside form the 2D mecha part). Its an amusing blend of anime tropes and military scifi with a lead character thats a samurai stuck in the wrong time. Lots of cultural integration humor and some fun action set pieces. Most importantly, theres a degree of optimism permeating the whole thing. Even when things dont turn out well for protagonists, it never once feels hopeless and thats something Ive definitely missed in a show like this one.
Short anime that economizes its storytelling within the framework of literary culture. Its added to my reading backlog and for that Im thankful.
Started this as an ironic Toei watch to see how theyd fuck it up but then they didnt.
Sengoku era short comedy that hasnt grown stale for me. I tire of most anime comedies quickly so its always a pleasure to be able to have something thats so consistently fresh with both its material and its delivery.
Movie/OVA
Delightful tale of ephemeral young love blossoming into the real thing.
Atmospheric brooding movie that loosk to have finally eased me into the Monogatari series.
If the first Kizumonogatari movie embodied an arthouse ideal for theatrical anime films, this is on the other end of the spectrum as the way youd want a blockbuster version of your favorite tv series to be. Its two hours but that last hour is just one long drawn out tank battle and glorious for daring to be so self-indulgent with the series concept.
Far more verbose than its predecessor but no less charming for it. Theres nothing quite like intense focus on action in a theatrical anime film and this was no exception.
The pure spirit of a sports kobold legitimized monster girls in the eyes of millions around the world when previously it had been the exclusive realm of undesirables of questionable moral character. Bless you, Polt. Bless you.
1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Ive long been a fan of Mamoru Hatakeyama since his work in elevating the third Rozen Maiden series into something watchable what with how adroitly he handled the human relationships in the show. There was only so much he could do with it given its required beginning and end so Id spent quite a while waiting for him to come onto a project, be it original or adaptation, where he could fully concentrate on that. For that, I was rewarded with what was the best show since Ping Pong aired and is the kind of show we should point toward when we discuss mature anime alongside the likes of other great works such as Ping Pong or Mushishi.
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy
I was no real fan of either Sawano or Urobuchi going into this but instead thought the novelty of the project was endearing enough to hold my attention. Imagine my surprise when I realized this was one of the most tightly plotted works of the year. Not early on either but later in the series when resolutions to certain events caused the earlier episodes to be upended by these revelations and existing in a different context going forward. I know people ragged on this as not being anime but it was one of the most special shows to the AnimeGAF community at large and one of those rare occasions where we had something so special, we were eager to increase its visibility so others that weren't regulars to the community thread could enjoy it with us. I rarely ever make threads but for this I made an exception and was glad to see how excited everyone was each Friday it aired as we were all dying to see what happened next. Here's hoping the second season is just as good.
3. Bungou Stray Dogs
I was tepid on this at first given how rather strangely the show started, the concern of the Takuya Igarashi/Enokido combo, the strange oscillating tone, and just the general overall concept. What I didnt realize was I was being set up for the second cour being some of the best work Igarashi has done in years, smartly adapting a light novel in the middle of the manga adaptation to successfully draw out the characterization of one of the previously enigmatic leads and to give us a thematically rich work that left me thinking about it for days after I had finished watching it. For as unambitious as the first cour may have been, it was balanced entirely by the ambition displayed in making the second cour so memorable.
4. Mob Psycho 100
One of the best surprises of the year for me. I had high hopes for it but it didnt quite click when it first aired. Once it finished, I gave it another go and ended up floored by how it counterbalanced visuals in excess (not a flaw, mind you) and a relatively simple straightforward story with some real emotion to it. Its also an ideal show to learn how to analyze a work if one was so inclined given its relative transparency in its progression as opposed to other works that fail in execution by obfuscating messages and themes. Consequently, you have an excellent work thats very, very accessible to anyone.
5. JoJos Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
The best JoJo's Bizarre Adventure adaptation to date as it managed to look great, remain stylish, and offer a complete adaptation in one package when the others would often fail to hit one of those ideals. It's a rare thing for a show to manage to end as well as it started.
6. Concrete Revolutio - The Last Song
One of my favorite shows in recent memory that suffered right at the finish line, unable to manage its plot threads as well as it had managed its themes. It still deserves credit for the alt history Japan that doubled as a celebration of Showa pop culture. If the first cour had been nothing but questions, this one was nothing but answers and in that regard the show kept every promise it made to the viewer.
7. Kuromukuro
We like to pretend they dont make mecha like they used to but this show was eager to prove us wrong (aside form the 2D mecha part). Its an amusing blend of anime tropes and military scifi with a lead character thats a samurai stuck in the wrong time. Lots of cultural integration humor and some fun action set pieces. Most importantly, theres a degree of optimism permeating the whole thing. Even when things dont turn out well for protagonists, it never once feels hopeless and thats something Ive definitely missed in a show like this one.
8. Miss Bernard said.
Short anime that economizes its storytelling within the framework of literary culture. Its added to my reading backlog and for that Im thankful.
9. Tiger Mask W
Started this as an ironic Toei watch to see how theyd fuck it up but then they didnt.
10. Nobunaga no Shinobi
Sengoku era short comedy that hasnt grown stale for me. I tire of most anime comedies quickly so its always a pleasure to be able to have something thats so consistently fresh with both its material and its delivery.
Movie/OVA
1. Doukyuusei
Delightful tale of ephemeral young love blossoming into the real thing.
2. Kizumonogatar I: Tekketsu-hen
Atmospheric brooding movie that loosk to have finally eased me into the Monogatari series.
3. Girls und Panzer der Film
If the first Kizumonogatari movie embodied an arthouse ideal for theatrical anime films, this is on the other end of the spectrum as the way youd want a blockbuster version of your favorite tv series to be. Its two hours but that last hour is just one long drawn out tank battle and glorious for daring to be so self-indulgent with the series concept.
4. Kizumonogatari II: Nekketsu-hen
Far more verbose than its predecessor but no less charming for it. Theres nothing quite like intense focus on action in a theatrical anime film and this was no exception.
5. Monster Musume OVA
The pure spirit of a sports kobold legitimized monster girls in the eyes of millions around the world when previously it had been the exclusive realm of undesirables of questionable moral character. Bless you, Polt. Bless you.
ZachDeKoromaru
Banned
thanks Polt/Narag.
The year long wait was tiring but worth it.
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
not a real monster girl
Series:
1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu; Series came out of nowhere for me, but such an interesting and well presented and beautiful drama. One of my new favs.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventureiamond is Unbreakable; Easily my favorite part of JoJo and DavePro really pulled out all the stops to present it in the manner it deserved
3. My Hero Academia; One of the most fun and inventive battle shonen in a long time and BONES did a better job I ever thought possible bringing it to the screen.
4. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans; It's really interesting to have a gundam show with a cohesive authorial voice again. It's up and down and has run into a few pitfalls, but the characters and their struggles shine through in a way that makes it stand out.
5. Gintama°; Gintama has been in a weird place with all the serious arcs back to back, but the Farewell Shinsengumi arc was absolutely amazing work and sets up the series to go out on the best note it possibly can.
6. Erased; Erased is a show of ups and downs, but once again it's another place where the strength of the characters helps offset all the problems of the plot
7.Tales of Zestiria The X; ufoTable was given a near impossible task. Adapt one of the worst tales stories and make it a compelling show. The alterations to the plot have done the best they can and the animation helps paper over some of the duller moments. They've managed to salvage something watchable out of Zesty and that's a bit of a minor miracle.
Movie/OVA:
1.Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt; There is so much I could pick on plot wise that holds Thunderbolt back. The EFSF characters are some of the least likable asshats we've had to follow in gundam history. Luckily the show coasts on a compelling Zeon story and absolutely amazing animation and music.
2. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Vol. 4; This is the section of the flashback arc for The Origin where I really got on board in the manga and it came to screen nicely. I'm still skeptical of the CG, but they're winning me over. I hope they continue this past the Battle of Loum and give The Origin the full animated treatment it so deserves.
1. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu; Series came out of nowhere for me, but such an interesting and well presented and beautiful drama. One of my new favs.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
iamond is Unbreakable; Easily my favorite part of JoJo and DavePro really pulled out all the stops to present it in the manner it deserved3. My Hero Academia; One of the most fun and inventive battle shonen in a long time and BONES did a better job I ever thought possible bringing it to the screen.
4. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans; It's really interesting to have a gundam show with a cohesive authorial voice again. It's up and down and has run into a few pitfalls, but the characters and their struggles shine through in a way that makes it stand out.
5. Gintama°; Gintama has been in a weird place with all the serious arcs back to back, but the Farewell Shinsengumi arc was absolutely amazing work and sets up the series to go out on the best note it possibly can.
6. Erased; Erased is a show of ups and downs, but once again it's another place where the strength of the characters helps offset all the problems of the plot
7.Tales of Zestiria The X; ufoTable was given a near impossible task. Adapt one of the worst tales stories and make it a compelling show. The alterations to the plot have done the best they can and the animation helps paper over some of the duller moments. They've managed to salvage something watchable out of Zesty and that's a bit of a minor miracle.
Movie/OVA:
1.Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt; There is so much I could pick on plot wise that holds Thunderbolt back. The EFSF characters are some of the least likable asshats we've had to follow in gundam history. Luckily the show coasts on a compelling Zeon story and absolutely amazing animation and music.
2. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Vol. 4; This is the section of the flashback arc for The Origin where I really got on board in the manga and it came to screen nicely. I'm still skeptical of the CG, but they're winning me over. I hope they continue this past the Battle of Loum and give The Origin the full animated treatment it so deserves.
1. Haikyuu
Carrying on as being one of my favourite animes ever, only bested by Steins;Gate. I loved this season and had no idea who was actually going to win throughout the season.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable
Honestly might have been number 1 on my list, however my one gripe with Jojo is how I hate the villain of the week part of it. Kira was my favourite villain out of any fiction because of how different he was from most villains in anime. He just wanted a quiet life.
3. ReLIFE
I honestly didn't expect much out of this anime when I picked it up but I am really glad I did pick it up. It had humour, feels, and a darker side to it that makes you feel for the characters.
4. Mob Psycho 100
5. Shokugeki no Souma Season 2
6. 91 Days
7. My Hero Academia
8. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
9. Orange
10. Erased; this would have been so much higher on my list but I absolutely hated the ending. Really disliked the villain reveal and the way they dealt with him.
Carrying on as being one of my favourite animes ever, only bested by Steins;Gate. I loved this season and had no idea who was actually going to win throughout the season.
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable
Honestly might have been number 1 on my list, however my one gripe with Jojo is how I hate the villain of the week part of it. Kira was my favourite villain out of any fiction because of how different he was from most villains in anime. He just wanted a quiet life.
]
3. ReLIFE
I honestly didn't expect much out of this anime when I picked it up but I am really glad I did pick it up. It had humour, feels, and a darker side to it that makes you feel for the characters.
4. Mob Psycho 100
5. Shokugeki no Souma Season 2
6. 91 Days
7. My Hero Academia
8. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
9. Orange
10. Erased; this would have been so much higher on my list but I absolutely hated the ending. Really disliked the villain reveal and the way they dealt with him.
- Status