10. Kobayashi-san's Dragon Maid
The 10th spot goes to a comedy. A show that is easy to pass up on first glance, Kobayashi-san's Dragon Maid puts up no airs about what it is. You get a bunch of dragons from various myths personified as cute girls (and one guy) and chaos ensues when they decide to live in the human world. What makes Dragon Maid shine is the fact that it just oozes charm from every aspect of its being. From its bubbly characters, to its delightful art style, to the peppy music, it's impossible to not smile while watching this show. Another highlight is dissonance the titular dragon maid, Tohru, has between her adoration for the human Kobayashi and her pride as a dragon. Gap moe isn't anything new to anime but it's executed to the nth degree with Tohru.
9. Kyousougiga
Honorable mention to another show that tries to throw you off the trail with various nonsense but is really just about coming together as a family is Uchouten Kazoku (Eccentric Family)
8. Clannad: After Story
If Kyousougiga is the abstract take on family values, then Clannad: After Story is the straight-forward gut punch story of family values. After Story is the second season of Clannad and as the subtitle implies details the lives of the characters after they have graduated from high-school. Many people aren't a fan of the first season on Clannad for being rather slow and not having a real purpose but I can assure those who make it to After Story are in for a huge payoff. Before long you will be wanting to return to the happy-go-lucky times of the first season, just like the characters themselves are feeling. Sporting one of the most memorable single episodes in all of anime, After Story will have you enraptured while also making you reevaluate your relationships with those closest to you.
7. Spice & Wolf
I feel like everyone begins watching Spice & Wolf for different reasons. Holo looks cute. High-octane, wolf deity medieval adventures let's go! The kemonomimi lifestyle. None of those are the reasons people stick around with the series, though. Yes, Holo is a wolf deity sporting a fluffy tail and ears that she is very proud of. The crux of Spice & Wolf revolves around economics, though. The main character, Kraft Lawrence, is a traveling merchant in a country that very closely resembles medieval Europe. As Lawrence and Holo travel together you learn about various currencies and how they affect each other. How the cancellation of a crusade affects the livelihoods of many merchants down the line. How one could single handedly drive up the demand for something as useless as pyrite. And so on and so on. Sometimes confusing, always fascinating, the economics in Spice & Wolf is a wonderful dose of mental stimulation that is further enhanced by Holo and Lawrence's relationship. Holo, ever a trickster and also a master at wordplay, constantly engages in battles of wits with Lawrence, whose pride as a merchant prevents him from backing down. The dynamic between the two is simply a joy to behold and results in some of the best dialogue one can find in anime only topped by the Monogatari series.
6. Cross Game
It's really easy to write off sports anime nowadays. This is something that I am guilty for as well. There are so many of them and they usually are shounen shows in disguise that involves "powerscaling" to some degree. Cross Game is different, though. Yes it's a baseball anime but Cross Game doesn't place the focus on the game of baseball and instead places it squarely on the characters. All the characters are greatly exaggerated yet all of them are strangely relateable. Baseball is used to develop these characters and, in this regard, is more a means to an end rather than the end itself. And when baseball is being played there isn't a hint of the "powerscaling" found so often in other sports anime. It's also worth mentioning that Cross Game has one of the best attention grabbing first episodes and hands down the best in sports anime. Never would I have thought that I would watch a 50 episode long sports anime before Cross Game but when I was done I just wanted more.
Honorable mention to Haikyuu!! which I recently caught up on and am currently eagerly awaiting more.
5. Steins;Gate
It's really easy to mess up time travel in any media. Really easy. Fortunately Steins;Gate is not one of those bad example. A quality time-travel story through and through, Steins;Gate took the anime community by storm when it first aired back in 2011. It managed to keep its time-travel mechanics within perspective, allowing the viewer to easily comprehend its function as well as its consequences. Although it had a slightly slow start, once the story picked up pace it would twist and turn in just the right ways at just the right moments to keep you at the edge of your seat the entire while. Throw in one of the most unique protagonists found in any anime in the form of Rintarou Okabe and a colorful cast of nearly equally memorable characters and you had a show that will remain in the heart's of viewers for years to come.
4. White Album 2
Now I've already written a piece before on what makes White Album 2 a masterpiece. However, that article is spoiler central so if you don't want that then here's the quick and dirty of why I adore this series so much. A romance plot where every single episode is meaningful. Characters whose every action, every word spoken has drastic ramifications both above and below the surface. Characters who transcend their archetypes in stunning and shocking ways. Bonds of friendship that seem so tangible you could reach out and grasp them in your hands. White Album 2 portrays a beautiful tale that will leave your heart battered and bruised by the end. You will love and hate all the characters and White Album 2 as a show is the very embodiment of that paradoxical relationship.
Sidenote: Although the anime is called White Ablum 2, it is not necessary in the slightest to watch the original White Album first. White Album 2 takes place 20 some odd years after the original and has no relation to it besides some subtle nods and references that are easily missed. I would even advise against watching the original White Album as it is rather mediocre in my humble opinion
3. Angel Beats
Speaking of love-hate relationships, Angel Beats has to be one of the most polarizing shows I've seen in terms of public opinion. It seems like anyone who watches this anime either absolutely falls in love with it, or absolutely hates it. I, obviously, fall into the former camp. I can't think of any other show that is capable of making me laugh from the bottom of my heart and then make me cry from the bottom of my heart in the same episode. Angel Beats plays on your expectations, going off in a new and engaging direction every time you think you have it figured out. This anime is the very definition of an emotional rollercoaster with extreme highs and extreme lows in mood and tone. It hits fast and hard with the emotions and leaves you reeling from the shock. Could it have benefited from an episode or two more in the end? Sure. But the impact I felt from learning the significance of the show's title, Angel Beats, as well as the most masterful closing 10 seconds I've seen in any anime made up for any qualms I had.
2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
I feel like this is a show that doesn't need any explaining. First airing back in Spring of 2011, Puella Magi Madoka Magica's popularity quickly reached critical mass to turn into what could only be described as a phenomenon. A deconstruction of the magical girl genre, Madoka aimed to poke holes in everything the genre stood for. Often times oppressive, sometimes downright disturbing, Madoka is not afraid to push the boundaries of acceptability. The avante-garde animation style of SHAFT accompanied with the powerful, mystical scores of Kajiura Yuki created scenes seemingly born from the feverish dreams of an infant. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is an entirely unique entity to this day that will forever be considered one of the greats.
1. Fate/Zero
Hands down my favorite anime to date, although it does come with the caveat that I had played the entirety of the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel before watching this. Fate/Zero, as the name implies, is a prequel for Fate/Stay Night. As such, the ending for Fate/Zero is already known the moment you begin watching it. What a journey it is to reach that ending, though. Kiritsugu Emiya is an absolutely fascinating anti-hero protagonist who develops in subtle, yet distinct ways throughout the show. The supporting characters are also almost universally well fleshed out which is particularly impressive for a show with a cast as large as this. As expected for the anime at the top of my list, the story constantly keeps you on your toes and contains surprising developments with characters you never would fathom. While the story is brutal it never comes across as overbearing and always uses that brutality to drive home an important point. Those important points are elevated to extraordinary heights with ufotable studio's unparalleled animation that causes every clash of a weapon, every spell cast, every primordial yell rung out to resonate directly within your heart, or sometimes act as a dagger in your heart. Fate/Zero will captivate you from beginning to end and will give you even more to think about long after that.
Honorable Nostalgia Mention:
Ranma 1/2
Ranma 1/2 was the first anime I consciously watched and also the reason I got into watching anime at all. I say "consciously" watched because I had seen the likes of Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon on Cartoon Network before but they were just other cartoons on TV to me at the time. Ranma 1/2 was the first anime I watched knowing that it was a separate entity from the other cartoons on TV. I watched all 161 some odd episodes and I enjoyed every moment of it. I couldn't believe such a show could exist, and how funny it was despite its silly premise. The characters, despite their many flaws, were infinitely charming and I never got tired of watching them interact with each other even when the story never seemed to progress. I can't say how well the show would hold up if I were to watch it today, considering it does follow many tropes and cliche's the industry is known for, but Ranma 1/2 will forever hold a special place in my heart.
But Where's Full Metal Alchemist?!
Well I'm a hipster like that.
Kidding.
It does seem like one of the FMA's is required to be on every Top 10 Anime list, though. Don't get me wrong, I adored FMA:Brotherhood, if this was a Top 20 list it would definitely be in there somewhere. When I think back to it in this very moment, however, and compare my enjoyment of it to the shows on this list I just can't bring myself to place it higher.
No comments:
Post a Comment