LogFAQs > #932980656

30. Sword Art Online: Alicization
https://anilist.co/anime/100182/Sword-Art-Online-Alicization/

I have heard that a lot of the praise that the source material of SAO gets actually comes from the Alicization arc. I can see why. In terms of pacing, character, timing, world building, and creating obstacles to overcome this is a huge step up from the previous installments. In fact, there is so much character development and world building that maybe the best part of the previous seasons suffer and those are the fights. The fights in Alicization are few and short to say the least. Even in the second season where the entire season is like a series of fights (in the second half) they are little more than short scrimmages or characters blasting ultimate attacks at each other. But I was very happy that character's goals and motives behind their actions were developed. Not only that but the world building and actual rules for the world were established enough where actions of characters can make sense. That's not to say there are some issues. The big one is that beyond the main villain in the first part (the administrator) the other ones are just kind of there, and the one in the second part, although the show has been alluding to him forever is somehow a lot less compelling.

29. Kiniro Mosaic
https://anilist.co/anime/16732/KINMOZA/

Kiniro Mosaic is maybe the first in the cotton candy cute style slice of life shows in the early mid 2010s. This is around the time moe shows were starting to be shelled out and this one stands near the top. Today this anime is probably most known for Karen because of the AYAYA meme, but despite that the anime is a great mix of cute and funny character moments. The first and last episodes are especially impressive. But beyond that the anime does a very good job at making each character feel distinct in a way that brings out their best qualities. Unlike the first season of Is the Order a Rabbit, Kiniro Mosaic doesn't need a lot of time to form its identity.

28. Princess Principal
https://anilist.co/anime/98505/Princess-Principal/

I have never been to old London (or current London for that matter), but this is what I can imagine it looking like. Maybe the most impressive aspect of this anime is how they portray the setting. This is a very rare case in anime where I can believe I'm where the show takes place. At the base the story is a very common setup with a small twist. But, they work characters into this extremely well. Each member of the spy unit has their own little specialty that helps the squad. They have relatively detailed backgrounds and all contribute a good deal to the show. Each case they do (the anime is done out of order chronologically) is tackled and solved in different ways, and it makes watching them very fun. This anime is very close to being in a higher tier but it does suffer from some issues. One of which being that despite how much detail goes into the actual world and characters, it's not actually very memorable in terms of defining moments. They also don't really dive deep enough into some big character plot points they hint at, but I'm guessing that's for the movie coming up.

27. Rokka no Yuusha
https://anilist.co/anime/20955/Rokka-Braves-of-the-Six-Flowers/

I think, more than any other show, I came in expecting one thing and was very surprised and impressed that what I got was completely different. Rokka no Yuusha is a great take on a whodunit mystery. The show does a good job at using the setting and characters to form doubts and mislead viewers. The main cast, which is actually fairly large, all either ample character development or a certain reputation built around them that gives them impact on the world and perception of each character's take on the situation. It's arguable if the resolution (and how they got to it) was fine or not. Tbh, a big issue with mysteries is that closure on them is almost always kind of the main guy just figures it out beyond almost all logic. It's too bad this anime did so poorly in sales that it'll never gear a season 2.

26. Attack on Titan
https://anilist.co/anime/16498/Attack-on-Titan/

Attack on Titan's ranking is like for the bookends so far of S1 and the second part of S3. Season 1 was incredible in terms of building the world, characters, and the level of action and animation from WIT. It was a great balance. However, the second season and first part of S3 was kind of dull tbh. Still good, but they have a lot of focus on things they don't develop enough to feel like it's very important. One thing though that they did do was make Krista, a pretty low tier cast member, into one of the better characters in the anime. But the second part of S3 is incredible, they really used all the build up from the previous seasons to bombard you with revelations here. Not only that but the amount of character discovery in this short period of time was also very impressive. The battles in S3 Part 2 are also more engaging than the ones in the middle parts.