Board 8 > Kokoro's top 100 anime of the past five years.

(+) Yeah! (+)

35. Acchi Kocchi
https://myanimelist.net/anime/12291/Acchi_Kocchi_TV

Acchi Kocchi is basically the closest thing we have to like a Lucky Star for this decade so it should not be surprising it's high up my list considering Lucky Star is my favorite show (and hasn't really been in danger of being dethroned since Steins;Gate). The show is a slice of life comedy about a group of friends.

I want to start with the art first. The show just looks cute. If you thought rabbits art style looked cute, this is like moe meter over 9000. There are still more slice of life comedies coming up but this is the top if like literally looking cute. There are some similarities to lucky star in overall style but the "roundness" of this show gives it its own feel.

The "story" is basically Miniwa trying to work up courage to tell Io how she feels about him. She's very shy and therefore the show makes her super moe. Io is pretty dense, and kinda stoic at times so their conversations can be awkward for comedic effect. The cast works well together and the running gags are pretty cute. It's not always like the most hilarious thing, but it picks its moments. Like the show is home to some skits that are close to nichijou level, but it also has mixes of more serene slice of life shows like Non Non Biyori in it too.

Acchi Kocchi really isn't anything new to the genre, but I still consider it to be a must watch for fans of it.

34. A Certain Scientific Railgun S
https://myanimelist.net/anime/16049/Toaru_Kagaku_no_Railgun_S

Railgun S is the second season of a spin off series of Index (which also has two seasons). The spin off follows the 3rd ranked esper in Academy City "Railgun" Mikoto Misaka. Along with a group of friends both esper and normies she fights to protect the city.

The show is split into two arcs, the second of which is anime only I believe. The first arc is better, but the flair and overall quality still makes the whole show more than worth a watch. Like I watch the fights, flashy animation, the amazing music that is put to them, when the show wants you to pay attention it really delivers the entire package. Obviously this is the second season of a spin off so there is significant entry cost exists.

The cast of the series has always been enjoyable and it helps that Mikoto is among the most popular characters in the series. But the supporting cast (especially Kuruko and Accelerator) are also very appealing. Accelerator has proven to be popular enough to get his own spin off.(not animated). Mikoto herself is more of a tomboy type. I'd say tsundere, but I can't recall if I'd actually fit her into that. In any case the energetic one is Kuruko... because Mikoto wears shorts under her skirt... Kuruko is like all the fan service and she does it by being hilarious at the same time.

A mentioned the production values are high and the music is specifically a very strong point. The show has a good mix of comedy and action. Basically it has something very everyone and doesn't sacrifice anything for its broad appeal.
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Oh yes Sisters Arc so good. I was really surprised by how much I liked the serious arcs of Railgun.

Season 3 when.
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I like Kuroko a lot when she's being serious and not so much during gag scenes. It's too bad we get a lot more of latter than the former.
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Huh, I thought Lucky Star was great and hated Acchi Kocchi. Don't really see any similarities between the two. Humor style is nothing alike.
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KokoroAkechi posted...

Food Wars is a great series and season 3 is coming in the Fall. 100% recommended for just about anyone.

Except if you hate the fanservice
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Dont have access to a keyboard so no update for a bit
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updates coming
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33. Hyouka
https://myanimelist.net/anime/12189/Hyouka

Hyouka is one of Kyoani's odder works. Houtarou is perfectly happy living a normal low key life and doesn't want to do anything that is unneeded. Due to his sisters wishes he ends up joining the classics club, there he meets Eru Chitanda, a girl who just needs to know everything. Soon they start to work on unraveling the mysteries of the club and the school.

A big part of Hyouka's success is simply the presentation. It's not secret that the quality level of almost all of Kyoani's shows is among the best and this is no exception. There are many reasons for why this is, but most people seem to agree that it comes down to them only working on like one show at a time. In any case the art is especially good in this series, especially considering it's one of the earliest shows on this list.

Of course it's a mystery anime and if there's a genre and imo it's overall among the weaker ones that anime tries to make. None of the mysteries are particularly exciting overall but eventually show that they have some sort of meaning to the characters. It becomes more than simply something to solve. Still, the characters solving the mystery is what really brings the show together. Each of the four members gets pretty decent development, even if it's kind of predictable where each of them is headed. The change is gradual and each member helps the other one grow or change in a certain way.

From when Hyouka aired and before Kyoani has done things individually better than what is found in Hyouka (not counting art). But Hyouka should have broad appeal for most anime fans.

32. Magi
https://myanimelist.net/anime/14513/Magi__The_Labyrinth_of_Magic

Magi is an adventure anime that is loosely based on Arabian Nights. It currently has two seasons and a spin off series (at least). It's an anime that I didn't really care much for at first but it quickly becomes pretty clear to be one of the better ones. It features a particularly strong main cast by most shonen standards.

The three main characters, Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana are among the most balanced we've had so far. Their backstories, personalities, and ultimate personal paths differ greatly but their experience and time together help bring them all together. Character arcs in Magi are fun to watch and meaningful to the cast. Growth for each character is obvious as are the flaws they possess. They have levels of depth that are particularly uncommon in shonen style shows. On top of that several of the side characters are interesting as well, notably Sinbad (who has his own spin off).

The overall story is that there are dungeons around the world with treasure inside and a bunch of treasure hunters want it. Dungeons are like tests of strength and wit where wrong moves can mean death but the reward at the end is what brings people to them. Of course there's much more to the anime than that as it spirals into basic things we've seen in fantasy fare like war, politics, shadow organizations, etc.

It does suffer from some issues in pacing and with the focused on villains not always being that exciting. And it does seem at time like there are too many questions that the show is opening up without any real intention of answering them. But the overall package is still very worth a watch.

Also, Morgiana is a good waifu choice.
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31. Gabriel DropOut
https://myanimelist.net/anime/33731/Gabriel_DropOut

Gabriel DropOut is an anime that utilizes the gimmick for each of its main characters to produce a top level comedy. Gabriel was the top angel of her class but when she is sent down to earth after graduating heaven school or whatever she becomes addicted to video games and her life laziness begins. Now as someone who can't be assed to help anyone what type of situations await her?

The anime has 4 main characters Gabriel the lazy one, Santania "evil" one, Vignette the nice one, and Raphiel the sadistic one. Each of them stick pretty much on point with their character type but that's what leads to most of the funny moments in the show. IMO Gabriel Dropout has potentially the best overall cast for a comedy anime in terms of making the show funny that has been on this list (rivaled by Konosuba). Personally I like all four characters but Santania has most of the best scenes.

This being a comedy anime there's no real story just the character interactions and comedy skits. The anime is consistently funny with some scenes like the locker one being next level It does seem to jump around a bit and some parts you want to see more of or situations that seem like they could go on to something great just don't get finished, but it's more forgivable since the shows a comedy.

I'm not even sure which of the girls I like the best. Honestly I think Satania is the best in the show, but Vignette is probably the waifu choice.

30. Kiss Him Not Me
https://myanimelist.net/anime/32899/Watashi_ga_Motete_Dousunda

Kiss Him Not Me is a reverse harem comedy. Kae has often been the fat girl at school and so she often kept her fujoshi to herself quite easily since no one paid attention to her. However, when she loses weight at an unprecedented rate she sees it as an opportunity to get closer to the guys in her class, also the ones who she's been pairing up in her mind.

This anime is less a BL anime and more one that makes fun of it. Kae is absolutely crazy and in a way a counterpart to a lot of male "otaku" you see in shows. She even has a husbando which leads to some pretty great parts. The guys in the show are typical shoujo males however and besides doing things like settling their differences for the greater good a bit later on they are not that interesting.

Comedy is where the show shines though. I mean the reason why she lost weight in the first place is already funny and that she is consistently shipping the same guys that are vying for her affection also leads to more funny moments. For a while it's at a point where she is pretty much oblivious to their feelings. While in a lot of other contexts (notably normal harems) this is pretty annoying but KHNM manages to make it a gateway for more comedy. The anime also has a multitude of various references often due to that the main character is heavily invested into the 2D world.

I'll be honest when I say this is a title that is not for everyone and not for a new anime viewer, but a show that should be a hit with the correct demographic and then some.
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Gabriel Dropout pretty good but there are better comedies below it on this list imo
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oh god Gabriel Dropout here definitely makes Nozaki at 50 a travesty

(And that's to say absolutely nothing of Konosuba being around the same)
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Currently in 3rd part of Jojo (counting first series as two parts), in fact, watching more today with JONA.

Chaika is probably the memed show I will like the most... wish I could say the only one I'll like but we just got the show before it that I slightly enjoy.

I enjoy Soma, caught up in the manga and it still has moments that excite me and make me hyped for the next chapter. Less so currently.

And I really enjoyed Gabriel Dropout, minus disliking Satania.

4 more shows in this set... still odd I never watched Yuru Yuri but can never put it on my schedule.
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Gabriel definitely much better than Konosuba or Nozaki.
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29. Shimoneta
https://myanimelist.net/anime/29786/Shimoneta_to_Iu_Gainen_ga_Sonzai_Shinai_Taikutsu_na_Sekai

There is a meme that has been going around the anime community for quite a while known only as "lewd" the origin is unknown and it appears in several titles. It's to a point where it seems like some works are self aware of it. If I had to describe Shimoneta in one word "lewd" would be it. The anime takes place in a world where things deemed indecent are banned and only one person can save us from the lack of dirty jokes, ero-terrorist Blue Snow.

The setting is fairly simple, for whatever reason strict morality laws went into effect so things like porn, hentai, and anything that could be seen as "dirty" were quickly banned. But that's not all, eventually it trickled into the school system and things like sex education so basically every person outside of a few select characters know anything about stuff related to sex in the first place. This of course leads to some amusing situations when they are basically exposed to it for the first time.

The main character, Ayame Kajou aka Blue Snow is great. She has to add a dirty phrase to everything, like innuendo is not in her dictionary because everything she does is completely blatant. There is also Anna Nishikinomiya, a girl who seems completely pure, but turns into basically a sexual stalker for the main male character, Tanukichi Okuma. It also has a girl who draws ecchi pictures with her mouth because some sort of technology can tell when it's done by hand and Hyouka Fuwa a student scientist who wants to find the secrets of "body melding". In terms of the characters I like, that would be about all of them. But I especially like Fuwa because every time I see her I know it's going to be funny.

The comedy in the show comes in spikes. It has sections where it's amusing but eventually it leads up to some truly hilarious moments. Okuma is really the only "normal" character in the show with everyone else pretty much being a deviant in some way. Surprisingly despite the overall content there is not a lot of actual fan service in the show. Like there is fan service, but a lot of it is just too funny to really pay much attention to.

Shomoneta doesn't really require any real anime to watch and any actual cultural references (mostly censorship laws) are probably understandable from any standpoint. It really comes down to if you're willing to sit through one of the most sexually charged comedies of the decade.

28. Flip Flappers
https://myanimelist.net/anime/32979/Flip_Flappers

Cocona is a normal teenage girl but one day she meets a mysterious girl named Papika and travels to a mysterious place known as "pure illusion" they will have to use the powers they have in the realm to fight not only the monsters that reside there but also others who look to utilize the powers found in pure illusion for themselves.

Flip Flappers is basically a magical girl show complete with transformations and everything. The show seems disconnected at first but episodes and themes start to come together later on. It can be hard to follow as the pure whimsical nature of the show as the overall subtlety until later on can make it difficult to connect all the dots. Still each individual episode is wonderful to watch.

If I had to point a particular weakness it would be the overall cast. They are more players in a type of grand opera. They fill their roles well but none of them are really that interesting or even memorable. The real strength is in the presentation and direction of each episode. As from a visual standpoint the show has some good animation mixed with a more old school style artwork.

Flip Flappers is not for everyone and doesn't quite break any new ground, but its interesting take and unique presentation is sure to be something that make someone interested at least.
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Not gonna be back til later
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27. Attack on Titan (S1)
https://myanimelist.net/anime/16498/Shingeki_no_Kyojin

Attack on Titan is probably the most known show on this list. Titans are huge humanoid monsters that threaten the very existence of mankind. The largest known remnant of them live in a city surrounded by three walls. Most of the inhabitants seem sure that they would continue to be safe from the titans. Obviously they were wrong or this show would suck.

I want to get the characters out of the way first as those are by far the weakest aspect of the series. Most of them are fairly one dimensional with story elements that make them interesting. There's a parody show Attack on Titan Jr High which pokes fun of all the characters most defining trait. Like Erin wants to destroy titans more than sex up Mikasa. Mikasa has to protect Erin whenever she can. Armin is... smart but frail? The side characters have their own charm mostly with a notable one in S1 being Sasha and in S2 being the likes of Krista and Ymir. That being said the ranking is only for S1 as I do feel like S2 was good but not great.

The story has a lot of moving parts some of which are kind of boring by overall necessary in building the world. Like I think they go way too long before some reveals and explaining things. Like I'm not even sure what the show is exactly about anymore. A lot of it revolves around individual character stories and how they got to where they are. A lot of it is done between battles as like exposition, which can be annoying but the overall character dynamic is fairly strong due to the differing view points and reasoning for each of the characters being in their situation which makes you care more about their own personal back stories and how they play into the series as a whole than them as actual characters.

One of the most defining aspects is the art and combat. The show looks very good with Wit Studio using strongly defined lines and excellent shading and lighting effects. The action is fast and the overall Titan fight scenes are some of the best in modern anime in terms of the excitement they can generate. IMO the lack of a really good titan fight is one of the main things I feel that was a let down in S2 overall. The music and sound overall are also very strong. Production values are very high.

Attack on Titan has some parts where it's just passable, but more than makes up for them in closely related areas. 100% worth a pickup if you somehow have not seen it yet.
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26. The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
https://myanimelist.net/anime/13759/Sakurasou_no_Pet_na_Kanojo

The Sakura Hall is for students that don't really fit in with anyone else. So when Sorata is forced to move in he was prepared for the worst. However, even he would not have guessed that he'd basically be care taker to who is basically a savant loli in Mashiro. On top of that each of the other dorm inhabitants have their own unique side which put them into the dorm as well.

The show is part comedy part drama. There is a good balance between the two but they don't really seem to clash with each other. However, as like an overall feel the show is pretty melodramatic and is something that is made to elicit an emotional response from the viewer. It works. The reason it works for me here and not for a show like say, Ano Hana is like the characters in Ano Hana are extremely unlikable and the character paths in Sakurasou so things like clear goals, character growth, strong interaction, and a larger and more reasonable set of emotions.

Sakurasou is somewhat similar in concept to Kawai Complex. Conceptually the way the misfit cast fits together and that the main character is predictably "normal" by comparison while not an uncommon set up for anime it's presented as a core concept for both of the shows. One of the huge differences though is that Sakurasou is ultimately more satisfying in their character arcs and ending. The show feels complete. Besides the core set up there are a lot of moving parts to the overall story, like getting Shiro to be more sociable, Sorata needing to do something to feel like he's "an equal" to the rest of the dorm, Nanami trying to find her independence and so on. The character paths they have are generally well done and carry a great deal of emotional weight to them.

This show doesn't really do anything poorly and quite honestly at this point of the list it's just a lot of great shows that I would not fault someone for saying its their favorite. This is not quite a must watch, but for any person who has seen a few titles and wants something outside of like a battle shounen or in the vein of bebop this is a reasonable springboard.
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25. Kirino Mosaic
https://myanimelist.net/anime/16732/Kiniro_Mosaic

Kiniro Mosaic is a slice of life, moe, cute girls doing cute things, style anime. Actually, cute is an understatement. This anime emits cute from everything it does. The characters, comedy, music, art, etc. Everything is cute.

Things start out with Shino visiting Alice in England while they are in what I assume to be elementary school. Essentially for the entire episode they can't understand each other at all and it creates a very odd and funny setting. The ending to the first episode is pretty much comedy gold. Then a time skip where Alice is not a transfer student in Japan, and that's where the rest of the show takes place.

The characters support each other pretty well. A lot of them are not even that memorable in the long run when you compare them to characters from other slice of life shows like K-On or Lucky Star, but they fit into the overly cute feel of the show very well. Even Shino's gimmick (which is really liking Blonde hair), seems so stupid but they manage to somehow fit it into like a lot of jokes in the show.

The cast of girls consist of 5 mains. Each of them with a distinct personality. There's obviously almost zero character development, that's not important here. I mean it's a slice of life. Honestly I like Karen (I'm pretty sure she'd be the most popular one). The second season also adds a new teacher who adds a fun new dynamic to it.

The animation is simple but I feel like it fits the show. A lot of the more noticable things are moe faces. The studio, art style, etc are from the same studio that did A-Channel, but that's really where the similarities end. The show is very bright and colorful. It adds to the fun feeling the show has going for it and gave me the kind of feeling that the anime was kind of popping out of the screen.

The sound is pretty decent. A lot of the music is really not that notable, aside from the last episode where they pretty much had an entire soundtrack, but the OP and ED are enjoyable (and cute). The voice acting is pretty good too. Again... it's cute. Two of the characers are supposed to be native English speakers and still can't pronounce things that great, but I can forgive that because there really is not a show that has set a precedent of perfect English voice acting.

Also, the final episode (of S1) was incredible.

Do you like blonde hair? You should watch this show.
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bump
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24. Little Witch Academia (TV)
https://myanimelist.net/anime/33489/Little_Witch_Academia_TV

Little Witch Academia was originally a short movie that was part of the young animator training project. Basically the Japanese government gave the studio funding to make a work if they trained fledgling young animators on the job. The project started in 2010 but LWA has been the most successful overall with a sequel spawning from a kickstarter series and enough interest where the TV show came to be.

The TV version is basically a retelling of some of the basic events that happened in the movies (mainly the first one) but it deviates greatly as it goes on. The story is about Akko, a young aspiring witch with no talent at all but she has all the drive in the world and that's because she wants to be like her idol, Shiny Chariot. While at Luna Nova she makes friends like Sucy - a girl obsessed with poisons, and Lotte - a book worm. She also constantly clashes with the most gifted girl in the school, Dianna.

While there is a central story the "story" episodes take place between a lot of the normal ones. So it plays out very similarly to so more older school shows. The anime overall is very western in its feel, like something that would air on a Saturday morning. The anime is feels nostalgic despite it being a first viewing. The story overall is decent but still overshadowed by how good individual episodes are. I know some people were kind of upset that there was so much "filler" but I'm thinking that we get to just have more of this show.

The cast itself, while none of them except Akko and Dianna really get much development (okay and a couple others I'm not really going to say for spoiler reasons) most of the cast has some of the most endearing personality quirks a single show has on this list. While Akko can be a bit annoying at times she is the perfect pick for the lead due to her more energetic personality and background which makes it easier for viewers to connect to. Personally I really like Akko.

Animation is generally another strong point. While not as good as the stuff in the movies, this is still studio trigger here. The sound and music is also a high point (which is also common for a lot of Trigger works and we might see another one later on on this list).

There are murmurs about a second season, which is like so so on actuality due to somewhat mediocre sales but a Netflix deal helps that too. But also like apparently things like spin offs and such were also planned, so who knows maybe one day this will be some huge franchise. Until then this is an excellent pick up.
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23. Psycho-Pass
https://myanimelist.net/anime/13601/Psycho-Pass

Psycho-Pass is a sci-fi crime type anime taking place in a future Japan. The Sibyl System has made it so everyone has a job they can excel at and crime is at an all time low due to the system putting potential offenders into confinement before they can commit the crime. Akane Tsunemori, a girl fresh out of gradation is joining the police force, there she will have to work with her squad, enforcers... who happen to be individuals with abnormally high psycho pass scores.

The basic story of Psycho-Pass is really two fold one is the overall influence of Sibyl and how the characters are reacting to it (mainly Akane) and tracking down the "main antagonist" Makishima. However, like many shows that have more than 13 episodes the real story parts happen a bit later with other things sprinkles around them. However, that doesn't mean the other episodes are not great, the overall story telling is excellent and character dynamic even more so.

As for the characters I'll skip most of them and focus on the three leads. Makishima is basically a guy who wants to destroy Sibyl. As far as villains go I'll be honest he's kind of why this show is not much higher up the list he has some decent character depth to him but his relation to other characters (notably Kougami) is really what makes things a little more interesting. Kougami himself wants revenge on Makishima (for story reasons) and that causes issues down the road. However, its clear that his personality has a great effect on Akane, for better or worse.

Now we get to Akane. She is potentially my favorite character that is going to appear on the list. She goes through a good character arc, has significant growth, and what's more is that you get to see her use that change later on. She's also the one that has to deal with balancing her unique freedoms with the restrictions that the Sibyl puts on the general public. Also, while I don't think she's designed to be like hot or anything, I do think her down to earth and subdued look really works for her. Like I kind of compare her looks to that of Manami (Oreimo) in terms of a type of aesthetic (unassuming) they were going for. What's weird though is that Manami is simply not cute at all (in a show where the girls are supposed to be cute... although you can argue that was the point of Manami's character) but Akane is surprisingly moe. She's basically on my waifu shortlist.

Psycho-Pass is a terrific title which like LWA feels a lot more like something you'd expect in a western style show overall (mostly due to being heavily influenced by western works). The animation is spectacular too. It does have a weaker (although most will say bad) second season and a movie. Personally I think both are watchable but have issues.
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Oh hey, Psycho-Pass good show

Akane great character
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Psycho Pass felt weirdly half baked. The 2nd arc is almost exactly the same as the 1st. It's like focused all on style and just shoved in a couple formulaic story arcs at the last second. Akane was the only real character too.
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No updates for a couple of days or so as I'm without a keyboard and need to also work on end of seasons ones
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bump
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22. Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2Wei Herz!
https://myanimelist.net/anime/27525/Fate_kaleid_liner_Prisma%E2%98%86Illya_2wei_Herz

A lot of the picks on this list, while being my personal preference, have mostly been shows that people will look at and say "yeah this show did something good". This one though is just about 100% a personal choice. As some background. Prisma Illya is a spinoff of the fate series it currently has 4 seasons and despite there being a 2 in this one it's actually the 3rd one. In any case each season has a different feel to them due to the changing overall focus so I actually like (or dislike) each one to a varying degree. That said I think this season is by far the best one.

The primary reason is that 2Wei Herz is primarily a comedy over a serious fate spinoff with lolis that the first seasons tried to be. While there is some more serious aspects one of the big pluses this has over actual fate (which I dont think is a good series in any of its forms) is that the limited cast and having actual central characters they base the show around allows for more actual character development. Granted the series does have the benefit of doing it over several seasons. Like the story itself is kind of all over the place and in this season the story episodes are sparse, but imo that's not the strength of the show.

The cast is pretty fun, like the side characters are involved in a lot of the comedy and some of the episodes are genuinely extremely funny. But Illya, Kuro, and Miyu are the stars. Miyu less so as she doesn't do as much overall but Illya and Kuro are both great. It's interesting how they basically palette swap them but some tweaking and personality makes Kuro basically extremely seductive and Illya more of the cute one. Rin and Luvia also are around and they basically jab at each other whenever they get the chance.

Production values are pretty high here, unusually so for a spin off. But I guess it's still a fate property so that's somewhat to be expected. The battles and transformations especially are really good. There's also some minor fan service and such, mostly dealing with lolis making out, so if you're not into that you might want to shy away.
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21. Yuushibu
https://myanimelist.net/anime/18677/Yuusha_ni_Narenakatta_Ore_wa_Shibushibu_Shuushoku_wo_Ketsui_Shimashita

Raul Chaser is working at a magic items store (instead of electricity things are run by magic) but his real dream is to be a hero. However, because the demon lord was defeated there is no need for them anymore. One day a "guy" walks into the store and applies... this "guy" happens to be the demon lord's kid. Okay, the "guy" is really a girl named Fino, the demon lords daughter.

One thing this anime does very well is executing the premise. Each episode the characters (mostly Fino) learns something about her job or life outside the demon realm in general. At the same time... it kind of reflects like real life situations and such. It even had this whole thing about the big department store out pricing the small local shops by literally working small demons to death. I want to say that I really like the world they built in the anime. I thought using normal household appliances and having them powered by magic in this fantasy world was a great idea.

Yes a big aspect of the show is fan-service and honestly in the first episode it's not that well placed. However, I don't think people should mind that much after that episode. The core of the show is still about the overall character growth and trying to do their best as... store workers I guess? There's also an OVA, that's basically all fan service though.

The main pair in Raul and Fino make a great team. Fino starts out very naive (and mainly stays that way) but she does learn concepts at a regular basis. Not only this but she actually has actual insight into some concepts which automatically makes her smarter than 99% of anime females. While Raul's character and the way he progresses is rather predictable but he changes gradually as Fino learns. He learns through teaching and experience and not through endless exposition. Fino also has one of the best laughs in anime.

For a show that's basically promoting boobs it actually has a lot going for it. Ironically the overall fan service of the show is kind of weak compared to other shows within the genre.
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20. Humanity Has Declined
https://myanimelist.net/anime/10357/Jinrui_wa_Suitai_Shimashita

Note: I am aware of the ending to this series. I am not going to discuss it.

Humanity Has Declined is a weird show. Taking place in the future there are very few humans left and it seems the major inhabitant of the world now are these weird fairy things that live off of sweets or whatever. One of the last remaining humans, Watashi acts at the protagonist. She's kind of witty and often annoyed at the fairy's antics.

I'd guess I'd call this show a satire of sorts. It's more or less taking jabs at several things we have in real life. I don't know, it's hard to talk about this show and be able to give you an idea of what the show is like or even about. I suppose I'd call it a dark comedy? Like if you want to get an idea on the feel of the show I suggest you watch a few clips, the bread scene is probably the most famous one and it happens in one of the earliest episodes (the first one I think).

As much as I think most people will relate to "Watashi" the characters in the show are kind of lacking which is what makes it only a great show and not a greatest of all time entry. But the comedy overall is spot on and the underlying themes even more so.
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19. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
https://myanimelist.net/anime/33206/Kobayashi-san_Chi_no_Maid_Dragon

Dragon Maid is what I call a return to form for Kyoto Animation. After floundering with shows like Tamako Market and that other one I can't remember with the limbo boobs we finally go back to what they do best, simple slice of life comedies that focus greatly on character interactions.

This is likely one of the most known titles on this list due to the show becoming a meme in "don't lewd the dragon loli". Mostly because for whatever reason people thought that the show like sexualized the loli or something? I don't know, like I saw the show and the only loli I thought was being sexualized was the dragon loli's friend with her fucking sex faces every time her the dragon loli was being cute. Anyway, this show is about Miss Kobayashi, a normal business woman who happens to get a maid, a dragon maid (but maybe she was just a dragon... but she was still...)

I'm not quite sure when I got to a point where I thought to myself, man this is a great show. But I don't think this is something you watch and immediately know it's great. Sure, Kyoto animation does everything it can on the production standpoint, but once the entire cast gets together and starts to interact with each other the show really shines.

Kobayashi herself is somewhat a stoic character. She has annoyances over some of Tooru's (the blonde dragon) antics but you can tell she appreciates her. The dragons themselves have varying personalities, like Tooru is more of a genki type, Kana is cute, Elma is more or less a type of headstrong tsundere, Quetzalcoatl is the seductive one, and Fafnir basically becomes a neet or something...lol. In any case there's this play scene where they all work together for some nursing home. I'd say if you want a show of like each characters personality that's a great spot.

Overall Dragon Maid is a great show that I think might rely a little more on very high points versus other shows in the game genre, but is a title I think should be enjoyable by most people.
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KokoroAkechi posted...

Note: I am aware of the ending to this series. I am not going to discuss it.

I have no idea what this is referring to? But apparently you won't discuss it so
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Sceptilesolar posted...

KokoroAkechi posted...

Note: I am aware of the ending to this series. I am not going to discuss it.

I have no idea what this is referring to? But apparently you won't discuss it so

This.
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18. The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
https://myanimelist.net/anime/11933/Oda_Nobuna_no_Yabou

The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is the greatest Sengoku genderswap I've seen. I suppose that's to be expected when a studio like Madhouse is behind it. However, when you consider some of the other shows in this genre (Sengoku Collection, Time Paradox, etc) it doesn't have the worlds greatest competition.

Yoshiharu Sagara finds himself in an alternate past where the warlords are cute girls. There he eventually comes to meet Oda Nobuna (a female Oda Nobunaga) and starts to work for her as basically a strategist (or by Oda's standards a money). Why a strategist? Well, he has a lot of knowledge of the events because he played in a video game. He's I believe supposed to be the replacement for Hideyoshi as that's one of the few major characters from the story that does not have an actual counterpart.

The show has a fairly large cast of characters and they range from a ninja loli Hachisuka Goemon who stutters when she speaks or Niwa Nagahide, Oda Nobuna's tactition who likes to rate things (she is like the embodiment of gamefaqs contests). But the most important ones are Sagara and Oda Nobuna. In general the entire cast has great interaction with Sagara as his half like realizing the girls are hot and half actually wanting to help Oda Nobuna plays pretty well into things. But Oda Nobuna herself is where the show really shines. She's basically a more "kind-hearted" version of the real life counterpart. She's pretty much a tsundere but they do a good job at reflecting her interests, look, and background on the real thing. Honestly, she is almost captivating to watch sometimes.

As mentioned before the show was, at least in part, done by Madhouse. So the production quality is noticeably better than a lot of other shows that might be leaning on fan service. Oh, there is also fan service too, but I'll be honest and I can't even recall how much of it there actually was.

The only real downside of the anime is that it ends like in the middle. It only lightly touches upon some of the actual historical facts (like one of Sagara's main goals is to prevent Oda Nobuna from dying). It's too bad because future episodes would likely be even better.
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Team Rocket Elite posted...

Sceptilesolar posted...

KokoroAkechi posted...

Note: I am aware of the ending to this series. I am not going to discuss it.

I have no idea what this is referring to? But apparently you won't discuss it so

This.

When I say series, I mean the LN.
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Oh. Just looked it up and now I understand. The anime is fine self-contained as it is.
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bump
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Shimoneta got annoying when dick head became a character. Flip Flappers got weird when it tried to take itself seriously. Watching AoT with Charon. Dropped Sakurasou after trying it with JONA (one ep). Liked KinMoza, though preferred a few other series easily. Liked LWA. Dropped Psycho-Pass at a point. And still trying to watch Fate/Prisma with another friend of mine.

So 4 more in this set.
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17. DRRR!!x2 Ketsu
https://myanimelist.net/anime/27833/Durararax2_Ketsu

Season 2 of DRRR was long awaited. The original series is often considered to be an all time great among fans for its colorful cast of characters and insane atmosphere. Season 2 was separated into three parts with Ketsu being the last one. IMO the first two parts were okay but they simply introduced too many characters and it became a big mess. However, Ketsu is like a reward for sitting through those as everything finally comes together. It brings you back to what the original was like with more focus on the original core characters.

Most of the cast in ketsu (actually maybe all of it) is from either previous parts in the second season or from the original. For the most part Celty is the central character, which is nice because she's among the most popular. But basically all the original main cast have important roles to fill. Most of them play out their parts like you'd expect but a couple might surprise you if you don't know much about the series outside of the anime.

The story, again, is a continuation from the previous parts in the season (and to an extent from S1). However, there is a lot more focus on a central story a bit later on as they've been leading all the paths to a point in typical DRRR fashion. They do take some liberties here and there but for the most part it brings things to a somewhat satisfying conclusion until something like S3 comes along.

Not much else to say without just going through a lot of spoilers. You basically have like 50ish episodes to even get to this part and fans have already seen it. If you're on the fence about S2 I think Ketsu makes it worth it. But if you're simply a person who has not seen the original I almost consider it mandatory viewing even if it falters a little near the end.
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16. Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine
https://myanimelist.net/anime/24893/Sidonia_no_Kishi__Daikyuu_Wakusei_Seneki

Battle for Planet Nine is the second season of Knights of Sidonia. The story takes place shortly after the ending of the first season. The Hoshiijiro ena has been "moved" and early on a lot of backalley type set up goes around to make the viewer question the motives of certain characters. Besides all this the other main focal point of the story is a big one, and quite literally at that since it's the hybrid, Tsumugi.

Most of the main cast has not changed much from the first season and maintain their stock personalities. Tsumugi is obvious addition and is essentially a little girl with the body of a super monster. Her actions are clearly driven by her instinct to protect those around her and because of her curiosity. The show goes out of its way to really paint a full picture about Tsumugi and it does a good job, although at the expensive of the other characters.

Again the majority of the cast does not change much, this includes Nagate, who is still "the good guy" and Kunato who is still "The Schemer". However, this does not mean what they do is not entertaining. Kunato, who I found to be a glaring issue in the first season has brought a lot of intrigue to the second.

One of the real draws of the show are the battles. They are massive. It's rare for an anime to do something and make me think "wow, that's cool." The animation and art work during these sequences measures up to some of the best there is. However, some of the issues with the CG from the last season remains, especially awkward sluggish movement that makes no sense at all. It makes it very difficult to suspend your disbelief when there is sometimes sudden shifts in animation quality almost instantaneously.

There is a good balance between the tense action scenes and the more simply relaxing parts. I'm glad it didn't try to really be melodramatic about things and it tends to resolve smaller issues that arise within an episode quickly, while using them to build the major plot points they established for a better climax.

Speaking of those relaxing scenes. There is probably debate over whether those comedy segments with Tsumugi and friends really belong in a show like this where they are in constant danger of being wiped out and are humanities last hope and all that. However, I say that these segments are where most of your character development and the viewers connection to said characters happens. Again not like there is a lot of development in the first place, but it's those simple parts that make characters real.

The sound production and direction is the best I've ever heard in an anime and I can say this without a doubt in my mind. All the sound effects are crisp and not only fit what they represent but also the mood the scene is portraying as well. The music is also stellar as it fits whatever scale the show is currently running at.

Knights of Sidonia S2 is a huge surprise for me especially after what I considered a middling first season. However, the production value, overall chemistry of the cast, and just plain enjoyability has skyrocketed. This is clearly worth the cost of admission (seeing the first season) to get the full impact.
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Tsumugi is the best.
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up
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Updates will resume sometimes tomorrow.
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15. Rokka no Yuusha
https://myanimelist.net/anime/28497/Rokka_no_Yuusha

If there was a surprising show of 2015 it was this one. Originally set up like an action show it turns into a type of whodunit mystery with one of the more eclectic casts so far. The story is about the demon gods return and as legend tells six warriors called the braves of the six flowers must journey to defeat him. However, a seventh brave appears so one of them is a fake.

As far as mystery shows go, Rokka no Yuusha is one of the better ones. It's a story of changing alliances and the likely culprit changes just as often. In fact, a good portion of the cast actually have enough motive to be the fake which is something that keeps it interesting. It doesn't always have the cleanest transitions, but it does a good job at creating doubt.

The cast consists of, to like no surprise, 7 central characters as they try to find the fake and also maintain their own innocence. While not all of them have an equal stake it does feature a couple of decent characters, primarily Adlet Mayer and waifu candidate Fremy Speeddraw. Adlet himself is among the prime candidates to be the 7th and basically takes the role as the outsider or unknown of the group. Fremy is basically a emo girl that has some great hair.

Animation wise the art is pretty good but the actual animation is kind of lacking in spots. It's clear that if they wanted to make an action show that they would have struggled a bit to do so. In any case Rokka no Yuusha sold extremely poorly meaning that it's never going to get a second season despite having enough content to make this into a long running show.
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That's really high considering the ridiculously goofy ending.
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taggggg
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Sceptilesolar posted...

That's really high considering the ridiculously goofy ending.

AFAIK that happens like at the end of each book in the series.
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14. Is This a Zombie? Of the Dead
https://myanimelist.net/anime/10790/Kore_wa_Zombie_Desu_ka_of_the_Dead

Ayumu Aikawa has been killed by a serial killer but was revived as a zombie by Eucliwood Hellscythe. Now he lives at home with a bunch of crazy girls. In the second season you can expect many of the same comedic antics from the first one.

Is this a Zombie is an ecchi harem comedy series. To this day it's among the funniest shows I've ever seen in terms of pure comedy I put it up there with the likes of FMPF, Nichijou, and Milky Holmes S2. While the story is not that impressive it does exist meaning it's not a skit show. The comedy typically comes in the form of running gags (ie that's not a kick). Also from pretty dumb (but funny) situations like the cafe episode.

The cast is really fun. Ayumu is a helpful person who has a crush on Eucliwood, and he wants to help the people living with him, but also can get visibly annoyed with their antics. Eucliwood rarely speaks (story reasons) and normally her only lines in an episode is through one of Ayumu's fantasies (one of many running gags) she is voiced by a different person each episode. There is also Haruna, a magical girl who uses a chainsaw instead of a wand.

Zombie is not really groundbreaking in the comedy department but remains to be among the funniest shows that have aired in recent memory.
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13. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
https://myanimelist.net/anime/12445/Tasogare_Otome_x_Amnesia

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is a romantic comedy with some mystery and horror type elements mixed in. Teiichi is a member of a paranormal investigation club at his school where they look to find the secret of many of the schools legends (something that like every high school in Japan has apparently) however, the school has a history... one that is going to haunt Teiichi... or more like hug him because its the ghost Yuuko who is hoping the club can find information on how she died.

As a romance this is a terrific anime. There is not that much in the way of like relationship push and pull and even the introduction to a love rival doesn't really mean that much, it's more watching a progression of two characters who enjoy each other falling for each other. The only real weird thing is that the girl is a ghost. But the dynamic as well as the story manages to create a lot of different emotions for the viewer depending on the many angles they are taking the scene, and being a show that has such a weird combination of genres it can do this in stride. So it's not the like slow burn type heartthrob love story, but it's still pretty good.

As for the story itself it's mainly about uncovering Yuuko's past. It has some other side things too but a big part of the show is not only what they uncover, but their reactions to it. As we learn more about the history of the school and what happened before the show starts to capitalize on its more horror like elements a bit more. It's not a scary show, but one that manages to use atmosphere well to set a mood of like spookiness.

But the star of the show is Yuuko. She is a ghost, she's hot, and she's a massive troll. Almost always fun to watch. The rest of the characters kind of blend in to be honest which is the primary reason this anime is not much higher up the list. I say that but this is like number 13 so we're in great territory here.

Despite having a somewhat weak first episode (it was a borderline episode 1 drop for me) Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is an excellent show which also has some good production values and among the best female leads on this list. It's a well balanced show that uses its unique genre combinations well.
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oh yes
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12. Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
https://myanimelist.net/anime/11785/Haiyore_Nyaruko-san

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san is a parody comedy anime about Mahiro, a normal boy who gets saved by a girl who calls herself a Nyarlathotep or the crawling chaos. However, despite being incredibly impressed by her heroics it so happens that Nyaruko falls in love in Mahiro, much to his annoyance.

If you know the character types I tend to like it should come to surprise that the high energy Nyaruko is among my favorites. She is by far among the most aggressive characters in terms of searching for some love from the main male character. However, unlike a lot of harems, Mahiro (who is a tsundere) basically has none of it. In fact, we actually don't see that much of him like reciprocating anything and it takes the entire season for him to admit he actually likes the rest of the cast which also include Kuuko (a girl who is in love with Nyaruko) and Hasuta (a trap).

Being a parody anime the show is packed with references, I'm actually hard pressed to think of a show that packs more in. It's almost certainly the winner in that regard for this list. Some of the references are to like stuff that is considered ancient or even obscure too. While in this case I would say you can fully enjoy the show without knowing any of them (although a few of them are from very mainstream things) it does give a little extra fun to it.

The actual show is set up where it sounds like something very important or serious is happening but they just turn it into some sort of joke (often to the annoyance of Mahiro) and Nyaruko and gang saves the day. It does take some liberties in what it does because its a parody anime that is not meant to be taken seriously by anyone and for the most part they do a really good job at it.

In terms of pure entertainment Nyaruko-san is a hard show to beat. It doesn't really have enough to pull it into the top 10 for this list but in forms of zany comedy this is among the best.
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bump
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