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

(+) Yeah! (+)

11. Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next
https://myanimelist.net/anime/14967/Boku_wa_Tomodachi_ga_Sukunai_Next

The second season of Haganai continues to follow the neighbors club, a group of students who got together in order to make friends. Each of the members has some weird quirk that makes them hard to get along with other people, although to be fair, to most people looking from the outside a lot of them are more endearing than anything.

Despite the fact I really liked the first season the step of the second one has was surprising to even me. But the level of engagement each character has with each other, the way their dynamic change in situations, and just how they mixed in the drama and the main sources of comedy together created a very seamless show. While a lot of the episodes are fairly standard comedy fair they have some minor story and character stuff built in but nothing too major.

The overall cast is very strong. Both Sena and Rika are very high up my overall character rankings. I guess Maria still kinda sucks, but she spends a lot of her time with her sister (cousin?) and Kobato. Like again each character has some weird thing that makes it hard to get a long with people. Rika is a huge pervert, but to the point where it probably makes people uncomfortable. Sena is more or less a tsundere but much more stuck up than a typical one. Yozora is manipulative, Kobato is a chuuni, Maria whines a lot, and Yukimura is well lol. Then we have fucking Kodoka who people are scared of because of his hair. I mean come on now. But it's more that he struggles to get close to other. In fact, one of the things the show does very well with the characters is showing why each of them struggles with other people in areas much more relateable to a normal person.

Of course some stuff had to bring it over the edge. It has a some very standout scenes, but most notably the roof top one at the end of the season. In terms of the impact, tension, emotional impact it has, especially for a show that is primarily a comedy. Enough great moments often lead to great shows so it should not be a surprise that the remaining list is going to be packed with them.

Haganai is an excellent show. It has the main shell of a "high school cub" anime but uses its cast very well. The production value is high and in general is fairly accessible anime.
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Well, I thought the first season was such garbage that I couldn't bring myself to watch the second, but that's why it's your ranking topic and not mine.
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10. Kill la Kill
https://myanimelist.net/anime/18679/Kill_la_Kill

It's somewhat difficult to fully explain what Kill la Kill is. The anime almost plays out like some sort of fan fiction complete with a tremendous amount of fan service, clothes being ripped apart, over the top fights, a like elite 4, school outfits literally called "goku uniforms", and the complete overuse and crushing of several anime tropes. The show is self aware of what its doing and the fan should be too so this is clearly something that is more for a seasoned veteran rather than a newbie.

The initial story is our main heroine, Ryuuko Matoi, is seeking out the other half of a giant scissor that belonged to her father as she's looking for clues into his death Armed with the one she has she challenges the school, but when she finds her power is not quite enough she eventually stumbles upon Senketsu, a school uniform that gives the wearer extraordinary abilities. Of course the story evolves as more is revealed and it gets weird at times. It just keeps getting bigger and more extreme. If you think that the anime is going to slow down and is out of twists, you are wrong.

The cast for the most part is small in terms of characters who are important and I'm really only going to talk about two of them. The first is Ryuuko who I think most everyone who watches the show likes. She has a type of tomboyish attitude, is brash, and generally takes things to extreme levels. She is also subject to a massive amount of fan service. The other is Mako. Mako is one of the more polarizing characters in the anime where she is basically a comic relief character in a show that is pretty much almost all high tension type comedy. She's very energetic so it should be fairly obvious I enjoy her. What's more is that you can genuinely see she cares for Ryuuko as a friend.

The fight scenes are great, some of the most exciting ones that are going to be on the list. The animation in general is impressive and the art style distinct. Like the way the show moves too is almost as chaotic as the story progression. Not always the cleanest thing, but it really catches your attention and makes you want to watch. The soundtrack is somewhat limited but just about every track that plays in it is a hit.

If you were a fan of anime like TTGL and have a decent anime resume behind you Kill la Kill is a must watch.
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Dropped DRRR, it's just not for me... Mafia the anime just got really bland and didn't even have an ending... I disliked Nyaruko to the point that I skipped the second season... KlK... was just there, some fight scenes were good but the Ending was just bad.

So 3 more from 20-10... I think Dusk Maiden is the first show on this list I never heard of at all.
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bump
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9. World Conquest Zvezda Plot
https://myanimelist.net/anime/20973/Sekai_Seifuku__Bouryaku_no_Zvezda

World Conquest is a comedy anime about a loli named Kate who wants to take over the world. she leads a small group called Zvezda as they work together to achieve their goals and come across some rather unlikely situations in the process. Why do they follow her? It's because she possesses a very unique power of persuasion.

If you're looking for a show with a colorful cast this is a great choice. It has some of the most "anime" characters on this list. None of the characters are particularly strong in the sense of being like a top tier pick if I did a character list but each one fills in a different spot to add personality to the show. The anime does a good job at using each of the characters different traits to bring out more comedy. I personally like Kate and also Roboko (but more so because of the OVA). There is also a "bad" or "good" guy group depending on how you look at it called White Light. The whole set up makes the show have a feel similar to Yatterman (but probably closer to the loosely related sequel Yatterman Night).

Another strength is the comedy happens in both forms of running gags and in episode long set ups where things come to a boiling point. Some parts for the comedy and story elements takes almost the entire season for the payoff, and even though you know it's going to happen doesn't make it any less glorious. Each episode basically has a self contained story and parts of it add to the seasonal story and gives some minor character development.

The show really shines through a few very strong episodes, especially the hot springs and smoking ones. It also has one of the best overall finales as it gives senses of closure. I think that they really mixed all the aspects that made the show enjoyable very well in the final episode.

World Conquest is a wonderful anime for those looking to try something different. May the light of Zvezda shine throughout this world.
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8. Erased
https://myanimelist.net/anime/31043/Boku_dake_ga_Inai_Machi

Erased is among the more high profile shows on this list. It's about Satoru who finds himself in his body from 18 years ago as he tries to undo tragic events that happened in his time line. With his foresight he plans ways to protect Kayo, a young girl who he never paid much attention to. However, despite his knowledge he still has the body of a kid.

The primary strength of the anime imo is that it has some of the best singular moments on this list. IMO it's rare that a show is going to give you a genuine emotion and at the same time do it consistently and several different types. This excels in that area. There's a show that aired just last season called Clione no Akari that tried to do similar things in terms of emotional impact but they just do it poorly. It's hard to really explain without you having seen both shows but best I can tell you is that besides that based on a production standpoint Clione no Akari is just complete shit Erased gives you plenty of reason to be emotionally connected. For the most part it takes great care in the handling of the progression. It has a couple of the best scenes in the entire list.

Kayo fills a unique role within anime. Rare is a character in a show that you feel a wanting to protect and that's really it. The circumstances of her life and the emotion you see on her face when you try to pull her from it are strikingly powerful. At the same time Satoru is a decent main male lead, albeit somewhat predictable overall. The anime is not only the characters changing, but how the changing outlook on the future changes them.

The elephant in the room is the ending and that's why it's number 8 on this list and not in the top 3 (although we are splitting hairs around now). Personally I thought the ending was fine, in a similar way that the ending of Charlotte was "fine"). It's more like I'm not really sure what else they could do to give the show some sense of closure for at least some of the characters.

Erased was a terrific anime. Probably a must watch.
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Top 10 off to a good start, will look into #9 a bit more.
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Oh yes Kill la Kill so good. Erased was also great until that last arc felt like the creator ran out of ideas and shit all over everything...definitely wasn't happy with like any of that part at all.

7. One Punch Man
https://myanimelist.net/anime/30276/One_Punch_Man

What is it like to be the strongest alive? Saitama knows this and he will tell you, it's fucking boring. His workout regiment of doing 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats, and running 10KM would air conditioning for any of it has made him into some sort of super human. Because of his power he becomes a "hero for fun". But how much fun can he really have?

It would be an understatement to say how hyped OPM was. And for the most part it delivered, unlike some other shows like SAO where people got on the hype train for it OPM is generally very well received throughout all the anime community. There's not much to the story, Saitama is super powerful and often times after a bunch of the other heroes struggle against a villain he defeats the bad guy with ONEEE PAWNCHHH. You would think that a character being so overpowered would make the show boring, but it doesn't. In reality, besides the witty writing and overall comedic effect everything has, the whole premise of OPM is almost like an inside joke that everyone is in on. It's like you know what's coming, and when it does you go to yourself "that's great."

Saitama himself is also simple, his design is purposely kinda lame to reflect his whole attitude. Genos, who is a an Android, knows how great Saitama is and struggles to understand why he's content with his current position as a hero. There's not really a lot of character building, but the characters it has are fun and memorable due to either designs or how they interact with others, mainly with Saitama.

Of course, all of this doesn't matter if the fights are not good. They are. Great even. Best on this list even? Like the battles with Saitama in them are incredibly one sided but they are animated and presented so wonderfully it doesn't seem to matter. The ones without him though have just about all the tension you'd expect from a typical show.

Despite how good OPM is, it's certainly better if you've seen other shows like DBZ and HxH. But in general, I think what OPM is going for his accessible enough for a general viewer.
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6. Your Lie in April
https://myanimelist.net/anime/23273/Shigatsu_wa_Kimi_no_Uso

Your Lie in April is a melodrama about Kousei, a young boy who was once renowned to be a prodigy at the piano, but various circumstances have made it so he won't play anymore. Having given up what was his passion he happens to meet Kaori, a young violinist whose determination and constant pushing is what might just get him back on track.

This is a very emotionally charged show so simply reading a short write up about it is not going to convey what makes it great. It has things and turns in it that might seem unreasonable, drawn out, pointless at times, but it does so in like a reflection of a characters feelings. Seeing the changes in the characters because of either their own private circumstances or due to other characters is extremely well done. The two main characters themselves work very well together. The overall parallels they use for the characters in relation to the story might be a little heavy handed, but not the worst offense in the world.

The story is not as much about Kousei getting back the playing piano, it's more like he's getting back to living his life. There is a ton of character development and change for the main cast as new challenges await them. The show makes some of these things seem larger than life, but a lot of the material that is presented in the show are things that are not common within a lot of anime.

In terms of animation, music, artwork, this show is beautiful in all aspects. The OP is among the best I've ever seen.

Your Lie in April, over the course of its run, has some of the most heart wrenching scenes and events but consistent moments of youthful wonder all packed into one show. A must watch.
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Eh, Your Lie in April was all right. Extremely predictable and by the book, I thought, but still pretty enjoyable.

Great music though.
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Yeah I also wasn't super big on Your Lie in April.

I didn't much like or haven't seen the last 9 shows though so maybe that shouldn't be surprising
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bump
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update in a little bit
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5. Haikyuu!!
https://myanimelist.net/anime/20583/Haikyuu

Haikyuu is a volleyball anime and among the best pure sports shows I've ever seen. The set up is like any other sports show, a kid (Hinata) really likes Volleyball but is incredibly short for the sport. However his motivation to win and an uncanny jumping ability and reflexes gives him a spot on a team where he teams up with Kageyama, a prodigy who seems to know the perfect place to put the ball to get a point, but no one has been able to properly receive his passes... until now.

If you've seen like any sports show most of them following similar progressions of like some underdogs trying to beat better teams or a better fighter etc. This is no different. The high school was once a powerhouse but has fallen into obscurity. To get out of it they use the main character duo to rise back to prominence. So like there is not really a way to explain why I like it more than other sports shows or why I think it's better than to... compare it to another popular sports show.

I'd say right now the two big sports IPs in anime are Haikyuu and Kuroko no Basket. Obviously I think Haikyuu is a goty caliber show and I think Kuruko is a piece of junk. But why? By far one of the biggest factors is how they handle the actual games and the back and forth. In Kuruko a lot of matches seem meaningless and focus too much on a single player. Haikyuu matches are like operas of a game with different players stepping up to defining roles at different times. The pacing of getting background on these characters is also much faster overall. Haikyuu knows what's important, the matches being great. Speaking of those characters, because more of them get involve in the games there is also more natural banter and development for the entire cast. Not only that but it feels like an actual sport is being played. Kuroko is a superpower show where character play basketball instead of fight crime or something.

I really appreciate how balanced the show seems to be overall. It gives side characters back stories and actual development that seems meaningful. It's not just to have it there, because a lot of characters show up again from time to time. Kuroko set up members of the team of miracles as like bosses to be overcome, Kuroko sets their opponents up as rivals, and people they know they can beat... but have to come together has a complete unit to get that job done.

The overall animation and art is very strong. It has great editing during the games and the way they present things like the impact of the ball being hit is also superb. Even if you don't really like sports shows this is grade A material.
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4. No Game No Life
https://myanimelist.net/anime/19815/No_Game_No_Life

Many claim to be the best at a game... but a particular online handle claims to be the best at all games. Only known as blank (or more literally I think it's like a bunch of underscores). Blank is so good that they can even beat people who are cheating. Yes, they. Blank is a brother sister duo who use their talents to overcome anything gaming related. This catches the attention of Tet, a god who controls a world that is governed by the outcome of games.

Among the most striking thing of NGNL is the art style. It's very vibrant and colorful. The palette works very well with both the whimsical nature and the more action oriented scenes in the show. It makes the anime very noticeable by its look.

The actual story is about how Sora and Shiro are trying to bring Imanity (humans), the last ranking race of the 16 races or exceed. The world is governed by 10 rules (which I will not get into). But basically, nothing really important can be done without playing a game. The show basically follows a path where they build up the respect of the people and their allies in order to challenge another exceed, the werebeast nation. While some of the episodes can act as like contained stand alone stories, they also build to the finale which is good overall series planning.

One of the major factors too is how easy it is to like the cast. Sora is one of those "OP" main characters much in the vein of Kirito, Shiroe (Log Horizon), Tatsuya (Irregular at Magic High School), etc. However he and his sister Shiro has a very clear motivation... get to a point where they can challenge Tet. They of course want to do other things along the way but characters having a goal is something I think is often lost. Like Kirito might have one, but it's hard to tell what it is because of how the anime is structured. As for the sister Shiro, honestly she's not as interesting or overall fun as Sora but she's cute. The other characters worth mentioning are Stephanie Dola who is like the butt of a lot of the jokes. Also Jibril, a member of a race called the Flugel who value knowledge above all, and who also happens to be a pervert.

As for some of the highlights scenes like materialization shiritori and the finale game are some of the most fun I've ever had watching a show. Just the structure and in the former how they mix in the actual game, humor, fan service, and the characters all in that episode.

Unfortunately NGNL seems like it could have a lot of content left and besides a movie it seems unlikely that we'll get more anime for it. But nonetheless this is one of the best shows you can pick up.
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Top 3 next time.

After the top 3 I'll also go through some of the more popular shows that are not on the list and talk about them briefly. I'll also talk about other shows on request if I've seen them. In addition I'll talk about shows that didn't qualify that probably would have been on it.
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3. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
https://myanimelist.net/anime/14741/Chuunibyou_demo_Koi_ga_Shitai

Greetings, I the powerful holder of the wicked eye have come to tell you about one of the best shows of the past five years. It's a show about me, Rikka, and how my partner The Dark Fla... I mean Yuuta got closer to each other and we also had lots of fun during the school year. He, my faithful servant Dekomori, a Morisummer imposter, and a sleepy head all helped me find what's beyond the horizon.

Our time together was not so much a story than it was our journey to become closer to who we really are. Many people doubt that we harbor dark and incredible powers within, sometimes even The Dark Flame Master has his doubts but maybe he's just trying hard to conceal his true power. I remember when he moved near me and I greeted him by floating majestically with my faithful phoenix on my arm (although I did have some problems and he saved me). Sometimes, despite the Morisummer being a fake... I think that she also might be hiding a secret power. That sleepyhead too, Kumin. We are all friends though and we formed a club the far eastern magic nap society of summer where we have our base of operations.

At first our lives might look normal but when a battle happens I activate the power of my eye and unlock our true potential. We have epics battles like none you've ever seen before. Of course I have the faithful Gungnir and my familiar, Chimera.

I have heard that some who have seen our battles in person praise the aesthetic and look of them. Of course any theme songs we would have would be the best.

Somewhere a chronicle of my journey exists. If you can find it I suggest you watch it. But be warned, a latent power might be inside you too.
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2. Re:Zero
https://myanimelist.net/anime/31240/Re_Zero_kara_Hajimeru_Isekai_Seikatsu

Re:Zero is an isekai or other world show where Subaru has been suddenly transported to well... another world. There he quickly finds out that after he dies he comes back to life at a time before he died. Eventually he decides to use this power in order to protect those he cares about, but things don't always turn out like he envisions.

You would think a show about a guy who has unlimited resets on things be boring. However, it's the resetting that makes the show interesting. The anime becomes like part puzzling solving and part drama. Some horror elements too. Subaru has one of the most fascinating character arcs on this entire list. If you want a show where you can really see how actions can change the perception others have of you and how events can change how you act this is a great show.

As for the cast, it's no secret that Rem (the blue haired girl) has become like an uber waifu. But in reality the entire cast is well balanced. While in truth only Subaru is really a main character it seems like any one of them could move into a prominent role at any time. This is like a grand scale type show where there is plenty of stuff that can happen later on so there has been substantial set up for a second season which might never happen.

But I almost think beyond all of this it's the "feel" of the anime that really gets it to the front of the pack. Like every scene in the show it really sets the mood. It does a great job at letting the viewer get into the head of the character with the point of view for the scene be it calming, comedy, action, or despair. It's this changing of feelings that is presented through the complete production package which makes Re:Zero so great to watch.

The only thing that might be a little bit of a knock is that the art and animation is not always the best. I say that relatively to like the rest of the top 10 which had some power houses in the looks department. Still it looks really good for the most part. Like things like Subaru's first fight is well animated and has really great overall flow (although that is partially due to the first episode budget etc) but action is not the focal point of the series.

Re:Zero is every bit worth watching. Even if a second season never comes to fruition the current one is one of the best shows you can watch.
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Oh hey I like at least one of the top 10.

I did think Re:Zero got somewhat worse towards the end of the season, but it was still pretty great overall.
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1. Chihayafuru 2
https://myanimelist.net/anime/14397/Chihayafuru_2

There has been debate over what was the best year in anime. The two years that come up most frequently are 2007 and 2011, one of the shows that aired towards the end of 2011 was Chihayafuru. Despite being well received by fans and among the best shows in an extremely stacked year (Steins;Gate, Madoka, Penguindrum, Fate/Zero all aired that year) it was touted as one of the best, even so a second season seemed unlikely... but it happened.

Technically Chihayafuru is a sports show. It's about Chihaya, a beautiful girl who has the looks to be a model but instead wants to play a game called Karuta. For those uninitiated Karuta is a game where cards are laid face up and players are given a short time to memorize the positioning. Afterwards a reader will read off one of the poems and they have to grab the card associated with it. For a game that sounds kind of boring the anime makes it among the most intense matches I've seen. It's one of the key differences in Chihayafuru and a show that focuses on another game that by nature can be somewhat boring to watch (Shogi in March Comes Like a Lion). Like 3-gatsu no Lion Shogi is just something the character does at times and they don't really put the same emphasis on it like Chihayafuru puts in their Karuta matches. It's a big different in passion and it comes through in how entertaining and exciting the show is to watch.

In the first season there is that scene where Chihaya takes her first card and from there she starts to practice as much as she can. It's feelings like that that make the show, and there are a ton of them. The story is generally set into different with minor romance elements and such built in. But the formula is very sports anime based overall. There are tournaments and the main cast getting stronger together, etc. On top of that Chihaya has a goal to become the Queen, or the best female player in Japan. However, despite her natural talent it's clear she has a long way to go.

The second season introduces a new member, Sumire Hanano. At first she seems a little out of place, but quickly it seems like she's a natural part of the group and show. On top of that the second season starts to explore more of each of the primary casts feelings and struggles (although most of them do have to do with Karuta in some way). Of course, Chihaya gets center stage, as she should. She is absolutely captivating to watch.

The overall art work, animation, and sound direction is top tier. If it wasn't for the absolute masterpiece in soundwork Knights of Sindonia S2 this would be what I'd call the golden standard in that regard. Like every sound cue, when they swipe at the mat, even simple things like the reading of the poem is just undoubtedly high quality. Things like the color choices and especially the shading in terms of the look of the show are beautiful.

Chihayafuru is an anime that combines the heart pounding tension of a sports show with the emotional rollercoaster of something you'd more likely find in different shoujo anime. And it married these two elements wonderfully. It might never get a season 3, but I said the same thing about this one.
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Good choice for number 1. I really do hope there's a Season 3 some time.
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Complete List (Might be some spelling errors etc I just did this quickly to keep track of stuff).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WcQ8CPPutccDQSWv4LXZfmGZddCCnwDMV6FMYew5gPU/edit#gid=0

More stuff

Shows by season
Season - Number of shows (ranks of the shows. Some will be listed twice due to some shows having combined seasons for rankings).

2012
Spring - 5 (12, 13, 14, 33, 35)
Summer - 3 (18, 20, 36)
Fall - 8 (3, 23, 26, 32, 39, 40, 65, 94)

2013
Winter - 3 (1, 11, 67)
Spring - 7 (27, 34, 57, 72, 89, 92, 93)
Summer - 4 (25, 54, 56, 59)
Fall - 6 (10, 21, 32, 41, 58, 100)

2014
Winter - 6 (9, 23, 51, 69, 74, 78)
Spring - 7 (4, 5, 38, 55, 80, 87, 97)
Summer - 7 (50, 52, 53, 73, 79, 90, 91)
Fall - 5 (6, 38, 49, 81, 82)

2015
Winter - 2 (64, 94)
Spring - 5 (16, 25, 69, 37, 85)
Summer - 9 (15, 22, 29, 41, 44, 47, 62, 86, 96)
Fall - 7 (5, 7, 36, 42, 43, 48, 78)

2016
Winter - 6 (8, 17, 46, 75, 76, 84)
Spring - 4 (2, 71, 77, 98)
Summer - 4 (45, 63, 68, 70)
Fall - (5, 28, 30, 66, 83, 88)

2017
Winter - 3 (19, 24, 31)
Spring - 1 (99)

Shows that would have made the list
Re:creators (probably just sneaking in around 99 or 100)
My Hero Academia S2 (Mid teens)
Aho Girl (low 50s)
Made in Abyss (Low 90s)
Princess Principal (Low teens)
New Game S2 (Would combine seasons and probably raise it to about 27)
Welcome to the Ballroom (Currently airing. Look like mid 60s right now)

ERRORS
ReLife was left off and would have ranked at 17.
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For the final segment...

Zvezda kinda dropped back after a bit, it wasn't as good the longer the show went on. OPM was great and I'm anticipating the second season. YLiA... honestly annoyed me by the end, music was good but the show was predictable and I hate that it ends with Key aids, aka an unnamed disease that just kills a heroine for the sake of drama. No other reason but for drama. Haikyuu would be the only of the top 10 to make my own, had I made this list, I enjoyed each arc and was really glad I watched it. No Game No Life once was a part of my top 10, but no sequel dropped it off because it really was a great show when the possibility of a continuation existed, it's an incomplete work as it is and loses a lot of points for ending like it did. And I severely disliked Chuu2, it was lucky I completed the first season, to be honest.

So I add 6 from the top 10, which I think ends up totaling at 42/100, a little saddening that I'm below half, but makes sense. I'll have to view the whole list again in a non-post format, so submitted a request to view the sheet.
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Yeah I made the sheet public
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I've seen 35 out of the top 50 and 56/100 overall.
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Spoilers for Your Lie in April.

I honestly thought that Kaori's illness was an important factor not only for her complete character, but as a good contrast for kousei too. I also think that her death was also, while something they didn't have to do, was like something where Kousei was at a point where he could deal with it at the end of the show, he wasn't at the start of it.
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Kaori dying was lame and she should've had more screen time. still a good show tho
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bump
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Popular/Notable shows to not make the list.

These are some shows that I think are either popular or have gotten a lot of acclaim from a niche that missed the list for whatever reason. They are listed in order of premier.

Space Brothers
-Nothing to really say about this. I dropped it half way through (well its like a 100 episode show). It's just painfully slow.

Fate/Zero 2nd Season
-I think my dislike for the main line fate series is pretty obvious by now. I think there are a lot of problems with the way the show is formatted as a whole. I remember I was watching UBW, which was pretty good at the start, but in a later episode Shirou was talking to Lancer and the dialogue was so bad I wondered in what world was this considered to be a good show. (I'll talk about UBW a little too). Fate/Zero did some good things like have more character backstory that seemed meaningful but a lot of the stuff that happens in the show just seems to have very little relevance to the grand story they are trying to construct.

Jormungand
-I often see this compared to Black Lagoon. The difference is that Black Lagoon has two amazing leads that get great development and have complex personalities. The characters in Jormugand are nothing like this. Only Koko (and to an extent that eyepatch girl) is entertaining and she lacks that badass charm that Revy has. On top of that the animation is not that great which leads to issues in an action show.

Kids on The Slope
-I think this is one of higher profile niche picks. No one talks about this any more so I don't know how well its held up within the fandom. By no means do I think it's a bad show, it's actually just outside the cut zone. I guess the best comparison would be to Your Lie in April. I think there are some key differences in the characters and the melodrama. A lot of the melodrama in this show seems dumb, like its been manufactured through teenage angst and brooding. It gets annoying. Reveals are set in weird places and they don't really use the characters in ways that sync with the show. The characters in YLIA have significant problems that would make anyone on edge. They mix both ones where you can understand why they might be acting out and also more common ones that every viewer can relate to. Kids on the Slope does not do this effectively enough.

Sword Art Online
-I'm only including this here because it's a popular show. I don't even think anyone here actually thinks this show is that good. But a lot of people do. In any case the issues with this show are well documented all over the internet but I think my biggest gripe is the complete lack of focus the show has. I guess the second was that Kirito has to save everyone. I don't even mind him being strong, it's that him being strong actively takes way from every other character in the show. Like it was bad enough with Asuna, but fucking Sinon too. And I legitimately like Sinon.

Shinsekai yori
-I think this is the big one. Like the title that I find a lot of people will find to be the biggest absence from the list. If i had a gripe about this one it would be that nothing is resolved. Like people didn't even like this show until an information dump on episode 4 and I'm thinking that they basically gave you world info in the most boring way possible and now you think it's the best show of the season? Or when they do Squealers ending and they think it erases everything he did all of a sudden. Stuff doesn't work like that. Like they get the atmosphere and everything down very well. The show has a lot of good ideas that never get explored fully.
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Golden Time
-I've talked a lot about Golden Time in the past. Basically I think the main plot device the show has puts its into a corner. It can really only end a couple of ways and both of them are awful from any writing standpoint. It makes it hard to relate to the character too and it makes everything seem a lot less authentic. I don't think it's a bad show, but not a good one either.

Log Horizon
-Log Horizon was a show I liked a lot at first. But as it went on the stuff they seemed to do seemed very trivial. Side characters got more development than main characters and a whole lot of nothing seemed to be happening. The first season is fine if unexceptional but I could not even finish the second one.

Samurai Flamenco
-This is more a polarizing show. This anime is a complete train wreck. Basically if you like the gorilla you'll love this show but if you didn't you'll hate it. So like watch to that point and you can decided based on that one scene.

Seitokai Yakuindomo*
-This is an anime that was barely cut. Well not that well known it's well received. It's just a little too much like the sheer density of jokes and stuff all the time while lacking in the extreme characters like Shimoneta leaves it on the outside looking in.

Barakamon
-Decided to mention this one because it's another pretty well received show. I just don't find it to be all that great. Not bad sure, but not something I'd put on a top 100 over 5 years list.

Zankyou no Terror
-This is basically an empty experience that is prettied up by a "mature" subject matter and some good art. Basically your average fan loves this anime. It's like the high class anime fans SAO.

Seven Deadly Sins
-This is a shounen anime that has some fun characters but just doesn't move the actual story along fast enough, even for shounen standards. Like stuff just happens and none of the characters really change or do anything that makes me change my perception of them or have character development etc.

Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
-Okay, you know i liked the first season. The second season though is crap. Basically the more shirou starts to talk about stuff the worse the show gets.

Assassination Classroom
-I just find that I would have liked this anime a lot more if it was set into different arcs where the class had to do something more specific etc each time. It just seemed to have a lot of stuff that was just "can we please get onto the main show?"

Ore Monogatari!!
-This is a fine show that does what it sets out to do. But the repetition and lack of depth on any front hurts it in the long run.

Snow White with the Red Hair
-So, let me get this straight. We have a female character who is set up as a strong character, or at least not a passive one. Only to have her constantly saved by the guy in the show like all the time. You can't have it both ways like that. I understand this is a show that is heavily targeted towards females (it's a shoujo) but its basically a wish fulfillment anime.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
-I feel like this is another show that is going to seem like an odd exclusion. It was close to the cut line as I do think the show is good. Things like the voice acting are particularly good. But the ending is just so bad. Like almost co medically so. How can anyone watch that and not be like "what were they thinking?" I also find that they don't really use the time outside of the Rakugo as effectively as possible for character stuff.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
-Despite some of the good stuff this show does it has among the worst pacing I've seen in an anime. It has other issues too like the worst character is suddenly given a story thing where he's now likable. No he's not. He did one thing.
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KokoroAkechi posted...

Shinsekai yori
-I think this is the big one. Like the title that I find a lot of people will find to be the biggest absence from the list. If i had a gripe about this one it would be that nothing is resolved. Like people didn't even like this show until an information dump on episode 4 and I'm thinking that they basically gave you world info in the most boring way possible and now you think it's the best show of the season? Or when they do Squealers ending and they think it erases everything he did all of a sudden. Stuff doesn't work like that. Like they get the atmosphere and everything down very well. The show has a lot of good ideas that never get explored fully.

I can't speak for the fanbase as a whole but these things are not even close to true for me.

Also I don't think it's accurate to say that nothing gets resolved. They way I look at the ending to this series is a lot closer to "the resolution is that nothing changes", which for me was a pretty powerful message. Of course, it doesn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow since there's still the open question of what Saki is going to do from hear on out, for example. I certainly also don't think it just stops without concluding anything as would be the case in some unfinished manga adaptation or something though.
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It's not just the ending. It's the TWO TIME SKIPS. I mean it's hard enough to get away with one. There are other issues too. Like the villains being either like a faceless horror or the fucking rat thing. You could say the villain is society but I don't think the anime sets that up well enough.

Like it's a slow moving show too so there's not excuse to need information dump episodes like this anime has. Like another is that most of the cast seems to be very unrelatable due to story elements and the world background etc. So it's common that they put Saki as like the one that the viewer can latch onto. But I don't think they do it fast enough where she's like "Okay she's someone I can get behind."

I often compare the show to that of a game like Dark Souls because I find their strengths and weaknesses to be similar.
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1. I liked the show very much from the start
2. I thought pretty much everything after the second time skip was terrible, other than Squealer's extremely satisfying trial and punishment. Fuck that guy. Some people were sympathetic towards him, but I wasn't in the slightest.
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also this list is definitely bad because it doesn't have the true best anime of the last five years, Sasami-san@Ganbaranai
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KokoroAkechi posted...

Seven Deadly Sins
-This is a shounen anime that has some fun characters but just doesn't move the actual story along fast enough, even for shounen standards. Like stuff just happens and none of the characters really change or do anything that makes me change my perception of them or have character development etc.

I know the anime is continuing at a point, so I'll add this. (it's a spoiler thing that slightly covers material in the manga, but won't give details) Your complaint doesn't change that much for a long while, you'll get the final sin and introduced to the new bad guys in time, but another season won't cover the actual ground breaking thing of just who Liz is.
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BONUS. Worst shows of the past five years (that I finished).

Originally I was going to do all shows that I gave a like 3 or less, but that was too many. After that I went down to two or lower... and eventually I decided just the 10 worst.

10. Kenzen Robo Daimidaler
-When the best comparison I can give this show is to another one on this list you know it's going to be bad.

9. Big Order
-So this was made by the same person who did Future Diary. Basically it's all of the bad and none of the good. At least it did have some good looking girl characters.

8. Devil Survivor 2 The Animation
-Asspull Fist.

7. BanG Dream!
-This had to be one of the cringe things I've ever seen. Like it doesn't go anywhere big either.

6. Cuticle Tantei Inaba
-Do you want a show that is not funny? Here you go.

5. Mayoiga
-This is a train... I mean bus wreck.

4. If Her Flag Breaks
-Remember how much fun noucome was? Well take a similar concept but totally fuck it up.

3. The Fruit of Grisaia
-I mean WTF.

2. RDG: Red Data Girl
-Want a show where nothing happens?

1. Dakara Boku wa, H ga Dekinai.
-Basically high school dxd only the main character is unlikable, the girl is not as hot, and it has random dumb drama instead of the fun kind.
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I dropped 3/10 and never started any of the others.

Grisaia: Dropped shortly before cannibalism because no. I was not gonna watch that.

If Her Flag Breaks: Dropped it closer to the end, just could not take the stupidity of where it was going after he met all the girls, or something... can't remember

Big Order: Dropped after he impregnated that girl.
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Bonus 2.

Best OPs from the past five years or 15 very popular songs. No hipster picks here.

(Will only include shows I've seen an episode of) in alphabetical order of song title. This is a lot harder to do because the quality of like OPs are a lot closer than like that of shows, but I think these are the 15 best ones.

Bloody Stream - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-GWFGwbEPg

Borderland - Jormugand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDhEtUl7U-A

Bravely You - Charlotte

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB5qUxR6ch4

Choir Jail - Dusk Maiden of Amnesia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRKYE-WVYA4

Database - Log Horizon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9annAvJ0dU

Flyers - Death Parade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjjTMNDZi-A

God only knows -Secrets of the Goddess - TWGOK: Goddesses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxvHDAvPa8E

Guren no Yumiya - Attack on Titan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH4rthVrkQc

Gravity Wall - Re:Creators

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZY1hkJljII

Hikaru nara - Your Lie in April

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm37xkws5lQ

History Maker - Yuri on Ice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORDXWrL5EuQ

Let Me Hear - Parasyte - the maxim-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h6Mdhu8U-k

Re: Re: - Erased

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9G20wV0KHE

sister's noise - A Certain Scientific Railgun S

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNWITQJzbls

Sparkling Daydream - Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LNKcBlFYEU

It's worth noting that summer 2017 was a very strong season in terms of OPs and a lot of them would lobby for a spot on this list.
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