Board 8 > I rank the 56 plus anime I finished in 2021.

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KokoroAkechi
01/08/22 3:36:46 PM
#1:


The year 2021 was a "year" for anime alright. So I am here to break down all the shows I finished (for the most part) in a ranking topic. Anyway some criteria for the list.

  1. I only included shows that either started in 2021 OR started in Winter 2020 and continued into 2021 (only 1 shot qualified this way).
  2. The show in question had to be finished except for when like a show got delayed for whatever reason (I think this also only applies to one show)
  3. Bonus extra episodes that count as a like actual episode also dont count (I think this applies to 1 show too)


There are a few shows I have not finished yet and they will be slotted in when I finish them and I will adjust the rankings accordingly. However, these shows are probably going to be top 1/3 on the list.

Because only finished shows are on the list even the ones around the bottom are still probably watchable since I tend to drop anything that I feel would score below a 5 if I did finish it. This does not mean that bad shows dont slip by though.

Unlike some of my previous lists I have some pretty hot takes right off the bat so be ready.
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KokoroAkechi
01/08/22 4:05:49 PM
#2:


56. Peach Boy Riverside
https://anilist.co/anime/122441/Peach-Boy-Riverside/

Okay, so I guess we are not starting straight off with a hot take. Because I'm pretty sure everyone knows this show is bad, and not in the "good way". The show is like ALMOST okay but the dumb Haruhi-esque way the episodes are shown (at the request of the creator btw) mixed with character with questionable motivations and just a complete lack of the feeling anything really meaningful happened.

55. Tokyo Revengers
https://anilist.co/anime/120120/Tokyo-Revengers/

So, Tokyo Revengers creator said he took inspiration from things like Steins;Gate and Re:zero. It's very clear based on main crutch of the show that this is the case. But the creator doesn't understand that the time travel type element was not what made those shows good. Tokyo Revengers is a show where it just feels like the author wrote himself into a corner without reasonable ways to tie up story lines and uses the gimmick just to move things along without real considerations for the characters.

The characters like just don't change at all. Any changes are almost solely because of the changes due to time line manipulation so any growth is just not natural. Takemichi who is the only constant character in the series does just about nothing. He is often seen literally wandering around in the middle of fights looking desperate. All he is is a vehicle for the viewer to experience the story through and not someone that drives any bit of it.

54. The Faraway Paladin
https://anilist.co/anime/132473/The-Faraway-Paladin/

This is a show that started off pretty promising. It's basically a D&D adventure in anime form following a "Paladin" through his adventure. The biggest problem is that the show is very shallow in terms of its characters, story, and even the world building starts faltering in the second half. I guess problems would be more apt.

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KokoroAkechi
01/08/22 4:53:50 PM
#3:


53. To Your Eternity
https://anilist.co/anime/114535/Fumetsu-no-Anata-e

Note: There are VERY MINOR spoilers in this review

This is probably one of the first shows on the list that people would expect to be ranked higher. But even at the start I never really liked this and never understood why it got so much praise. I can understand people liking this, but it was in consideration for anime of the season for a lot of people.

Let's start with that the actual development of the main character, who is quite literally a blank slate, is very slow and even though you do meet side characters and such too that kind of help fill it in, until you get a little later on they don't really feel meaningful enough in the grand scheme of things. The show could have been like how Fushi took what he learned from the characters in each arc to become more "human like" and in a way this happened, but it's just done so poorly.

However, the biggest issue is the like "overseer" character or whatever it is. These characters that exist to just to "guide" things in certain directions almost always ruin what could be decent shows, and it's no different here. Basically, if the only real supernatural thing in the entire show was Fushi being immortal I probably would have liked this more. But they have to add these like supernatural creatures that "take away" parts of Fushi for no reason at all. The show uses a real physical threat as the main antagonist in one that is calling for a more intimate or psychological type. It just doesn't really make sense with the tone of the show.

52. Bokutachi no Remake
https://anilist.co/anime/114065/Bokutachi-no-Remake

Remember that show Re:Life where a down on this luck loner gets to go back to the past to relive his highschool (college) life? He improves his stock and become a better person and on the way he develops meaningful relationships, has a character development arc, and you can see the cast grow naturally based on their experiences? Well Remake Our Life is just like that if you only care about the first sentence.

The anime does nothing with the premise of going back in time at all to the point where it feels like a big 12 episode set up for a second season. There are glimpses of other time travel type shows in this but the execution is just bad. You feel like it's building up to something and then it does a Final Fantasy XIII styled asspull of a story turn that just erased everything the show had "worked" up to. There is no closure for anything. The endpoints you seen for each character are completely meaningless.

Remake plays with a lot of different plot threads but never really explores any of them to a satisfactory point. Romance? Kind of touched on, but nothing comes of anything. Personal improvement? Sure if you mean literally having a lifehack to cheat. I want to make it clear that shows like Re:Zero and Steins;Gate have made it clear you can have time travel and have characters with future event knowledge, and still make it so that the character has to grow in certain ways. Remake doesn't do this, and instead just has him use is knowledge a way to move along the anime.

51. Dr. Stone Stone Wars
https://anilist.co/anime/113936/Dr-STONE-STONE-WARS/

I don't really have a lot to say about this, except that I kind of feel like nothing really happens. The show heavily relies on the "F yeah science" type thing and while in S1 it was okay it really overstays its welcome in S2.
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ChaosTonyV4
01/08/22 4:53:57 PM
#4:


Wtf Tokyo Revengers was maybe my anime of the year

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Phantom Dust.
"I'll just wait for time to prove me right again." - Vlado
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changmas
01/08/22 6:45:14 PM
#5:


KokoroAkechi posted...
55. Tokyo Revengers
https://anilist.co/anime/120120/Tokyo-Revengers/

So, Tokyo Revengers creator said he took inspiration from things like Steins;Gate and Re:zero. It's very clear based on main crutch of the show that this is the case. But the creator doesn't understand that the time travel type element was not what made those shows good. Tokyo Revengers is a show where it just feels like the author wrote himself into a corner without reasonable ways to tie up story lines and uses the gimmick just to move things along without real considerations for the characters.

The characters like just don't change at all. Any changes are almost solely because of the changes due to time line manipulation so any growth is just not natural. Takemichi who is the only constant character in the series does just about nothing. He is often seen literally wandering around in the middle of fights looking desperate. All he is is a vehicle for the viewer to experience the story through and not someone that drives any bit of it.

*minor re zero and tokyo revengers spoilers*

this is such weird criticism, especially if you're comparing it to Re Zero. The whole point of the story is that Takemichi has such a limited ability to affect events. Takemichi and Subaru are two sides of the same coin; physically weak characters who can only hope to convince others to join their cause with words and actions. Subaru has the "main character syndrome" of making everything revolve around him and it's fucking obnoxious (and acknowledged as such in universe) while Takemichi works more from the sidelines because he doesn't have the benefit of infinite retries, just one. Takemichi doesn't do anything in fights because he can't; and that further emphasizes the helplessness of the situation he's in.

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UshiromiyaEva
01/08/22 7:27:01 PM
#6:


I have not seen much of the anime, but the Tokyo Revengers manga is very, very good.

I watched 5 or 6 episodes of To Your Eternity and also thought it was excellent.

I just barely watched anime this year because XIV took over every iota of my spare time.

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KokoroAkechi
01/08/22 7:38:49 PM
#7:


Tokyo Revengers DWELLS on Takemichi being useless without any course of action to make him not so. There are zero indications that he has learned anything from his actions (or inactions). Even if the point of the story is that he is pretty much useless, then why even have him in the first place if he's not going to do anything worthwhile? I guess him doing nothing is more of a pacing complaint too more than anything. They just kind of eat up so much time having him do nothing.Because I understand he's not a fighter, but the show gives this impression that he's going to "change things", like all of the other characters too are basically "Takemichi you are the chosen one". But what the anime actually shows paints a different picture.

Even if suburu and takemichi are similar (and they are to a point). Suburu has clearly gone through a lot of character growth. He is in the center of attention because, yes partly due to plot conveniences, but also much so due to his own volition once hes in the world. He has decided to put himself in the center. I know it's not completely fair because Re:zero has aired for much longer, but ep1 suburu and current suburu are basically different characters. There is absolutely no meaningful difference in Takemichi's character.
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Sceptilesolar
01/08/22 7:58:14 PM
#8:


I've only read the manga but I don't think Tokyo Revengers is particularly good, so this seems like a fair rating. I don't know if I can really put a finger on why Re:Zero works for me and Tokyo Revengers doesn't, but nothing in Tokyo Revengers feels earned, it just feels like a lot of bluster and getting beaten up. It's hard to root for the main character when I don't get much sense of them accomplishing anything meaningful.

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pyresword
01/08/22 8:37:01 PM
#9:


I only watched like 4 episodes of To Your Eternity but I thought it was terrible. The writeup doesn't really give me any hope that it gets better either.

I suspect this will be looked at dismissively by fans of the show because obviously the show is about change and development, but for those things to have any impact the show needs to do something to get me invested from the beginning, and this show was pretty much the opposite. It did very little to get me emotionally invested in any of the stories, went through great strides to make me dislike the main character, and was just actively unpleasant to watch for like 80% of the time that I stuck with the show.

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Raka_Putra
01/08/22 8:38:27 PM
#10:


I've also only read the manga for To Your Eternity and although I enjoyed it a great deal, I agree with the criticism.

I think it's either due to too much or too little editorial input. The tone of the series just widely differs in a way that doesn't feel deliberate. Zombies! If it's set up more cleanly as either action-y shapeshifting series or coming-of-age drama series, I think it would benefit either way.

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KokoroAkechi
01/08/22 8:40:03 PM
#11:


50. My Hero Academia S5
https://anilist.co/anime/117193/My-Hero-Academia-Season-5/

As a whole MHA is a good series, but my god does this drag it down a lot. My biggest gripe on the season is that it's boring. I can only go through so many training arcs in one show. MHA has always been weird as you don't really see them fighting major threats at the rate of something like other traditional shounen style shows. The only reason this is not last is because the Villain arc actually was pretty good. But make no mistake, the slogging lows of this season are probably the worst on this list. It's very clear that this was dragged on to make a full 2 cour show for money because MHA is popular.

For a bigger picture of the MHA universe. The bigger problem is that it is way too cemented in "ideals" more than anything. Like "what does it mean to be a hero" and all of that. But it rarely explores this and doesn't do anything interesting with these premises. Bad guys are always bad guys and good guys are always good. There are little nudges where something could be different sometimes, but they never explore anything.

49. Cells at Work S2
https://anilist.co/anime/108631/Cells-at-Work/

I don't have a lot to say about this. It's basically more of the first season only the novelty of it has worn off.

48. The Slime Diaries
https://anilist.co/anime/116741/The-Slime-Diaries/

If I had to sum of this anime in one word it would be "unnecessary".

47. Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!
https://anilist.co/anime/116588/Combatants-Will-Be-Dispatched/

This is a show by the creator of Konosuba and it shows with some quick references to it. The anime follows an eclectic cast with various personality "traits" much in the way konosuba does. But the characters themselves just lack the charm the ones in Konosuba do and that's where everything else goes downhill.

I think where this misses the mark the most is that in Konosuba a lot of the humor comes from the aftermath of the characters being morons. But here they just kind of have these weird little things they do and nothing comes of it. It's like all it is is a punchline for a joke instead of what is instigating the joke itself. This is not a bad show, but just underwhelming.

46. The Vampire Dies in No Time!
https://anilist.co/anime/118103/The-Vampire-Dies-in-No-Time/

This is a decent anime where the cast is generally charming and the situations are pretty funny. It reminds me a little of Milky Holmes except the characters are not quite stupid enough to really make it work. This is a perfectly serviceable anime that lacks anything to make it standout.
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KokoroAkechi
01/09/22 4:03:38 PM
#12:


45. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt a Kingdom
https://anilist.co/anime/117612/Genjitsu-Shugi-Yuusha-no-Oukoku-Saikenki

I liked this show quite a bit at first but it does go down hill as it goes on. It's still a fine anime to watch, but the flashes of it being something different than the norm for a show like this are just that, flashes. I think the title is a little misleading as it's more like "how someone with actual brains rebuilt the kingdom". That said, the main main character, Kazuya, does have a very strong knack to read people and situations which is a key tool when he runs the kingdom.

I think something that I would have liked to see a little more is some world building. I mean it exists, but it's really just in passing. You go to locations and kind of learn about things that kind of tie into some big plot, but you literally have just enough to string things together with like fishing line. There is also a harem aspect, which while I'm not against, doesn't really make sense in the context of the show. Although, I actually can't remember if some of them also sealed sorts of political pacts.

A little too much happens in the end too. There is also this big looming threat of the "demon continent" or whatever it was called, but they literally never do anything with it but have it be like the reason everything is happening.

44. Horimiya
https://anilist.co/anime/124080/Horimiya/

I had to look this one up again because I honestly don't remember a ton of details off the top of my head. It's set up like My Little Monster or Ao Haru Ride but not as good. A big difference is that Hori (the female main) is probably a bit more proactive then the ones from the other two shows I mentioned. There is just a much more even growth between the male and female leads.

That said, if the show ended halfway and they tied up their relationship there it would be great. But that doesn't happen, it goes on and they start to focus a bit on side characters. I say focus but it's more like they haphazardly toss some together and make you try to care when they don't have the same attention that the two mains had.

43. Otome Game X
https://anilist.co/anime/120209/My-Next-Life-as-a-Villainess-All-Routes-Lead-to-Doom-X/

If I had to pick an anime that was the MOST DISSAPOINTING this is almost it, (I'm pretty sure you can guess which one is the most). This season is just so weird, it's completely different from the first one and in a way kind of not? A lot of the arcs feel like they pull things out of a hat and were like "okay we use this story" and barely tie together any character growth to them.

42. The Promised Neverland S2
https://anilist.co/anime/108725/The-Promised-Neverland-Season-2/

Okay, this is the most disappointing show of the year. With that said, I don't think it's bad. I do think people are overreacting here based on the scores I see it at. Could it have been better? Yeah. But as someone who only checked the source material after the fact, I'm not sure how much better I would want it to be if I didn't know anything at all.

I also want to say that Cloverworks makes some kind of dumb choices when it comes to how they adapt shows. So I do think some stuff like this should be expected when you see things from them now.
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UshiromiyaEva
01/09/22 6:06:59 PM
#13:


From what I've seen from the western base and from personal experience, Cloverworks was on top of the world over here when people didn't really know or care about how much they cut out of their shows, but when they started adapting popular manga people actually read they went straight down the crapper. Horimiya, Shadow House, both suffered from the same issues this year, both shows that objectively are produced well and have pros, but have absolutely no intention of actually adapting the full material. Bunnygirl Senpai was still AotY back when it released, but I suddenly understand why there was a vocal number of LN readers who were saying it sucked.

I think Promised Neverland S2 is worse than you're giving it credit for, unlike the other Cloverworks messes it's actually just straight up a bad show, but as far as anime in general....yeah, of course there's plenty worse out there. It's just the most offensively bad of the year. Nobody cares that Ex Arm sucks. Meanwhile, Kaiu Shirai demanded his name be taken out of the credits for the last 3 episodes of PN S2.

Cloverworks getting their hands on Spy x Family is probably the most depressing anime news of the year.

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KokoroAkechi
01/09/22 6:56:22 PM
#14:


41. Cells at Work Code Black
https://anilist.co/anime/117533/Cells-at-Work-CODE-BLACK/

This is an interesting take on the original show where instead of the cells in a good healthy person they are in someone who is abusing their body with things like drugs and alcohol. On one hand it is interesting seeing a progressive downward spiral of destruction but I didn't like the mains in this one as much as the orignial. However, the meat of each episode is better.

40. Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki
https://anilist.co/anime/112443/BottomTier-Character-Tomozaki/

I am going to be completely honest here. I remember almost nothing about this. I actually had to look stuff up to even remember that the whole premise was that a girl is sending Tomozaki on "tasks" to not be a bottom tier person. I do remember I thought this show could have been very good and was disappointed at the end but I don't remember what exactly was bad about it. That said, none of the shows from here on are actually bad.

39. The Case Study of Vanitas
https://anilist.co/anime/131646/The-Case-Study-of-Vanitas/

This is the first show on the list that has gained points just for looking so pretty. The anime really nails the aesthetic it's going for. But as good as that is I don't actually know what this show is about beyond vampires? It's one of those where things are happening but it's hard for me to really put them together as a cohesive plot.

Some of the character development parts were pretty good though, I say some because some of them are completely tossed aside. Like, I think Noe is a good character, and Vanitas is okay if not a bit "boring" in terms of like who he is on paper (he's entertaining in the show, but that sort of comes at the cost of other characters). Then you have characters like Jeanne who is basically just there to "be a girl" despite her introduction seeming like it might be more than that.

38. SK8 the Infinity
https://anilist.co/anime/124153/SK8-the-Infinity/

I want to make it clear that the skating segments are really cool. I do think that the "lack of rules" for them kind of takes you out of things a bit though. I understand it's supposed to be like "battle skateboard racing" or whatever but are you going to have me believe they set up this huge event and you can just do anything you want? Sometimes I do think the show is maybe a little bit extra.

Besides that though this would have ranked higher if it was not for arc where Reki just suddenly feels sorry for himself despite him being the one who originally liked skating because it was fun to do. Like imagine if Haikyu did an arc where Hinata was upset he was short.
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KokoroAkechi
01/10/22 1:58:04 PM
#15:


37. How Not to Summon a Demon Lord OMEGA
https://anilist.co/anime/117448/How-NOT-to-Summon-a-Demon-Lord-/

There were not a lot of fan service shows this year (that were good) and Demon Lord Omega fits into the pretty good category. I actually think it's a little more tame than season 1. The strongest part of this show is that it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Remember when dxd tried having a serious storyline? Yeah, don't worry about that.

The main male Diabolos is pretty great. Unlike some harem leads he actually adds quite a bit to the humor and direction of the series. The girls are fine? They just don't really stand out when you compare them to girls from other ecchi shows like this. The anime is really driven by the comedy more than anything. It does a decent job but sometimes it can't really deliver the entire package.

36. The World's Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat
https://anilist.co/anime/129898/The-Worlds-Finest-Assassin-Gets-Reincarnated-in-Another-World-as-an-Aristocrat/

This is a show that is pretty fun all the way through but 100% gets worse as it goes on.

35. Sakugan
https://anilist.co/anime/108987/SAKUGAN/

Sakugan is a fun adventure that is kind of like Made in Abyss and kind of like TTGL, but lacks the polish or depth of either of them. The contained story arcs it has are pretty fun. The last "story centric" one though makes little sense and they don't really explain things that well.

I think the worst part though is that Gagumber pretty much has no likable qualities for a lot of the anime. I understand his character type, but I would say his most apt comparison would be Space Dandy without any of the charm. Having him in scenes for a lot of the show just makes you kind of upset.

34. Kageki Shoujo
https://anilist.co/anime/125446/Kageki-Shojo/

To it's credit Kageki Shoujo tackles a lot of really serious issues as main character development points for its cast. These are things if I said them on youtube I would be demonitized. It approaches these situations with a lot of seriousness and they have proper build up and resolutions. They are never used for things like cheap shock value. In this sense the show can be hard to watch at times, but seeing the characters grow and overcome is just that much more rewarding.

Or it would be, but that doesn't change the fact that the cast and overall presentation are just so dull. It's not enough to simply tackle serious subjects in a serious manner. You have to setup reasons for us to connect with the characters in some way, no matter how quickly you do so. It's just very hard to get emotionally invested here and the art direction does not really raise things either in the way a show like Revue Starlight does.
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ChaosTonyV4
01/10/22 2:15:55 PM
#16:


I liked How Not to Summon a Demon Lord season 1, would you say 2 is better or worse?

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Phantom Dust.
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Mac Arrowny
01/10/22 2:20:59 PM
#17:


smh Kageki Shoujo not in the top 10

ChaosTonyV4 posted...
I liked How Not to Summon a Demon Lord season 1, would you say 2 is better or worse?

general opinion seems to be that it's a big drop in quality

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KommunistKoala
01/10/22 2:45:31 PM
#18:


sk8 was trash

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Mac Arrowny
01/10/22 3:07:44 PM
#19:


Sk8 is so cool. I love all the skating scenes and Adam is a hilarious villain.

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KokoroAkechi
01/10/22 4:34:08 PM
#20:


33. Mushoku Tensei
https://anilist.co/anime/108465/Mushoku-Tensei-Jobless-Reincarnation/

Unlike some other shows where I can understand the massive popularity, I have no clue why people like this one. I guess part of it could be that a lot of isekai follow a similar formula and anything that is a little different is suddenly good. Because of the way anime is a LOT of stuff is very similar and even when compared to other popular media the anime fandom seems to heavily latch on to things that break from the norm.

The thing the show does very well is develop its characters. A lot of care is taken where the leads have pretty significant growth and you can see small changes in their personalities throughout. But they don't quite lose who they are at their core so they still keep some of their more negative attributes as well. This is one of the strongest parts of Mushoku Tensei as the cast is painted to be more or less realistic in terms of how much they could in a fantasy anime.

But that does come with somewhat of an asterisk. While the large picture parts of the main cast are well developed a lot of the minor issues for them and the ones for side characters are barely addressed. They are mentioned, and at times confronted about them, but nothing really happens. It's like imagine if every side character in Re:zero was Felt, that's kind of what I feel like here.

The major aspect I have an issue with is the world building and the narrative. They go to a lot of places but things we learn are very character centric... which yes help the characters develop but it does feel like they just dangle these potential plot points at us and then just don't do things with them. Several times I felt like they finished an arc without really advancing any of the narrative plot at all and then they reveal new things only to not really resolve things there either. There is just a lot of "we did a thing" and the story goes "nope you messed this up" type crap.

I want to say too that while I understand where the "he's really in his 30s and he's going after a child" group is coming from. It's like, he was reincarnated its like saying if you were incarnated as a dog... what the f are you going to do wit with besides another dog? If anything it's Roxy people should dislike because she IS in her 30s and WAS NOT reincarnated. But of course people don't because Roxy is a cute girl.

Also, the god character sucks. I already talked about characters like these in the To Your Eternity writeup and most of the things there apply here too.

32. Shadows House
https://anilist.co/anime/125038/SHADOWS-HOUSE/

Shadows House has some of the best world building of the season. The anime only takes place in a relatively small area, but you learn so much about how and why things happen. What's more is that a lot of it ties into the cast and their development too.

That out of the way this IS A CLOVERWORKS anime and it does CLOVERWORKS THINGS. As good as all the set up, character interaction, and wonderful presentation is.. the ending is just awful.

Note: This officially marks the 7+ line and every show from now on I scored a 7 or at the time of the ranking is trending to a 7+. This means I think all shows from this point on are good.

31. Uma Musume S2
https://anilist.co/anime/124223/Umamusume-Pretty-Derby-Season-2/

Note: This Write up has Spoilers

One of the really weird things about S2 is that the main character from S1, Special Week, is now a side character. It focuses on Toukai Teiou, a horse girl that can only be described as a prodigy with great expectations put on her by her fans and herself.

A major strength of the anime is kind of a double edged sword. For a great deal of it it's about working hard, improving, aiming to be on top. Much like any sports anime. The fun and diverse cast really help carry this sort of "by the numbers" plot. But then things change, the injuries start happening and the anime stops being about being the best and more about acceptance and knowing the people who really support you will always do so. It's just that the show piles on all the bad news in succession and while emotionally it gets the point across very well there is just such a stark difference in tone and it's very sudden due to the nature of how it happens.

With that said, in a vacuum what does happen is handled very well. The anime does a great job at letting you experience the emotions of the characters where you are taking the journey with them. Even if you only thought the first season was okay, this one takes a pretty big step up.
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UshiromiyaEva
01/10/22 4:44:18 PM
#21:


Rudy is just so terrible that I couldn't keep watching. I got like...9 episodes in? I think the overarching narrative was just about to start, there was a big sky castle at the end of the episode.

As for the popularity...I'm convinced that the amount of people who will watch anything that looks good even if it's bad is a larger percentage of the populace than we'd like to admit.

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KokoroAkechi
01/10/22 4:48:03 PM
#22:


UshiromiyaEva posted...
here was a big sky castle at the end of the episode.

They literally do nothing with this... yet
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KokoroAkechi
01/10/22 6:20:17 PM
#23:


30. Heaven's Design Team
https://anilist.co/anime/117696/Heavens-Design-Team/

This one surprised me. It's not amazing but they really made the creation of each animal either interesting or fun... and a lot of the times both. The way that each designer's personality came through in their "edits" was also really great to watch too. While this is in no means the most imaginative show ever, it does spark the "builder" type spirit.

29. Megalo Box 2: NOMAD
https://anilist.co/anime/113359/MEGALOBOX-2-NOMAD/

Note: There are SPOILERS for BOTH SEASONS of Megalo Box
(Also very minor spoilers for Falcon and Winter Soldier Disney+ Show)

Megalo Box 2 takes a huge tonal shift from the first season. S1 was largely a type of "idealistic rivalry" between Joe and Yuuri about what boxing really is and seeing Joe move up the ranks in a very "Rocky" like underdog fashion. He was easy to root for. In the background there was the big organization that Yuuri was under and the underground circuit that Joe came from too. While these are really only minor parts they do manage to weave them into the fabric of the season.

Then S2 happens and now they have decided they need a new challenge for Joe. There is just such a drastic turn for fortune for him between the end of S1 and the start of S2 it's so jarring. While I can somewhat understand how he might have gotten to his broken down state, it's all told to you in passing in the season. You never see any of it happen naturally. So a lot of the admittedly good emotional and character driven storytelling is marred with the fact that a lot of the setup feels kind of shoehorned in. It was like during Falcon and Winter Soldier when they keep going back to that dumb boat all the time and are pushing the fact that "yes the black guy is poor doesn't matter that he saved the world multiple times." In another similar way Falcon and Winter Soldier almost starts kind of like Megalo Box S2 where there just seems to be a lot of content that would be needed to bridge the gap between the previous key points of each show.

28. 86
https://anilist.co/anime/116589/86-EIGHTYSIX/

Note: The last 2 episodes of the second season were delayed.

The main cast of 86 is generally good. The female lead in the first part, Lena, is great. The a lot the main supporting cast also really fleshes things out in terms of the characters. The battle sequences are great and I think the tonal juxtaposition between the reality of the world and how the different characters handle it (or in some cases don't) is done really well.

There is like two main themes "what is a human" and "racism is bad". I think the biggest failing of 86 and what turns it from being a potentially great show into just a good one. It just kind of doesn't care about the first one and it hammers in the racism part so much that it's grating. Remember watching the movie Crash? think about that only anime.

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banananor
01/11/22 4:25:16 AM
#24:


that's a lotter animer

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KokoroAkechi
01/11/22 6:47:56 PM
#25:


27. Takt.op Destiny
https://anilist.co/anime/131565/takt-opDestiny/

Takt.op Destiny is a very pretty show with an interesting premise that they dont really explore enough. The fight scenes are great and the characters are generally good too. This is just one of those shows that is fun to watch but you can just sense it could have been much better.

26. The aquatope on white sand
https://anilist.co/anime/128545/The-aquatope-on-white-sand/

Note: There are Spoilers in this writeup

For the first few episodes I was really enjoying this show. There was a sense of direction that the main character was building towards something. But when the first aquarium closes down and it shifts to the new place half-way through the tone just changes. I understand through a narrative perspective why this happens but the jarring transition made it lose the "end point goal." Or if they had one, sometimes they don't really explain things. Like when Kukuru moved to marketing in the second aquarium and they just loaded a ton of work on her, I was thinking it was clear they were setting her up for like a mangement spot, but that's just mentioned in passing near the end of the show. But like it makes no sense unless that's the end goal.

What drives this show up though are the characters. The cast is simply incredible, especially Kukuru. It shows her and Fuuka (the other lead) grow and change as their situation does around them. The supporting cast is very well fleshed out as well. The anime also looks great too, which is another huge plus for it.

They also have this "magic moment" or whatever they called it thing which was just like when you were fully immersed in the aquarium or something... but they don't really explain it. There is also this like little kid who is like "the spirit of the aquiarium?" or something i don't know. They just have some things that are kind of fluff they don't explain.

25. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
https://anilist.co/anime/131019/Irina-The-Vampire-Cosmonaut/

Things you will learn from this anime: the soviet union did some shady things for its space program during the cold war era. Racism is bad. I know that this is not the whole anime but this does take a pretty big part of it. The two leads carry this anime. Both Irina and Levs are well realized characters and because of that the shows romance aspect is among its strongest points.

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pyresword
01/11/22 7:43:32 PM
#26:


Aquatope on White Sand had a really good first episode but it never clicked with me much after that. Should get back to it at some point maybe especially since I think I'd like the 2nd half more.

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UshiromiyaEva
01/11/22 8:03:21 PM
#27:


PA Works in a nutshell


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pyresword
01/11/22 10:41:38 PM
#28:


PA Works has done some of my favorite shows! Just not that one.

Really they are pretty inconsistent in general, but their high points are better than most studios can claim imo.

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KokoroAkechi
01/12/22 1:12:46 AM
#29:


25. Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song-
https://anilist.co/anime/128546/Vivy-Fluorite-Eyes-Song/

Vivy is a very pretty show that is like part GITS and part psychopass. It has this notion of discovering a purpose that you can dedicate your all to. While the anime does center around some grand ideas I do think it tried to be too much for the run time it had. Like, I don't feel like the arcs were as well constructed as the ones in the shows I previously mentioned and the actual overarching plot just seemed to suddenly wrap up too quickly.

That out of the way, there is plenty to like about it. The animation is great and the songs are good too. Vivy is a contender for the best female character of the year. Matsumoto makes a good high energy counterpart. So if you watch it for like a character it's great, but don't expect extreme levels of depth in how short they had to do everything.

24. Yuru Camp S2
https://anilist.co/anime/104459/LaidBack-Camp-Season-2/

It's basically like the first season. I liked this one a little less. Still good and comfy.

23. My Senpai is Annoying
https://anilist.co/anime/120646/My-Senpai-is-Annoying/

This is one of those cute office romance anime that doesn't really try to take itself too seriously. The entire cast is just full of charm. It has a few separate romance plots that flow at different rates and each one has a different feel based on the personalities of the characters involved. It's not a deep romp, but it remains a fun watch.

The anime has wonderful comedic timing. Doga Kobo is like on the precipice of being a true power house studio, but has been in the shadow of another one that does similar shows to it (Kyoto Animation).

22. Beastars S2
https://anilist.co/anime/114194/BEASTARS-Season-2/

From what I understand there is split over people who liked the ending and those who didn't. I'm on the side of those who really didn't like it. I still think it's a good show, but I did feel very empty at the end of it. To be clear, I understand what the ending is supposed to symbolize and such... but it doesn't mean it's also not kind of stupid.
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tcaz2
01/12/22 1:42:28 AM
#30:


KokoroAkechi posted...
For a bigger picture of the MHA universe. The bigger problem is that it is way too cemented in "ideals" more than anything. Like "what does it mean to be a hero" and all of that. But it rarely explores this and doesn't do anything interesting with these premises. Bad guys are always bad guys and good guys are always good. There are little nudges where something could be different sometimes, but they never explore anything.
I could not possibly disagree with you more about this paragraph. I do agree that S5 of MHA wasn't that good overall, but this just screams "I'm not actually paying attention".

Literally one of the main, core themes of MHA is that all that really separates a hero from a villain is circumstance, and that no one is necessarily beyond redemption. The villain arc was all ABOUT showing that the bad guys aren't just bad guys.
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KokoroAkechi
01/12/22 2:33:05 AM
#31:


But they ARE still bad guys. They can show as much backstory and give us reasons to sympathize, but until an actual character starts to question "their path as a hero" or the like it doesn't really matter in the terms of the MHA world at large. Everything in the world is just too black and white in terms of the characters perception of the other side and because of this no one really questions their place beyond "I suck at doing x thing" etc.

I understand not every show has to have this "grey area" that certain characters fall into but I also know the author has made a spin off series which actually has these things and it's clear that even in the main line series he is thinking about it, but for whatever reason decides to keep both sides really separate.
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KokoroAkechi
01/12/22 2:44:29 PM
#32:


Note: I've added a few shows to the list. So all the rankings are being moved down. At this moment there are still 2 shows I plan on finishing up that have not been added yet.

23. Mother of the Goddess Dormitory
https://anilist.co/anime/117989/Mother-of-the-Goddess-Dormitory/

This is the fanservice show of the season. It's basically a combination of Sunohara-sou and Yuuna and the Hunted Hot Springs. As, the set up is more similar to sunohara but the way the show is presented is much more like Yuuna as it focuses on one girl at a time compared to the more "collective approach" Sunohara has. It's more focused on simply being a comedy like say, To Love Ru versus being a slice of life. While the show is fun, it doesn't quite have the carry characters like Yuuna or Kotegawa.

22. Otome Fairytale
https://anilist.co/anime/127412/Taisho-Otome-Fairy-Tale/

If you've watched Tonikawa and liked that, this is pretty similar. Set around 100 years ago it's about how outcast and depressed Tamahiko finds strength through the support and supporting his future wife via "purchased bride" in Yuzuki.

I've found that a lot of the "critique" about this anime has been about the set up and how Yuzu is basically a slave. There is a lot of applying modern sensibilities to something set in the past and that never really works out well. Regardless of how historically accurate the set up is, it is the set up that was chosen and it's only good writing that the author does not compromise on it.

The anime is extremely heartwarming. The cast follows a mostly, help develop Tamahiko line as their personalities, situations, and actions all have a profound effect on him. He has one of the most impressive development arcs of the year. In a way a minor theme is how the support of others can bring you happiness in spite of a bad situation. This is the highest ranked traditional romance on the list and if you like those I would highly recommended this anime.

21. Moonlit Fantasy
https://anilist.co/anime/125206/TSUKIMICHI-Moonlit-Fantasy/

Moonlit Fantasy is one of the bigger surprises of the season. There was no indication that it would be a good show at all. It's like Konosuba combined with Slime. The set up is great, basically our protagonist, Makoto, is Isekaied but he's so ugly that the goddess who summons him basically yeets him. The cast is just zany enough to really make things work. The biggest problem is that the pacing of the show is kind of messed up.

20. The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated
https://anilist.co/anime/132456/The-Great-Jahy-Will-Not-Be-Defeated/

Jahy is an anime that starts off pretty mediocre but actually gets BETTER as it goes on. A lot of this due to introducing more and more characters for Jahy to interact with and how all of them give the anime a different spin depending on who is the focus. But through all of that the foundation remains intact, so the show doesn't feel disjointed.

Jahy is the most comedically driven of the anime of these types, so it does character growth and development for it. That is not to say that they don't exist, because they do, but it's never really a primary focus. A lot of other ones it's grouped with also often has a strong focus on a main female and male character (Komi, Nagatoro, Takagi-san, Uzaki, etc). So while the show can be a little inconsistent at times in terms of quality, it also consistently has a fresh feel to it.

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pjbasis
01/12/22 3:43:50 PM
#33:


Yeah mha talks about grey things but constantly depicts black and white scenarios. It's a bad case of your supposed themes conflicting with what you're actually writing.

Muscular and moonfish and all for one are just patently evil people. All Might is the best guy ever. No pro hero except endeavor has any actual flaws.


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pyresword
01/12/22 4:21:50 PM
#34:


I agree with those criticisms of MHA overall but I do think that at least some of the characters are in more of a grey area.

I'd classify it more as a case of there being a small number of exceptions to constitute a token effort in justifying the message/themes, but yeah.

I'm specifically thinking of characters like Twice and Gentle Criminal who fall pretty squarely in the category of "good people who have been labelled as villains". There's less examples on the Hero side, but Endeavour was already said and I think there's arguments for characters like Hawks also.

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Mac Arrowny
01/12/22 4:25:39 PM
#35:


And that's why Gentle is the best character in MHA.

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ChaosTonyV4
01/12/22 4:32:55 PM
#36:


This isnt an original take, but MHA fucked up because it spreads the attention out on the entire cast over actually progressing the plot.

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Phantom Dust.
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pjbasis
01/12/22 4:34:54 PM
#37:


Mac Arrowny posted...
And that's why Gentle is the best character in MHA.

*standing ovation*

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KokoroAkechi
01/12/22 6:24:05 PM
#38:


19. Ousama Ranking
https://anilist.co/anime/113717/Ousama-Ranking

Note: I've only seen ~8 episodes so far.

I'm not going to say much here. The placement is more for what is has shown to potentially be versus where it really is right now. I'm impressed with how endearing the show is and how much the personalities of the mains really shines through. What might drag it down is that there is a sense of real cohesion that is not quite there yet. I mean, some things just seem to "happen" or whatnot.

18. Kanojo mo Kanojo
https://anilist.co/anime/126192/Girlfriend-Girlfriend/

This anime only works because the cast is so stupid. Similar if you combined things like Rent a Girlfriend (without the drama parts) and Aho-girl (except the entire cast is nuts). Like Naoya, who basically ONLY says the exact wrong thing in every situation but the reaction to these just makes it even better.

The dialogue is totally over the top, only topped by how excellent the reaction faces are. Probably the best set of reaction faces since Asobi Asobase. Like the situations are just so insane it only makes sense within this anime. Like the "I know I'm a two-timer, but being a three-timer is too far." It's awful, but it's somehow presented so sincerely because the person saying it is an idiot.

17. Jutusu Kaisen
https://anilist.co/anime/113415/JUJUTSU-KAISEN/

I think of Jutusu Kaisen as a very good show that is lacking a certain something to bring it to like the true upper echelon of anime. If you want something in terms of quality and overall feel I'd directly compare it to, Demon Slayer would be a good pick. There is nothing really worth picking apart and the show is balanced enough in every department that it's hard to say something really stood out either.

16. The Quintessential Quintuplets S2
https://anilist.co/anime/109261/The-Quintessential-Quintuplets-2/

Quintuplets is one of the best non-ecchi harem shows in recent memory. The sisters are well realized and distinct. There is a sense of seriousness that is lacking in a good portion of the genre. This allows for the character growth in the series to seem both natural and earned. This mixed with the better than average comedy and, unlike some other shows, actual genuine competition between the cast among the fandom really makes it stand out.

Miku is best girl.

15. Kemono Jihen
https://anilist.co/anime/114085/Kemono-Jihen/

This show was a surprise. I went into it expecting a more generic type shounen but it has like a little bit of everything in it. As such it's a show that very hard to describe in writing since I feel that what it does best is manage to have a distinct identity despite taking parts of other shows like Hanko, Demon Slayer, Noragami, Bungou Stray Dogs and Jutusu Kaisen. I think part of it is that despite the dark themes there is still the childlike innocence of the cast (because they are mostly children) that really drives a lot of the emotion of this anime. This is worth giving a shot.
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Maniac64
01/12/22 6:39:07 PM
#39:


Jujutsu Kaisen is a good anime with the potential to be great imo

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Mac Arrowny
01/12/22 6:47:00 PM
#40:


KokoroAkechi posted...
I rank the 56 plus anime I finished in 2021.

KokoroAkechi posted...
Note: I've only seen ~8 episodes so far.

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ChaosTonyV4
01/12/22 6:51:59 PM
#41:


Get his ass, Mac.

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Phantom Dust.
"I'll just wait for time to prove me right again." - Vlado
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Reg
01/13/22 12:35:07 PM
#42:


Quintuplets is one of the worst series I've tried in years. It depresses me every time somebody says it's good.
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KokoroAkechi
01/13/22 12:38:04 PM
#43:


Reg posted...
Quintuplets is one of the worst series I've tried in years. It depresses me every time somebody says it's good.

I mean you must be depressed a lot because it being good is the consensus
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KommunistKoala
01/13/22 12:43:26 PM
#44:


reg doesnt like rezero either he's a lost cause

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pyresword
01/13/22 1:11:00 PM
#45:


I thought season 2 of Quintuplets was not good. Season 1 I liked but wouldn't have said it was great or anything.

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UshiromiyaEva
01/13/22 1:14:10 PM
#46:


Quintuplets waa good in theory, but the production value of the anime made it unwatchable IMHO. May go back and read the manga.

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changmas
01/13/22 1:19:43 PM
#47:


quints manga is solid but i thought the pacing was kinda rushed from the point where S2 ends through the end of the manga. there's so much buildup (and yet not enough to even really flesh out itsuki's feelings) that all gets resolved in a single arc, in what i found to be an unsatisfying way. and i didn't love the ending either

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Reg
01/13/22 1:40:51 PM
#48:


KommunistKoala posted...
reg doesnt like rezero either he's a lost cause
I think that one's fine, but certain people keep trying to prop it up as an all-time great which is just hilarously wrong
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pjbasis
01/13/22 2:08:48 PM
#49:


Reg posted...
I think that one's fine, but certain people keep trying to prop it up as an all-time great which is just hilarously wrong

Based on only 26 episodes, I agree

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pjbasis
01/13/22 2:10:12 PM
#50:


Maniac64 posted...
Jujutsu Kaisen is a good anime with the potential to be great imo

Season 2 is gonna drop bombs

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