Last year I did my Top 10 Anime, so this year, with a wider selection to choose from, I'm doing my top 20 anime! Keep in mind these rules I've placed:
- Short running anime only (nothing over 100 episodes).
- No anime movies - that's a list for another day.
- It's my list, it's fine to disagree, but no hate, please.
Alright, here we go!
Honourable Mentions:
- The Daily Lives of High School Boys
- Paranoia Agent
- Persona 4
20. Amnesia: The Animation
Many people don't like this anime. And honestly, I can see why. However, there is one thing this anime has that makes it stand out and honestly become a guilty pleasure for me: hot, lovable boys. It's adapted from an otome game feels like an otome game, and as a fan of otome games, it only makes sense that I'm a fan of this anime.
19. Ping Pong: The Animation
It really rather bothers me how many people skipped this anime because of its art style. No, it doesn't have a conventional art style, but the art style is unique and beautiful in its own way. However, it's not the art style that makes it incredible, rather, the characters. Every character gets development in this show, and that development is completely natural. These characters feel like real people, and it's a shame that more people didn't decide to watch it.
18. Space Dandy
I'm generally not the biggest fan of comedy anime. Of course, I like to watch them, they just don't really stick with me very long after I watch them. Of course, Space Dandy is the exception. I feel did like they had adult humour, but actually kept it smart, instead making it all about boobs. The adventures Dandy and his space crew are just so wild and strange it's hard not to love them. Not to mention the crazy, wonderful animation, and its super catchy theme. This is definitely one comedy anime that I do absolutely love.
17. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
And now for a completely different anime. I don't any other anime has so consistently kept tears streaming down my face, and I can hardly even think about it without trying to fight back tears. It's a very powerful anime, with an absolutely charming animation style. It touches on a subject that I've often thought about myself, and so seeing it unfold is incredible. This is one anime with so many feels that almost no other anime could match it.
16. Now and Then, Here and There
Another very emotional anime, this time it's a little darker as well. It approaches very tragic situations with a sharp sense of reality, making it hard to watch, yet hard to turn away. It has beautiful animation for its time and an absolutely wonderful soundtrack, with both its opening and one of its background tracks appearing in two of my top 10's already. Despite it being older and lesser-known, it's one I still absolutely love.
15. Princess Tutu
This anime will always have a special place in my heart, as it's only the second anime I've ever watched. That's not the only reason I love it, though - it has characters with depth and a story that proves it's not your average magical girl series. Not to mention a soundtrack that's unique in that it's comprised of mostly classical music that was written over a century ago. Ultimately, there are many reasons why this one still stays a favorite.
14. FLCL
People who know me know that I have a love of the absolutely just plain weird, and if there's a random, unexplainable, weird anime out there, it's this one. However, what makes this anime a real seller is that, after watching it a few times, you might find a deeper meaning behind all its craziness. Add in extremely varied yet always great animation, epic music, and surprisingly well-developed characters, and you get FLCL.
13. Zankyou no Terror
Why do I love this anime so much? One answer - it's a modern Shakespeare tragedy. Seriously, what with its fast pace, constantly turning tables, many themes, and and ending typical of a tragedy, what else could it be? Add in the incredible soundtrack and exceptionally beautiful art style, and you create an anime to become a favorite.
12. Death Note
Any dark, psychological anime with great animation and music is right up my alley. The extremely complicated mind games this anime takes you on are all intense and always leave you guessing. With deep themes and a plot that turns every which way, this is one anime I absolutely adore.
11. Aku no Hana
This anime is extremely unique in that it's completely disturbing without spilling a single drop of blood. It's completely psychological. And while the animation isn't the prettiest, the use of rotoscope is a genius idea that makes the anime all the more realistic. The utter raw reality of it is what makes it so twisted, and is what makes it so lovable in my eyes.
10. Hellsing Ultimate
This anime has so much to love. The Nazis, the gorgeous animation, the breath-taking battles, the incredible music, the amazingly developed characters. Not to mention the accents - I highly recommend you watch it in dub. I can't even describe how beautifully epic this anime is. There are no words to describe it. You'll simply have to watch it for yourself.
9. Deadman Wonderland
I had no idea I would love this anime so much when I first watched it, and I still don't quite know why I love it, though it's likely that it plays with the idea of hope and despair better than any other anime I've seen. It puts the characters in really dark situations, that actually feel dark, and yet there's always this sliver of hope. In the end, there's a reason why I've started buying its manga.
8. Ergo Proxy
This anime runs off of the rule of cool like none other, and ultimately... it works. We end up with a gorgeously animated and oddly emotional anime. The characters are realistic and the music is wonderful. It seems to touch the human soul better than any other anime I've seen, and though it doesn't completely make sense, it's Ergo Proxy. It doesn't need to make sense.
7. Danganronpa: The Animation
Ah, the ultimate guilty pleasure. Admittedly, this anime doesn't have the best characters or the most best music, but what it does have is entertainment factor. This anime is bursting to the seams with energy. Watching the mysteries is inexplicably entertaining, the characters are extremely fun, and the opening song is very engaging. Add in what could be my favorite villain of all time, and you get this roller coaster of an anime.
6. Log Horizon
While Sword Art Online has a lot to do with action, Log Horizon focuses more on strategy. Its plot is a lot more complicated, and the buildup to high points, while sometimes slow, pay off extremely well. It's made me more excited than most anime every have, all with characters that feel realistic enough to be relevant to our everyday lives.
5. Mushishi
Now from a very energetic anime to a very calming anime. This anime could be summed up in one word: Beautiful. Everything about this anime could be considered beautiful, from its characters and its stories to its music and its animation. It's home to one of my favorite characters, if not my absolute favorite character of all time. It has a simple, yet... beautiful mystic feeling to it that could beat even Miyazaki's work.
4. xxxHolic
Some people complain about xxxHolic's art style. I, for one, absolutely love it. It highlights the already elegant feel of the anime. The OP is one of my absolute favorites, and the story is beautiful as well as extremely emotional. It has so much going for it that if I were to try to and describe everything, we'd be here for hours.
3. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
When I first read the book, I loved it to no end. When I watched the anime, I loved it even more. While taking some liberties from the novel, Gankutsuou creates a more gorgeous adaptation than any faithful adaptation could. It has beautiful themes of the connection between human beings, revenge, love, and redemption. Not to mention its art style is one of my absolute favorites. This is one anime I recommend to anyone and everyone.
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion
I absolutely love psychologically dark things. This anime is the ultimately psychologically dark anime. Each of the characters are completely psychologically broken, with their twisted and dark backstories and emotions. And while I can say the music was also great, there's little more to why I love it than that - its twistedness.
1. Kuroshitsuji
It's strange how the first anime I ever completely finished is still my favorite - but then again, maybe it's not so strange. This anime is choc full of what I love - extremely well-developed characters, gorgeous animation, and amazing fight scenes. It takes place in my favorite time period (England, Victorian Era), contains music that I will never get tired of, and has such a stylized art form that few can beat it. But the crowning feature of it, of course, is its beautifully dark and tragic story that is one that cannot be easily forgotten.
As you can see, my list of favorites has changed a lot, and for good reason. I plan on doing another one next year (top 30, maybe?), and it'll be exciting to see how it's changed further. Thanks for reading, and have a good night! ^^
