ResetEra Anime of the Year 2018 - Voting Thread (READ THE OP) [Ends Midnight January 31 EST]

[munchie64]

Fantastic year imo. Watched way more anime than I usually do, so I had to make some hard cuts.

1. A Place Further Than the Universe – A beautiful coming of age story that treats its teenage leads as individuals that not only have their own unique stories but interact with the stories of each other in wholly unique ways. These relationships cause tears and laughter in equal amount.
2. Devilman Crybaby – Masaki Yuasa's reimagining of the classic Go Nagai story manages to keep all the insane story beats and dark themes that inspired the likes of Evangelion and Berserk while having a distinct modern flavour.
3. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind – With some of the best directing and presentation of the entire series so far, the 5th Part of JoJo has started off with a bang.
4. Aggretsuko – Not content with simply being a cute and funny office comedy, Aggretusko's defining characteristic is its commentary on outdated labour practices and the chauvinism that comes with it.
5. My Hero Academia Season 3 – It's hard to not love a show that manages to pay off two and a half season's worth of build-up as well as this one has.
6. Revue Starlight – An incredible mix of idol and magical girl anime with a theatrical twinge of absurdity.
7. Golden Kamuy – A drama which explores a hunt for gold in early 1900s Japan, standing out with its near-perfect balance between identity drama and screwball comedy.
8. SSSS. Gridman – While the first half is a fun romp (with some annoying fanservice), it's really the second half where everything is flipped on its head that it all comes together. The Evangelion comparisons were fair. By far the best "serious" show Trigger has done.
9. Planet With – Planet With pays tribute to an entire history of mecha while very much still having its own identity that manages to explore the duality of heroism and kindness.
10. Attack on Titan Season 3 – The explosive and emotional Season 2 would always be a tough act to follow but Season 3 does a great job uncovering the themes and revelations that have been brewing under the surface since the beginning.

Honourable Mentions
There are too many, so I'll limit it.
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-San
Violet Evergarden
Zombieland Saga
FLCL Alternative
Hi Score Girl (If it wasn't released so late it totally would've made it!)
Asobi Asobase
Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 2

 

[xEik]

odd, where is gundam build divers on your list? Give gundam the representation it needs, I cant be the only Divers fan :(

Click to shrink...

I addressed Gundam Build Divers in the honorable mentions. The prologue is well done for what it is. The series itself is one of my least liked Gundam productions in the whole franchise.
Being a mecha fan means that mecha series get bonus points but it doesn't mean they necessarily make the list. It's the case of Planet With: a series that is in many lists of this thread but didn't resonate with me because it has hardly any of the things I look for in the mecha genre.

On an unrelated note, I find it notable that Banana Fish may be the only series in the image illustrating the first post that isn't even given the time of the day in the whole first page (50 ppp). I regret spending my time on it and ultimately a big disappointment.

 

[djinn]

Gonna get mine up later, but I don't think I've seen FMP! IV mentioned yet?

 

[Deleted member 1839]

1. Devilman Crybaby – A modernized adaption of dark classic with Yuasa's trippy style is a fine match in this show. It's bleak, it can hit you hard, but it's a damn good show.
2. Yuru Camp △ – I'm not into the CGDCT shows but this is one of the rare ones that I do like and it's extremely comfy as hell, also the food shots were nice as well.
3. A Place Further than the Universe – A fantastic adventurist show about a group of girls coming together and just sudden deciding to go Antarctica to fulfill one of the girl's goal. The show it's is very wholesome with the great interactions between the four main girls being great, nice comedy bits and emotional scenes.
4. Baki (2018) – Literally hype, you got some damn good fights with abnormal superhuman characters and some weird bits throw in as well. Yep that's Baki and it's fantastic
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind – It's JoJo but the most nonsensical part yet, so yeah it's good.
6. Gintama: Silver Soul Arc – While it might not be as good as the previous season, it's still great.
7. Megalo Box – While it had underwhelming fights, I dig the gritty feel to it and the characters in the show, plus it had wicked style to it.
8. SAO Alternative Gun Gale Online – I'm definitely not a fan of the original SAO story, hate the characters and it's plot but surprisingly came to like this show. I find the characters in the show more likeable then Kirito and his group, they're pretty wacky and the whole show is just some fun nonsense especially when they try to have some serious bits in it. Also there's a talking gun in it too.
9. Planet With – Best mech show of the year even if the animation wasn't great.
10. Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan – This show could have been waaaay higher and maybe even the top spot but was dragged down by most of the side characters being terrible and the dumb as fuck ritual procedures that happened in the second part of the show. Obvious I still like the show a bit as I find parts of it to be fantastic namely the visuals, the designs of the jet dragons, some comedy bits and the D- Pilots. Hisone herself is pretty great with how she acts and her facial expressions. Not only being my favorite character in the show but also my favorite character out of all the shows I've watched this year, hence my avatar.

 

[Messofanego]

Glad to see March Comes In Like A Lion is still killing it. Will have to check out this A Place Further Than The Universe.

 

[Hypron]

Anime TV Series
1. Devilman: Crybaby - the most impactful anime I saw this year. I watched it the times in total with different people and I just think it's very well put together, and it drew more emotion from me than any other show this year.
2. Attack on Titan Season 3 - some great animation towards the beginning, and it's setting up a lot of important plot threads for the rest of the manga. The next half of the season should be even better.
3. Thunderbold Fantasy Season 2 - puppets are always fun. Great fight choreography, funny story, and I'm always in awe at the skill required to put this together.
4. Pop Team Epic - shitpost: the anime. Just very funny all around.
5. Megalo Box - love the retro look and the music. Nothing too special about the story but I had a good time.
6. Golden Kamuy Season 2 - I wasn't that into the first season and the beginning of this one, but the second half was just thoroughly enjoyable. Keen to see what's next.
7. Baki (2018) - absolutely loved the first half. It's complete bullshit but it's really enjoyable. Wasn't a fan of the second half though. Very little payoff for anything that was set up at the beginning of the season (and it doesn't get much better in the manga either).
8. My Hero Academia Season 3 - some flashes of brilliance, especially with Midoriya and Bakugou, but I found most of the season pretty boring :/
9. Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san - funny and informative series.
10. B: The Beginning - I had a good time watching it with my flatmate, but I feel like some aspects of the story were a bit rushed and left me wanting. Some great animation sequences though.

Anime Movie/OVA Series
1. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes - great experience seeing this at the movies.
2. Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle - interesting movie, wasn't a huge fan but I only saw 3 of them this year.
3. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters - same as above.

 

[Hypron]

I will say though, I've watched more seasonal shows last year than any other (22 including ones that are continuing to air in 2019 like Jojo), and apart from Devilman there isn't really anything that really wowed me. Lots of ok and good shows, but not that many great ones (at least in the genres that interest me). 2019 should be much better though, with many shows I'm really looking forward to like Mob Psycho, Kimetsu no Yaiba, AOT Season 3: shit just got real edition, Dororo, One Punch Man, Yakusoku no Neverland, etc. My top 10 will probably be much more interesting. This year I didn't spend much time ranking the shows because I didn't love them enough. Hopefully that'll be different next year.

 

[djinn]

Anime Series

1. March Comes in Like A Lion Season 2: A whole 12 months later and this is still the stand out of 2018 for me. The lows of chronic physical and mental illness, bullying, loss of a loved one, estranged families and growing old are matched by the highs of first love, found families, acceptance, friendships, personal growth and achieving your goals. Rei and his friends are like a warm blanket in a cold world. It rarely gets more beautiful and heartfelt than this.
2. A Place Further Than the Universe: I think the thing that stands out the most about Antartica Anime is how real it feels. This could have been any group of high school girls in your neighbourhood. It's incredibly grounded for an anime, from the planning, the cold feet, the civilian research team, losing your passport, adapting, growing and ultimately having an adventure in the great wilderness of Antartica. Which is probably why the ending hits so hard and why it's the second best anime of 2018.
3. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: The title should raise flags. The premise - a supernatural, high school harem anime - should sound alarms. And yet Rascal and Bunny Girl Senpai turned out to be one of the better written, more refreshing looks at high school anime drama in years. Using supernatural occurrences as a clever metaphor for common teenage issues, Sakuta tackles his friends problems with kindness whilst having his heart firmly set on Mai. The one unfornate issue is its pacing. We'll see if the movie can tie things up nicely.
4. ZombieLand Saga: A very clever comedy in the disguise of an idol show. Doesn't always hit its mark but boy when it does it's LEGENDARY. A special shoutout to the foley guy; those zombie squelches were fantastic.
5. Fullmetal Panic! Invisible Victory: Releasing a sequel several years later after Second Raid and maintaining that same energy is no small feat. FMP! 4 was a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. Whether we get a final season is yet to be seen but who knows? It came back once, it can do it again.
6. My Hero Academia Season 3: An extremely strong first half, complete with the best fights in the show so far, carries a weak end to the third season. All Might is the star this season, shining bright one last time before passing the torch on to Deku.
7. The Disasterous Life of Saiki K. Season 2: A bit of a weak start but much like the first season, Saiki K needs a warm up before all the long running jokes pay off in a big way. Great new characters and nice growth for established ones. Looking forward to seeing the OVA when it's released.
8. Pop Team Epic: Hellshake Yano.
9. Cells At Work: Edutainment has never been better. Also a red and white cell are pretty much in love. This show has everything!
10. Asobi Asobase - Workshop of Fun: The VAs worked their lungs out on this show. It's unfortunately hit and miss but the jokes that were good made me have to pause the episode and catch my breath I laughed so hard.

Honourable Mentions

Megalo Box: A stylish show that never actually had good boxing in it.
Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card: A return of an old favourite that was nostalgic at best.

 

[AshenOne]

1. High Score Girl - Really loved nearly all of the characters, the atmosphere and especially the main theme of the anime revolving around retro fighting arcade games! This series for me at the most relatable characters and i felt a huge amount of nostalgia from it. Aside from the use of CGI i don't even find anything noticeably weird in this master piece of an anime.
2. Rascal Does not dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - To me this is what Oregairu did not do, aka conveying feelings in a straightforward way in a way that is brought in a clear way to the viewer. It has a fictional syndrome that somewhat resonates with huge issues we suffer in reality and our MC, Sakuta puts all of his effort in dealing with it in the best way possible. He takes action and is smart about it. Doesn't half ass stuff and is quite perceptive of other people's actions and efforts. If it wasn't for High Score girl this would've been my AOTY.
3. Attack On Titan Season 3 - Any AoT season is in the top 3 or top 5 lists for me. It greatly adapts the already fine manga that is Shingeki No Kyojin(AoT). All characters in it are so intriguing and interesting to watch and the action is oustanding and greatly animated. Probably my most looked forward anime in ANY season!
4. Steins; Gate 0 - This steins; gate especially resonated with me quite a bit. How Okabe fights through despair, depression is what made me wait for it each week with great anticipation, also how twists and turns come and go. I normally don't watch sci-fi related anime but steins ; gate blending sci-fi with very interesting characters that explore the human element is what makes this my 4th best anime of the year.
5. Goblin Slayer - Yes yes the most controversial anime of last season. I only gave it 1 episode to prove it to me that it was worth watching every week at the least and had no expectations from it based on its premise and synopsis but boy the way it portrayed everything in its first ep. made me consider it being my anime of the season IF it kept going with the same intensity till the end(which it didn't). So it went from not being on my radar to nearly being my top anime of the season. Its heavy DnD inspiration, a very interesting MC in hindsight when you consider his trauma from childhood and people considering him a blockhead when inside he's a very thoughtful, caring person that NEEDS that motivation to keep killing the damn goblins for what they did to someone dear to him ruthlessly and he felt useless and powerless to do what was necessary. Iam sure we all felt that at some part of our lives. Taking action and preventing another tragedy for yourself and others from the same enemy is what Goblin Slayer's wish is. He goes through changes from the start of the anime till the end and his world view starts starts changing for the better. You could call it a generic fantasy that has the usual stubborn MC thats dense anime but when you look at it from a deep point of view, its much more than that if you love aspects of DnD, human nature and your will to survive but also take action and get rid of all of the disgusting shit this world harbors.
6. Violet Evergarden - Definitely the most beautiful looking anime i've seen this year and its protagonist discovering what human feelings are was also a very beautiful thing to see! Becoming human from an emotionless machine that's only been used to conduct violence in the past was certainly an enjoyable thing to watch and it features some other good characters that help make this anime compelling to watch.
7. Gintama: Silver Soul Arc - Gintama returning for another season is always a huge freaking treat and Gintoki being my favourite shounen protagonist of all time and the gang is always pretty entertaining to watch. Not to mention the Shinseigmi and the kehtai factions add a lot of value to the anime and the last but not the least, my best antagonist of the year which i'll leave up to your imagination unless you watch the anime ofc ;).
8. Overlord III - Only recently i started watching this series after dropping it once before because of the whole usual isekai stuff with not so interesting characters but after giving it a second chance, it turns out that it ain't so bad and the MC does get a lot more interestind and it certainly is a treat to watch a somewhat different kind of protagonist that is not a kind hero that cares about other people's feelings and is the first to sacrifice himself for others type of guy. Its kind of refreshing to see and this 3rd season was imo the best despite a lot of complaint regarding the use of CGI being awful and some pacing complaints which i really didn't notice. This series had CGI from season 1 and i felt it kept following that pattern with CGI done well enough to keep in my immersive state.
9. Boarding School Juliet - An anime thats has quite a number of cliche's in it but with saying that, it has very enjoyable characters that do pretty nice comedy and surely has its intense moments! Its one of those anime where it is a cliche as you know but despite that you fully enjoy it because how all its made and thanks to its writing.
10. Food Wars! The Third Plate: Totsuki Train Arc - Food wars being one of my favourite shounen does NOT disappoint with this cour and has usual pretty nicely written characters that make this series hugely enjoyable. Foodgasms, comedy, battles you name it. I feel it has it all what makes it a great treat of a shounen to watch!

Honourable Mentions:

Grand Blue - Most definitely my favourite comedy of the year. I absolutely love the manga and the anime does a pretty nice job of adapting it.
The Seven Deadly Sins Season 2 - A treat of an action-adventure of an anime with great characters and fights!
CardCaptor Sakura: Clear Card arc - CCS being my 2nd anime since i started watching anime way back on toonami, is probably one of my most cherished ones. Love Sakura and the other characters. Boy is all of it beautifully made or what.

 

[GeeseHoward]

1. Planet With : From the great writer Satoshi Mizukami, this was heads down my show of the year. It stuck with it's premise, explored all avenues, developed all characters, had incredibly realized arcs and it landed the ending on every single one. Impeccable pacing, narrative and impact. Only slight downside was the visuals which could have been better, but oh well. Also Nrio Wakamoto is a dog, easy 10/10 aoty.

2. High Score Girl : One of the best coming of age stories in recent years that uses the japanese arcade scene of the 90's as a backdrop to a great effect, with tons of in jokes and references including Guile-san, Haruo's conscience being voiced by the japanese voice of Guile from Street Fighter. The show with the most heart this year it felt like, had Planet With not come out this year it would have been easily my AotY, but what can you do?

3. Rascal Does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai : The biggest clickbait of the year, this show has amazing characters with great chemistry, amazing dialogue scenes, relatable characters in all sorts of roles and it feels very grounded. Mai best girl, can't wait for the movie next year.

4. Devilman Crybaby : Amazing visuals, action and pacing. Plus omg that soundtrack jesus christ

5. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku : Despite the title, it's the office scenes alongside the dating and dinners that msot stand out in this work. The characters relationships and issues all feel very real and is one of the most relatable cast in recent memory. Support the english release!

6. SSSS.Gridman : After the absolute and utter disaster that was Franxx earlier in the year I had almost completely given hope on Trigger. The people salivating over the main gairl's thighs didn't make it better, but after a lot of convincing from a few friends (shoutouts to SalesEra discord) i gave it a watch and i ended up loving it. It's a heartfelt and genuine tribute to giant robo shows of old with an amazing climax that will stick to my memory for a long while.

7. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Vento Aureo : Despite being one of the weakest parts in my opinion, part 5 adaptation has a lot more soul and love poured into it than part 4 had, it looks consistently great, has a ton of style, and they went above and beyond for the dance scene

8. Zombie Land Saga : If you told me earlier in the year that one of my favorite shows would be a goddamn Idol show i'd have laughed in your face, yet here we are. Its constantly funny, its keeps dunking on the idol scene, and despite some drops in quality, both animation and story wise, at some points, it's great to the end and i kept my engaged and entertained, which is way more than I could have said for any other idol show.

9. Asobi Asobase : These 3 girls being little shitheads is some of the funniest comedy all year. Like most comedy shows, sometimes the jokes don't land, but oh god when they do. On certain episodes I laughed so ahrd I legit had to stop the video to take a breather.

10. Captain Tsubasa : OH GOD THE NOSTALGIA. Good ol' Oliver & Benji had thrown me back to my youth except now ther are way more animation frames and theres a jojo narrator for some reason.

 

[Dougieflesh]

1. A Place Further Than the Universe
2. Hinamatsuri
3. SSSS Gridman
4. My Hero Academia S3
5. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
6. Legend of the Galactic Heroes
7. Laid Back Camp
8. Attack on Titan S3
9. Zombie Land Saga
10. Wotakoi

 

[galv]

1. Rascal does not dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - In terms of the most enjoyable anime on a week to week basis, nothing this year came close to Bunny Girl Senpai for me. I loved almost every moment with it.

2. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K Season 2 - If you enjoyed the first season, this is more of the same. The running gags get funnier and funnier and the addition of newer cast members is a welcome addition. Saiki K is one of my favourite gag-comedies and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a bingeworthy show.

3. SSSS.Gridman - Sasuga Trigger, you saved anime again. Gridman turned out to be more than just a love letter to tokusatsu shows, it had a great mystery and a lot of heart to it. But above all that, it had fantastic direction and is one of the most visually interesting anime I've seen.

4. Hinamatsuri - Great comedy with a lot of heart. I hope this gets more of the manga adapted because they did a good job with the material that they did adapt.

5. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku - A more than above average rom-com that did justice to the source material. I love the manga and I'm happy that there's now a great anime I can recommend to people who want a rom-com more about the relationship than the confession.

6. Zombieland Saga - The first two episodes convinced me (and a lot of people) to watch an idol show. Probably my favorite OP this year too, ZLS became a pretty big hit and it's just a lot of fun to watch.

7. Grand Blue Dreaming - From one of the funniest and one of my favorite manga comes an adaptation that was hit or miss for fans of the manga. Comparatively, I thought the joke timing was slightly off but for anyone who hasn't read the manga, I'd still highly recommend it as it's still hilarious.

8. Devilman Crybaby - An anime that I thought was interesting in the plot, stellar in visuals and had great characters. Very well paced and well worth the watch though I felt the ending was somewhat preachy. Fantastic OST.

9. Asobi Asobase - The anime with the best ED this year, I didn't enjoy this unique take on the CGDCT genre as much as others though there were definitely a lot of moments that made me laugh.

All in all, I enjoyed this year in anime, and barring a few shows that I dropped, the majority were quite good. I still need to finish High Score Girl and Planet With and will update after I do... hopefully.

 

[sibarraz]

1 Dragon Ball Super

A controversial pick, even for me since I don't consider this series the best of the year. But at the same time, the experiences that I lived with Dragon Ball Super thanks to all my friends being really into it makes it my number 1 pick.

I know that the series suffers from a lot of inconsistency with its plot, but at the end of the day, is Dragon Ball, is my childhood with my friend coming up with dumb theories and dream scenarios about who will beats who, but all of this being lived as an adult, and that everyone keeps playing it out without shame, but actually with pride.

And the best thing of Super, that it doesn't shy away from giving us fan service over logic just because they know that at this point they are comfort food, they don't need to convince anyone of its value. Watching the Android 17 winning a tournament with the help of Goku and Freezer teaming up while the most epic song ever sounds in the background and in a room full of friends that you know since your childhood and who decided to hang out with you that night just to watch a dumb anime is something than none other anime could ever give me.

2 Zombie Land Saga

I have never watched an idol series since from the most part there are a lot of aspects in the medium that I think are terrible and filled with trash, so when I decided to give a try to ZombieLandSaga after watching the famous rap battle, I was shocked by how good it was. Is a series that at the beggining has a very charming and ridiculous humor, but that in the middle of it starts including a lot of drama showing the tragic deaths of the main characters, while also touching some very interesting aspects like how idols should fare with fans and shockingly, one of the most tasteful approaches that I had ever seen to a transgender character. And the best thing is, that the series still has a lot of material to keep going. Also, the songs are catchy as fuck, with one of the best openings that I had ever seen.

I recomend this series to everybody

3 Hi Score Girl

An amazing series that combines the life of a japanese gamer from the 90's with a very touching love story. As someone who is a big fan of Fighting Games, I really appreciate how much work went into the videogame references included into this series, showing that the author either really lived that era (while also being a huge nerd) or actually did a good research on it. The characters are amazing, you really end up rooting for the 2 main characters, while also feeling bad for the third piece in a very interesting romantic triangle. Thisl series is an trip to the 90, and will definitely fill you with nostalgia from a better time to fighting game fans.

4 Golden Kamuy

A great series that I discovered this year. I always wanted to see an anime which talked about another historical era than the ones that you typically see, and this series delivered that. I really like the cast of characters of this series, where the 2 main characters are accompained by one of the best supporting casts that I had ever seen, this combined with the utter respect that the author has to Japan's and the Ainus history and the incredible bizarre humor that this series has makes this a winner for me

5 Seishun Buta Yarō wa Bunny Girl-senpai no Yume wo Minai

A series that positively surprised me was Bunny Girl - Senpai, when I first watched the poster of this series, I got the idea that this series was going to be your typical harem anime show full of fanservice with an annoying lead male character who was the coolest guy in the world who hook up with all the chicks. Instead, we got a series that showed us in a very tasteful way the dramas that young people can suffer in our modern society, with a main character who was very likeable since he always showed respect towards the female characters, while also being a charming guy who knew how to throw witty jokes to them. The dialogues in the series are superb, making it feel more real than other series than I have watched, and the first arc between Sakuta and Mai must be one of the best romances that I had ever seen in my life, by the end of it I really wanted for both of them to kiss. I could have placed this anime higher, but the second half of it felt a little rushed, and the cliffhangers that they put to promote the movies were not good, still is a good series that should be watched

6 Devilman CryBaby

It was my first time watching DevilMan and I was surprised by how "dark" was the plot of the original series back in the 70's. I really like the production values of the series,from animation, to the music and voices, also, I appreciate that it didn't suffer from any kind of censorship, showing us the complete horrors of this world, the ending was a little flat, but it was so bold that I forgive them for this

7 Goblin Slayer

A series that I enjoyed a lot thanks to how didn't shy away to play out with the most generic tropes of RPG's, and being proud of it. It's main character, Goblin Slayer, really carries this show, thanks to his McGyver-esque solutions to beat foes that are stronger than him and also to see him develop as a character after all the traumas that has suffered.

8 Pop Team Epic

I really appreciate what this series tried to do which was basically shitposting in the form of anime. I actually like how instead of just copy pasting the jokes from the manga, they actually took them, gave it their own twist by using the possibilities than animation gives, and made its own thing. Even though I loved most of the jokes, I still find that some of them are too bizarre for its own good, and that you really need to understand internet japanese memes to get most of it, that being said, I had a good time with it

9 Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Golden Wind

I don't like this part that much since I find the plot and characters to be weaker compared to previous seasons, but is still Jojo, so I still like it

10 Captain Tsubasa

A cool remake of the original series, I love the animation in this series, but sadly, is the same story that has been told multiple times without much changes, so there is not a good reason to keep watching it after you get your nostalgia filled

 

[Arex]

I love my slice of life and CGDCT animes, so most of my list are those (that I had time to watch) lol. Might edit later if I forgot some.

1. A Place Further Than the Universe (Sora yori mo Tooi Basho) - anime of the year basically. All of the episodes are great. Tears were shed
2. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai) - pleasant surprise. Tears on last episode
3. Yuru Camp - laid back camp :P
4. Hinamatsuri - laughs were had. Some touching episodes too
5. Encouragement of Climb (3rd season) - nice show about climbing, although not much climbing this season
6. Chio's school road - great shenaningans XD
7. Comic Girls - Kaos chan and ababababab lol
8. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - pretty good adaptation of the source, although missing some scenes from the manga
9. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku - fun to watch :D
10. Mitsuboshi Colors - just kids playing around.
    

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Reminder to watch Beatless and vote for it before the dead line. We need truly groundbreaking science fiction stories that are chillingly relevant in this increasingly AI driven world to get the recognition they truly deserve.

 

[Thuddert]

Honourable Mentions

These are the series I want to mention because they deserve recognition even if I couldn't watch them or they're not actually that good.

Golden Kamuy

An adaptation of the manga and there have been some bad decisions made into a great series like Golden Kamuy. For one the decision to use CGI for Wen Kamuy and fire haunts the eyes every time they show it on screen. More harming for the anime watchers is the pacing as events get stringed together without much of a pause. This is something that doesn't work quite as well in the format of tv animation. Missed opportunity, because as mango reader it is enjoyable seeing scenes back in action. Having Ainu representation is quite rare in and out of these days. It also functions as a cooking show, which is where the real strength lies within the series. Citatap, citatap.

Food Wars S3

From one cooking show to another. This one I almost forgot, but it did happen in 2018. Season 3 was split into two pieces and they aired the second piece in 2018. Not to forget the season ends halfway into the arc. Having said that, this series has always had an irresistible charm to it. Reminds me that even trash can taste good every now and then.

Dragon Ball Super

As someone that has always been critical of DBS it is still a major accomplishment to keep a series running for so long and finishing it on a high note. With the broly movie out, toei will be going forward with another series and I wish them all the best.

Pingu in the City S2

Of course the biggest anime betrayal of the year had a sequel. Nobody watched this, as it didn't air outside Japan. I think this deserve mention as it is more Pingu and more Pingu is the nootnoot.

March Comes Like A Lion S2

As a fan of the mango, I think it deserves some mention. Dealing with themes like anxiety, depression, family and bullying it showcases a large amount of emotions throughout the series. You really can't help but sympathize with a lot of the characters and give them some support. I wish I could have seen it, but regionlock is still rampant in the anime streaming industry.

Anime of the Year

At the start of the year I didn't give much thought to the things that would come this year, but as the year passes more and more anime kept piling on and I was still able to manage a list of ten anime I think were pretty neat.

Hinomaru Zumou

Set in modern Japan, the appeal of sumo is dropping at an alarming rate. Hinomaru is a passionate high schooler who wants to become Yokozuna at all cost. The problem is, he's too short to enter that world. So instead Hinomaru has to go through many hoops to find a different way, becoming the national high school champion.

The good thing about Hinomaru Zumou is while it's another sports mango adaptation, it isn't about overcoming weaknesses and making a loser into a winner. It is pure about the strengths of the sport and the users. Hinomaru already was a "National Treasure" at sumo. He just gets involved with a team that pushes him to new heights. Despite the sports mango set up, Hinomaru Zumou never feels ridiculous out of tone. It always tries to keep it close to home. The series isn't over yet, but the first half was very entertaining and makes a good job on selling me on the mango. Exactly as they wanted.


The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These

I'll admit I wasn't thrilled about the prospects of this new adaptation of one of my favorite anime of all time. However Die Neue These does an incredible job of keeping it close to the novel, while shaking things up with amazing visuals and CGI. The scheme of retaking Iserlohn by Yang Wen-li was one of the highlights of the season. While I still have some minor issues here and there the only real problem Die Neue These has is the generic music. I really can't stress how big a mistake that was, it was perfect in the original series.

Anyway I hope the good stuff continues.

GeGeGe no Kitaro (2018)

Shigeru Mizuki's legacy has raised generations of kids with his manga and all the anime adaptations. So the question is what does the 2018 adaptation bring to the table?

Aside from showing a new generation the classic adventures of Kitaro, the 2018 of GeGeGe has improved its visuals a lot. Not only is it an another adaptation it is better fitted to modern times. The first episode featured a youtuber that messed with a seal in the forest and turned into a tree as a result of releasing that yokai. There's more examples like that in the show. For me it definitely feels like the Toei animation staff really enjoyed working on GeGeGe this time around.

GeGeGe was a weekly delight as it showcased a yokai of the week. The highlight for me was when the show was showing the soul of its creator. Episode 20 deals with Japan's reluctance to accept its war crimes. Teaching Mana, one of the main characters, that yes Japan did some horrible things and that people deserve to know the truth even after generations have passed.

GeGeGe has been good like this. Its episodic nature brought out many different faces. The fun side of the yokai, the irresponsible side of society, the heavy emotional scenes that binds people together and sometimes pure action.

Now to catch up to the episodes before the new anime season starts...

Attack on Titan S3

Long have people waited for the basement, only to wait some more lol.

For me the mango is dead to me, however this particular part might be my favorite part in all of titans. It puts Levi and Zoe to the front and just lets them kick ass. The action supports the drama, the drama does not block the action. Eren and Historia are important to the story, but they function as background until finally the pieces form together. Seeing Eren realize the situation he was in and trying to cope with was a very powerful moment.

If the series ended right here it would have been phenomenal. Yet it would only crash amd burn 50 times more. This is the best as it's gonna get. Like seeing the pivotal moment in Death Note where it all turns to shit. Attack of Titan shoved that moment to this year.

BEWARE THE BASEMENT

Pop Team Epic

Shitpost the anime had no reason to be this good. However here we are months later, still thinking about Hellshake Yano.

Asobi Asobase -workshop of fun-

Asobi Asobase is a surprise to me. Lerche has managed to perfectly encapsulate the several faces of the three middle school girls that just want to play around. It is way too hilarious. The opening and ending also perfectly illustrate what the series is. Middle schoolers do stupid things like punishment games where you have to smell each others armpits.

Planet With

Mizukami is an author that has managed to strike a particular string in all of his manga. They all have strong emotional moments that always stay with you. So having an orginal anime written by him is a joy on its own.

Having it be as good as his regular work is even more amazing. Planet With manages to strike the balance between action and drama stylished as this mecha battle anime. Growth is one of the major themes and the anime really delivers on this promise.

Planet With is one condensed Mizukami experience everyone should watch.

Skullface Bookseller Honda-san

One of the biggest surprises this year comes from an adaptation of a series about a bookseller that details his experiences while working in a retail bookstore. The key change is that every worker has a certain face. The main character Honda-san is a skeleton for example, his coworkers are just as strange. Not only is it mad funny, you learn new things about how bookstores work.

My favorite part of the series is when Honda-san is dealing with foreigners, it just feels very relatable.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind

Araki's new adaptation is already off to an excellent start. With still two cours to go anime watchers haven't seen the best there is, yet Vento Aureo has already given us so much.

David Production has upped the bar again and it looks like the schedule is good. Not like Part 4 that clearly suffered.

Part 5 also manages to include backstories that really fleshes out the characters. As a fan it has been quite the ride. Seeing hate melt away as we witness Giorno's dream of becoming a Gang-star and all the bullshit stand powers reactions we see along the way.

Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers

It's not like anime was bad last year, Thunderbolt Fantasy S2 is just that good.

This season mixes wuxia puppetry with a man becoming too obsessed with his gacha blade.

While the plot has been fairly predictable seeing the show reach its destination is just such a remarkable feat.

And not only that, it manages to set things up perfectly for a third season.

My body is ready for more of Shang's Wild Ride.

--------

The List:

1. Thunderbolt Fantasy: Sword Seekers
2. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind
3. Skullface Bookseller Honda-san
4. Planet With
5. Asobi Asobase -workshop of fun-
6. Pop Team Epic
7. Attack on Titan S3
8. GeGeGe no Kitaro (2018)
9. The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These
10. Hinomaru Zumou

 

[Metalsnakezero]

1. Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight
While A Place Further Than the Universe is really 2018's best, my heart goes to Revue starlight. It stands strong with musical moments, grand fight choreography, and Ikuhara weirdness and lessons even if you may need a little more knowledge of Japanese stage performance.
Bananice!

2. A Place Further Than the Universe
Learning about growing up, trust between friends, and finding a place in this large world comes up by trying to get on a damn Antarctica ship.
Hinata's food shirts.

3. Violet Evergarden
Sadness back up by incredible visuals. Many key characters have slow developments but it makes up for it when the emotions really kick in from lost to see where you fit in when you no longer are needed.
"I want to know what "I love you" means..."

4. Bloom into you
It one weakness, for me at least, is wanting a consultation for the romance but this is truly the best Yuri anime that looks to push the series with proper relationship building and character building.

5. Zombie Land Saga
Thanks Cygames for making me fall in love with zombies who are given a chance to live by being idols while learning about themselves, their past lives, and pretty good songs. Also brownie points for a respectful story on transitioning even if it has a weird solution to it.
!?

6. Uma Musume Pretty Derby
Thanks Cygames for making fall in love with horse girls and not make it awlful but really enjoyable by building up characters, making them work hard to improve on their races, and being focus unlike most other gacha game adaptions (Looking at you KanColle).

7. Yuru Camp
Educational and relaxing with characters being cool with each other.

8. DEVILMAN crybaby
Visually fitting with it dark themes and hyper gore. It ends on a pretty interesting note that helps brings it all together.

9. Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online
Not sword art online with a lot of fun characters with it major weakness being it 2nd arc plot.

10. Fate/EXTRA Last Encore
Shaft and, while completely bizarre it plot, is the craziness I enjoy from this part of the fate series. Also Nero is in it.

 

[KevdotL]

Anime TV Series

1. March Comes in Like A Lion 2nd Season
2. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
3. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
4. My Hero Academia 3
5. Steins;Gate 0
6. Devilman Crybaby
7. Violet Evergarden
8. Cells at Work!
9. Grand Blue
10. Full Metal Panic! IV

HM: In no particular order
Kokkoku – For the OP alone
MEGALOBOX
Goblin Slayer
Iroduku: The World in Colors
Tada Never Falls in Love
Attack on Titan Season 3

Top Films (only seen 3)
1. I want to eat your pancreas
2. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
3. Flavors of Youth

Shows I still need to watch: High Score Girl, Hinamatsuri, A Place Further Than The Universe, Yuru Camp, and Thunder Bolt Fantasy S2 (currently watching season 1)
Will probably watch them this year.

 

[Deleted member 37233]

Anime TV Series (2018)

I watched alot of Anime last year, but only a fraction was actually from 2018, so this would me my list:

1. A Place Further Than the Universe - What a show. It felt so real, because every single character seemed so real and believable. This four girls, their struggles, their own unique reasonings for the vojage and their willigness to take on all of the obstacles in their way. I loved the relationships between them, it weren't perfect, but that made it so good, because every friendship has it's fair share of problems. The comedy was on point, the emotions were heartbreaking at times and it was such a joy to watch. The show made it look believable that four young girls could participate in an expedition to antarctica and that alone is an achievement.
2. Violet Evergarden - I think this show is the most beautiful anime series I've seen in my life. The budget seems pretty high. I loved Violet and her struggle, also the fictional world that was built and the emotion the show let me feel. Also that stand-alone special episode was phenomenal.
3. Bloom Into You - On of the best romance anime I've ever watched. It would be higher, perhaps even number 1, but I wasn't satisfied with the ending. And the ending is paramount.
4. Iroduku: The World in Colors - This show looked gorgeous at times and was pretty emotional. The set-up was really cool, but the ending sadly didn't delivered on all that great built-up and the characters weren't fleshed out enough in my opinion.
5. Citrus - I liked this show way more at the beginning of 2018, but then I watched Bloom Into You and the problems with Citrus became blatantly more obvious. I like it and enjoyed watching it, that's just the reason why it's on the botton of my list.

 

[Cornbread78]

1) March Comes Like A Lion S2
2) Steins;Gate 0
3) Boku no Hero Academia 3rd Season
4) Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san
5) Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online
6) Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
7) Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
8) Grancrest Senki
9) Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii
10) Sword Art Online: Alicization


Honorable Mentions:
x.Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara
x.Banana Fish
x.Black Clover
x.Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara - Toutsuki Ressha-hen
x.Megalo Box
x.Hinamatsuri
x.Violet Evergarden
x.Mahoutsukai no Yome


Movies:
1. I want to Eat your Pancreas:
From my recent post: It's pretty hard to encapsulate everything this movie did right, but it was a great film to watch. Even if you think you know how everything will end, you really don't and the waters do get murkier the deeper you get into the movie and dig into the main pairs lives. This is not a cheesy romance story with a tragic ending as it sounds from the synopsis and it does have a lot of similar features to Your Lie in April, but this one almost feels more organic in it's approach with less melodrama and more focus on the human interaction and character development. Yes, there were tear jerking moments, but also heart warming moments and parts that make you reflect on how you would react/feel. In that regard, this movie did a great job being more human and less anime, which I could appreciate.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Reminder to vote for Boruto, it had the best animated episode of 2018 and this can only be contested with BLack Clover.

 

[KINGOFSHIBUYA Ltd.]

TV:

1. March Comes in Like a Lion Season 2- This show's first season got me back into anime after 10+ years away from it, and not a day goes by where I don't wonder if I'll get another season.

2. A Place Further Than The Universe - It had a bomb ass soundtrack, great likable characters, good writing, and production values that let you know just how much the director liked Your Name.

3. Pop Team Epic - I really vibed with the show, and I think so did a lot of Japanese fans. I feel like folks in NA might not care for it, but it still gets my vote.

4. FLCL Seasons 2 and 3: Music and animation are still unparallaled, though I have to admit that though they explained way more in these seasons, the show was somehow even harder to follow. It didn't ruin my childhoold like folks said it would, and the 3rd season is actually pretty great standalone.

5. Major 2nd: Nobody else seems to be talking about this show sadly. I tried promoting it in the thread, but during Spring and Summer, it was my go-to each week. I don't even really like sports shows that nuch/.

6. Asobi Asobase: Rest in peace. It was cancelled before its time. The show had a rut in the middle of the season, but damn some of the episodes were just amazing. Few other things made me laugh so hard in years.

7. Lupin the 3rd: This came at a great time, and reminded me of how much I loved the part 3 show as a kid.

8. Yuru Camp: I just watched this last week. I really slept on it. It wasn't so bad. Almost therapeutic.

9. Run With the Wind: Good writing, music, and animation. A lot of plot beats seemed a bit samey, but definitely is a high quality show.

10. Persona 5: I enjoyed it, though it felt like they rushed through it really fast, and threw the confidant parts around in a manner that will make you forget some are even present. if you didn't play the game, this is probably a lot harder to follow.

 

[SolidSnakeBoy]

1. Banana Fish: It truly resonated with me. Great action, interesting characters, mostly decent animation, and an ending that made me internalize the whole show to make sense of it all. It also helps that it was Yuri on Ice meets NY Street Gangs :D

2. That One Time......as a Slime: Yeah that is one fun Isekai. I love how well done this show is, just a good time episode after episode. I like how it uses subversion of the characters expectations as a trope, makes for good comedy.

3. Planet Width: Incredible sound design carries this show to make it quite special. The completely bonkers scenarios and conflict just kept me hooked to see where it went next.

4. Hinamatsuri: Fantastic comedy and a surprising amount of touching moments make this a fantastic show to watch

5. Asobi Asobase: Yeah butt laser beams, can't beat that.

6. Zombie Land Saga: Well that was just so well done. Fantastic acting all around make this show a blast to watch. The opening is my favorite of the year

7. Cells at Work: Just so good to learn something for once. some of the episodes are not great, but overall the show delivers interesting action and characters over an educational backdrop

8. My Hero Academia: Yeah this was a fantastic season, nothing else to be said.

9. Attack on Titan S3 Part 1.: KENNNYYYY!

10. Gintama Silver Soul : Will always be top three anime of all time.

 

[Moral Panic]

Anime TV Series
1. Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 2 - The question that immediately comes to mind when hearing of the second season of an outstanding new show is always the same. You always have that same anxiety of whether the creators merely got lucky or if they truly knew what set their initial work apart from the crowd, what gave it that special spark. The pitfalls are unending - the navigation between a boring retread, a flanderised exaggeration of the work, and a complete departure is very difficult. But there is no need to worry here as they have managed to create an incredible sequel, navigating those choppy waters expertly to create a work that never leaves you thinking for a second that it shouldn't exist. Everything you loved about this "anime" is back - the voice acting is superb, the character movements are the same exaggerated motions and mannerisms we've come to love, the battle music is pure hype. The fact that it isn't strictly "anime" is meaningless - it fills that exact same part in our hearts.
2. Planet With - I was very apprehensive coming into this show, I am a big hater of CGI anime and although I like the writer a lot I am not a big fan of super robot style shows. How wrong can one person be? This is an absolutely fantastic show which is fully held up by the sheer strength of the writers understanding of what it means to be human, with all our hopes, dreams, hypocrisies and delusions.
3. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - Bakemonogatari before it became obsessed with incest and pedobait. Maybe a little bit too much of a ripoff but great artists steal so well done to the team.
4. A Place further than the Universe - The show encompasses Japanese media's obsession with High school, and the things one must accomplish with their time there but does it in a very interesting way. The show mixes itself between anime schoolgirl hijinks and more serious heartfelt discussions on friendships and the meaning behind our relationships in a way that yes, isn't unique, but is quite well orchestrated.
4. Aggretsuko - Sometimes you just want to rage.
5. Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion - Fell a little bit too much into tropes occasionally, but a really solid show about a part of Japanese history I had no idea about.
6. Hinamatsuri - Comedic timing is very hard in anime, but was a very solid attempt I guess. Was funnier in my head when reading the manga.
7. Attack on Titan - Good Shounen.
8. Goblin Slayer - Don't really like the oversexualisation of pretty much every female character in this but otherwise was quite enjoyable. CGI was pure crap in every scene though.
9. Kokkoku - Great idea with a not so great execution and a hilariously aweful Deux ex Machina to finish..
10. Violet Evergarden - Was a hard battle between this and Irozuku for the best show in the "incredibly pretty but also incredible dumb" category and this slightly edged it. Violet is 14 lol.

 

[ParanoidRED]

1. Devilman Crybaby - amazing style, music, drama and gore, loved it
2. Goblin Slayer - weird but fun, quite intrigued to see where this goes
3. Aggretsuko - i really dunnow, just...a must watch lol
4. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind - It's jojo duh

to be edited

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Dont forget to vote for Free! Dive to the Future which continues to not only be the best sports anime, but also the best anime set in college.

You'll be hardpressed to find any other sports anime that comes close to Free in 2018.

 

[Turin Turambar]

I think this has been the weakest year from... the last four years or so, at least.

Anime TV Series

1. Devilman Crybaby - A supernatural drama that works in the key moments, with fun excess.
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 2 - Entertaining series with some cool twists, that doesn't reach the heights of S1.
3. Attack on Titan Season 3 - Solid continuation of the previous seasons, although it doesn't get to really improve the original manga story, which was the weakest part.
4. Bloom Into You - Well directed, strong background art and with more complex characters that it seemed at first, pity they feel unrelatable. Not because I'm not a lesbian, lol, but because it's all a bit convoluted and fairly weird situation.
5. Golden Kamuy - A crime this series wasn't done by a better studio with a bigger budget. Original, fun characters, action, drama, intrigue... and some of the blandest backgrounds I've seen all year.
6. Kokkoku - wait, this series was in 2018?? I thought it was from 2017, damn. Original scifi/fantasy series with a strong woman protagonist that isn't stupid.
7. After the Rain - Very pretty series with good direction, it never solved the character problems in a engaging, climatic way.

-- Other mentions:
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind : It could be good, but I won't put it anywhere until it's done. I don't know where it's going with the central plot. For now we just had a series of fights.
Hinamatsuri : cool series, but because I had read the manga before, I eventually dropped the anime.
Lupin The Third Part 5 : More modern Lupin, as always there were a few good episodes, but overall I liked Part 4 more.
Baki (2018) : Skip the talky bits, just watch the badass fights.
Banana Fish / Megalobox : my disappointments of the years.

Films

1. Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms - Something from Okada that I liked it!

 

[Jexhius]

I'd have expected to see some more votes in this thread by now, but I suppose it'll come in a flood at the end.

 

[HosannaExcelsis]

I'd have expected to see some more votes in this thread by now, but I suppose it'll come in a flood at the end.

Click to shrink...

As always, I'm trying to watch some more stuff last-minute before I submit a vote.

 

[Narag]

As always, I'm trying to watch some more stuff last-minute before I submit a vote.

Click to shrink...

Same here.

 

[EnronERA]

surprised we havent been flooded with the JoJo yet

 

[SliceSabre]

Because this is a thread about the best shows.

ZING

 

[Bradford]

1. Devilman Crybaby - Yuasa and Choi pull together a fantastic team to, once again, do their adaptation magic. The animation is freaking incredible from both a technical and visual perspective. Narratively it serves to be a complex tale about how shame and repression may turn people into monsters, but connecting with them and reaching even the worst of them may provide for a chance at a better future, no matter how awful the present is. Both the English and Japanese dubs are pretty good, too, as a bonus!=
2. Aggretsuko - A weirdly relatable and honest look at work-life balance. The voice acting is fantastic and despite its very simple animation, the art direction is fun (as expected from Sanrio) and full of character. Everyone gets development and shockingly, the show has quite a lot to say!
3. Pop Team Epic - No show quite captures the joy of Nichijou, but Pop Team Epic comes close with its absurdist take on internet and pop culture. Full of visual experimentation, some crazy animation variety and technical prowess, and ambitious voice actor "inside-baseball" jokes, if you like Anime you owe yourself a watch.
4. Lupin III Part V - Continuing the beautiful reboot series that was kicked off with Yamamoto Sayo's "The Woman Named Fujiko Mine" and continued into both the Jigen film and Part IV, Lupin continues to be a very fun caper that is consistently well animated, directed, and full of great music. Chances are you know what to expect, but this season still ends up memorable and a worthy entry in the Lupin canon.
5. Megalobox - While its story is somewhat bland due to its status as an anniversary project for Ashita no Joe, Megalobox is a somewhat novel twist on the standard combat/sports anime setup. This being said, you likely know what you are getting. The animation and art direction quality for sports anime has been rising especially in recent years, but Megalobox stays competitive and clearly was a labor of love by those who created it, even if it wasn't loved by audiences.
___

Movies:
1. Night is Short, Walk on Girl - Yuasa and Choi continue to adapt Morimi's works in a way that enhance them in almost every way. Both a visual feast and a touching story about the things that connect us all, this is easily my favorite anime movie in a long, long time.
2. Lu Over the Wall - Say what you will about the art direction, the animation in this movie is next goddamn level. A relatively simple story told well, Science Saru's first fully original IP shines with a message about inclusivity and understanding.
3. Mirai of the Future - Another cute Hosoda movie, with decent character designs and animation. Hosoda is a consistently capable director, though I still don't think he's quite lived up to the potential established with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. However, this movie is an emotional and fun journey and well worth the watch.

____

I feel like I watched more than this but I truly don't remember what I saw. I basically don't get out of bed unless it's a Yuasa and Choi production at this point, so I suppose that biases this a bit, but I'm interested in seeing how the top 10 stack up so I can see if there's anything worth watching other than these.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

As always, I'm trying to watch some more stuff last-minute before I submit a vote.

Click to shrink...

Same here.

Click to shrink...

Dont forget to watch Beatless, Major 2nd, Gakuen Babysitters, and gdMen.

 

[ohlawd]

1. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai ; I felt feels so this is on top. Best girl is every girl.
2. Citrus ; bruh my avatar.
3. Violet Evergarden ; I originally had this at 7th, but I remembered how I felt feels so I moved this to third. Bruh, the list automatically moved everything else down one. Technology, how does it work?
4. After The Rain ; I only hear Rackam.
5. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku ; I don't care what anyone says. Hana-chan deserves better than Bakakura.
6. Comic Girls ; ABABABABA
7. Laid-Back Camp ; Y'all can have Nadeshiko or Rin. I'll take Aoi's hick accent and fang anyday.
8. Zombieland Saga ; Did anyone expect the fire that was spit in episode 2?
9. UzaMaid! ; It's funny.
10. Overlord III ; Note to self: whatever I imagine when reading the light novel will most likely be better than what the anime will show down the line.

 

[Narag]

Dont forget to watch Beatless, Major 2nd, Gakuen Babysitters, and gdMen.

Click to shrink...

I only have so much time but I did watch gdMen as it aired so reserving a spot on my list for that!

 

[HosannaExcelsis]

Dont forget to watch Beatless, Major 2nd, Gakuen Babysitters, and gdMen.

Click to shrink...

I did watch Gakuen Babysitters, but it will not be on my list.

 

[KeRaSh]

1. Grand Blue - One of the funniest anime I've ever seen. My wife cried from laughing too much on several occasions.
2. Iroduku: The World in Colors - I think the pacing was a little slow but for some reason I didn't even mind because I really liked all of the characters and the whole premise of the show was great.
3. Violet Evergarden - Just a really solid anime all around. I cried so fucking hard at the end of that one episode.
4. Rascal Does not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - The premise of the show reminded me a little of Bakemonogatari but without the batshit insane stuff.
5. A Place Further Than the Universe - What a whimsical ride. Wholeheartedly enjoyed this anime.
6. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - My wife LOVES this anime. At first I didn't even add it to our list because I wasn't really sure if she'd be into it but I'm glad we gave it a try. It's cute, it's funny and has some nice action moments.
7. Bloom into you - I can't really put a finger on why I've enjoyed watching this as much as I did. Maybe it's because I didn't expect the main character to feel / act the way she did which put the anime in a new perspective for me. Still looked forward to the new episode every week so it made the list.
8. Tada Never Falls in Love - Nice little pallet cleanser. Enjoyed the characters and the humor.
9. Boarding School Juliet - I like the characters and the humor a lot. Like Tada it's enjoyable to watch but nothing extraordinaire.
10. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for an Otaku - It was nice to watch an anime with adult characters for a change. I was more interested in the support characters than I was interested in the main characters but overall it was enjoyable to watch.

 

[SliceSabre]

updated my ten with descriptions

 

[Clov]

I didn't watch as much anime this year. I wonder if I'll even be able to fill 10 spots...

TV Anime

1. Devilman Crybaby - The first show I watched in 2018 also turned out to be the best! Another fantastic series from Yuasa.
2. Zombieland Saga - The biggest surprise of the year! A great comedy, which also happens to have this year's best portrayal of a trans character. I really appreciate things like that.
3. Pop Team Epic - Earned this high of a spot because of the "Let's Pop Together" sequence alone.
4. Bloom Into You - The first romance anime I've enjoyed in a long time.
5. Megalo Box - Interesting (though flawed) take on Ashita no Joe.
6. Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight - Not too often you see a musical anime. A bit Ikuhara-esque, though it just makes me want a proper new Ikuhara anime. Thankfully I won't be waiting long.
7. Ms. Vampire who Lives in my Neighborhood - The everyday life of a gay vampire. Very cute show.
8. Mr Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues - I've always wanted to see more Kaiji! This... is not more Kaiji. But close enough, I guess.
9. Gun Gale Online - I can't believe I actually enjoyed something related to SAO, but... I'm really having trouble thinking of more shows here.
10. Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These - Though I prefer the original OVAs, it was still fun to see some of the same events with a fresh coat of paint.

Movies

1. Liz and the Bluebird - The best part of the Euphonium franchise.
2. The Night is Short, Walk on Girl - This debuted overseas in 2018, so nobody will be upset if I just vote for this again this year... right? Anyway, it's a lot of fun!

Honorable Mentions

Learning with Manga! FGO - The best Fate anime in years.

Learning with Manga! FGO is also this year's recipient of the Golden Astolfo Award, given to the best anime featuring Astolfo. Congratulations!

 

[Porl]

Haven't watched like half of the popular animes this year but here goes

Anime TV Series:

1. Laid-back Camp - It just captures the feeling of going out in the wilderness perfectly, and it may have been one of my favorite experiences of 2018. It just washes away all worries you may have in your life. This is one of those anime that you gotta watch late night with a blanket, some hot chocolate, and your headphones on.
2. Devilman: Crybaby - what can I say that hasn't been said before. Amazing animation, some really neat rap, some really bleak scenes, and a real crazy ending.
3. Bloom Into You - this is it. The romance I've been waiting for all these years. No useless drama, no overcomplicated bullshit, no stupid characters. Just human beings with human flaws that talk things out like sensible human people and understand and support each other. They also don't stand for no homophobic bullshit. Some great direction too, I'm eagerly awaiting season 2.
4. Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight - very very gay girls working hard to be great musical stars and also they fight with swords and bows and daggers while singing and while a giraffe watches them. It never loses the focus on the personal relationships and the hardships of being on stage while also doing some really fucking crazy shit that you'd never expect from an anime about dancing girls. Amazing shot compositions, though at times the animation was kinda lacking. Gave us Tendou Maya and Saijo Claudine which are the best thing in the world.
5. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind - it's finally here and it's better than ever! Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous artwork and incredible soundtrack, coupled with some real crazy and Bullshitᵀᴹ fights and stands. Only reason it's so low on this list is that there's only a third of it out, and the other series are Just That Good.
6. Megalo Box - It wasn't particularly deep or complex or revolutionary, but it had such a strong sense of style and the music was so great I just fell in love with it. It's true that it was kinda formulaic in the middle sections but who cares when the soundtrack is just so much fun.
7. Ms. Vampire who Lives in my Neighborhood - gay vampire slice-of-life shenanigans, buying blood from amazon, and avoiding sunlight to get your favorite manga signed by the author. Really fun and funny.
8. Pop Team Epic - Absolute madness with an equally absolutely mad opening and some crazy imaginative bits.
9. Zombieland Saga - I wasn't so hot on the first 3 episodes but then I fell in love with the characters and it's just so heartfelt and just plain fun and great and I love them all especially Saki and Lilly and the legendary Yamada Tae.
10. Violet Evergarden - It has some really obvious flaws and shortcomings in its storytelling but it also made me cry a lot. Like, a lot a lot.

Honorable Mentions

1. Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - this was almost gonna be number 10 but I changed it at the last moment. Great show about some horses who run and sing too for some reason. I guess it also classifies as Idol anime cause it has that creepy dude mentor every idol show has
2. Attack On Titan Season 3 - while still a pretty solid show, I had some gripes with how they rearranged a lot of stuff from the manga, I felt like it didn't flow as well.
3. SSSS.Gridman - Most of the time just a pretty enjoyable action show that pays homage to a great many things, but it had a couple episodes where it left all that monster destroying to the side and they were some really really great episodes.
4. My Hero Academia Season 3 - while I really enjoyed the first half of the season, I felt the second half just didn't connect with me as much, it felt like it had a lot of the tropes I dislike from other anime. Still, it ended on a high note with the Deku vs Kachhan fight and Tintin.

Special mention to Sword Art Online Alternative GGO for being the first anime to actually make me angry in real life, I swear some characters gotta get some professional help, fuck that piece of shit enabling boyfriend

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I think 2018 was the year that taught me that I can keep up with anime more casually and that my true passion probably lies in manga vs anime. I was able to keep up with the few shows I wanted to keep up with, and if the show was great enough to warrant discussion I could always search for a discussion thread on ERA. But I felt it was a whole an OK year at best as more often that not I might have had a very few amount of shows each season worth keeping up with. I learned I don't NEED to watch every single anime show, just find out what gets my interest even if 1 or 2 shows at most in a season, and go from there.

1. Devilman Crybaby - I don't think I can say much about this show that hasn't already. But it is as of right now the best show that Netflix has put out and branded as a 'Netflix Original Anime'. Yuasa is a fucking master of his craft and his previous works tend to stand out with this community. Visually it was gorgeous in that disgusting sort of intentional way, and plotwise it was as breathtaking as it was soul crushing.
2. Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 2 - I'm not even fully done with my watch of the season, but it's just as enjoyable Not-Anime as the first season was. I got one of my closest friends to watch it and yes, laughing at puppets doing badass shit that is more anime than anime itself never gets old. Always a joy to watch.
3. MEGALOBOX - This was probably among my most hyped up shows of the year when I first saw the trailer. For the most part it was very enjoyable, and it was one of those shows I was able to watch with my friends after I did because it didn't have a 'it's good BUT' statement. It flopped a little bit by the end though, which brought down its position.
4. Dragon Ball Super - How could I not put this show in here. If there was ever a season this show deserved a spot in the top 5 of the year, this was it. The final arc is its best arc after all. And it brought some great memories for the show. We all know it's eventually coming back but it's great that they found a solid ending spot for the show for the time being.
5. Hinamatsuri - When you mix a show that is 2 parts hilarious bits with 1 part heartfelt bits, you tend to get great shows. Gintama being one of those. Hinamatsuri did a very solid job in its adaptation as the VA really brought life to the characters. And it even expanded on the comedy. WATASHI NO SMART-OPHONE GAAAAAAAAAA.
6. Record of Grancrest War - My surprise of the season by far. Particularly because it's a show many dropped early on when it was floundering to figure out what tone and what the overall plot was going to be. And I do not blame them as early on the show felt more generic game to TV type of adaptation than it ended up being. Once the show found its grip though, you ended up with the closest show to Anime Game of Thrones we are ever going to get save for Legend of the Galactic Heroes and possibly some of the greater Gundam seasons. But this is the only fantasy version in anime though. We have epic grand wars, we have lords trying to rise up in ranks, we have betrayal and alliances and proving who you are with, we have NTR, we have it all.
7. Cells at Work! - Even if the gimmick was slowly losing its charm when jokes largely revolved around the same situations, it's such a charming show with cute and hilarious characters I had to give it a spot. It always brightened my week the season it was airing.
8. Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory - A very solid return to the series. I am nowhere near the biggest Fullmetal Panic fan, but I do appreciate this show for finally bringing it back from limbo. And it was a fairly solid return at that. Hopefully we keep getting more seasons.
9. Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion - This is probably the definition of throwaway anime that a studio puts up to fill out air time. But hey, I ended up enjoying it. The battles were fun, the tension was enough to get me to return, and the characters did their job. Nothing really stands out about it in the sense of a visual medium. It's probably an acceptable manga. But I didn't watch much this past year so it got a spot.
10. Iroduku: The World in Colors - I watched this show from beginning to end and I had one more spot in my AOTY list to make it to 10 so why not. Even if I am largely disappointed at the wasted potential the show had following the first episode of a super magical show with awesome fantasy bits mixed with modern times, it was fine. If they had removed the magic aspect and just left it as a time travel sci fi type of tale, it would have worked just as fine which is why I feel it was wasted. I still enjoyed the drama and character interactions. It was dramatic without being TOO dramatic. And even though my ship didn't sail at the end, I thought the ride to the end was enjoyable enough I don't necessarily regret watching it.

 

[Tizoc]

Anime TV series

1. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: A great adaptation of the 5th JoJo series. Boasting a lovely soundtrack and wonderful animation direction, the crazy bullshit-ness of the JoJo series comes in full force in this adaptation.
2. Hi Score Girl: While the designs and artstyle of the series may seem weird, at its heart it's a fun little story about a boy and a girl and the hobby that connects them together. The focus on arcade gaming really resonated with me as I would frequent the nearby arcade as a kid.
3. Aggretsuko: Hilarious and fun series with the traditional sanrio cuteness.

 

[Jexhius]

surprised we havent been flooded with the JoJo yet

Click to shrink...

JoJo has never really dominated any Anime of the Year votes and is unlikely to in the future for a number reasons, namely a perceived barrier to entry for any "long running" series (even though each entry is basically self-contained).

 

[EnronERA]

JoJo has never really dominated any Anime of the Year votes and is unlikely to in the future for a number reasons, namely a perceived barrier to entry for any "long running" series (even though each entry is basically self-contained).

Click to shrink...

not to mention the shadowcabal still doing its work behind the scenes~

 

[Narag]

not to mention the shadowcabal still doing its work behind the scenes~

Click to shrink...

shadowcabal loves jojo



or so i heard

 

[Dedication Through Light]

it is difficult to believe the 1st portion of JJBA was some how stronger than much of the other anime in 2018. If people are just voting based on franchise name and strength and not on the merits of the actual anime...

 

[Hypron]

I agree with dtl actually. We just got the first third of the series last year. Sure it's entertaining, but it's just the beginning of the story – literally just an introduction and a couple of monster of the fortnight episodes.

Character arcs have barely started, we haven't even gotten to a turning point yet. That's not a knock on the series, because it's designed to be three cours long, but it makes sense why an incomplete story won't get many mentions.

It will probably feature on some lists for AOTY 2019, but it looks like the competition will be pretty fierce.

 

[rzmunch]

1. Gintama: Silver Soul arc. My favourite anime. Nice combination of comedh and shounen.

2. Overlord 3. My favouritd LN power fantasy.

3. JJBA Part 5 Golden Wind. The anime looks great. I always like more Jojo.

I didnt watch more anime than this.

 

[fertygo]

Incomplete anime llike Jojo should be Ineligible tbh
I'll vote that next year