ResetEra Anime of the Year 2021 - Voting Thread (READ THE OP) [Ends 11:59pm March 5th EST]

SolidSnakeBoy · Jan 1, 2022

Welcome to ResetEra's fifth Anime of the Year (AOTY) voting thread!! This vote allows us to look back on the various anime that came out in the year of 2021, celebrating those that stood out in this often crowded medium.

For better or worse anime can be a difficult medium to get into. Whether it be from the lack of knowledge on which shows are out there or certain associated stereotypes with anime as a medium, it is easy to understand why many remain hesitant to give it a try. The overall goal of these community AOTY voting/results threads are to both celebrate the quality works of the year, while also being a reference for those searching for something new to watch.

Please read the rules below, failure to comply with the rules can lead to part or all of your ballot being disqualified. If you are uncertain about any aspects of the rules, please PM me and I'll do my best to clarify on the subject.

Cut-Off:
The vote will be closing on March 5th, 2022 at 11:59PM EST. Any vote posted or editing of previously posted vote after said time will not be counted.

Rankings:
This year there will be three main rankings for AOTY:

--Anime Series of the year – Top 10
--Anime Movie/OVA of the year – Top 5
--Hidden Gem Anime Series – Top 3

Please remember you can always vote for a subset of the above rankings as you see fit. Also, we will have a FULLY OPTIONAL categories vote, which will be left in spoilers for those who are not interested. Category votes will not impact the other ranking votes in any way.

List of categories:
--Comedy = [C]
--Romance = [ R ]
--Isekai = [ I ]
--Drama = [ D ]
--Action = [ A ]
--Worst Show= [ WS ]
--Worst Production = [ WP ]
--Mystery = [ M ]
--Horror = [ H ]
--Scifi = [ S ]

You may only vote for one show per category. To vote for a category you may simply add the code in brackets in your anime of the year top 10 list. In the case the shows that do not make into your top 10, feel free to add a new list with the show name and category (no need for a description). Please see the example at the end of the rules section.

You will be able to vote up to 10 TV Shows, up to 5 Movies/OVA, and up to 3 hidden gems TV Shows. You can include any number of Honorable Mentions. Honorable Mentions can be shows/Movies/OVA from this year that didn't make the list, as well as any anime you watched in 2021 that may of not came out in 2021 but you felt others would enjoy. When listing Honorable Mentions, please include the words Honorable Mentions above said list so we don't accidentally confuse them for your main voting ballot.

Hidden Gems Rules: The purpose of the Hidden Gem category is to allow more shows to get a spotlight. I have noticed that there is a correlation between popularity and placement in the final tally, leaving many excellent shows relegated to obscurity. The expectation here is that folks should provide a more detailed description for their picks, highlighting the show's merits. DO NOT Abuse this category, i.e. do not put shows here that are widely known and watched by the community. I reserve the right to invalidate entries that do not go along with the spirit of this category. Examples of ineligible shows for gems are Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia.

Eligibility:

Anime Series/Hidden Gem/Categories – Any series that was broadcasted in Japan in 2021 can be included on your list. This also includes long running shows that started prior to 2021 like One Piece. As well as, multi-course shows from 2020 (Like Jujutsu Kaisen); which started in Fall of 2020 but also ran in Winter + Spring of 2021. Also eligible are ONA shows that dropped all at once (usually via Netflix) in 2021. Any show that began in 2022 is not allowed.

There is one exception to the aired in 2021 rule: If a Netflix anime that originally broadcasted in 2020 in Japan but was stuck in Netflix jail for the west. If Netflix did not release said anime in your region until 2021, then you may include in your top 10 list.

Anime Movie/OVA – Due to the nature of how Movies/OVAs are distributed, the rules for this section differ from the TV shows. If a Movie/OVA released in Japan in 2021 you may include it in your list. If a Movie/OVA became available in your territory in 2021, you can include it in your list. Any work that can viewed via a film festival screening / theoretical screening / or was released for the first time on home media in 2021 is eligible.

Not Anime/Fake Anime/ Etc... –This year we are expanding the eligibility to works produced by Asian studios. Works from other regions of the world will not be permitted as in previous years. This change is due to the increasing number of productions made outside of Japan that would be easily confused for "Anime" broadly. This point is an ongoing discussion and will keep revisiting in future years, your feedback is welcomed here. Non-Japanese Asian shows listed under MAL as ONA will count as Anime Series for the purposes of this vote.

Voting Format:

All votes should look like this format:

Link Click – A tour de force in polished storytelling. Filled with gut wrenching emotional vignettes and captivating mystery arcs. Few shows can tackle such a tired trope as time travel and use it to bring us to tears.
Sonny Boy – A visually arresting coming of age tale. It is presented almost entirely with visual storytelling. It is a true showpiece of the medium.
Ranking of Kings – Wit studio at its best. Stunning and emotive animation brings this fairy tale world to life. Having a story focus on such a unique and inspiring figure as Bojji is more than we deserve.
Jutsu Kaisen – A shonen show that rises above others with incredible animation, perfect comedy, and interesting world building.
Fruit Basket the Final– The conclusion of the gut-wrenching tale of a bunch of cursed animal children being abused and their depressed friend...it's good I promise.
OddTaxi – A marvel of Anime writing. Interconnected stories that keep you on edge as the veil is lifted on their connections. Also, a PSA for the dangers of Gacha.
Attack on Titan S4 P1 – MAPPA flexes to prove they can land the setup for one of the most anticipated finales in recent history. The drama is on point and the stage is set perfectly for what is to come.
Mars Red – A wonderful experiment in putting up a play in anime form. Some of the most stunning framed shots this year. Did I also mention it has hot vampires?
Heaven's Design Team – A hilarious educational show. Wonderful cast of characters bringing to life the wonderful creatures of our world…..after a couple of detours along the way.
Wonder Egg Priority – DO NOT VOTE FOR THIS, you have been warned.

For the above format just add the code you wish to vote for after the show name i.e:

3. Jujutsu Kaisen [A][H] – A shonen show that rises above others with incredible animation, perfect comedy, and interesting world building.

Please see the codes in the previous spoiler.

Please have your list numbered in the same way as show above. Do not do 10 to 1, if done that way your ballot may be tossed. A visual example of what not to do will be shown below.
Please do not include a Power Gap. If you only have 5 shows you want to list simply list them 1-5, do not do 1-3 (POWER GAP) 9-10. If included your ballot may be tossed, an "Eye Catching" visual example of the power gap will be included below.

Please include a comment about each show for your ballot to counted. You don't have to write an essay (you can though), a few words on why this show appealed to you will suffice.
Please use the English name of the show when listing your shows in your list. The English name is the one that the streaming service like Crunchyroll/HIDIVE/Etc. use on their platform. Also, please use the full name of the show, do not use nicknames/shortened names like MHA4 for My Hero Academia Season 4 or FFS2 for Fire Force Season 2. You can include the Japanese name after the English name inside ( ).
For shows that have multiple seasons that aren't continuous like Attack on Titan, please include Season # after the title. This can either be done as Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 1, Attack on Titan S4 P1 or Attack on Titan (Season 4 Part 1), either of these ways are acceptable. The one exception to this rule is if a show has had multiple upon multiple seasons like Pokemon, there is no need to shove a (Season 10) after said titles.
For any show that had multiple seasons in the year of 2021, the show for both seasons must be included in a single ballot vote on your list.
Please do not post open, un-tagged spoilers anywhere in this thread.
Please do not do a 'Reserve' post to hold a spot in a thread to eventually post your ballot. There is no need to do this, just post your ballot when you are finished writing it.
You can edit your ballot until the deadline passes.
Feel free to include images to your ballot, please try to avoid using too many gifs and make sure your images are well formatted.
Points are in descending order, with your #1 being worth 10 points, your #2 being worth 9 points and so on until your #10 which is worth 1 point. For films your #1 is worth 5 points and your #5 worth 1 point. For Hidden Gems we will do #1 being worth 10 points, #2 5 points, and #3 2 points.
[Spoiler/] Categories – Category votes count as a single point [/spoiler]

Full Example Template:
Please check the below example before posting your list. Thank you!

Anime TV Series
1. Series A - Your thoughts on Series A.
2. Series B - Your thoughts on Series B.
3. Series C - Your thoughts on Series C.
4. Series D - Your thoughts on Series D.
5. Series E - Your thoughts on Series E.
6. Series F - Your thoughts on Series F.
7. Series G - Your thoughts on Series G.
8. Series H - Your thoughts on Series H.
9. Series I - Your thoughts on Series I.
10. Series J - Your thoughts on Series J.

Anime TV Series
1. Series A [CODES] - Your thoughts on Series A.
2. Series B [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series B.
3. Series C [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series C.
4. Series D [CODES] - Your thoughts on Series D.
5. Series E [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series E.
6. Series F [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series F.
7. Series G [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series G.
8. Series H [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series H.
9. Series I [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series I.
10. Series J [CODES]- Your thoughts on Series J.

Anime Movie/OVA Series
1. Film/OVA A - Your thoughts on Film/OVA A.
2. Film/OVA B - Your thoughts on Film/OVA B.
3. Film/OVA C - Your thoughts on Film/OVA C.
4. Film/OVA D - Your thoughts on Film/OVA D.
5. Film/OVA E - Your thoughts on Film/OVA E.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series
1. Hidden Gem Series A - Your thoughts on Hidden Gem Series A.
2. Hidden Gem Series B - Your thoughts on Hidden Gem Series B.
3. Hidden Gem Series C - Your thoughts on Hidden Gem Series C.

Categories
-Series A [CODES]
-Series B [CODES]
-Series C [CODES]
-Series D [CODES]

Honorable Mention
x. Honorable mention - Your thoughts on it.

If you have no clue where to begin, here is an editor's choice of shows you might want to check out:

Link Click
Sonny Boy
Shadow's House
OddTaxi
Vivy
Megalobox: Nomad
Sk8
Komi San Can't Communicate
Ranking of Kings
Those Snow White Notes

This is not a comprehensive list. Please check other vote posts for ideas.

Remember to get your votes in before the deadline of March 5th, 2022 at 11:59 EST. Also, once again if you have any questions, please PM me.
Have fun writing up your lists and watching through your anime backlog to get your list finalized! Good luck, everyone!

Deleted member 16876 · Jan 1, 2022

Anime TV Series
1. Link Click [ S ]

First chinese animation I ever watched and man, what an introduction. I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew going in was that there was some time traveling involved and a "monster of the week" structure. Then I started watching it and was hooked. It has it all, great pacing, interesting stories and characters (some based on real life events) and the animation/direction of the anime is really well done. The music too deserves a lot of praise because it hit perfectly and only made each scene even better. Really great series. A sequel is supposed to come this year and I can't wait for it.

2. Nomad Megalo Box 2 [ D ]

I loved the first Megalo Box. It was like something that came right out of my childhood. I had fun with it and when looking back, it had issues but all in all it was fun and the ending felt complete. This on the other hand... To put it simply, it blew me away. For two reasons. The themes introduced in this season and the fact they decided to risk the original's "complete" ending and take it a direction that was unexpected. The first season was a generic "rise to the top and defeat rival" story. Nothing midblowing. This on the other hand went in a dark direction. Themes like loss, racism, poverty, tech bros, parenthood, drug abuse and more are focused on and it is such a great idea. I really really commend them for going the direction they did. Other improvements over the original is how each character in the anime is deep and have layers. Even the kids who were generic kids in the first season are fleshed out in this and it was really cool to see this. The fights have all improved as well and while they are not as good as something like Ippo, they are much better than the first and there is actual strategy and foot work in this.

If you felt the first season was kinda meh, give this a watch. I am pretty sure it will blow you away.

3. Odd Taxi [ M ]

This was a big surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect and went in blind which is IMO the best way to get into it. All you need to know is that this is a mystery anime and has some really amazing story telling and dialogue. Especially the later which feels more like a japanese real action drama compared to most anime out there. Very Yakuza series feeling.

Production wise it is perfect. There are no flaws and all elements ranging from visuals to music to pacing is just perfection.

4. Fruits Basket Final [ R ]

And so ended this series. Overall it was a great series and it was great to finally experience Fruits Basket as intended. I had watched the old anime which was very different but this blew me away. It go so dark and emotional. The drama was really well done and I enjoyed the character development most characters got. There were some problematic things in the mix but thankfully the worst is being put into a movie so you can pretend it doesn't exist like I do.

5. Zombieland Saga Revenge [H]

Second season to the anime that tricked me into watching an idol anime and it is just as good if not better. There were tons of cool moments in this and the songs are amazing. While the CGI did return in some scenes, they did an amazing job mixing it with the animated parts of the anime. They work really well and don't look out of place. First season had some jank but this was much more improved. While we didn't end up getting a Tae backstory episode, we got more character building for the other girls (and the arc for Yuugiri that everyone was hyped for but never got in the first season). All around it is a great successor to the last season and a blast. The teaser for the next part was great and I am looking forward to what they do next.

6. Shadows House

Really cool mystery anime that came out of nowhere and was great. I was hooked from the start to the end. Characters are really well written and interesting. The most standouts for me is Emillico and Kate. Emillico in particular is a character I would normally hate yet I really loved her character in this. Without her the anime would fall apart as her cheerful and innocent character contrasts really well with the dark and gloomy atmosphere in this world. The rest of the characters are really interesting and even though some do have trope personality on the surface, I felt they were more interesting than they appear. Production, art work, voice acting and execution are really good and it looks awesome. Shouts out to the music which was amazing. The end and intro are awesome and the ending is a contender for one of the best out there.

7. Isekai Restaurant 2 [ I ]

A sequal to one of the best isekai ever. As the name implies, it is about a restaurant that is tied to an another world. This is a pretty fun setup as it serves as a food reviews and has some really interesting characters from another world and their reactions to our world's dishes and food. You get beings like elfs, demons, lizardmen, dwarfs, vampires, dragons etc etc and humans of course. Every character in this are interesting and it actually makes me wish we got a spin off in their worlds. That's how good the world building and characters are. I could never watch this without having something to eat as the food in this looks really good and makes me hungry. Funny how cartoony looking food can make me feels this but here we are. Highly recommended to anyone wanting an interesting and unique anime.

8. Sonny Boy

Didn't know what to expect when watching this. Heck I still don't know what I watched. I have some theories yet I am not sure if they even apply. And this is exactly why I loved it. You don't know what to expect and you have so many questions that you will need to speculate and answer them yourself. Or speculate with others. It was weird. It was nostalgic.

The visuals and sound design was great and they had a minimalist quality to them. This was really cool and I found it really refreshing.

As you could probably tell, this review is a mess. More of a mess than the other messy reviews in this post but I can't help it as this anime is just hard to describe and put into words.

9. Iruma Season 2 [C]

Season 2 of Iruma was even better than the first one which I already loved. This season focused more on the class and had some interesting twists in the mix. And probably the best date ever in anime. It had some rough visuals in some episodes but it wasn't the worst. Season 3 when?

10. Heaven's Design Team

This was a big surprise. Wasn't sure what I was in for going in but what I got is an anime that portrays evolution of animals with prototypes and improvements like the way inventors design devices or even pc programs/games. This was really fun and the characters are great with really fun dynamics. Highly recommended if you want something interesting and want to learn stuff about animals.

Anime Movie/OVA Series
1. Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Movie
Great movie that continued right where the series left off. Really liked it.
2. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
Great finale to the series and hopefully it stays that way. Was satisfying and a great movie.
3. Demon Slayer Train Arc
I am one of those that don't think Demon Slayer is that good plot wise. This however made me actually care for some of the characters.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series
- Heike Story
- Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Season 2
- Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
-Uramichi Onii-san
Still not done with this but so far it is really funny and very real :(

First two are supposed to be on my list but by the time I remembered them the list was filled. Really liked them. Irina was pretty cool too.

SolidSnakeBoy · Jan 1, 2022

I also need to finalize my write up but I think this is going to be it:

Anime TV Series

1. Sonny Boy [ S ] -- This show is a triumph! Yes, it is often deliberately obtuse and unabashedly dispenses with conventional narrative structures, but what it achieves in doing so is stunning. Sonny Boy tells a fairly standard coming of age story, but the way it is laid out as a thematic exploration is mesmerizing. Every shot is chockful of symbolism and meaning. Every episode becomes a new and uniquely animated story about introspection both positive and negative, with most of it being told visually; the audience is challenged to fill in the gaps, to look at the character through a visual lens that veers into architecture. I love this kind of storytelling because it is deeply interpretative, we as an audience member must bring as much to bear as the storyteller to create meaning. This is a show that I will keep coming back for years to keep mining for new perspectives and details.

2. Link Click [ D ] -- We all have regrets, continuing to live with them and wishing we could change the past is the central object of study of this wonderful drama. Structured into arcs and vignettes that each serve as a new story to digest; Link Click manages to stir something inside of us with each new tale, often to tears. It does so with an incredibly proficient production, wonderful use of lighting, stunning direction, and a fantastic eye for pacing. The team behind this show is giving their all and it shows. Animation is the art of approximation, able to capture reality without exactness, to emulate as imprecisely and yet as accurately as necessary. Link Click manages to Animate the immense weight of regret and make it a performance where at least one piece will resonate with us, Animation at its best.

3. OddTaxi [ M ] -- An exquisite finely crafted tale that intermixes dozens of character stories and plots to present a gripping narrative. OddTaxi is a masterclass in Anime writing, each conversation is tightly written and often brimming with wit, each scene structured around easing the mystery. Said overarching plot unfolds naturally and is never afraid to keep adding elements to the puzzle, trusting the audience and rewarding their attention. The final payoff at the intersection of all of these stories is sublime. Couple it with some of the finest art direction and acting in Anime and we have a modern classic of mystery dramas.

4. Fruit Basket The Final [ R ] -- The feeling of release in seeing the ending of this series and its characters is nothing short of cathartic. Yes, there are pacing issues and more than a couple of endpoints that fully unearned, but taken as a whole this final season felt satisfying. Lots of incredible emotional highs as we uncover the mystery and see how it directly impacts the lives of the cursed Soma members. Overall a worthy adaptation.

5. Attack on Titan S4 P1 [ A ] -- MAPPA serves a pretty faithful adaptation and beats expectations on the animation department. It is not as pretty as Wit's work, but it is more than enough to allow the action scenes to land. The directing work is on point to land all of the escalating intrigue and political games. Fantastic season and I can't wait to see where the series lands in P2.

6. To Your Eternity -- This show delivers incredible emotional beats, often bringing me to tears. I think that some of its arcs faltered hard, but they are compensated by the better ones. The first episode of this series is one of the best executed vignettes in recent memory. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

7. Sk8: The Infinity -- I absolute adore this show in the most self-indulgent of ways. The pervasive homoeroticism, the balls-to-the-wall madness skating, and the over the top nature of the antagonist and the extended cast, all works for me! It all comes together to make a series that oozes style and is clearly a work of love. I will not defend the queerbaiting elements or the way it handles the villain, but those don't rise to the level of tarnishing the thrill of this ride. I also like that this lands more on the dramatic side of sports anime.

8. Those Snow White Notes -- This show has such a fantastic first half. The way it presents its music and intertwines it with the emotions and the history of the characters is incredible. I was brought to tears a couple of times. The second half ends up approaching closer to your usual sports anime competition deal, and while the performances are great, the drama becomes a little hard to swallow and is not fully developed. It clearly needed more episodes to adapt a better through line. Overall the first half of this show is enough to land it in this list, and I can't imagine how high it would have been if they could have landed the second half.

9. Mars Red -- After I finished this show, I sat in silence for ten minutes, wrestling with my feelings on it. I'm still not sure if it is good and flawed or if it is flawed with some good. What I do know is that it made me feel something in its experiment to adapt a play as an anime. The way vampirism is used to represent war, love, and vengeance themes is interesting. The way some of these episodes culminate on theatrical climaxes is at times mesmerizing. I do not think I can call this a good show, but it sure is a captivating experience, and for that I think it rises above "better" shows I have seen this year.

10. Ranking of Kings --Wit studio comes out swinging with this heartwarming and stunningly good-looking fantasy show. Bojji's hearing and strength disabilities serve to present a unique character, whose struggle to overcome adversity with a smile melts my heart. The entire cast is nicely fleshed out and the world they inhabit is always growing and becoming more interesting. There is real fine craftmanship in how this show is paced and directed. I am delighted to see where this show will go and where it will take our best boy

Anime Movie/OVA Series
1.Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time -- This movie is a masterpiece. It manages to serve as a powerful conclusion to the Evangelion series both thematically and narratively. The way it juggles meta textualism and internal narrative is simply jaw dropping. It succeeds in reflecting on 20+ years of evangelion, revisiting the in-universe themes and how they have been consumed and internalized by an entire generation of viewers. It is not a perfect film, especially the action sequences, but the sum of its parts makes it a true ode to Evangelion, and by extension what Animation can be as a cultural obelisk.

2.Gintama: The Final -- It is not often that we get to see the conclusion of one of Anime's longest running series. The fact that it manages to land all the emotional beats and comedy ends that have become the staple of this series is wonderful. Gintama is now a fully adapted series, and will stand for decades as the greatest animated comedy, concluded and never tainted by a drop in quality.

3. Stranger by the Sea -- While a little rushed, this film captures the beautiful love between two gay men and their struggles with insecurity. It is heartfelt, has a great execution of a sex scene, and just gives me hope for humanity. I can only pray we get more films like this made in the future.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series
1. Link Click -- see above
2. Sonny Boy -- see above
3. Heaven's Design Team -- A wonderful education show that is filled to the brim with incredible comedy beats. The wonderful and diverse cast help bring this idea of designing animals from first principles to life. The journey to each animal being approved is one that will leave you in tears of joy.

Categories
- Wonder Egg Priority [ WS ]
- Promised Neverland [ WP ]
- Heaven's Design Team [ C ]

djinn · Jan 1, 2022

Still got a few more anime to get through but I feel the top 5 is pretty solid as of now.

TV Series

Fruits Basket S3 [ R ] - There was never a doubt this would be my number one, much as I would like to think otherwise of myself. Fruits Basket means a lot to me. It's been a dream come true to see one of my most beloved series get an adaptation it deserves. Most impressive was that despite cuts and changes to the original material the final season is so cohesive and will directed. I'm so happy you all got to meet Tohru and her found family. It's been an absolute pleasure watching newcomers reactions to this season and its big cathartic finale. I'll be coming back to this anime this year and probably every year to come.
Megalo Box: Nomad [ D ] - If there was any anime that challenged my number one spot it was Nomad. A complete masterpiece of animation, story, characters and music. Choosing to move some of the focus off Joe and onto immigrant families and their stories was a brilliant move. I loved Chief and Mac and the considerate and thoughtful examination of some of the problems immigrants face. That's not to say Joe had nothing to share. His struggle with grief, guilt and addiction was exceptionally directed. This anime tackled so many heavy themes, much like a certain other anime of last year. But whereas that anime turned into a heavy-fisted scrambled mess, Nomad was a practically flawlessly written and directed series that even elevated its previous lacklustre season to new heights. If you gave Megalo Box season 1 a shot and found it mediocre then please don't turn away from season 2. It is perfection.
Odd Taxi [ M ] - There hasn't been anything quite like Odd Taxi before in anime. A Coen-esque film noire with a cast of anthropomorphic animals. Do not let the animals put you off. This was perhaps the most tightly written and directed anime of last year (which is saying something because last year had some absolutely stunning anime). This is an easy recommendation to any casual viewer and a "why haven't you watched it yet?" to every anime fan.
Link Click - Link Click is a perfect single cour show. The hook at the end of the first episode gets you interested, the following episodes get you invested and the final arc has you promising to return for the second season. It's perfectly paced, exciting and moving anime. The one fault is Funimation's terrible sub translation.
Sonny Boy [ S ] - An examination of youth both intimate and expansive in scope. Sonny Boy takes a risk every episode it has. Not all of it flies but the tales that do are thought provoking and spectacular. I found the best way to engage with Sonny Boy is to view it as a concept album, each episode telling an individual story that connects to a theme. It helps that it has the best soundtrack of 2021, dreamlike guitar riffs and lo-fi tunes carry you through the show. It's a trip.
Vivy Fluorite Eye's Song - AS YOU LIKE MY PLEASURE. Popcorn fun, really pretty and entertaining. Great music too.
Ranking of Kings - Faltering a bit in its second half doesn't mean this show isn't worth the investment or the love it's received. At its worst, Ranking of Kings has a lot of heart. At its best it's the best fantasy of 2021, gorgeous, gut-wrenching and heartwarming all at once.
Zombieland Saga: Revenge [ C ] - Our girls that missed out on an episode last season are finally rewarded in spades. Yugiri, Junko and the Legendary Tae Yamada finally get their time to shine.
Digimon Ghost Game [ H ] - Ghost Game is filling that light horror entertainment that Doctor Who left behind. Digimon have never been more terrifying or vicious. In a series assumed for children, our heroes are regularly tortured and kidnapped by a monster of the week. It's good weekly entertainment and it's been a long time since Digimon was this good.
Heaven's Design Team - Utterly charming and very educational. I learnt a lot whilst watching this show!

Hidden Gems:

Link Click
Sonny Boy
Heaven's Design Team

metalmonstar · Jan 1, 2022

Anime TV Series

Odd Taxi- OddTaxi is a rare anime. The dialogue and story telling are unlike most anime. The way the characters talk feels surprisingly natural. The story is a web of characters all weaved together to make a fascinating story. It sticks the landing and ties everything together so well. The best show I watched last year.
Attack On Titan Final Season P1 - Mappa takes the reigns for this season and delivers. Declaration of War is probably one of the better episodes of Attack on Titan. This season adds new perspective and elements to its story. A season filled with twists and turns. Only downside is the cliffhanger ending setting up for Part 2.
Vivy Fluorite Eye Song - Vivy Fluorite Eye Song is a SciFi thriller that grabs from the very start. The visuals, action, voice acting, and music are all absolutely fantastic. A solid story and good character arcs round up this fantastic show.
Fruits Basket S3 - Is a great romance/drama. This season is no exception as we finally bring everything that has to its conclusion. The second half of the season is basically finale quality episode after episode.
Re Zero S2 P2 - Not quite as strong as this seasons part 1 that aired back in 2020 but still a very good continuation of the ReZero story.
Sonny Boy - Sonny Boy is a trip of psychedelic visuals full of symbolism. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those it does click with you are in for a treat.
Shadow House - Is one of the best suspense shows of the year. It starts off pretty lighthearted only to slowly begin to peel back the layers that reveal the more sinister nature of its world and story. It is a well paced atmospheric show with great leads. Shadow House has one of the best OSTs of the year.
Bottom Tier Tomozaki - At its core is the journey of self improvement. It gets off to a bit a rough start but after episode 1 it really starts to hit its stride. Tomozaki makes more progress in single episodes than other characters do all season. Tomozaki is complemented with a well designed and colorful cast of characters. If you are a fan of SNAFU this is certainly worth a glance.
Pretty Derby S2 - Season one was a simple cute horse girls racing. Season 2 on the other hand elevates Pretty Derby to an excellent sports drama. Probably one of the best sports anime I have seen.
Link Click - Is a character driven drama delivered through its time travel vehicle. The characters are well developed with good individual story and character arcs. My main criticism was the weaker overarching story and the subtitle quality.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series

Pretty Derby S2 - Season one was a simple cute horse girls racing. Season 2 on the other hand elevates Pretty Derby to an excellent sports drama. Probably one of the best sports anime I have seen.
Bakuten - Bakuten is a rhythmic gymnastics anime. The OST is outstanding and the CG gymnastics sequences are beyond phenomenal. Beyond the looks and sounds is a good story as well.
Magia Record - Magia Record features some top notch fight animation and a great OST. The atmosphere and story telling were improved this season as well. Sadly Shaft is shaft so it stumbles in pretty much every aspect towards the end.

Categories

Odd Taxi [M]
Vivy Fluroite Eye Song[Sc]
Re Zero S2 [Is]
Komi-San can't Communicate [C]
Fruits Basket S3 [R]
Wonder Egg [WP]
Ex Arm [WS]
Mieruko-chan [H]

djinn · Jan 1, 2022

Ehh nvm I read the op 😅

Kewlmyc · Jan 2, 2022

Not voting since I didn't watch a lot of anime this year, but looking forward to the results to know what to watch. Only watched AoT, Odd Taxi, Horimiya, and Mushoku Tensei this year. Would only vote for Odd Taxi and maybe AoT of the stuff I watched.

lvl 99 Pixel · Jan 2, 2022

Anime TV Series

Odd Taxi – Great little series where characters speak more like humans than tropes. Truly Scary Capoeira.
Ranking of Kings – Nicely animated show starring a character who is more expressive than most without saying a word.
Jujutsu Kaisen – I love some simple concept shounen when its executed this well.
Link Click – Biggest surprise of the year. The animation and background art is at times stunning.
Attack on Titan – The change in studio is jarring but its still fascinating and well made.
Beastars S2 – Orange continues to improve on their mixed media animation style and actor performances are still more natural than other shows.
Sk8 The Infinity – This is dumb af but in the way that I can't look away. Used to skate every day so some of the references were cool.
Star Wars Visions – It took Star Wars to have cool bunny girls who aren't just dumb fanservice.

Still getting through Sonny Boy and Heike Story but distractions keep popping up.

SolidSnakeBoy · Jan 2, 2022

Kewlmyc said:
Not voting since I didn't watch a lot of anime this year, but looking forward to the results to know what to watch. Only watched AoT, Odd Taxi, Horimiya, and Mushoku Tensei this year. Would only vote for Odd Taxi and maybe AoT of the stuff I watched.

We have two months left. Feel free to take a look at the editors choice suggestions or other votes. Feel free to stop by the season anime thread if you want to get recs more tuned.

SinOfHeart · Jan 2, 2022

Anime TV Series:

Shadows House [ M ] – Just a super interesting world and set of characters that sucked me in. I really want to see where things go next.
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun (Season 2) - This show is just fun and silly and I absolutely love every second of it. I was in love with the first season and I still love the second.
Ranking of Kings - All of the characters are amazing, and I feel like they really tried and succeeded at presenting a deaf protagonist. This is also a show where I feel like with moving visuals and audio it probably adds a lot to the story which was much harder to convey with just images and text alone.
Zombie Land Saga Revenge - I haven't ever really been into idol shows, but I absolutely adored the first season. The second season kind of starts with an interesting angle following the first, and I really enjoyed the show a lot. The opening is also amazing.
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S [ C ] – I really like the down to earth nature of this show (even though it is very fantastical and often very silly).
Re Zero (Season 2, Part 2) [ I ] - I feel like this is nowhere near as strong as the first season, but I still find aspects of the world fairly interesting. I wish some things that were explored at the start of the season got more closer than they did by the end. This season had Frederica who I thought was awesome though, and I hope there will be more of her in the future.
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X - I enjoy how light hearted this show is, even if the main character is kind of an air head. The first season was actually what got me back into watching more anime, and I still enjoyed this second season a lot (I honestly was kind of wondering how they would keep going after the first season).
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 2, Part 1) - I started this show in 2021, but I enjoyed the second season a lot, just more ridiculous stuff from the OP slime.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season 2, Part 2) - I started this show in 2021, but I enjoyed the second season a lot, just more ridiculous stuff from the OP slime.

Deleted member 2802 · Jan 3, 2022

Honorable Mention
X. Arcane - Not anime, but fantastic visuals - this is most probably the future of anime. The story isn't as compelling as I don't play leeg, but wowza the visuals are just out of this world amazing. I think Fortiche and clones of this style are going to be in heavy demand.

Anime TV Series
1. OddTaxi - A clever little slice of life anime - the less you know the better. I went in knowing nothing and was just blown away.
2. STAR WARS: VISIONS - Not anime, oh wait this is anime. Absolutely clever takes on the dark vs light side with some breathtaking sakuga. Watching a few minutes worth of these and I'm thinking this is what Star Wars should be.
3. Attack on Titan S4 P1 - Read the manga ending and I liked it, but hoooooooboy is the internet in for it whenever this fucking ends. I don't know if they can match the OP & ED for P2. WAAAR. WAAAARRR.
4. Dragon's Blood - I like Dota 2. Story is a little wonky but there was some cool scenes. I love Studio Mir, so hopefully they can up their game S2 is Jan 18.

Anime Movie
1. The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf - If you liked the Netflix series or the games a wonderful little sidestory movie by Studio Mir.

SolidSnakeBoy is Studio Mir and Star Wars: Visions anime? I can change them if they don't fit in the criteria. Made in Asia is quite a wide net. Do you also include the Lucasarts Singapore studio that does the Star Wars Clone Wars stuff?

ninnanuam · Jan 3, 2022

Anime TV Series
1. Tokyo Revengers [A] - Fun characters, pretty interesting mystery, decent fights, and time travel. Its tropey and dumb but somehow it got its hooks into me.
2. Odd Taxi [D] - emotional crime drama, wasn't expecting much and was blown away.
3. Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan [C] - The only comedy series that was consistently funny in 2021.
4. The Heike Story - Its beautiful and tragic.
5. Laid Back Camp 2nd Season - Sometimes I just want a chill show before I go to bed and Laid Back Camp is the fucking chillest.
6. Blue Period - A great show about making art and trying to succeed.
7. Jujutsu Kaisen - My favorite fights all year.
8. Remake Our Life - Another fix your life by time travelling show, but in this case there are some unintended consequences.
9. Horimiya - I haven't liked a school comedy romance this much since Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun.
10. Super Cub - I'm pretty sure this was a Honda ad in anime series form, but it was very melancholic and slow, a perfect just before bed show.

zulux21 · Jan 3, 2022

ninnanuam said:
Anime TV Series
1. Tokyo Revengers [A] - Fun characters, pretty interesting mystery, decent fights, and time travel. Its tropey and dumb but somehow it got its hooks into me.
2. Odd Taxi [D] - emotional crime drama, wasn't expecting much and was blown away.
3. Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan [C] - The only comedy series that was consistently funny in 2021.
4. The Heike Story - Its beautiful and tragic.
5. Laid Back Camp 2nd Season - Sometimes I just want a chill show before I go to bed and Laid Back Camp is the fucking chillest.
6. Blue Period - A great show about making art and trying to succeed.
7. Jujutsu Kaisen - My favorite fights all year.
8. Remake Our Life - Another fix your life by time travelling show, but in this case there are some unintended consequences.
9. Horimiya - I haven't liked a school comedy romance this much since Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun.
10. Super Cub - I'm pretty sure this was a Honda ad in anime series form, but it was very melancholic and slow, a perfect just before bed show.

All that time travel stuff but Vivy and Link Click didn't manage to make the cut for you?
And if you haven't watched Link Click yet, do yourself a favor and make some time to watch Link Click even if it's not in time for this thread :)

ninnanuam · Jan 3, 2022

zulux21 said:
All that time travel stuff but Vivy and Link Click didn't manage to make the cut for you?
And if you haven't watched Link Click yet, do yourself a favor and make some time to watch Link Click even if it's not in time for this thread :)

I watched the first two Link Click episodes and it didn't grab me. I haven't tried Vivy, I might give it a go tonight.

zulux21 · Jan 3, 2022

ninnanuam said:
I watched the first two Link Click episodes and it didn't grab me. I haven't tried Vivy, I might give it a go tonight.

Ah. I liked it well enough from the start, but episodes 3-5 were the ones that really sold me on Link Click as that is the first major story arc. (I'll eventually get to my list but I'm still finishing some stuff, but when I get to it Link Click will be in my top 3)

SolidSnakeBoy · Jan 3, 2022

shira said:
Honorable Mention
X. Arcane - Not anime, but fantastic visuals - this is most probably the future of anime. The story isn't as compelling as I don't play leeg, but wowza the visuals are just out of this world amazing. I think Fortiche and clones of this style are going to be in heavy demand.

Anime TV Series
1. OddTaxi - A clever little slice of life anime - the less you know the better. I went in knowing nothing and was just blown away.
2. STAR WARS: VISIONS - Not anime, oh wait this is anime. Absolutely clever takes on the dark vs light side with some breathtaking sakuga. Watching a few minutes worth of these and I'm thinking this is what Star Wars should be.
3. Attack on Titan S4 P1 - Read the manga ending and I liked it, but hoooooooboy is the internet in for it whenever this fucking ends. I don't know if they can match the OP & ED for P2. WAAAR. WAAAARRR.
4. Dragon's Blood - I like Dota 2. Story is a little wonky but there was some cool scenes. I love Studio Mir, so hopefully they can up their game S2 is Jan 18.

Anime Movie
1. The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf - If you liked the Netflix series or the games a wonderful little sidestory movie by Studio Mir.

SolidSnakeBoy is Studio Mir and Star Wars: Visions anime? I can change them if they don't fit in the criteria. Made in Asia is quite a wide net. Do you also include the Lucasarts Singapore studio that does the Star Wars Clone Wars stuff?

For the sake of keeping things simple (if not perhaps clean) , I will add that it is Asian studios doing work in their respective languages (i.e with their local demographic in mind). So I think it is a case by case for Studio Mir, and a yes on Star Wars Visions.

Pellaidh · Jan 3, 2022

Didn't really care for most shows this year, so this will be a pretty short list. Which is fine cause I spent way to long writing this as is.

Anime TV Series

1. So I'm a Spider, So What? - One of the most fun anime protagonists I've seen in a while, and a great example of just how much good voice acting can add to the series. Making a spider of all things likeable is a hard task by itself, and it's made even harder when this particular spider's favorite hobby is committing mass murder. But the show somehow makes it work, and said spider absolutely carries the show completely by herself.

Sadly, only about half of the anime actually features the spider. The other half is spent on following of the most absolutely boring anime casts do generic isekai stuff. This part is utterly pointless story-wise, and adds nothing to the show.

Still, the spider parts alone are good enough to make this my anime of the year.

Oh and it also has the best anime ED of all time.

2. Jujutsu Kaisen - Even though this season was no where near as good as last year's, spending most of its time on character introductions, Jujutsu Kaisen remains by far the best battle shounen airing right now, if not of all time.

3. Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- - A really good episodic time travel/robot apocalypse show that sadly never quite manages to put together a cohesive overall narrative. Still, some of the stand-alone episodes are incredible, and it also features some of the best action animation of the year.

4. The Way of the Househusband - While this is a rather disappointing adaptation (being a motion comic rather than a full anime), it still manages to be good simply because the source material is so incredible. I'd personally recommend the manga over it, but for people who only watch anime this is still a good way to experience one of the better comedy manga series that are currently being published.

Anime Movie/OVA Series

1. POKÉTOON - Came out of absolutely nowhere to become my favorite anime of the year. Poketoon is essentially an anthology series of anime shorts based on the Pokemon franchise. All of them are good, but the real highlights are the four shorts made by studio Colorido. The studio already had experience with Pokemon with last year's Twilight Wings, but the studio's work on Poketoon takes a lot of what was good about Twilight Wings and just upgrades it to a ridiculous degree.

A Budding Dream is easily the highlight of the bunch, featuring what would essentially be the first episode of a more traditional Pokemon show, or an intro to one of the games. What makes it so great is the protagonist, Tsubomi, who is both incredibly earnest in trying to become a Pokemon trainer while also being just as clumsy in her attempts at becoming one you'd expect from a young kid. This is all aided by incredible character animation that does a superb job of capturing her character, and overall the entire short is just incredibly well produced.

The Warm and Cozy Slugma House is much simpler in premise, telling the story of a young girl staying with her grandparents for the night. But while the story is incredibly simple, the short does an amazing job of capturing just how magical it would be to grow up as a kid in the Pokemon universe. Which is something that is oddly missing from a lot of the other takes on the franchise.

A big reason that these two stand out in particular to me is that despite being clearly aimed at kids (the only way to watch them is on the Pokemon Kids channel), they actually give a surprisingly large amount of attention to older characters. While A Budding Dream focuses primarily on Tsubomi, there's also a short parallel plot-line about how her parents met, and the entire story is just as much (if not more) about them finally letting go of their daughter and allowing her to go explore the world on her own as it is about Tsubomi's own struggles. PLus I love how it directly shows that starting a family and raising a kid can be just as much, if not more compelling than Pokemon battles. On the other hand, Slugma House gives a rare glimpse into how Pokemon can help the elderly more independent lives which I find to be a pretty interesting thing to think about.

Of the other two Colorido shorts, Wait Here, Magicarp! is an impressive solo animation from Cédric Hérole, a French animator working in Japan, with the short making great use of music instead of dialogue to tell its story. Finally, I've become a Gengar?! is another rather simple story carried by excellent character animation.

2. Heikousen - Last year, Japanese music group Eve released a short music video that acted as a valentine's day commercial for a Korean chocolate brand. And it got 50 million views, so I guess it only makes sense that they did another one this year.

And it's even better than the last one, trading the sweet romance story for a much more grounded tale of love, separation, and growing up. It honestly almost feels like a Makoto Shinkai movie condensed into 4 and a half minutes. Even the music is better, featuring a duet with Yorushika's singer suis which works surprisingly well given the widely different vocal styles used by the two singers.

Dedication Through Light · Jan 3, 2022

Seeing Bakuten love.

Hopefully Burning Kabaddi gets some love. I cant be the only one to remember it.

*For your consideration Winter 2021 edition*

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Shingeki
Redo of Healer
Kemono Jihen
The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter
Cells at Work Code BLack
World Trigger 2nd Season
2.43: Seiin Volleyball
Dr. Ramune
Wave!! Surfing
Skate-Leading Stars
Back-Arrow
Scar on the Praeter
*new* Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Season 2
King's Raid
Shadowverse

my anime of the year is actually from this season

squall23 · Jan 3, 2022

1. SSSS.DYNAZENON [ S ] - How do you reconcile the fact that you may or may not be dead because of a bunch of douchebags that like to control kaijus? By kicking their asses with a giant robot that's how! And being a role model for those whose souls have been scarred to succeed you and eventually shine like stars.

Also SAKUGA up in this bitch.

2. Back Arrow [ I ] - Holy shit. Nobody is/was ready for the twists. For better or for worse. You will also never have a bro like Shubi.

ninnanuam · Jan 4, 2022

Dedication Through Light said:
Hopefully Burning Kabaddi gets some love. I cant be the only one to remember it.

My partner really liked Burning Kabaddi. So there are at least two of you who remember it fondly.

SolidSnakeBoy · Jan 7, 2022

ninnanuam said:
My partner really liked Burning Kabaddi. So there are at least two of you who remember it fondly.

I need to finish it still, but it is dumb fun.

phaze · Jan 10, 2022

Anime TV series:

1. The Case Study of Vanitas

Bungou Stray Dogs with vampires. Who needs more really ? There are more technically accomplished titles on this list below but none of them caresses my personal chords as much as this. The two leads provide fun character interactions and give the best of both worlds in that Noe is tasked with being the naive shounen protag while Vanitas, the enigmatic lead whose head we're shut out from, drives the story forward. . The series is paced nicely, with some moments of leisure but delivering steady drip of infobits within well structured arcs, rewarding the viewer with both enough progression and payoff, as well as longer term enticing mystery building. Itamura's deft directorial touch provides steady competence throughout and some stellar scenes in key moments even if the production seemed to falter a bit at the end. Necessary to mention is some stark mood whiplash and sometimes questionable comedy but all in all, they seem a small price of admission for the rest and Kajiura OST.

2. The Idaten Deities Know Only Peace - A surprise. The show is bizarre and beyond crass but strangely refreshing in a lot of ways because of that. Villains and the somewhat slightly less villainous protagonists are allowed to act competently, the inversion of the usual structure of power levels makes it into sort of an OPM for a while, with villains as underdogs while leaving however enough of a challenge for some characters to maintain a bit of stakes. One of the strongest productions this year too.

3. Thunderbolt Fantasy - It started out really strongly and delved into some of the long awaited "main" story stuff but lost its way in the middle and ultimately, it's main seasonal plotline ended with a whimper. Perhaps should rank lower but the attachment to the cast acquired over 3 seasons and basic dialogue, interactions carry it over.

4. Ranking of Kings - A heartwarming fable like fantasy story with some twists.

5. Odd Taxi - Competent mystery and crime drama somewhat let down by open ended ending and some convenient plotting.

6. Pretty Boy Detective Club - Rather one of Nisio's lesser efforts but notable for shocking and miraculous resurrection of Shaft studio which puts in a really strong shift with detailed character art and backgrounds. There's lots of plotting and resolutions that I find erratic or nonsensical but as always, Shaft's handling of Nisio's dialogues and monologues is a match made in heaven.

7. Jujutsu Kaisen - The second cour is your bog standard tournament arc with added weight of some laughable side character setups around its neck. What saves it is the ground level, no nonsense, character interactions of the main cast and consistently very good, even astounding production that in a stretch filled to brim with fights, doesn't falter for a moment. Best or one of the best openings this year too.

Honorable Mentions:

Sonny Boy #08 - The show itself is a mess so perhaps it's even more noteworthy that this is easily the ep of the year.

DassoBrother · Jan 15, 2022

Anime TV Series
I feel like some shows placed too low. I think the main problem is I actually enjoyed all these shows and the order is almost arbitrary. Almost... Top 3 definitely stand above for me.

Jujutsu Kaisen - I placed this lower on my list last year with promises to place it #1 once it had finished. Also promised to write something nice about it, but instead I'll just include my quote from last year... "This show is great. Hits all the pleasure centres similar to Mob Psycho 100, where animation, humor, plot/writing, and characters are all 💯."
Link Click - After starting this show, I was sure it was going to be melodramatic and overly saccharine. Instead, the show was charmingly heartfelt with a compelling mystery. The show never escaped the melodrama but I was definitely invested to the point that I relished it.
Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song - I love scifi that uses time travel and explores AI so there's really nothing to dislike about this show. It actually hits similar notes to Link Click where episodes will be sickly sweet, with dark tones sprinkled throughout. The animation and action was well directed too.
Shadows House - I might be anticipating more of this show as much as Jujutsu Kaisen or Link Click, and that tells me that it has a compelling enough central mystery. And that's after I felt they were revealing too much too soon. I was prepared for more of a drip-feed of info but they just dump lore and it still feels like they're hiding some major reveals.
Sonny Boy - I'm 90% sure this is a show that isn't hiding anything and is giving you everything you need to understand it fully. With that said, I enjoyed watching but felt that I was missing most of what the show was giving me. Great OST.
ODDTAXI - I came to this show late and it ended up feeling a bit overhyped for me. I think part of that is I felt the ending was disappointing and that soured the rest of the show a bit for me. It's one of the best looking shows of the year, and narratively seemed to strike similar notes to Fargo. In the end I was left thinking more of Babel/Crash though.

The Others
Wonder Egg Priority - I actually enjoyed this show more than probably 99% of Era. I'd feel comfortable recommending the first two thirds of the show, but it's where the story ultimately heads, then how and where it wraps up that makes it difficult to recommend to anyone. I almost admire the imaginative way it tackles such difficult subject matter, though it's clear by the end that it was lacking deftness. Truly the worst special episode that I can think of as well, which stung others much worse if you had had to wait three months for it (luckily, I watched the show after it had completed, just as the special was being released).
Komi Can't Communicate - Mostly due to a lapsed Netflix subscription, I did not finish Komi Can't Communicate.
Beastars - Something about season 2 wasn't grabbing me. Since I was never in love with the show I ended up dropping this after only a few episodes.

Maybe This Year
These are all shows which I'd love to revisit or give more time to. There aren't currently any new shows I'm looking forward to so I'm sure I'll be checking some of these out in 2022.
Shaman King
Beastars
SSSS.Dynazenon
Sk8 the Infinity
Getter Robo Arc
Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut

erd · Jan 17, 2022

Anime TV Series
1. The Heike Story [ D ] - By far the most beautiful anime this year, with gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful artstyle and a-m-a-z-i-n-g character animation. The show's story is a dry affair revolving around 12th century Japanese politics, but the animation gives it so much charm and makes even the driest conversation fun to look at.

I loved the story too. I've always been a fan of anime based on real-world history, especially when they are based on stuff I know nothing about. The only real problem is that you do need to look some things up on Wikipedia for things to make sense because the show is way too fast-paced and spends zero time explaining anything about the setting.

2. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut [ R ] - People love to say that anime is nothing but isekai and harem trash, but did y'all know we just had an anime focused on the early history of Soviet spaceflight? Irina is basically a (surprisingly historically accurate) recap of Russia's Vostok programme, with some vampires thrown in because anime just can't help itself. It's by no means a documentary, but it does explore the early history of spaceflight with a lot more depth and realism than the previews would imply. The people working on this are clearly passionate about the subject matter, which shows in everything from accurate animation of the rocket launch sequences to the amount of neat historical tidbits scattered throughout the show.

The animation, direction, or the writing aren't particularly noteworthy, but the subject matter is fascinating enough to make this an easy 10/10 show. It's exactly the kind of show that can get people interested in historical subjects they didn't even know existed and I wish we had more anime doing things like that.

3. So I'm a Spider, So What? [ I ][ C ][ M ] - This one is just an isekai though. Like, the standard generic isekai with all the played-out tropes and maybe one unique gimmick (in this case, the protagonist is a spider). Still, I liked it for three reasons:

This spider protagonist is legit the funniest, most endearing thing I've seen in anime this year.
The world building is genuinely well done. The show does a really good job of constantly introducing and resolving various mysteries about its world which keeps the whole thing constantly engaging.
Unlike pretty much every other isekai, it's not complete trash. There's no harem bullshit and the pandering is relatively constrained by genre standards (outside of one hilariously out of place episode).

4. LINK CLICK - Oh hey, we can finally vote for Chinese shows. Awesome. Especially considering Link Click is such an easy recommendation for anyone interested in checking those out. It's a great time traveling thriller that's just a really fun watch. I pretty much watched the entire thing in 1 sitting because the pacing never lets go. The only downside is that it's a bit too episodic for my liking. I wish it spent most of the time on the main plot. That's what interested me the most, and a lot of the more standalone episodes felt like they detracted from that.

5. Sonny Boy - This is clearly amazing, but also very disappointing. It's one of the most inventive and interesting anime I've seen. It's gorgeous, has some of the most insane out-of-this-world shots, and the concept of the story is completely up my alley. Unfortunately, the story and the characters just didn't do much for me. I just don't like this whole "everything is a metaphor" style of storytelling. So much of the writing is kept vague and shrouded behind layers of metaphors that most of my time watching this was spent wondering whether I even understood what the show was trying to say. I spent so much time double guessing myself about everything from key story moments to basic character-writing that many of the key moments fell completely flat for me.

It's just hard to care about the characters and the story when I have to keep second guessing if I even understand anything about them. It does seem like the kind of show everyone who liked Utena/Penguindrum (or who likes weird, unconventional anime in general) would adore.

6. Dota: Dragon's Blood [ A ] - Finally, some good fantasy anime. It's weird how that's just not a thing. This really is just a collection of standard fantasy tropes (Dragons! Elves! Wizards!) but it's all done well enough that it remains fun throughout. Also, I've always thought Invoker was by far the best DOTA hero and he's incredible in this show, so extra points for that.

7. JUJUTSU KAISEN - Not much to say here really. A bunch of kids punch demons with dope animation and amazing visuals. I legit can't even remember what the story was, but when the whole thing looks this good, does it really matter?

8. Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- [ S ] - Speaking of shows with forgettable stories and good fight scenes, there's also Vivy. It's pretty much the same deal as Jujutsu, except all the shonen stuff is replaced with a Hatsune Miku Terminator. The story itself is much worse than the concept might imply, but the action scenes are fire.

9. ODDTAXI - Between the inventive visuals, grounded story and the unusually "non-anime" dialogue I can definitely get behind what this show is trying to do. I just wish the story did more for me. It's simply not particularly exciting in any way, and the direction doesn't do much to make the key moments stand out.

The ending's absolutely hilarious though and makes the entire thing 10 times better.

10. Attack on Titan - Honestly, I'm not really feeling this whole Marley arc. Between the clumsy references to real-world history and the wildly insensitive handling of concepts like genocide it just hasn't been all that enjoyable. Still, I can't not put it on this list. It's one of the shows that got me into anime in the first place and it's wild to see what it's turned into throughout the years.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series
1. The Heike Story
2. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
3. Sonny Boy

Categories
86 EIGHTY-SIX [ WS ] - Dear LN writers: please stop writing stories about that time when the Nazis nearly genocided my entire race out of existence. And if you still decide to, at least have the fucking decency to not glorify them in the process.
86 EIGHTY-SIX [ WP ] - Objectively, it's probably that Madoka show that everyone loves to dunk on. But I haven't seen that one so 86 it is I guess. Nothing else I've watched this year had as many production issues.

DassoBrother · Jan 17, 2022

Eridani said:
Anime TV Series
1. The Heike Story [ D ] - By far the most beautiful anime this year, with gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful artstyle and a-m-a-z-i-n-g character animation. The show's story is a dry affair revolving around 12th century Japanese politics, but the animation gives it so much charm and makes even the driest conversation fun to look at.

I loved the story too. I've always been a fan of anime based on real-world history, especially when they are based on stuff I know nothing about. The only real problem is that you do need to look some things up on Wikipedia for things to make sense because the show is way too fast-paced and spends zero time explaining anything about the setting.

2. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut [ R ] - People love to say that anime is nothing but isekai and harem trash, but did y'all know we just had an anime focused on the early history of Soviet spaceflight? Irina is basically a (surprisingly historically accurate) recap of Russia's Vostok programme, with some vampires thrown in because anime just can't help itself. It's by no means a documentary, but it does explore the early history of spaceflight with a lot more depth and realism than the previews would imply. The people working on this are clearly passionate about the subject matter, which shows in everything from accurate animation of the rocket launch sequences to the amount of neat historical tidbits scattered throughout the show.

The animation, direction, or the writing aren't particularly noteworthy, but the subject matter is fascinating enough to make this an easy 10/10 show. It's exactly the kind of show that can get people interested in historical subjects they didn't even know existed and I wish we had more anime doing things like that.

3. So I'm a Spider, So What? [ I ][ C ][ M ] - This one is just an isekai though. Like, the standard generic isekai with all the played-out tropes and maybe one unique gimmick (in this case, the protagonist is a spider). Still, I liked it for three reasons:

This spider protagonist is legit the funniest, most endearing thing I've seen in anime this year.

The world building is genuinely well done. The show does a really good job of constantly introducing and resolving various mysteries about its world which keeps the whole thing constantly engaging.

Unlike pretty much every other isekai, it's not complete trash. There's no harem bullshit and the pandering is relatively constrained by genre standards (outside of one hilariously out of place episode).

4. LINK CLICK - Oh hey, we can finally vote for Chinese shows. Awesome. Especially considering Link Click is such an easy recommendation for anyone interested in checking those out. It's a great time traveling thriller that's just a really fun watch. I pretty much watched the entire thing in 1 sitting because the pacing never lets go. The only downside is that it's a bit too episodic for my liking. I wish it spent most of the time on the main plot. That's what interested me the most, and a lot of the more standalone episodes felt like they detracted from that.

5. Sonny Boy - This is clearly amazing, but also very disappointing. It's one of the most inventive and interesting anime I've seen. It's gorgeous, has some of the most insane out-of-this-world shots, and the concept of the story is completely up my alley. Unfortunately, the story and the characters just didn't do much for me. I just don't like this whole "everything is a metaphor" style of storytelling. So much of the writing is kept vague and shrouded behind layers of metaphors that most of my time watching this was spent wondering whether I even understood what the show was trying to say. I spent so much time double guessing myself about everything from key story moments to basic character-writing that many of the key moments fell completely flat for me.

It's just hard to care about the characters and the story when I have to keep second guessing if I even understand anything about them. It does seem like the kind of show everyone who liked Utena/Penguindrum (or who likes weird, unconventional anime in general) would adore.

6. Dota: Dragon's Blood [ A ] - Finally, some good fantasy anime. It's weird how that's just not a thing. This really is just a collection of standard fantasy tropes (Dragons! Elves! Wizards!) but it's all done well enough that it remains fun throughout. Also, I've always thought Invoker was by far the best DOTA hero and he's incredible in this show, so extra points for that.

7. JUJUTSU KAISEN - Not much to say here really. A bunch of kids punch demons with dope animation and amazing visuals. I legit can't even remember what the story was, but when the whole thing looks this good, does it really matter?

8. Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song- [ S ] - Speaking of shows with forgettable stories and good fight scenes, there's also Vivy. It's pretty much the same deal as Jujutsu, except all the shonen stuff is replaced with a Hatsune Miku Terminator. The story itself is much worse than the concept might imply, but the action scenes are fire.

9. ODDTAXI - Between the inventive visuals, grounded story and the unusually "non-anime" dialogue I can definitely get behind what this show is trying to do. I just wish the story did more for me. It's simply not particularly exciting in any way, and the direction doesn't do much to make the key moments stand out.

The ending's absolutely hilarious though and makes the entire thing 10 times better.

10. Attack on Titan - Honestly, I'm not really feeling this whole Marley arc. Between the clumsy references to real-world history and the wildly insensitive handling of concepts like genocide it just hasn't been all that enjoyable. Still, I can't not put it on this list. It's one of the shows that got me into anime in the first place and it's wild to see what it's turned into throughout the years.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series
1. The Heike Story
2. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
3. Sonny Boy

Categories
86 EIGHTY-SIX [ WS ] - Dear LN writers: please stop writing stories about that time when the Nazis nearly genocided my entire race out of existence. And if you still decide to, at least have the fucking decency to not glorify them in the process.
86 EIGHTY-SIX [ WP ] - Objectively, it's probably that Madoka show that everyone loves to dunk on. But I haven't seen that one so 86 it is I guess. Nothing else I've watched this year had as many production issues.

Nice list. I went to add Heike Story to my queue and it's already there.

Azraes · Jan 19, 2022

Top 10

OddTaxi [M]
I didn't expect to see Coen brothers in anime form. Did not expect to find a rapping gangster and the story in general was nice. Did not expect the Bojack Horseman feeling come from a show. It reminded me of my film school and cinematography education and scratched some of the formative content. It also captured a sort of listless depression better in some ways.

2. Ranking of Kings (1st Cour)

I like shows that break tropes, especially character tropes. The inclusivity aspect is important. The show doesn't come across as ableist at least so far. It's something that a lot of shows tend to do where a differently abled person suddenly gets a superpower out of nowhere and throws it for a loop. The fact the sign language used is accurate, they have a partially hearing disabled animator and consult the right organisations to frame hearing disability make it a good production. There are other factors like the mangaka was a salaryman who once won a picturebook competition that led to nothing. Eventually quitting his job at 41 and trying this career. He still hasn't told his parents. some tropes and break some character stuff.

3. Sonny Boy

I wanted to like this more than I did. I did like it but there were themes that they could have explored more. It had a good first six episodes and when it hit the more surreal elements while it was nice, it lost some of the thematic explorations in my view. The ending felt slightly rushed though it had some standout episodes like the one focusing on the cats and the student who was a dog. I'll do a rewatch regardless.

4. Shadows House [H]

I liked the gothic vibe. The story while predictable was quite enjoyable. It was a good set-up but there needs to be more exploration. Might switch to manga.

5. Laid-back Camp (S2)

The show was a welcome relief at the start of 2021 and always is pleasant.

6. Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan

This became the 'Monday' show for me during that season. I usually have a couple of shows that I watch with friends. After OddTaxi we ended up watching this. The humour and work situation is relatable. Even though it's not exactly the same for me.

7. SSSS. Dynazenon (I)

Given Gridman, I see this more as an Isekai show but an enjoyable show nonetheless despite faults.

8. Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (S)

The action sequences and set pieces made this show. The time travel could have been done a little better, but it was a pretty show. The story suffers from the standard issue that most people still can't do a good time travel show. Also the songs were absolute nonsense at times 'as you like my pleasure'? WTH

9. Megalobox 2: Nomad

Season One was just too dull but Season 2 was the right mix of storytelling and drama. There more compelling characters this time. I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of the show. The ending while nice just didn't feel as impactful as it could have been. It was a good show but left me feeling there was still something missing.

10. Faraway Paladin

I wasn't sure about giving this the 10th spot. It did scratch the DnD itch. I liked the score and the characters were likeable. Menel and Kage (from Ranking of Kings) are the same VA for instance. It was between this and Blue Period which got better as it progressed. My friend preferred Blue Period more.

Hidden Gems

1. Heaven's Design Team [C]

This was funnier than I expected. And I was entertained but I ended up watching this solo.

2. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut [D]

I liked the alternate history take on the space race. The vampire take was slightly unusual and the romance element was good. It was good to watch on a Sunday.

3. Heike Story.

I really liked the art, I liked the music but plenty of episodes put me to sleep too. I read a lot on Wikipedia and liked the framing of the historical narrative through the protagonist's lens. It is a show I would recommend though.

Honorable Mention:
Back Arrow – I have no idea why I enjoyed it like I did. I think part of it might be the lack of a decent mech show that was keep your brains to side and enjoy the ride. The ending was weird but it was an enjoyable 2 cour show for me personally.

Other Categories

Fruits Basket: The Final[R]
Fruit of Evolution + WEP [WS]

A lot of shows were ones that I watched while trying to decompress and I think I must have seen around 15 shows per season at the least. I lost track. Some were very forgettable. The main thing I noticed was that shows really reduced in quality story and animation wise as they progressed. I could tell WEP would be awful for some reason yet I watched it – though I started to multitask later. Should trust my instincts more. 'Otherside Picnic' was a show I wanted to like more but felt lacking. 'I'm standing on a million lives' is a show that should be good but isn't. The manga covers a lot of socio-economic issues and political commentary, the show seems to try and skip that. I caught inklings of it which made me switch to watching it. Overall what I noticed was due to these declines I started to read more manga which isn't something I expected to do. Only show I didn't watch which I wanted to was Bladerunner: Black lotus. Immortal King soured me on bilibili shows is why I didn't check out Link Click – which I might sometime.

Star Wars: Visions wasn't that great – but I would watch a movie if they made one out of The Village Bride especially if they kept the music.

zulux21 · Feb 17, 2022

I'm still working on my list but am getting closer to having mine ready. hopefully other people are too. Since it's been a while since anyone posted I figured I might as well post this and give the thread a little life so some people might take notice and see this is still around and kicking for a few more weeks :P

SolidSnakeBoy · Feb 17, 2022

Thanks bud. Please vote. We have 2 weeks left!!

metalmonstar · Feb 21, 2022

I added little blurbs. I will have to proofread them. Before I started writing I wanted them to be picked but now I don't think I want them to be picked anymore.

You all need to watch Pui Pui Molcar and Night World

I am not going to vote on Movies since I only really watched Pompo the Cinephile, Belle, Violet Evergarden, Words Bubble up Like Soda Pop, and Shirobako Movie. I need to watch the Eva Rebuild movies. I heard Hathaway was good but I am not sure what Gundams I would have to watch. Gintama is on my plan to watch as well.

Dedication Through Light · Feb 21, 2022

metalmonstar said:
You all need to watch Pui Pui Molcar and Night World

I remember molcar being a thing but then where did it go. :(

Grexeno · Feb 21, 2022

Dedication Through Light said:
I remember molcar being a thing but then where did it go. :(

The gigantic memory hole all Netflix anime fall into

daveo42 · Feb 21, 2022

Anime TV Series
1. Link Click [D]
I had initially passed on this show during quite the busy 2021 anime year, but this just so happened to be 100% my jam from start to finish. It mixes some fantastic character writing, strong emotional storytelling, a solid premise with a time travel slant, and some of the best pacing in any anime ever to make one hell of an emotional ride from start to finish. It's ability to not only recontextualize and humanize these stories while tying them into a much larger narrative, but do so in such a way that it makes it hard to put down is what sold me on the show. I just hope the next season holds up to this insanely high bar.

2. Odd Taxi [M]
The most non-anime anime in terms of storytelling, characterization, writing, and overall tone. This is a show that avoids all of the standard anime tropes and tells a smart story with well thought out characters and world. It's like the Cohen Bros decided to make an anime with Tarantino with its approach to dialogue and how the story is slowly weaved together, culminating in a fantastic conclusion that you rarely get in most media.

3. Sonny Boy
One of the most visually stunning and deep shows of the year with a soundtrack to boot. While a bit hard to get your head around a first blush, the amount of visual storytelling and world building on display shows how much care was put into the story and main cast. I think the only detractor here is the mix of needing the viewer to pay close attention to not only the story, but subtext around the actions of the characters and events during the show. A true coming of age story and a journey of emotional growth.

4. Vivy [A]
Terminator 2 if the robot had 100 years to fix the future, had a sassy AI buddy to help her, and was an idol. This hit on alot of the themes and tone that I absolutely love in this kind of sci-fi story. Filled with beautiful songs, wonderful action, and some emotional storytelling on what it means to be human, this is the anime equivalent to Nier: Automata, but a bit more surface level due to its runtime.

5. Megalobox: Nomad
After the lackluster first season of Megalobox, this was quite the redemption story. A far grittier take not only on the toll boxing takes on a person, but an unflinching take on racism and how it shapes the daily lives of immigrants. Very smart storytelling dealing with grief, brain trauma, race relations, and the exploitation of the poor and needy by the rich for their own gains. It did all this while also having a satisfying conclusion.

6. Shadows House
This show came out of left field and ended up one of my favorite of the year. A very dark tale surrounding an absolute ray of sunshine, Shadows House layered on the mysteries of the house and its inhabitants while ramping up to a wild conclusion with the conclusion of the Debut. This had me emotionally invested week-to-week and interesting in where the story would go next. I look forward to its next season.

7. Fruits Basket: The Final [R]
While I have some issues with where things ended for two characters, this had alot of the emotional release that was needed after the build up over the first two seasons. The conclusion of Tohru's journey and the guilt she held for so long along with the conclusion to the Soma's ties to the Zodiac lead to some amazing outcomes for its characters. I just wish it had a bit more time to cover the source material.

8. Zombie Land Saga Revenge
Somehow they took the best idol anime and improve upon it greatly in a second season, delving into some of the characters and lore around why these girls were all resurrected to save Saga. It also includes one of the absolute best backstories in the entire show. Add in some amazing new songs, the harrowing journey to get their revenge, and a tear-jerking finale, and this ends up far better than expected in every way.

9. Yuru Camp S2
Not as strong as S1, but actually made the side characters great and give them some room to breathe outside of Rin and Nadeshiko. That said, the solo camping episode was by far the most heartwarming thing I saw all year. They also managed to fit in some absolutely amazing references into an anime about going camping. The true comfort anime of 2021.

10. Ranking of Kings
While the show is still ongoing at this moment, Bojji and Kage are some of the most endearing characters of the year with some interesting world-building and characters. Just how quickly I grew attached to Bojji and Kage is telling of how well written the show is, at least from the first half.

Anime Movie/OVA Series
1. Revue Starlight the Movie
If you liked the original anime and/or are a fan of theater, musicals, and subtext around high school girls sing-fighting to become the top star, then this is for you. So like me and one other person lol. By far the best anime movie I watched last year and is an absolute love letter to all things theater along with an amazing story to wrap up the anime when you didn't think it needed anything else.

Go watch it and Revue Starlight if you haven't already. It's beautiful.

2. Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0
While messy during the third act with all the lore dumps and junk needed to wrap things up, the first act is some of the best in all of EVA and actually tackles alot of the emotional trauma and depression Shinji has been dealing with the entire time. The quiet life with Rei as well was much needed to actually grow her as a character after her being basically a plot device in 3.0. Lastly, it was nice to actually get some Gendo resolution this time around and how Shinji's issues were also Gendo's and they both needed to heal and move on from the loss of Yui.

3. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train
The movie that made me fall in love with Inosuke, make me realize that Rengoku is too good for this world, and gave us proof that Tanjiro is indeed the best boy. Also amazing action from ufotable and a much stronger story overall than most of what we got in S1.

4. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway's Flash
Some interesting visuals and storytelling on display around constant fuck-up Bright Noa. Some shots of on the ground characters during a mobile suit battle was well done. the opening act was surprisingly well done as well to set up the Earth and how things had changed (or not) after the defeat of Char.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series
1. Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
Two characters that are quite cute together, faced with trying to be the first ones into space while also dealing with racism...but with vampires. The historical context and connections as well as the Russian view of the space race was nice.

2. Vampire Dies in No Time [C]
Comedy show of the year with the best character of all: John. Seriously, the gags in this were amazing and fun. I had a ton of fun each week with this.

3. Muteking
Light hearted update to the classic Tatsunoko anime, with some interesting changes and some great music. Another update that knocks it out of the park.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
Re: Zero S2 Part 2
Beastars S2
Cells at Work S2
Cells at Work Black
Log Horizon S3
86
Jujutsu Kaisen Part 2
Tokyo Revengers
To Your Eternity
Slime 300
Villainess S2
Aquatope
Magica Record S2
Komi-san
Mieruko-chan [H]
Jojo 6 Part 1

Extra Categories:
Wonder Egg Priority (but also Jobless Reincarnation, even though I dropped it after two episodes of filth) [WS]
The Promised Neverland S2 [WP]

Curler · Feb 21, 2022

Anime TV Series:

1) Odd Taxi [M]: Don't let the art style of animals fool you, everything in this series has a reason in what is pretty much a love-letter to the Cohen brothers. When episode 1 hype showed up, I figured I'd check it out and was glad I did. What makes this more unique of a series too, is how everyone speaks in a speaking voice, as if it were live-action, rather than emphasizing on voice acting in an animated feature.

2) Heaven's Design Team [C]: The best comedy that no-one watched! I'm someone who can be picky with my comedy, especially anime comedies, but this one just hit all the right notes for me. What if deities in heaven were contracted to create the animals of earth? There's lots of interesting zoology/biology bits here that are both funny AND educational!

3) Fruits Basket: The Final [R]: After never completing the original anime, we are finally at the conclusion to this series in animated form. Although it feels a tad rushed (moreso for manga-readers), it still hits you all in the feels to the end.

4) Link Click [D]: What a great donghua! Although it might not count as "anime" for some, this was still quite the ride! A bit of a slow start, but made for an easy binge once it did get going!

5) To Your Eternity S1: As a manga-reader, this has been a great adaptation! Although one particular arc made it very weak and weighs it down, the other arcs and transitional eps around it make up and really make you feel for these characters that you barely know, but were all you needed to know about them.

6) Laid-Back Camp S2: Another relaxing adventure of a high school club camping out in cold weather. This season was more focused on the sight-seeing of certain regions in Japan, and I actually prefer that a lot more than S1 with their "how to camp". Half the adventure is in the location when you camp!

7) Aggressive Retsuko/Aggretsuko S4: Every time this comes back, I dig into it right away, and is also one of my favorite anime dubs as well. Still fun and even when I think "what else is there to add?" they manage to find something.

8) Demon Slayer S2: Mugen Train Arc: Despite also being a movie, my vote went to the TV version, due to the extended episode with Rengoku that I enjoyed. Not my favorite arc, but as usual, amazing action animation to watch.

9) The Way of the Househusband S! (Pt 1-2): Infamous for being a "motion comic" (per what the director's vision for it was), I found myself laughing through this quite a bit! Having not read the manga yet, I really enjoyed my time with it.

10) Restaurant to Another World S2 : The best isekai are secretly the ones that involve food. Rather than the usual tropes that come with isekai, it's great to see a restaurant that travels between worlds and feeds the other realm.

Anime Movie/OVA Series:

1) Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time [A] : The REAL End of Eva! Always skeptical with how something as big as Evangelion could end, and this completely nailed it with complete satisfaction.

2) PokeToons: Pokemon has been busy with shorts! The year before featured Twilight Wings, including some big name studios and a more grounded look at the Pokemon world. PokeToons continues that with more stories!

3) Pokemon Movie Koko/ Secret of the Jungle: One of the few times where another main character is focused on, and despite being a Pokemon take on Tarzan essentially, this brought in some feels. Animation has stepped up a lot these past few movies in this alternate universe, and really adds to the visuals.

4) Pokemon Evolutions: Yet another set of Pokemon shorts, based on each generation of games. The only shame is how the games' full stories can't be fully animated like this...

5) Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Eternal Movie 1-2: Since I completely forgot these even came out in 2021! Crystal has been something else for Sailor Moon with a lot of divisive opinions and comparisons to the original series. For 2 movies to cover an entire arc of the original manga, it did feel a little rushed, but still turned out great with the animation in this series improving greatly over time.

Hidden Gem Anime TV Series:

1) Heaven's Design Team: Along with my descriptor above, a highly recommended comedy series, especially if you love animals and zoology!

2) With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun: Technically was on my list from last year, but they ended up adding more episodes to this. A short series that no one watched, which is a cute comedy about a woman who owns a cat and a dog and their inner thoughts (true to the stereotypes of the animals). Very cute and even has a lot of feels for pet owners.

3) Pui Pui Molcar: Needs to be seen to believed

Extra category:

-Digimon Adventure: [WS] [WP]: Something that made my list the year before, but slowly falling into despair on how this went on... Grief hit in and it's something I'm still sad and conflicted on as a Digimon fan :(

zulux21 · Feb 21, 2022

I guess my list is mostly complete. I'm still working on finishing up a bit, and it might change things, but eh, I can do this now so I don't forget.

1. Link Click

The show didn't instantly grab me, but it didn't take long. I'm a sucker for Sci-fi stuff and this one was just a lot of fun. I could tell you why, but really, you should just go and watch this one blind. It's best if you just discover why this show is great as you are going along as part of what makes the show great is it keeping you guessing about what is going on.

2. Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song-

Make the world happy by singing. Sounds kind of dumb, but it works. What also works is the great action and interesting effects on the timeline. The series is very much more than what it seems right away, and while it doesn't execute what it was going for perfectly, it's still a very fun, and often quite pretty ride.

3. Jujutsu Kaisen/Sorcery Fight (I know you want English titles but I don't know anyone that actually calls this one by Sorcery Fight)

This is just a quality Shounen experience. Tons of fun, interesting themes. If you wanted say Bleach but actually good this one is likely something you would enjoy :P

4. Shadows House - This series just has an alright first half, but there is obviously much more going on. The opening and ending set the tone and there are hints towards the much darker themes that kept me going and I'm glad I did. If you enjoy things that are on the surface cute, but hide much darker things below this one is a must watch.

5. Horimiya - I'll get this out of the way, this is not a great adaption of the manga. It is however still a great anime. They tried to cram the entire run of the manga, like 130+ chapters into the anime, and it suffers for it at times. That being said, despite that you are still left with a charming cast, an enjoyable story, and a lot of great moments. Even pacing issues aside I easily preferred this to Komi, as the cast was just way more interesting and enjoyable. So if you want an enjoyable rom com, yes, this isn't an amazing adaption, but it's still not a bad anime. Watch, enjoy the anime, and then go read the manga that offers so much more.

6. Blue Period - Another one that I went into without reading the manga that people were calling a bad anime, but it's not, it's a really good anime, it just so happens they cut a decent amount from the manga and the manga is even better. It's an enjoyable cast again, and a lot of interesting things are going on. It explores some interesting things and anyone who has ever dove into creative endeavors can likely relate to some things in the series.

7. Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan - Being an adult sucks. That is why we get so many stories about being whisked away to another world where we can be free of the shackles of society and expectations of your adult life. That being said Uramichi isn't an isekai, but a comedy series where the cast of a children's tv show can't always hide the crushing weight of reality. While at times some of the jokes can get a bit samey, in general I found them to be pretty amusing, though they can hit rather hard at times. They can be a little bit too real, too easily relatable, but I still quite enjoyed the show.

8. To Your Eternity - Likely the most uneven show on this list for me. When this show was hitting highs it was quite good. A journey into what it means to be human, and dealing with some supernatural forces beyond that. When this show was hitting the lows though, they were often pretty low. Moving slowly, or just not really hitting well. Still an interesting watch overall though.

9. Odd Taxi - The second half of this series was a great watch. That being said the first half wasn't that great for me, and a fan favorite episode is likely one of my least favorite episodes of 2021 for me of any show, though Komi ultimately took the crown for that and removed itself from consideration thanks to it. The cast took a while to grow on me, and a number of the cast never really did, but those who did I did care about quite a bit, and luckily one of them was the main character making the end of the series land very well. Despite being this low on my list, I absolutely recommend everyone give this show a try.

10. Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun 2nd Season - So, in general I rate sequel seasons far harder than new series. In fact Iruma isn't even my favorite sequel series of 2021. There are even a few more non-sequels I could list here instead. So why is Iruma here? Because I overlooked it originally, and thus on a soft ruling I'm not being as harsh on this one. If it wasn't a sequel Iruma would actually likely be right after Shadow's House for me. So, that out of the way, you've never heard of Iruma, so why should you care? Because it's just fun and enjoyable. Imagine a late 90s or early 00s shounen series. Now remove pretty much all the problematic material, and give it solid pacing, and basically you have Iruma. From start to finish it just continues to be fun, but it also in general just continues to get better and better as it goes on. What starts off as a mostly episodic shounen series builds into smaller arcs and just continues to build and become more enjoyable. The cast is a delight, and even the pervy character trope that you expect from shounen anymore is a pg version of the trope that is fairly innocent. If you like shounen at all, you owe it to yourself to check out Iruma. Fair warning, Clara is a bit much early on, but once more people are added to the main cast she gets balanced out a lot more and the entire main cast just is a delight in general. The show isn't the best animated show out there, but it's easily the most consistently enjoyable shounen series I've seen in a long time and it has a ton of heart.

Honorable Mentions.

Sonny Boy - There are a lot of interesting things going on here, but I didn't find myself caring about really any of the cast. I do have a feeling that most people who like Eva would end up loving this one though.

Komi can't communicate - This show isn't the worst, but Yamai is. Despite the 4th episode of this series earning the crown of worst anime episode I watched of 2021, this show still ends up like 13th out of 40 some in the series I watched. But more people need to be warned about how bad Yamai and that episode are, so into my HM it goes :P

also solid sequels that come out this year that aren't listed.

Fruits basket
Re:zero
Zombieland Saga Revenge
Doctor Stone
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

And One Piece was pretty solid this year.

djinn · Feb 21, 2022

zulux21 said:
I guess my list is mostly complete. I'm still working on finishing up a bit, and it might change things, but eh, I can do this now so I don't forget.

1. Link Click

The show didn't instantly grab me, but it didn't take long. I'm a sucker for Sci-fi stuff and this one was just a lot of fun. I could tell you why, but really, you should just go and watch this one blind. It's best if you just discover why this show is great as you are going along as part of what makes the show great is it keeping you guessing about what is going on.

2. Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song-

Make the world happy by singing. Sounds kind of dumb, but it works. What also works is the great action and interesting effects on the timeline. The series is very much more than what it seems right away, and while it doesn't execute what it was going for perfectly, it's still a very fun, and often quite pretty ride.

3. Jujutsu Kaisen/Sorcery Fight (I know you want English titles but I don't know anyone that actually calls this one by Sorcery Fight)

This is just a quality Shounen experience. Tons of fun, interesting themes. If you wanted say Bleach but actually good this one is likely something you would enjoy :P

4. Shadows House - This series just has an alright first half, but there is obviously much more going on. The opening and ending set the tone and there are hints towards the much darker themes that kept me going and I'm glad I did. If you enjoy things that are on the surface cute, but hide much darker things below this one is a must watch.

5. Horimiya - I'll get this out of the way, this is not a great adaption of the manga. It is however still a great anime. They tried to cram the entire run of the manga, like 130+ chapters into the anime, and it suffers for it at times. That being said, despite that you are still left with a charming cast, an enjoyable story, and a lot of great moments. Even pacing issues aside I easily preferred this to Komi, as the cast was just way more interesting and enjoyable. So if you want an enjoyable rom com, yes, this isn't an amazing adaption, but it's still not a bad anime. Watch, enjoy the anime, and then go read the manga that offers so much more.

6. Blue Period - Another one that I went into without reading the manga that people were calling a bad anime, but it's not, it's a really good anime, it just so happens they cut a decent amount from the manga and the manga is even better. It's an enjoyable cast again, and a lot of interesting things are going on. It explores some interesting things and anyone who has ever dove into creative endeavors can likely relate to some things in the series.

7. Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan - Being an adult sucks. That is why we get so many stories about being whisked away to another world where we can be free of the shackles of society and expectations of your adult life. That being said Uramichi isn't an isekai, but a comedy series where the cast of a children's tv show can't always hide the crushing weight of reality. While at times some of the jokes can get a bit samey, in general I found them to be pretty amusing, though they can hit rather hard at times. They can be a little bit too real, too easily relatable, but I still quite enjoyed the show.

8. To Your Eternity - Likely the most uneven show on this list for me. When this show was hitting highs it was quite good. A journey into what it means to be human, and dealing with some supernatural forces beyond that. When this show was hitting the lows though, they were often pretty low. Moving slowly, or just not really hitting well. Still an interesting watch overall though.

9. Odd Taxi - The second half of this series was a great watch. That being said the first half wasn't that great for me, and a fan favorite episode is likely one of my least favorite episodes of 2021 for me of any show, though Komi ultimately took the crown for that and removed itself from consideration thanks to it. The cast took a while to grow on me, and a number of the cast never really did, but those who did I did care about quite a bit, and luckily one of them was the main character making the end of the series land very well. Despite being this low on my list, I absolutely recommend everyone give this show a try.

10. Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun 2nd Season - So, in general I rate sequel seasons far harder than new series. In fact Iruma isn't even my favorite sequel series of 2021. There are even a few more non-sequels I could list here instead. So why is Iruma here? Because I overlooked it originally, and thus on a soft ruling I'm not being as harsh on this one. If it wasn't a sequel Iruma would actually likely be right after Shadow's House for me. So, that out of the way, you've never heard of Iruma, so why should you care? Because it's just fun and enjoyable. Imagine a late 90s or early 00s shounen series. Now remove pretty much all the problematic material, and give it solid pacing, and basically you have Iruma. From start to finish it just continues to be fun, but it also in general just continues to get better and better as it goes on. What starts off as a mostly episodic shounen series builds into smaller arcs and just continues to build and become more enjoyable. The cast is a delight, and even the pervy character trope that you expect from shounen anymore is a pg version of the trope that is fairly innocent. If you like shounen at all, you owe it to yourself to check out Iruma. Fair warning, Clara is a bit much early on, but once more people are added to the main cast she gets balanced out a lot more and the entire main cast just is a delight in general. The show isn't the best animated show out there, but it's easily the most consistently enjoyable shounen series I've seen in a long time and it has a ton of heart.

Honorable Mentions.

Sonny Boy - There are a lot of interesting things going on here, but I didn't find myself caring about really any of the cast. I do have a feeling that most people who like Eva would end up loving this one though.

Komi can't communicate - This show isn't the worst, but Yamai is. Despite the 4th episode of this series earning the crown of worst anime episode I watched of 2021, this show still ends up like 13th out of 40 some in the series I watched. But more people need to be warned about how bad Yamai and that episode are, so into my HM it goes :P

Well now we know who voted for Horimiya over Furuba in the Crunchyroll Awards 😤

zulux21 · Feb 21, 2022

djinn said:
Well now we know who voted for Horimiya over Furuba in the Crunchyroll Awards 😤

Fruits basket absolutely would've been above Horimiya if I weighted things equally *points to the Iruma post* but I rarely include sequel series in my AOTY posts.

Just like there is a 95% chance Kaguya season 3 will be my favorite anime this year, but odds are it won't make it into my list or if it does it will be in the bottom few. but you are right I should include the sequel series I liked :P

Sabretooth · Feb 22, 2022

1. Nomad: Megalo Box 2 - Possibly one of the best sequels of anything I've ever seen, which not only builds on the original, but enriches the original in the process. Beautiful characterisations, heart-wrenching emotion at every turn, and a thorough examination of masculinity at its best and worst. I did not expect an anime about sci-fi boxing to make me cry in almost every episode, and yet, here we are.

2. The Heike Story - This show starts with characters you despise and ends with you feeling compassion for them. How better can you express the show's Buddhist themes? The Heike Story often runs very fast in its storytelling and it is especially difficult to follow if you don't also research the actual literature it's based on. And yet, in the tender, emotional moments where it counts, the show makes you care for the beauty that belies both fleeting happiness and harrowing grief.

3. Odd Taxi - Absolutely expert craftsmanship all around, and incredibly atmospheric. If ever there was a show to vibe to night-time Tokyo with, it's this (well also City Hunter, but indulge me). Fascinating storytelling that can be calm as a pool and then gush up like a geyser when things get intense. The thrill, the intrigue, the mystery, all kept me hooked on this show.

4. Sonny Boy - Did I understand this show? No. Did this show understand me? I think so. I'm a sucker for experimental anime, and the lack of them in recent years has been a sore loss, but Sonny Boy makes up for a whole decade with its surrealist interpretation of coming-of-age. Even if it isn't always satisfying or even comprehensible, it's always fascinating and thoughtful, and it explores visuals and styles that you can't do in any other medium. Truly a gem of experimental storytelling.

5. The Aquatope on White Sand - The most pertinent compliment I can give this show is that it's really, really healing. Its characters feel and act like real people - endearing, frustrating, adorable, and imperfect. The show is deeply informative and the creators' passion towards marine life and its conservation cannot be understated. For a show about a rather easygoing and mundane slice-of-life, Aquatope did not once lose my interest or bore me, because its characters felt like friends I was catching up with. Of special note is the end of the first cour, where the show peaks and delivers one of the best episodes I've seen in anime.

6. To Your Eternity - It's never possible to have a good grasp of what this show is doing and what it wants to do, and that's what makes it so intriguing. It starts off with a dramatic tearjerker episode, and proceeds into an action-filled adventure. It's far from a perfect show, but it did keep me hooked with its varied and interesting characters, as well as with the mysteries that are yet to be resolved.

7. Shadows House - Japanese media has often taken the childlike-gothic aesthetic to the extreme, and Shadows House continues in this tradition with a premise that would make any classic gothic author proud. Shrouded in mystery, a claustrophobic estate, and with a sense of constant dread, Shadows House keeps from getting spooky thanks to its saccharine protagonist Emilico. A curious show about curiosity itself, there's a lot to be seen yet in Shadows House, but the promise is there.

8. Kageki Shoujo!! - How this show manages to weave through its varied tones is beyond me. It can be funny, and it can also get dark to the point of intentional repulsion. Throughout it all, it's carried by the bright and cheerful, but not naive or stupid, Sarasa. She's a joy to watch and she makes it so easy to cheer for her and the other girls - well, at least the ones who aren't mean.

9. Burning Kabaddi - Where the hell did this come from? A show entirely about kabaddi, and it came out of Japanese animation, not India. So granted this show didn't have the greatest production values, but it made me laugh a plenty, and it taught me a lot about a game from my own country that I wasn't familiar with too well, so I'm going to give it credit. The characters are easy to like, and the matches are intense, even if they're presented as slideshows. STRUGGLE!

10. Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song - A very interesting anime, even if I didn't like it as much as a lot of other people did. It had brilliant fight sequences and some interesting contemplation on AI and robotics. The fight sequences were the best I watched all year, and it was just really nice to have a femme protagonist who kicks ass without being objectified or playing second fiddle to an angsty boy. Not a bad watch, especially thanks to its well-segregated story arcs.

djinn · Feb 22, 2022

Finally added all my descriptions 😩

Dedication Through Light · Feb 22, 2022

Sabretooth said:
9. Burning Kabaddi - Where the hell did this come from? A show entirely about kabaddi, and it came out of Japanese animation, not India. So granted this show didn't have the greatest production values, but it made me laugh a plenty, and it taught me a lot about a game from my own country that I wasn't familiar with too well, so I'm going to give it credit. The characters are easy to like, and the matches are intense, even if they're presented as slideshows. STRUGGLE!

Omg a burning kabaddi mention, Righteous!

DPT120 · Feb 22, 2022

I don't remember what I watched so I'll only list my #1 show

1. Link Click - Super fun show with a different take on time travel. The ending left me with more questions than answers but I'm curious to see where it goes. The show is also pretty character-focused with the black haired guy (forgot his name) grappling with emotions and the situations he's in.
2. One Piece - What is there to say? Wano animation is on a different level. This is at 2 instead of 1 because of the bad pacing. I'm still waiting for certain moments from the manga to be adapted.

Edit: I was informed OP counted so I'm adding it.

Grexeno · Feb 22, 2022

1. Odd Taxi - Carpool Existential Conversations. While many other series thrilled this year on the strength of animation, this series thrills with conversations between a walrus taxi driver and a hippo wannabe social media star, or a mandrill gangster.

2. Sonny Boy - I can't stand here and say I understood what was going on or what it all meant but it sure was good.

3. SSSS.Dynazenon - Improves on Gridman in 2 major ways: 1) Dinosaur mech 2) Main characters you actually care about

4. Nomad: Megalo Box 2 - As a person who eventually landed on being quite down on Megalo Box, this sequel not only redeems the concept but finds what actually worked in the setting and characters.

5. The Heike Story - This adaptation of a Japanese historical epic is occasionally impossible to follow, but when it hits, it HITS

6. Zombieland Saga Revenge - Your favorite zombie idols are back, with this season elevated by vastly improved concert scenes and excellent episodes about some of the more background members.

7. Laid-Back Camp Season 2 - What should otherwise just be another slice of life is once again immaculately produced into being comfy crack cocaine.

8. Jujutsu Kaisen - Another punch ghosts in the face show, but polished to a brilliant gleam.

9. Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song - A robot idol must prevent the bad future, and along the way are some surprisingly emotional moments and one of the year's best action scenes.

10. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S - KyoAni is once again unmatched in production skill. The quality of the slice of life here is so high that it should be much higher on the list. Alas, the original author loves lolis, enormous gag boobs, and lolis with enormous gag boobs.

NaDannMaGoGo · Feb 22, 2022

I better write some up before I forget about it

Link Click - A neat time-travel-ish premise with an abundance of style; you'll get hype ED transitions and you'll love them.
Odd Taxi - It's the show I had to check out because everyone went "huh, who would've expected this show about this walrus taxi driver being so good?" And good it is.
Attack on Titan S4P1 - In many ways, a total disappointment, as one of my favorite arcs was handled terribly. But, to my surprise, it picked itself up again with some very strong episodes, and, you know, when not looking at it for its adaptation qualities, it's still damned AoT and absolutely delivers on the storytelling front.
Komi-san - It's a nicely-produced adaptation of an—eventually—incredibly funny romcom manga. Just don't be deceived by the first episode. It's the comedy you'll perhaps want to stay for, hardly the romance.
Jujutsu Kaisen - Well, it's this second half's OP that led me towards watching this show in the first place and it really is a banger. Unfortunately, the tournament arc and what came after just didn't have a nice flow. You gotta pace them tragic backstories better. Lots of great animation to be found here, but, at the same time, it's let down by bad compositing all too often.

Bigkrev · Feb 22, 2022

Anime TV Series:

1) Sk8 The Infinity: A show so good that I watched it twice, both in Japanese and English- and I would say that Both are worth watching! I love every single dork in this cast

2)Don't Tease Me, Miss Nagatoro: Look, I'm not going to apologize for liking this

3) Horimiya: I love the main pair, with their deceptive on the outside personalities. I also have a soft spot for shows that are based on Webcomics that feel disjointed at times because the creator didn't start out with strong writing skills.

4) Pretty Boy Detective Club: Did not feature the prettiest boys of 2021, but it was visually fun to look at this show with it's art style, and the structure of each arc made this a fun show to sit down with for 2 hours at a time

5) Demon Slayer- Mugen Train Arc: There isn't any reason for this to exist. It's literally recapping the most sucsefful movie in Japanese history, and as far as the US went, it was 2nd only to the first Pokemon movie for Box Office- and it released at a time before many people had the opportunity to become Vaccinated. And yet, for this literal meaningless show, they still poured so much effort into this, to the point where I would tell someone they can skip the movie and just watch this- something that I would have laughed at if you had told me before I watched

6) Suppose a Kid form the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town: I expected very little from this show, but the first episode really cracked me up. Do you like watching cute smoothed brain idiots being manipulated by everyone because of how stupidly overpowered he is (but he doesn't realize it)? Than this is for you!

7) Frits Basket The Final: This ended up towards the bottom because I did not like this part as much as the rest of the series. On the whole, the show is great, but this was the weakest part IMO

Movies

1.) Umbie no Etranger: Im glad that there is now something BL that I can point to as just being a great anime without having to add the "for a BL" Caveat/grading curve you normally need to use with the genera

2.) Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: How good was this? It retroactively makes me look back at 3.33 and say "that was a good movie"

3.)Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop: This would be at least 2 spaces lower if it didn't use a Mall as it's primary setting. I have a weakness to Malls- if you don't, than this is a perfectly serviceable romance movie that actually requires some brainpower to watch due to all the poetry and graffiti that is core to the movie

4) Demon Slayer Mugen Train: This was a wonderful theater experience, but to be honest, there isn't much of a reason to watch it with how strong the TV adaptation was.

Honorable Mentions

XX) Re: Zero Season 2 Part 2- Did not make the list because I only saw an episode or two of this actual part, but started Re:Zero from the beginning last year and I now understand why it's so popular.

Otto best Waifu

XX) Sonny Boy- The show I want to go back and finish the most

SolidSnakeBoy · Feb 22, 2022

Bigkrev said:
Anime TV Series:

1) Sk8 The Infinity: A show so good that I watched it twice, both in Japanese and English- and I would say that Both are worth watching! I love every single dork in this cast

2)Don't Tease Me, Miss Nagatoro: Look, I'm not going to apologize for liking this

3) Horimiya: I love the main pair, with their deceptive on the outside personalities. I also have a soft spot for shows that are based on Webcomics that feel disjointed at times because the creator didn't start out with strong writing skills.

4) Pretty Boy Detective Club: Did not feature the prettiest boys of 2021, but it was visually fun to look at this show with it's art style, and the structure of each arc made this a fun show to sit down with for 2 hours at a time

5) Demon Slayer- Mugen Train Arc: There isn't any reason for this to exist. It's literally recapping the most sucsefful movie in Japanese history, and as far as the US went, it was 2nd only to the first Pokemon movie for Box Office- and it released at a time before many people had the opportunity to become Vaccinated. And yet, for this literal meaningless show, they still poured so much effort into this, to the point where I would tell someone they can skip the movie and just watch this- something that I would have laughed at if you had told me before I watched

6) Suppose a Kid form the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town: I expected very little from this show, but the first episode really cracked me up. Do you like watching cute smoothed brain idiots being manipulated by everyone because of how stupidly overpowered he is (but he doesn't realize it)? Than this is for you!

7) Frits Basket The Final: This ended up towards the bottom because I did not like this part as much as the rest of the series. On the whole, the show is great, but this was the weakest part IMO

Movies

1.) Umbie no Etranger: Im glad that there is now something BL that I can point to as just being a great anime without having to add the "for a BL" Caveat/grading curve you normally need to use with the genera

2.) Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: How good was this? It retroactively makes me look back at 3.33 and say "that was a good movie"

3.)Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop: This would be at least 2 spaces lower if it didn't use a Mall as it's primary setting. I have a weakness to Malls- if you don't, than this is a perfectly serviceable romance movie that actually requires some brainpower to watch due to all the poetry and graffiti that is core to the movie

4) Demon Slayer Mugen Train: This was a wonderful theater experience, but to be honest, there isn't much of a reason to watch it with how strong the TV adaptation was.

Honorable Mentions

XX) Re: Zero Season 2 Part 2- Did not make the list because I only saw an episode or two of this actual part, but started Re:Zero from the beginning last year and I now understand why it's so popular.

Otto best Waifu

XX) Sonny Boy- The show I want to go back and finish the most

Did "Given" not live up to being a good BL show? Stranger is a wonderful film i agree.

Mandos · Feb 23, 2022

Order is a touch arbitrary but here we go

—Anime Series of the year

Rumble Garanndoll - just a well executed mech show that does something of its own while still having plenty of parodies and homages of mech and otaku culture
SSSS. Dynazenon - lots of great character work, the cast is fun, and it builds on some stories from Gridman without being reliant on it
Getter Robo Arc - a direct adaption of a 20 year old unfinished manga that's the fifth entry of a series that's always got reimagined over adapted happening is wild enough, but it's also done with a lot of passion (even if the 2d suffers from the budget the 3D is well done). SRW is also freed of Armageddon while getting a ton of original material intended for it while still fitting organically
Muteking the Dancing Hero - a fun adventure with a lot of soul, well executed messages about being who you want to be and expressing yourself while recognizing your right way may not be someone else's. Continuing a trend of Tatsunoko reboots taking some core concepts and making something well done and new with it
The Saints' Magic Power is Omnipotent - I have a soft spot for Isekais. But overall it's a fun story of a woman who instead of being annoyed about being passed over decides to find a role in the new world she's in and contribute. For the most part it's a pretty chill and low tension show but even when it amps up it feels decently executed
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma Kun S2 - classic Shonen fun, great dub and just a lot of fun stories well executed
Vampire Dies in No Time - comedy is super subjective but this one manages to do some really satisfying pure juvenile humor, with some surprisingly touching side stories and a solid dynamic in the main cast. It also has fun with the side characters. Plus John is the best Nunumu
Dragon Goes House Hunting - I love a show with a fun twist, a good dub and a casual pace so the adventures of timid dragon Letty trying to find a home was right up my alley. Just a satisfying background watch
Banished from the Hero's party, I decided to live a slow life in the countryside - The actual slow life part of the show is cute sweet and satisfying including a cute romance for the MC. Now if only they could have trimmed the adventure side plot with the hero a bit it would be higher. I actually really like the world building with the skill system and how it's a curse for the sister and I liked the idea of the plot for that and it's not a bad dynamic for the show, it just could have been handled better. Mr crawly-Wally was fun
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom S1 -falls a bit into my junk food category but the world building on this one is super satisfying. Even with it setting up a harem, it's done right as it is a feudal system and that was a thing in the real world(though that is coming into play more now in P2). But yeah it's just an interesting enough setup overall

--Hidden Gem Anime Series

Rumble Garanndoll - just a fun heartfelt tribute to mech and otaku culture while telling a solid story of its own with some (hilarious) twists. Probably my fave Mecha show of the year which is saying something
Vampire Dies in No Time - it's a juvenile comedy in the best way, fun relationships, demented immortals, John the armadillo. It's light hearted with some darker teased here and there. Lots of great recurring gags
Getter Robo Arc - it's messy, it's on a budget, it's a direct adaption of the fifth entry of a manga series that's never been directly adapted before. It's also a passion project that perfectly fleshes things out, has top grade CG Mecha fights, probably the best writing out of all the Getter anime, and a top tier voice cast(with Japan getting all the returning ones they could). There is the caveat that you either need to read the preceding 4 manga for full payoff or at least watch some of the other animes for some getter context at least.

KaCo · Feb 23, 2022

Anime TV Series
1. Odd Taxi - Has a very colorful cast of characters, which the story did well to use them all at every chance it got. Dialogue between characters is defiantly one of the big selling point of this show, as I could watch them converse all day.

2. Jujutsu Kaisen - As a manga reader I had high hopes for the anime when it was announced. Did not disappoint. Studio Mappa did an excellent job in animating a lot of jaw dropping fight scenes.

3. 86 - Eighty Six - Ngl, this show came in clutch. I saw a few people keep recommending it, and looking at the thumbnail, I thought it would not be my jam. I was wrong. Amazing soundtrack, cool mech battles and characters I don't actually hate in a mech show. I'm hooked.

4. Ranking of Kings - Nice hidden gem when it first started. Show has an interesting spin on character troupes.

5. Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun S2 - Upbeat and wholesome show. Fun second season.

6. Nomad: Megalo Box 2 - Different in tone compared to season 1, season 2 feels more somber. A journey for the main character to discover himself and deal with his messy past.

7. Godzilla Singular Point - Really enjoyed the build up in this show. Don't know if there will ever be a season 2 but the sequel hook was hype.

8. Restaurant to Another World S2 - Similar structure to season one, but introduced more new characters who luckily enough to find the door. (Warning, do not watch without food or snacks).

9. Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan - Hilariously depressing. Nothing like laughing and then realizing how much you resonate with the characters.

10. Dragon Goes House Hunting - Pretty chill show, I like watching ridiculous themes like this from time to time. Had some fun references.

As you can see, I'm terrible at writing out my thoughts so kept them short.

Layla · Feb 25, 2022

1. Odd Taxi - an instant classic
2. Heike Story - best last episode in a long long time
3. Laid Back Camp S2 - more iyashikei goodness, Aoi best girl
4. Sonny Boy - good first half, loses it's way towards the end
5. Irina Vampire Cosmonaut - charming mix of history and anime, terrible last episode
6. Super Cub - best scooter advert
7. Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent - about the limit of josei that I can handle haha
8. Horimiya - I like the cast, back half not as good
9. Fena Pirate Princess - I like the cast, back half a bit of a mess
10. So I'm a Spider, So What? - spider bits were fun, fuck the rest

Furisu · Feb 26, 2022

Top 10
1. Odd Taxi [M]: Just a stunning series from start to finish. Compelling characters, a gripping storyline, and dialogue the likes of which I haven't seen in any anime. An all-timer and one of the few anime you can recommend to anyone without an asterisk.

2. Ranking of Kings [A]: Ranking of Kings is a very sad and yet wholesome series. As an avid fan of One Piece, this one hit the same notes. The production is very good as well. I also have to praise the characters which may seem one-dimensional at first but as the show goes on, they get a lot deeper.

3. Fruits Basket [R] [D]: The Final: What can I say? Fruit Basket never disappoints and this third season and final season is no exception. Fruit's Basket goes out with an absolutely stunning season.

4. Sonny Boy: Confusing and sometimes undecipherable, Sonny Boy is a work that requires you to come to your own conclusions. There are no real answers to any questions the watcher may pose so I understand why it's so divisive. Personally, I really enjoyed the mystery. The art and the soundtrack especially really knocked it out of the park.

5. Link Click: A breath of fresh air. This show is essentially about moving on and dealing with guilt, and it executes those themes perfectly. Additionally, the opening and ending are stellar.

6. Jujutsu Kaisen: A well-executed shonen. Add stellar animation, good characters, and an interesting story and you get an exciting package.

7. Blue Period: After a rocky start, I have to say that Blue Period really impressed me. Seeing Yaguchi come into his own as an artist over the course of the show and his journey is just good content. Blue Period may not be a looker from a visual standpoint but all the other things more than makeup for it.

8. Heike Monogatari: A tragic tale about the downfall of influential families. An absolutely gorgeous-looking anime with a good (albeit very sad) story. It can get very confusing because a lot of the characters look quite similar but it does not really detract from the overall experience.

9. Sk8 The Infinity: An absolutely gorgeous show about skating. The villain is probably one of the most over-the-top villains I have ever seen and uses his skateboard in... interesting ways. The character work is also surprisingly decent, at least when it comes to the main characters.

10. Laid-Back Camp Season 2 [C]: A wholesome show about camping. If you liked the first season, you will like this one as well. You learn so many things about camping and what you have to pay attention to. As someone who does not care one bit about camping, I really enjoyed it. And I can't forget about the characters, they are a wonderful bunch.

Other:
-The Detective Is Already Dead [WS]
-Wonder Egg Priority [WP]

Hidden Gems and Honorable Mentions
-Shadows House
-Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut
-Tokyo Revengers
-Moriarty the Patriot S2

Dedication Through Light · Feb 28, 2022

The final week is here!

SolidSnakeBoy · Feb 28, 2022

Vote folks! Or finish voting!

ResetEra Anime of the Year 2021 - Voting Thread (READ THE OP) [Ends 11:59pm March 5th EST]

Shinra Employee

Community Resetter

Self-Requested Temporary Ban

Sorry for your ineptitude

Sorry for your ineptitude

The Wise Ones

Poutine on the Ritz