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NeoGAF Anime of the Year 2015 - Voting Thread
- Thread starter Qurupeke
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Like what?
Ninja Slayer. You thought that One Punch Man's animation was good, eh? You just haven't watched this yet.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
I've been reading manga and watching anime that came out a while ago this year. I've begun reading R.E.A.L. Brilliant series. I'm currently catching up to Saint Seyia. I remember watching it when I was a kid but not in detail, so I'm watching an episode per day or two.
Parasyte was my favorite anime that actually came out this year I believe. Fantastic story, the themes explored, characters and character development. Just a brilliant mature series.
I cannot wait for Boku No Hero Academia anime next year though. That is going to be the next manga that is going to break that top 5-7 series and become the next big thing. You can just feel it, and it's deserved. I am about two months behind in the manga and will give it a bit more of a break before jumping in again.
Parasyte was my favorite anime that actually came out this year I believe. Fantastic story, the themes explored, characters and character development. Just a brilliant mature series.
I cannot wait for Boku No Hero Academia anime next year though. That is going to be the next manga that is going to break that top 5-7 series and become the next big thing. You can just feel it, and it's deserved. I am about two months behind in the manga and will give it a bit more of a break before jumping in again.
Sound Euphonium? Death Parade? Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans? Not every show needs action, comedy and nice animation to be good?
Panthalassic
Member
1. Hibike! Euphonium; It was one of the most intense anime I've ever seen, I was on the edge of my seat nearly every episode. KyoAni's ability to convey emotions without using faces still impresses me, and it was so beautiful. The music stuff brought back memories from band and it was really great to see well-done girl protags who grew over the course of the season. I can't wait for season 2.
2. Yuri Kuma Arashi; It was kind of weird at first (no surprise from Ikuhara), but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yuri forever.
3. Gatchaman Crowds: insight; I loved Gatcha Crowds and this was a great sequel. Needed more Rui and Utsutsu though.
4. Ore Monogatari!!; I'm not usually a fan of romance anime but this was really cute. I thought I was gonna get annoyed at the main couple, but their relationship seemed to play out semi-realistically with problems like communication, jealousy, etc. And it was pleasant to look at.
5. Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou; I liked this better than the main series because everyone was happy and it made me laugh a lot.
x. One Punch Man; I really enjoyed it, and the EP1 and 12 fight scenes were absolutely stunning.
x. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid; I started watching this out of spite because it was gross and male-gazey, but also yuri (and I'm desperate for yuri 'cause I'm a gay girl), and I ended up getting really attached to the characters... I watched it almost entirely censored though.
2. Yuri Kuma Arashi; It was kind of weird at first (no surprise from Ikuhara), but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yuri forever.
3. Gatchaman Crowds: insight; I loved Gatcha Crowds and this was a great sequel. Needed more Rui and Utsutsu though.
4. Ore Monogatari!!; I'm not usually a fan of romance anime but this was really cute. I thought I was gonna get annoyed at the main couple, but their relationship seemed to play out semi-realistically with problems like communication, jealousy, etc. And it was pleasant to look at.
5. Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou; I liked this better than the main series because everyone was happy and it made me laugh a lot.
x. One Punch Man; I really enjoyed it, and the EP1 and 12 fight scenes were absolutely stunning.
x. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid; I started watching this out of spite because it was gross and male-gazey, but also yuri (and I'm desperate for yuri 'cause I'm a gay girl), and I ended up getting really attached to the characters... I watched it almost entirely censored though.
Dedication Through Light
Member
Shingeki Chuugakkou was amazing, especially Jean and Eren. Also the music, how perfect it was for their situations.
1. Shirobako; Last year I was worried that the second half would not deliver - oh me of little faith, they absolutely knocked it out of the park.
2. Hibike Euphonium; Set up like a typical sports anime, Kyoani's attention to detail plus their animation & more importantly direction chops raised the material into one of this year's must watches.
3. Owarimonogatari; Maybe the most consistent monogatari series in terms of writing, with the usual problematic elements kept to a (relative) minimum. Spooky Ougi da best!
4. Non Non Biyori S2; Improved on the first series, the comedy worked better and the more dramatic scenes were beautifully handled thanks to some subtle direction.
5. SNAFU S2; Still one of the most intriguing male leads in anime. Can't help but think they are writing themselves into a corner though.
6. Snow White with the Red Hair; Surprise of the year, a slow moving romantic shoujo (slowjo?) with princes and castles etc. that nevertheless captivated me. This was mainly due to the plucky female lead who felt like she'd strayed in from a Ghibli movie.
7. Rokka; The other surprise of the year, looks like generic fantasy trash from the outside but turns to a compelling locked room mystery with some interesting if over the top characters.
8. One Punch Man; Mindless fun with some nice animation. The seemingly endless parade of goofy superheroes reminds me of Alan Moore's Top Ten.
9. Death Parade; Didn't quite live up to the promise and was a bit heavy handed in places, but had some good episodes during its run.
10. The Perfect Insider; Another show that didn't quite deliver but had some decent characterisation and dialog.
2. Hibike Euphonium; Set up like a typical sports anime, Kyoani's attention to detail plus their animation & more importantly direction chops raised the material into one of this year's must watches.
3. Owarimonogatari; Maybe the most consistent monogatari series in terms of writing, with the usual problematic elements kept to a (relative) minimum. Spooky Ougi da best!
4. Non Non Biyori S2; Improved on the first series, the comedy worked better and the more dramatic scenes were beautifully handled thanks to some subtle direction.
5. SNAFU S2; Still one of the most intriguing male leads in anime. Can't help but think they are writing themselves into a corner though.
6. Snow White with the Red Hair; Surprise of the year, a slow moving romantic shoujo (slowjo?) with princes and castles etc. that nevertheless captivated me. This was mainly due to the plucky female lead who felt like she'd strayed in from a Ghibli movie.
7. Rokka; The other surprise of the year, looks like generic fantasy trash from the outside but turns to a compelling locked room mystery with some interesting if over the top characters.
8. One Punch Man; Mindless fun with some nice animation. The seemingly endless parade of goofy superheroes reminds me of Alan Moore's Top Ten.
9. Death Parade; Didn't quite live up to the promise and was a bit heavy handed in places, but had some good episodes during its run.
10. The Perfect Insider; Another show that didn't quite deliver but had some decent characterisation and dialog.
1.) Lesbian Bear Storm (Yuri Kuma Arashi)
2.) Yuru Yuri San Hai
3.) Prison School
4.) The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls
5.) Sound! Euphonium
). KyoAni can’t do a show that caters to the shoujo-ai crowd to save their lives and until they do I doubt they’ll ever reach the number 1 spot on my list.
6.) Hello! Kiniro Mosaic
7.) Gourmet Girl Graffiti
8.) Non Non Biyori Repeat
9.) Shimoneta
10.) Kantai Collection
Very confusing at the start admittedly, but over time everything starts coming together to lead to an incredible and passionate ride. KUMA SHOCK!!
2.) Yuru Yuri San Hai
Season 3 of the Yuru Yuri series, and as usual does not disappoint. The popular ships get their time to shine (Kyouko x Ayano, Sakurako x Himawari) as well as Akari’s creepy older sister. Hilarious from start to finish.
3.) Prison School
Read the manga prior to the show debuting (thanks Wonzo) and was hoping it would do the series justice. It did. The artwork, the VAs (thank god they snagged Araragi for Kiyoshi, there’s was literally no one else more suited for him) especially, everything was on point. Hana is best girl, this is not up for debate.
4.) The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls
When I first heard about this getting its own anime I was super pumped, because at the time I was under the impression they would focus on the top tier girls from this branch. Instead they made those characters already well established idols and somewhat mentors to the case we were stuck with. Granted we got Anastasia and her OTP, I was bummed that the characters I wanted were regulated to side characters. That said, show had great energy and made me like characters I didn’t think I would have otherwise.
5.) Sound! Euphonium
Show would’ve been higher on the list had it not been for the bait switch they hit me with in episode 10 (
Reina telling Kumiko about her feelings for Taki-sensei
6.) Hello! Kiniro Mosaic
Aya x Youko make my day, and Karen’s antics make it even better. Incredibly cute show that warms the heart. Love trumps language barriers all day, every day.
7.) Gourmet Girl Graffiti
This show has hot looking food, and hot food eating animations/reactions. Nice little slice of life with a huge helping of food porn on the side.
8.) Non Non Biyori Repeat
Nyanpasu! The artwork in this series is gorgeous and its a show I would highly recommend for those wanting to chill out in their house during the summer time.
9.) Shimoneta
Never in my life would I have imagined watching a scene where a girl is giving a guy cookies she made, with her love juice being one of the secret ingredients. Oooh my days.
10.) Kantai Collection
A show where I can literally ship... ships. Speaking of which, Nagato x Mutsu for life.
LOL this thread is already generating salt <3
Or maybe, MAYBE, people have seen other shows and still like OPM the best?
I haven't seen Euphonium but I've seen the other two and while I like them, OPM is better.
Or maybe, MAYBE, people have seen other shows and still like OPM the best?
I haven't seen Euphonium but I've seen the other two and while I like them, OPM is better.
Newsflash: popular shows win popularity contest. Who cares which show wins at the end of the day.
I watched DP but thought it got boring towards the end.
I can't remember a single film that I watched this year, so series only will have to do. I am, as always, discounting any series that I have not seen to completion, which disqualifies anything that's currently airing, such as Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. With that said, my top ten is as follows:
1. One Punch Man; The animation was consistently top-notch and the story was always entertaining to see unfold. Yeah, Saitama is OP, but that's the joke and it was told in regularly amusing ways. It's not a perfect series, as the conclusion -- being what it is for a still-running manga -- doesn't accomplish anything. But it's still the most fun anime I've seen this year.
2. Non Non Biyori Repeat; If OPM was the most visually interesting and comically amusing series this year, this was a close second. Maybe 'interesting' is a bad term for what NNB does with its visuals, but it's always a joy to look at with its depiction of the countryside. And of course the characters and their interactions are still amazing.
3. Shirobako; For the longest time I thought this was a lock for my number one slot, but it's still amazing even if it has been surpassed by the series above it on my list. Not because it's a particularly honest depiction of the anime industry, but because it gets across the love and passion that the industry engenders in so many of its fans and creators.
4. Yurikuma Arashi; Once again taking the crown for most symbolism per square inch, Ikuhara turned in another gem this year. Yurikuma probably made the least sense up front, but everything comes together more solidly in Yurikuma than it did in Penguindrum (which I also loved). Perhaps that's a consequence of the shorter runtime forcing a tighter story? Either way, I loved the way the series looked, sounded, and played out. Gao, gao.
5. Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider; Putting aside for the moment my conflicted feelings about the relationship between Saikawa and Nishinosono, I felt that this series accomplished what I needed it to. A compelling mystery with only one real loose end that I can suspend some disbelief for. The reputation of the novel makes me want to seek that out and see if it handled that one aspect better, but as it stands, I loved this series.
6. Waganaria 3!!; A perfect ending to one of my favorite comedic anime of all time. I love the entire cast and enjoyed watching as the various plots wound down towards their conclusions. I honestly think one of my favorite things about the series is what they did NOT do -- namely, they never made the relationships more complicated than a straight line for the sake of either drama or laughs. Neither Aoi nor Popura was ever a romantic interest and that made the realization of the relationships all the more sweeter for it.
7. Sound! Euphonium; Yuri pandering/trolling or no, Euphonium marked, for me, a return to form for KyoAni after some seriously subpar outings that had people thinking Amagi Brilliant Park was more than just okay. The pacing was great, the characters were fun, there was some real growth in the cast, and the production values were...well, KyoAni-esque. Would love to see more of this series in the future.
8. Your Lie in April; I give KimiUso some serious credit for not wimping out on its inevitable conclusion, which was masterfully done. There were a lot of great dramatic moments throughout the series, but the back half was a master class in emotional impact. However, I felt a lot of that was undermined by some petty slapstick comedy that actually detracted from a lot of the points of the drama for no good reason. I get the sense that they wanted to illustrate a difference between Kousei being abused as a child to the lighthearted stuff inflicted on him in love by his female friends, but...it didn't work. At all. And it damaged the series for it.
9. Wish Upon the Pleiades; My surprise of the year. A magical girl series with some depth accomplished in a way that's not "surprise! Magic is evil!" or some such. It was delightful to see a series delight in earnestness in this genre and do it well to boot. The various girls were all interesting in their own way; the villain was interesting, and the macguffin plot was actually surprisingly good.
10. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!; Oregairu is a fantastic franchise and I'm really hoping to see a continuation in the next year or so. Honestly, this should be so much higher on this list, but I can't do it in good conscience because of its non-ending. Still, Iroha added so much to an already strong cast and seeing Yui and Yukino develop in their own ways alongside Hachiman was fantastic. Just...ugh, that ending was painful. So very painful.
x. Prison School; Had some seriously great characters (Hana) and moments (the makeout), but it took forever to get going and the best parts of the manga will have to wait for a continuation. Solid first runner up just because of the strength of the back half of the series.
x. Plastic Memories; Another series that gets props for not wussing out on the inevitable conclusion, but I felt it squandered a lot of potential and didn't really get interesting until, again, the second half of the series.
x. Death Parade; One more case of "I just wish that this was more consistent throughout its run." When the series stopped being episodic with obvious conclusions more often than not, it was enjoyable, but not great. When they finally got to the actual plot, it was great, but too little, too late, again.
x. Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei Herz!; Unnecessary lolicon pandering aside, I do think this is the best Fate franchise in terms of its story. It has a lot of fantastic action set pieces, comedy, character development, and a great twist that leads into a confirmed fourth season I can't wait to see. In the manga, 3rei basically killed off the fanservice aspects. Here's hoping the anime follows suit, because I hate that this is a guilty pleasure because of some fetishists that have to be appeased for some reason.
x. The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan; Like Prisma Illya, this is an alternate universe I think I prefer to the actual canon series. However, I think the anime didn't get down the charm of the manga as well as it needed to, for the sake of partially sidelining Yuki in her own series. I did enjoy the series, but I didn't love it the way I adore the manga.
x. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma; This was far better than any series based around cooking seems like it would be given its premise. But it was very entertaining and I fell in love with a lot of the characters. It's not in my top ten, though, because of two things. One, the non-ending thing again. Stop doing that bullshit, production houses. Two, it was very predictable. When the stakes are effectively the end of the series, the hero can't lose. And those are the stakes basically every time and that makes things boring. The only time he lost it was obvious he was going to lose because there were no stakes. I'll watch season two with joy when it comes, but that gripe seems likely to stand.
1. One Punch Man; The animation was consistently top-notch and the story was always entertaining to see unfold. Yeah, Saitama is OP, but that's the joke and it was told in regularly amusing ways. It's not a perfect series, as the conclusion -- being what it is for a still-running manga -- doesn't accomplish anything. But it's still the most fun anime I've seen this year.
2. Non Non Biyori Repeat; If OPM was the most visually interesting and comically amusing series this year, this was a close second. Maybe 'interesting' is a bad term for what NNB does with its visuals, but it's always a joy to look at with its depiction of the countryside. And of course the characters and their interactions are still amazing.
3. Shirobako; For the longest time I thought this was a lock for my number one slot, but it's still amazing even if it has been surpassed by the series above it on my list. Not because it's a particularly honest depiction of the anime industry, but because it gets across the love and passion that the industry engenders in so many of its fans and creators.
4. Yurikuma Arashi; Once again taking the crown for most symbolism per square inch, Ikuhara turned in another gem this year. Yurikuma probably made the least sense up front, but everything comes together more solidly in Yurikuma than it did in Penguindrum (which I also loved). Perhaps that's a consequence of the shorter runtime forcing a tighter story? Either way, I loved the way the series looked, sounded, and played out. Gao, gao.
5. Everything Becomes F: The Perfect Insider; Putting aside for the moment my conflicted feelings about the relationship between Saikawa and Nishinosono, I felt that this series accomplished what I needed it to. A compelling mystery with only one real loose end that I can suspend some disbelief for. The reputation of the novel makes me want to seek that out and see if it handled that one aspect better, but as it stands, I loved this series.
6. Waganaria 3!!; A perfect ending to one of my favorite comedic anime of all time. I love the entire cast and enjoyed watching as the various plots wound down towards their conclusions. I honestly think one of my favorite things about the series is what they did NOT do -- namely, they never made the relationships more complicated than a straight line for the sake of either drama or laughs. Neither Aoi nor Popura was ever a romantic interest and that made the realization of the relationships all the more sweeter for it.
7. Sound! Euphonium; Yuri pandering/trolling or no, Euphonium marked, for me, a return to form for KyoAni after some seriously subpar outings that had people thinking Amagi Brilliant Park was more than just okay. The pacing was great, the characters were fun, there was some real growth in the cast, and the production values were...well, KyoAni-esque. Would love to see more of this series in the future.
8. Your Lie in April; I give KimiUso some serious credit for not wimping out on its inevitable conclusion, which was masterfully done. There were a lot of great dramatic moments throughout the series, but the back half was a master class in emotional impact. However, I felt a lot of that was undermined by some petty slapstick comedy that actually detracted from a lot of the points of the drama for no good reason. I get the sense that they wanted to illustrate a difference between Kousei being abused as a child to the lighthearted stuff inflicted on him in love by his female friends, but...it didn't work. At all. And it damaged the series for it.
9. Wish Upon the Pleiades; My surprise of the year. A magical girl series with some depth accomplished in a way that's not "surprise! Magic is evil!" or some such. It was delightful to see a series delight in earnestness in this genre and do it well to boot. The various girls were all interesting in their own way; the villain was interesting, and the macguffin plot was actually surprisingly good.
10. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!; Oregairu is a fantastic franchise and I'm really hoping to see a continuation in the next year or so. Honestly, this should be so much higher on this list, but I can't do it in good conscience because of its non-ending. Still, Iroha added so much to an already strong cast and seeing Yui and Yukino develop in their own ways alongside Hachiman was fantastic. Just...ugh, that ending was painful. So very painful.
x. Prison School; Had some seriously great characters (Hana) and moments (the makeout), but it took forever to get going and the best parts of the manga will have to wait for a continuation. Solid first runner up just because of the strength of the back half of the series.
x. Plastic Memories; Another series that gets props for not wussing out on the inevitable conclusion, but I felt it squandered a lot of potential and didn't really get interesting until, again, the second half of the series.
x. Death Parade; One more case of "I just wish that this was more consistent throughout its run." When the series stopped being episodic with obvious conclusions more often than not, it was enjoyable, but not great. When they finally got to the actual plot, it was great, but too little, too late, again.
x. Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya 2wei Herz!; Unnecessary lolicon pandering aside, I do think this is the best Fate franchise in terms of its story. It has a lot of fantastic action set pieces, comedy, character development, and a great twist that leads into a confirmed fourth season I can't wait to see. In the manga, 3rei basically killed off the fanservice aspects. Here's hoping the anime follows suit, because I hate that this is a guilty pleasure because of some fetishists that have to be appeased for some reason.
x. The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan; Like Prisma Illya, this is an alternate universe I think I prefer to the actual canon series. However, I think the anime didn't get down the charm of the manga as well as it needed to, for the sake of partially sidelining Yuki in her own series. I did enjoy the series, but I didn't love it the way I adore the manga.
x. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma; This was far better than any series based around cooking seems like it would be given its premise. But it was very entertaining and I fell in love with a lot of the characters. It's not in my top ten, though, because of two things. One, the non-ending thing again. Stop doing that bullshit, production houses. Two, it was very predictable. When the stakes are effectively the end of the series, the hero can't lose. And those are the stakes basically every time and that makes things boring. The only time he lost it was obvious he was going to lose because there were no stakes. I'll watch season two with joy when it comes, but that gripe seems likely to stand.
In other words no they didn't.
1. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders;
2. Shirobako;
3. Lupin the 3rd Part IV;
4. One Punch Man;
I guess Shingo Natsume is the new sakuga savant, huh? One Punch Man is explosive webgen animation dialed up to 1,000 with few pauses for breath. The comedy from the manga is retained and amplified in such a way that I can’t really imagine it differently. I’ve never used “rollicking” in a sentence before, but I think it’d do pretty well here.
5. Death Parade;
A short film turned TV series that paid out admirably. The core theme’s surprisingly long legs coupled with fun characters and solid execution made this a fun show to return to week to week.
6. Osomatsu;
The sort of show where you know exactly what you’re in for. Yoichi Fujita’s comedic rhythm carries straight over from Gintama. The sketches were a bit uneven with some big highs and meandering lows, but on the whole it kept me smiling and laughing.
7. Blood Blockade Battlefront;
An excellently crafted series with an unfortunate dip in writing at it’s tail end. The world and the characters inside it are great fun to be with, so I look forward to hopefully seeing more of this in the future.
8. RIN-NE;
A surprisingly subversive comedy in the vein of all of Rumiko’s works. The production falls towards the mediocre, but it’s a hard guilty pleasure for me. Looking forward to a second season.
9. Snow White with the Red Hair;
A competently made fantasy romance from Masahiro Ando… Not something I expected from this year. It’s fluffy and inoffensive tone makes for good unwinding.
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans;
A very blunt exercise in melodrama for a series that’s already known for it. A pretty good time when you’re not thinking too hard.
Ever since David Productions undertook the task of animating JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure it sort of felt like it was leading up to this. I didn’t have any prior knowledge to the series going into this, but even without that, this feels like a resounding success of a lauded story. There’s a potency of style and form that creates a presentation that’s entirely its own. It’s still working within its limited framework of animation, but it’s the best it’s ever been. As each passing part grows in quality and competency I’m excited to see what the future of David Productions take on JoJo’s looks like.
2. Shirobako;
Shirobako has been excellent from its first episode, but seeing it wrap in such a satisfying and conclusive way was cathartic. Especially given the on screen hysteria the characters occasionally have to go through. Equal parts fun, anecdotal, and educational, Shirobako left me feeling full at it’s conclusion.
3. Lupin the 3rd Part IV;
My expectations going into a Lupin anything are as follows: Lupin’s there; some or all of Lupin’s pals are there; thievery; Zenigata gets mad; Lupin wins. Which is to say, i’m easy to appease regarding shows of the Lupin variety, but Lupin the 3rd Part IV does well to meet my minimal expectations and indulgently exceed them. Every episode feels like a forgotten classic ripped from the 70’s and dolled up for the 21st century. With it’s slick, attractive designs and snappy, fun pace I really wasn’t anticipating just how great this show could be.
4. One Punch Man;
I guess Shingo Natsume is the new sakuga savant, huh? One Punch Man is explosive webgen animation dialed up to 1,000 with few pauses for breath. The comedy from the manga is retained and amplified in such a way that I can’t really imagine it differently. I’ve never used “rollicking” in a sentence before, but I think it’d do pretty well here.
5. Death Parade;
A short film turned TV series that paid out admirably. The core theme’s surprisingly long legs coupled with fun characters and solid execution made this a fun show to return to week to week.
6. Osomatsu;
The sort of show where you know exactly what you’re in for. Yoichi Fujita’s comedic rhythm carries straight over from Gintama. The sketches were a bit uneven with some big highs and meandering lows, but on the whole it kept me smiling and laughing.
7. Blood Blockade Battlefront;
An excellently crafted series with an unfortunate dip in writing at it’s tail end. The world and the characters inside it are great fun to be with, so I look forward to hopefully seeing more of this in the future.
8. RIN-NE;
A surprisingly subversive comedy in the vein of all of Rumiko’s works. The production falls towards the mediocre, but it’s a hard guilty pleasure for me. Looking forward to a second season.
9. Snow White with the Red Hair;
A competently made fantasy romance from Masahiro Ando… Not something I expected from this year. It’s fluffy and inoffensive tone makes for good unwinding.
10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans;
A very blunt exercise in melodrama for a series that’s already known for it. A pretty good time when you’re not thinking too hard.
Right, so we have reached the sunsetting of another year on the world of anime and the consensus is this was a pretty weak year and i would be hard pressed to disagree. Still, it is awards season and it is time once again to fill the ranks even if sometimes the entries might have not made it in a stronger year.
1. Shirobako:
Here we are, a very popular choice for the year and indeed it was a popular choice last year. It might have been my AOTY last year had it been a full series at the time of that voting but it was not and I don't think I could ever hand an unfinished series or season the top prize. Yes, I know Log Horizon got the gold last year but that had a finished season under its belt. Anyway, there is going to be a lot of word said about this series over the course of the voting but the reason I fell in love with Shirobako can be summed up in one word, maturity. This series has one of the all time greatest fake outs I have ever seen and gave me a series I have been searching for in this medium for a very long time. I don't see it mentioned a lot but this series starts in high school featuring and all girl high school anime club and it looked like it was going to be just another anime to be forgotten about. Then it did what people have been wanting anime shows to do for fucking ever and said fuck you high school setting we are going to the real world. Yes, yes, I know the world was glamorized and romanticized to a degree but god damn if it was not the most refreshing thing in the anime world to watch fully grown adults dealing with adult problems in an adult world and that is what put this series over the top for me.
2. One Punch Man:
Here we go, the popular vote, the series that seems to have the most momentum in terms of popularity power and I am not bucking a trend here because not really concerned with how popular this series was with other people because I happen to agree that OPM was that damned good. This is a premise that takes real talent to get right otherwise it will get boring very quickly and One Punch Man has so far avoided that trap. Indeed, I do have concerns about the long term viability of the show but for 12 episodes OPM managed to make Saitama an engaging character without resorting too wallowing in angst. I have mentioned this before but I have not watched a superhero show this fun since Megas XLR or maybe even The Tick and I think OPM operates on the same wavelength. That is to say it is a parody of super heroes, shonen and sentai but it is also something that respects those mediums to create a new entertaining package.
3. Yuri Kuma Arashi:
When thinking about this list I knew a few things and one of them is no matter where Sound! Euphonium was going to place Yuri Kuma was always going to notch above it. For those who missed the great Yuriphonium debate in the spring that series has embarked on a romantic journey featuring two girls and then decided to muddle and dither and people are expecting the heterosexual options to win the day. Why bring all of up here in this entry? This is simple because Yuri Kuma Arashi very foundation is about calling all the bullshit surrounding soft yuri and Class-S relationships and giving those tropes a serious examination. This is the series that a lot of people have been looking for in anime and this is some of the wonderment I get from Ikuhara works that in spite of the layers upon layers of symbolism and surrealism lathered onto his works they are also some of the most earnest and down to earth. To put simple the series isn't just about lesbians it is about lesbianism and its place in the lager society and how it is an silly high school distraction at best and a dangerous aberration at worst that must be destroyed. At least this is my interpretation and one the biggest reasons I loved this show. There are other reasons ranger from the storybook atmosphere and the striking color palette but this entry is long enough as it is.
4. Sound! Euphonium:
it is a testament to the sheer unironic quality of Euphonium here that not only does it place on my list at all but ends up in the upper echelon. Much has already been made about the controversy surrounding the series and the accusations of yuri baiting and I happen to agree with them for the most part. More on that later and that is a sin this series will have to bear but putting that aside this is the best Kyoto Animation series I have sen thus far. Hell, it fixes the biggest flaw in the thematically similar K-On! series by actually focusing on the band and the music instead of tea and cake. Indeed this series is among the most technically breathtaking I have seen all year but I am sure the majority of people are not going to understand just how impressive the production values really are. Yes, people are going to extol the virtues of the visual fidelity and the smoothness of animation but that is typical Kyoto Animation; even fucking Beyond the Boundary looked good. I am talking about the sheer insanity of doing an anime series around a full concert band, that is like 50 to 60 characters and go back and look at some of the group shots and realize that Kyoto Animation gave everybody a distinct character design or go and see just the sheer amount of music that had to be recorded for this series, that alone is worthy of my respect. Finally, this series does get props for focusing on the human side of Band Club and nailing down how overwrought and dramatic the whole affair even in the confines of high school were and still are.
5. Death Parade:
This is one of those series that is going to appear in quite a few lists and not without reason. Hell, I think the OP alone might be the catalyst for the popular voting. Still, what we have here is a very interesting series that seeks to analyze and ponder the human condition, not just death but human emotions under duress and how the react under said duress. I thought that was the strongest aspect of the program and it really didn't need and in fact I think it detracted when the series tried to do world building. This is a series and a premise that benefits the most from keeping things as ambiguous and answering as few questions as possible and showing us not just behind the curtain but also how some of the mechanics worked and being concerned about those mechanics was immersion breaking. Still, minor flaws in the grand scheme of things.
6. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders:
Another year, another vote for the Jojo franchise and I think this was about where the series placed last year and pretty much for the same reason. Stardust Crusaders is not my favorite part of the series simple because the stand user of the week formula got stale after a measure of time and that held true in the secodn part of the season. Things did pick up once we got to Cairo and stand duels like Pet Shop and Darby the Player and of course the world ending tour de force that was the showdown with Dio which gave Jojo some of its most iconic moments.
7. The Heroic Legend of Arslan:
I'll be honest and say that the prime reason this series is on the list is nostalgia as I was rather a big fan of the old Arslan OVA series back in the day and I am pleased that the story is getting a proper chance at a retelling. Indeed now within the confines of a television series the story has time to breathe and gain the epic scope is was missing in the OVAs. Though on the flip side I would be lying if I said I was happy about the shaky production values often on display here.
8. School-Live!:
This one is kind of hard to talk about if you don't what this thing is and if wish to watch this series blind because of certain reasons which I can't talk about without spoiling things. Still, it was a thing that actually got me to watch this series and while I liked the beginning and the end, School Live! suffered from having a very flabby middle portion drawn out no doubt because they had to fill the space become of the needs of the format and beyond that I have been made to understand some of the adaptation choices were absolute junk, though some of the other choices were improvements. Though the number one reason this almost missed the list was the disturbing amount of fanservice that almost ruined the series for me. Still, I do recommend giving this a watch and if you are liable to take up the offer all I can say is be sure to watch the entire first episode and keep an eye out for things and stuff.
9. Mikagura Academy Suite:
Ah, this may be a series nobody else will be picking or even remembering for the most part we have this entry. Indeed in most regards this was a stunningly mediocre series with some decent fight scenes. Obviously there must be a reason or its elevation into the top ten here and that is due mostly to protagonist Eruna Ichinomiya exuding a downright odd and uncanny charm and charisma that made this an actual pleasure to watch. I still have not figured out how they pulled that off but I know I was not the only one who saw this. The supporting cast was alright, some hit and some misses and the overall strucutre was pretty formulaic. Oh, also, the ending doesn't even give the nearest hint of a resolution because go read the manga. Still, I do not regret watching this at the end of the day.
10. Log Horizon:
Oh yes, maybe everybody else had also forgotten that the second half of season 2 aired this year and I know that had its problems but it is still probably my favorite anime series of recent vintage. Anyway, Season 2 did pick up after the initial arc though still suffered from having to focus on the Junior Squad and making that particular arc feel like a rather standard shonen show in many regards. Still, I did like how the season ended and the set up for endgame has been done. Of course, the issue now is will Log Horizon become the next Spice and Wolf? That is a fate I do not wish to see but regardless waiting is required since there is little in the way of new material to adapt at this moment in time.
1. Shirobako:
Here we are, a very popular choice for the year and indeed it was a popular choice last year. It might have been my AOTY last year had it been a full series at the time of that voting but it was not and I don't think I could ever hand an unfinished series or season the top prize. Yes, I know Log Horizon got the gold last year but that had a finished season under its belt. Anyway, there is going to be a lot of word said about this series over the course of the voting but the reason I fell in love with Shirobako can be summed up in one word, maturity. This series has one of the all time greatest fake outs I have ever seen and gave me a series I have been searching for in this medium for a very long time. I don't see it mentioned a lot but this series starts in high school featuring and all girl high school anime club and it looked like it was going to be just another anime to be forgotten about. Then it did what people have been wanting anime shows to do for fucking ever and said fuck you high school setting we are going to the real world. Yes, yes, I know the world was glamorized and romanticized to a degree but god damn if it was not the most refreshing thing in the anime world to watch fully grown adults dealing with adult problems in an adult world and that is what put this series over the top for me.
2. One Punch Man:
Here we go, the popular vote, the series that seems to have the most momentum in terms of popularity power and I am not bucking a trend here because not really concerned with how popular this series was with other people because I happen to agree that OPM was that damned good. This is a premise that takes real talent to get right otherwise it will get boring very quickly and One Punch Man has so far avoided that trap. Indeed, I do have concerns about the long term viability of the show but for 12 episodes OPM managed to make Saitama an engaging character without resorting too wallowing in angst. I have mentioned this before but I have not watched a superhero show this fun since Megas XLR or maybe even The Tick and I think OPM operates on the same wavelength. That is to say it is a parody of super heroes, shonen and sentai but it is also something that respects those mediums to create a new entertaining package.
3. Yuri Kuma Arashi:
When thinking about this list I knew a few things and one of them is no matter where Sound! Euphonium was going to place Yuri Kuma was always going to notch above it. For those who missed the great Yuriphonium debate in the spring that series has embarked on a romantic journey featuring two girls and then decided to muddle and dither and people are expecting the heterosexual options to win the day. Why bring all of up here in this entry? This is simple because Yuri Kuma Arashi very foundation is about calling all the bullshit surrounding soft yuri and Class-S relationships and giving those tropes a serious examination. This is the series that a lot of people have been looking for in anime and this is some of the wonderment I get from Ikuhara works that in spite of the layers upon layers of symbolism and surrealism lathered onto his works they are also some of the most earnest and down to earth. To put simple the series isn't just about lesbians it is about lesbianism and its place in the lager society and how it is an silly high school distraction at best and a dangerous aberration at worst that must be destroyed. At least this is my interpretation and one the biggest reasons I loved this show. There are other reasons ranger from the storybook atmosphere and the striking color palette but this entry is long enough as it is.
4. Sound! Euphonium:
it is a testament to the sheer unironic quality of Euphonium here that not only does it place on my list at all but ends up in the upper echelon. Much has already been made about the controversy surrounding the series and the accusations of yuri baiting and I happen to agree with them for the most part. More on that later and that is a sin this series will have to bear but putting that aside this is the best Kyoto Animation series I have sen thus far. Hell, it fixes the biggest flaw in the thematically similar K-On! series by actually focusing on the band and the music instead of tea and cake. Indeed this series is among the most technically breathtaking I have seen all year but I am sure the majority of people are not going to understand just how impressive the production values really are. Yes, people are going to extol the virtues of the visual fidelity and the smoothness of animation but that is typical Kyoto Animation; even fucking Beyond the Boundary looked good. I am talking about the sheer insanity of doing an anime series around a full concert band, that is like 50 to 60 characters and go back and look at some of the group shots and realize that Kyoto Animation gave everybody a distinct character design or go and see just the sheer amount of music that had to be recorded for this series, that alone is worthy of my respect. Finally, this series does get props for focusing on the human side of Band Club and nailing down how overwrought and dramatic the whole affair even in the confines of high school were and still are.
5. Death Parade:
This is one of those series that is going to appear in quite a few lists and not without reason. Hell, I think the OP alone might be the catalyst for the popular voting. Still, what we have here is a very interesting series that seeks to analyze and ponder the human condition, not just death but human emotions under duress and how the react under said duress. I thought that was the strongest aspect of the program and it really didn't need and in fact I think it detracted when the series tried to do world building. This is a series and a premise that benefits the most from keeping things as ambiguous and answering as few questions as possible and showing us not just behind the curtain but also how some of the mechanics worked and being concerned about those mechanics was immersion breaking. Still, minor flaws in the grand scheme of things.
6. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders:
Another year, another vote for the Jojo franchise and I think this was about where the series placed last year and pretty much for the same reason. Stardust Crusaders is not my favorite part of the series simple because the stand user of the week formula got stale after a measure of time and that held true in the secodn part of the season. Things did pick up once we got to Cairo and stand duels like Pet Shop and Darby the Player and of course the world ending tour de force that was the showdown with Dio which gave Jojo some of its most iconic moments.
7. The Heroic Legend of Arslan:
I'll be honest and say that the prime reason this series is on the list is nostalgia as I was rather a big fan of the old Arslan OVA series back in the day and I am pleased that the story is getting a proper chance at a retelling. Indeed now within the confines of a television series the story has time to breathe and gain the epic scope is was missing in the OVAs. Though on the flip side I would be lying if I said I was happy about the shaky production values often on display here.
8. School-Live!:
This one is kind of hard to talk about if you don't what this thing is and if wish to watch this series blind because of certain reasons which I can't talk about without spoiling things. Still, it was a thing that actually got me to watch this series and while I liked the beginning and the end, School Live! suffered from having a very flabby middle portion drawn out no doubt because they had to fill the space become of the needs of the format and beyond that I have been made to understand some of the adaptation choices were absolute junk, though some of the other choices were improvements. Though the number one reason this almost missed the list was the disturbing amount of fanservice that almost ruined the series for me. Still, I do recommend giving this a watch and if you are liable to take up the offer all I can say is be sure to watch the entire first episode and keep an eye out for things and stuff.
9. Mikagura Academy Suite:
Ah, this may be a series nobody else will be picking or even remembering for the most part we have this entry. Indeed in most regards this was a stunningly mediocre series with some decent fight scenes. Obviously there must be a reason or its elevation into the top ten here and that is due mostly to protagonist Eruna Ichinomiya exuding a downright odd and uncanny charm and charisma that made this an actual pleasure to watch. I still have not figured out how they pulled that off but I know I was not the only one who saw this. The supporting cast was alright, some hit and some misses and the overall strucutre was pretty formulaic. Oh, also, the ending doesn't even give the nearest hint of a resolution because go read the manga. Still, I do not regret watching this at the end of the day.
10. Log Horizon:
Oh yes, maybe everybody else had also forgotten that the second half of season 2 aired this year and I know that had its problems but it is still probably my favorite anime series of recent vintage. Anyway, Season 2 did pick up after the initial arc though still suffered from having to focus on the Junior Squad and making that particular arc feel like a rather standard shonen show in many regards. Still, I did like how the season ended and the set up for endgame has been done. Of course, the issue now is will Log Horizon become the next Spice and Wolf? That is a fate I do not wish to see but regardless waiting is required since there is little in the way of new material to adapt at this moment in time.
Kite
Member
1. Shirobako
2. Noragami Aragoto
3. Death Parade
4. Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans
5. One Punch Man
6. Assassination Classroom
7. Junketsu no Maria
8. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
9. Non Non Biyori Repeat
10. Sound! Euphonium
lol damn not many people watched the second season of Noragami ehh? Shame, ya'll missing a legit good show.
2. Noragami Aragoto
3. Death Parade
4. Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans
5. One Punch Man
6. Assassination Classroom
7. Junketsu no Maria
8. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku
9. Non Non Biyori Repeat
10. Sound! Euphonium
lol damn not many people watched the second season of Noragami ehh? Shame, ya'll missing a legit good show.
...
Okay, I might bite, if the CG doesn't scare me off.
Plenty of people watched it in AnimeGAF at least but the reception seems to be, at the very least mixed.
TheGreatDirector
Banned
1) SNAFU 2
2) Rokka
3) One Punch Man
4) Shimoneta
5) Gundam
6) Plastic Memories
7)Danmachi
8)Perfect Insider
9) Kagewani
10) Maria Witch
2) Rokka
3) One Punch Man
4) Shimoneta
5) Gundam
6) Plastic Memories
7)Danmachi
8)Perfect Insider
9) Kagewani
10) Maria Witch
Liquid-San
Member
Haven't participated in these year-end lists, and it sucks that it was a lame year, but will start now. 
1. One Punch Man: Naturally, I was a skeptic and the first time around I didn't enjoy it. It seemed to me like it was trying to hard to be hilarious and the premise was so uninspiring.Upon giving it another go, I really got into the series and appreciated it for what it was. Its satirical manner is top notch and only rivaled by its excellent quality in animation.
2. Your Lie in April: An anime that isn't about violence is a rarity nowadays. An anime that doesn't have violence and is as amazing as Your Lie in April is even more so. Your Lie in April is undoubtedly the most alluring anime of 2015 and all of its characters are well developed. The classical music only adds to the show's charm and grace. The reason why I would choose One Punch Man over this one would probably be because of its uneven pacing in the first half of the show.
3. Noragami Aragoto: This anime is absolutely fantastic and it sucks that there aren't as many votes for it as I thought there'd be. The show's art style is pretty well done, godly levels of opening and ending theme songs, and most importantly every character has a decent level of exposure--even the side characters. Among all of these things, the writing is pretty well done for your run-of-the-mill shounen anime, but even more impressive is its main character, Yato. He isn't overpowered and he's incredibly self-conscious and troubled. It has its cool action moments, its goofy moments, but man, when it gets serious, it hits you hard. Case in point,
What a great scene.
4. Owari no Seraph: Battle in Nagoya: No, I don't intend to put the first season as it was absolute trash from my perspective, (save for the pilot). In fact, I'm surprised I didn't drop the show because of the first season. It felt far too much like Bleach, but in its second season it really came into its own. The battles were much more entertaining and the protagonists more or less broke free of their anime cliches as time went on, so their respective storylines weren't too bad. Regrettably, the season finale was a let down.
1. One Punch Man: Naturally, I was a skeptic and the first time around I didn't enjoy it. It seemed to me like it was trying to hard to be hilarious and the premise was so uninspiring.Upon giving it another go, I really got into the series and appreciated it for what it was. Its satirical manner is top notch and only rivaled by its excellent quality in animation.
2. Your Lie in April: An anime that isn't about violence is a rarity nowadays. An anime that doesn't have violence and is as amazing as Your Lie in April is even more so. Your Lie in April is undoubtedly the most alluring anime of 2015 and all of its characters are well developed. The classical music only adds to the show's charm and grace. The reason why I would choose One Punch Man over this one would probably be because of its uneven pacing in the first half of the show.
3. Noragami Aragoto: This anime is absolutely fantastic and it sucks that there aren't as many votes for it as I thought there'd be. The show's art style is pretty well done, godly levels of opening and ending theme songs, and most importantly every character has a decent level of exposure--even the side characters. Among all of these things, the writing is pretty well done for your run-of-the-mill shounen anime, but even more impressive is its main character, Yato. He isn't overpowered and he's incredibly self-conscious and troubled. It has its cool action moments, its goofy moments, but man, when it gets serious, it hits you hard. Case in point,
when Hiyori gave Yato his shrine and he started to cry.
4. Owari no Seraph: Battle in Nagoya: No, I don't intend to put the first season as it was absolute trash from my perspective, (save for the pilot). In fact, I'm surprised I didn't drop the show because of the first season. It felt far too much like Bleach, but in its second season it really came into its own. The battles were much more entertaining and the protagonists more or less broke free of their anime cliches as time went on, so their respective storylines weren't too bad. Regrettably, the season finale was a let down.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
No, it's really not.
Seriously, that is one of the great things about anime, its diversity.
Liquid-San
Member
I felt this year it was, but then again, I kind of watch the more popular ones as denoted by my selections. Don't be afraid to recommend some.
SliceSabre
Banned
1. Koufuku Graffiti (Gourmet Girl Graffiti): Best cooking show of the year. Yes it was better than Soma. I loved the character interactions which were easily the best part of the show and how those interactions are enhanced and brought together by the food they were making. Also holy crap that food looked delicious and I even attempted, and failed, to make some of it.
2. Log Horizon: Database, database just living in the database. i loved the first season and continue to love the second. The high point was the raid in which the character had to figure out the best strats for defeating the raid bosses they encountered. It reminded of my FFXIV and Ragnarok Online days of doing the same thing.
5. Etotama: Best comedy of the year. Piyo-tan best girl.
6. Monster Musume: Sexy monster girls are my thing. No shame, Cerea is best girl. FIGHT ME!!!
8. Himouto! Umaru-chan
9. Sore ga Seiyū (Seiyu's Life!)
10. Garo: The Animation (Garo -Honō no Kokuin- specifically)
Film/OVA
1. Strike Witches Operation Victory Arrow
2. Witch Craft Works OVA
3. Senran Kagura: Estival Versus - Mizugidarake no Zen'yasai
EDIt: Will toss in some pics later.
2. Log Horizon: Database, database just living in the database. i loved the first season and continue to love the second. The high point was the raid in which the character had to figure out the best strats for defeating the raid bosses they encountered. It reminded of my FFXIV and Ragnarok Online days of doing the same thing.
3. Yurikuma Arashi: Girls doing sensual things to other girls is ALWAYS a plus in my book. The storybook nature of it all also drew me in along with the constant cliffhangers and overall mystery of the bears' purpose.
4. The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls: I found this iDOLM@STER series to be a lot more entertaining compared to the original series. Maybe it was the drama around the units, the characters personal doubts about their own skills or the fact that every dramatic moment wasn't ruined but un-needed comedy like the original series was.
5. Etotama: Best comedy of the year. Piyo-tan best girl.
6. Monster Musume: Sexy monster girls are my thing. No shame, Cerea is best girl. FIGHT ME!!!
7. Junketsu no Maria
8. Himouto! Umaru-chan
9. Sore ga Seiyū (Seiyu's Life!)
10. Garo: The Animation (Garo -Honō no Kokuin- specifically)
Film/OVA
1. Strike Witches Operation Victory Arrow
2. Witch Craft Works OVA
3. Senran Kagura: Estival Versus - Mizugidarake no Zen'yasai
EDIt: Will toss in some pics later.
Never said it did. You told people who listed OPM as their number 1 anime to watch better anime, but then didn't recommend anything.
Saying "watch better anime" to people just because they liked a popular anime more than a less popular anime is kinda dickish.
Plus isn't the reason we have voting threads and AOTY threads is to recommend anime to others. I'm sure those who voted for OPM will see the results and look at the other anime that ranked high. That's how a bunch of people got into HxH the other year.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
I felt this year it was, but then again, I kind of watch the more popular ones as denoted by my selections. Don't be afraid to recommend some.
I could go on and on. There's kids and family anime such as Shin Atashinchi and Tribe Cool Crew. There's relaxed slice-of-life anime such as Non Non Biyori and Tamayura. There's character dramas such as Sound Euphonium and Shounen Hollywood. There's wacky comedies such as Teekyuu and Fushigi na Somera-chan. There's anime where conflict is handled in a way that doesn't involve violence, such as Show by Rock (music) or Haikyuu (volleyball). There's mainstream films such as When Marnie Was There and Miss Hokusai.
Anime popular in the West usually leans towards shounen action (see Toonami), but that shouldn't obscure the many other types of anime being made.
ThatChairMan
Member
The CG in Exodus is amazing, easily Studio Orange's best work. The shift from 2D to 3D for the mecha animation between the original 2004 series to the movie and Exodus is easily one of the biggest improvements in Fafner.
Liquid-San
Member
I am aware of Haikyuu and other sports anime, but I didn't know about Shin Atashinchi and other things like Non Non Biyori. Sound Euphonium seems to be getting a lot of love here as well, so I'll give that a shot. Last good show I watched that wasn't filled with a bunch of fanservice or violence was Your Lie in April. Silver Spoon was also pretty damn good imo, as was Bakuman. Thanks for the heads up!
Watch Shirobako now!
chicagocubsfan
Member
1. Prison School- Hilarious and dramatic. Also very well animated and voiced. 2. Shimoneta- great characters for the most part. RIP to Anna's VA as well.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I feel like we just need to decide what happens with split-cour shows like Shirobako this year and KLK last year, because being able to vote for them twice seems kind of weird.
Yeah, this is probably the saddest part of this show.
Basileus777
Member
Why is it weird? It's functionally no different from voting for split cour shows in separate years. The decision was made many years ago, there's nothing left to decide here.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
When GAF is doing its TV Show of the Year voting, are you only allowed to vote for a show in a single year?
(Also, split-cour refers to shows which have an airing break for a season, not shows which air continuously across multiple years.)
cosmicblizzard
Banned
List isn't done yet, but I watched plenty of shows. OPM is godly either way.
names2hard4you
Member
From what I understand, and I too asked the same thing not too long ago, if a show had episodes that year, then you can vote on it. This is why Gundam and Haikyuu S2 were on my list, and pretty high up too.
Basileus777
Member
I know. I was speaking of the hypothetical where a split cour happens with Winter being the season skipped. No one complains about these shows qualifying for multiple years and they are functionally no different from a show continuing directly from the previous year.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
Huh? I was talking to firehawk. I agree with you.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Perhaps because it's happening twice in a row (or three times I suppose), but it just seems like the show is going to get two sets of votes both years it aired by default. I guess it's possible that the ending of the series is bad and people ignore it (like with KLK) but I dunno. Maybe it's just a limited case problem, but I could imagine going forward there will always be a show that will be on the list for both years.
It helps that American TV has slowly become British TV, with shorter seasons that mostly air in the same calendar year. But, point taken.
Funny enough only 2 shows in the TV Critics top 20 have this problem.
(Jane the Virgin and The Good Wife)
The Emmys count May 31st to June 1st as a year, so that's how they cover the American broadcast calendar issues.
My brain was using that to say it was split by the calendar year. lol
Well I mostly did this as a unified thing on imgur the other day, so see here for my consolidated top 10.
TV:
1. Shirobako; For an anime about anime production this is one with a wide breadth to the way it makes you feel. Youll laugh, youll get nervous, youll feel joy for the people involved when they achieve something, youll want to throw something at Taro and the director, and youll cry. A phenomenal show that even does well when rewatched.
OVA/Movie:
1. Gundam The Origin OVA 2 - Artesia's Sorrow; Crisp animation, a great prequel, and Ramba Ral punching things. I mean....do you need more? Oh, and there's no bloody Tomino madness. The last 15 minutes or so is just straight up gut punches, though.
TV:
1. Shirobako; For an anime about anime production this is one with a wide breadth to the way it makes you feel. Youll laugh, youll get nervous, youll feel joy for the people involved when they achieve something, youll want to throw something at Taro and the director, and youll cry. A phenomenal show that even does well when rewatched.
2. One Punch Man; The Internets standout show of the year just because of its pure gif-ability. Genuinely funny, and a wonderful sendup of overly-long shonen shows where battles seem to rage for months at a time with very little happening. By comparison this one is a delight. Short, sweet, and, if youll forgive the pun, punchy. With creative enemies, and an interesting collection of heroes it makes for a great show.
3. Heroic Legend of Arslan; Now Ill admit this one is probably bumped up the list for being a rare example of its genre, and also for the fact it will be getting a second season but its still very worth your time. An intriguing pseudo-historical plot loosely based on a Persian folk-tale it presents an interesting world where the son of a deposed king must fight to reclaim his throne from religious zealot invaders. Had it ramped up the stakes a little more it might have vied for my top spot.
4. Death Parade; You step out of a lift into a bar. You have no idea how you got there. A white-haired bartender tells you you must play a game for your life against a fellow amnesiac and demonstrates the deadly price for those who try to run. An bizarre tale where each game has an odd twist; a dartboard linked to pain centres in your opponent, bowling balls that beat with the heartbeat of your opponent, a game of Twister where squares become red hot, or vanish into the void At the end, though, the show is not grim. Theres a reason for all of this. With charm, fantastic animation, and sequences that will bring you to tears its Death Parade.
5. Baby Steps Season 2; A continuation of the earlier Baby Steps. What happens when the school brain wants to get fit? He makes his own style of tennis. Eiichiro Maruo rises from barely being able to do a warm-up to being a serious contender for the title. The show may be light and fluffy in places, but its an engaging view into what it takes for one person to consider becoming and pro, and also features a long-term romantic angle that isnt embarrassing to watch. A great show that really should be seeing more attention.
6. Log Horizon Season 2; A continuation of the earlier Log Horizon. From a new studio we see the return of the Log Horizon cast in this new series. Yet more problems have been encountered in the world of Elder Tale, whether its murderous NPCs, a death cult of PCs, gold farming bots suddenly given sentience, or something from outside the system logging on as a backup character to communicate with the players inside the system its all going a bit odd. While not as compelling as the first season this is still genuinely funny and interesting in equal measure, and certainly deserves a place on the list.
7. Fate Stay/Night Unlimited Bladeworks Season 2; A continuation of the earlier Fate/Stay Night series. Simply the prettiest anime out there bar none. An anime so ridiculous in its usage of gorgeous animation it broke ufotable according to UK Anime Network. The plot was weaker than the first season of Unlimited Bladeworks but it maintained enough plot momentum and glorious action sequences to more than earn a spot in the top ten as it reincarnations of world renowned heroes do battle in glorious technicolour to win their masters one wish from the Holy Grail.
8. Knights of Sidonia Season 2; A continuation of the earlier Knights of Sidonia series. This may be a direct sequel but the feel is very different. The series concept is still Battlestar Galactica meets Attack on Titan but some of the very hard edge of season 1 is filed away to provide for more comedic moments. While it proved to be very hit or miss amongst fans of the original it still gave me more than enough of the sci fi mecha show I needed to make it worth my time. Sadly it appears that a season 3 is not forthcoming, and for that we should all be sad.
9. Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans; Where The Origin seeks to give us the tales that lead to Gundams 0079 this is a very different take on the Gundam universe. Set in a world where Mars seeks Independence from Earth, and where multiple PMCs basically have free reign, and regularly hire child soldiers it provides a different look at the classic formula. The main protagonist has much more of a propensity for violence than pilots in other series, and is controlled by a leader who knows he has complete control over the young pilot.
10. Aldnoah Zero Season 2; Reviled by most I really enjoyed this continuation of Aldnoah Zero. There was a marked change in tone as Slaine went from abused housewife to world conquering maniac but that was okay as Inaho went from genius kid to truly nutty pain driven cyborg. Mad as all hell, but a decent ride and with a definite ending.
OVA/Movie:
1. Gundam The Origin OVA 2 - Artesia's Sorrow; Crisp animation, a great prequel, and Ramba Ral punching things. I mean....do you need more? Oh, and there's no bloody Tomino madness. The last 15 minutes or so is just straight up gut punches, though.
2. Empire of Corpses; Gorgeous looking film, packed full of gloriously insane action in an alternate universe where reanimated corpses do all the heavy lifting for society. It's flabby, the ending makes little to no sense, and I absolutely loved it despite the imperfections. Not one for the squeamish.
3. Gundam The Origin OVA 1 - Blue Eyed Casval; Like its sequel Blue Eyed Casval is a rock solid and gorgeous prequel to Gundam 0079. With yet more Ramba Ral on the table they can do no wrong. MORE.....MORE!!!!!
4. Miss Hokusai - Whimsical, delightful, structureless, weirdly soundtracked...Miss Hokusai is all of these, and yet somehow still manages a charm and panache many other films fail to pull off. Not for casual viewing, and apparently a real love letter to the original manga but certainly well worth a watch if you want an "Oscar Bait" type anime.
5. Love Live The School Idol Movie; I have no further comment to make other than Maki is best girl, and frankly I don't care if you think less of me for liking this one.
I think it's fine as it is. Some people seem to don't want to vote for shows that are incomplete, like Gundam this year, but still Shirobako seems to do worse than last year, despite being incomplete then. On the other hand, while KLK's response was positive at first, its second half was a lot worse. It's a bit weird, as they're essentially have both of their parts judged but still it seems to work both beneficially and disadvantageous for them.
Basileus777
Member
I just don't see it as a problem if a quality show has 12-13 episodes in consecutive years and makes it in twice.
Yeah, I misunderstood something there.
And_Gignac
Member
This tells me exactly why I shouldn't watch One Marvel Man. Ty.
I didn't watch enough anime this year, not even enough for a top 5.
The Psycho Pass movie was the best anime OVA of all time, though.
Try to actually vote it then, don't just mention it because I doubt I'll count it in the end. lol Even if you just want to vote one or two animes, it's perfectly fine.
And we need more stuff for the OVA/film category... lol
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
Well I kept saying this year was sort of weak and there were no stand out shows but I actually had a difficult time narrowing this list down so maybe that wasn't true after all. There were four other shows I wanted to put on the list but I just said screw it and put em in the honorable mentions.
TV SERIES
#1. One Punch Man
Here is my review of One Punch Man.
“Hey, remember that time he punched that dude”
“Yeah”
“That was so cool”
#2. Shirobako
Honestly if I was to recommend one show off this list it would probably be this one. A super enjoyable show that gives a maybe too optimistic look into the realm of anime production. Probably not as informing as an actual documentary, but the fun characters and scenarios offer a lot of value to the show.
#3. Owarimonogatari
Having just marathoned through the Monogatari series this year, I am going to have to settle for voting for the third best season. But it was still really good. Not going to try and sell anyone on watching the seventh installation of a series.
#4. Sound! Euphonium
It's a band drama about cute girls (there are guys too) that is really pretty and well directed and proves KyoAni makes good shit as long as it isn't chuuni garbage
#5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders Battle in Egypt
I like JoJo a lot so expect to see this on my list for the next decade. Battle in Egypt is the second part of Stardust which is when the Stands get more creative and the fights more engaging. While everyone knows how good the OVA are, I still think that the TV series manages to stand out on its own especially in comparison to where the OVA suffered like voice and sound direction. Of course the OVA had far superior animation and direction but I don't think anyone reasonably expected the TV series to match that.
#6. Prison School
Good adaptation of what is pretty much the greatest manga of all time. Raunchy and crude beyond measure but far more clever and entertaining then you would expect, the best part about this is that a second season will assuredly be made with all the teases which is when the series truly ascends to GOAT status.
#7. Shokugeki no Soma
Soma is a good manga. This is a good adaptation of that manga. It's pretty simple. The voice acting and color adds a lot to Soma, and while it doesn't exactly exceed or go beyond expectations for an adaptation, it easily manages to be an entertaining and fun show to watch, so I'd say it matched the manga fine.
#8. Non Non Biyori Repeat
If there was a category for chillest and comfiest anime Non Non Biyori would win easily. I don't have a lot to say about this show other then its a prime slice of life and an easy watch, and there isn't really much to comment about on SoL shows anyway.
#9. Cross Ange
Against all odds, I somehow managed to fit Cross Ange on here as a vendetta against those who would oppose my liking of this trash. This is me making up for voting for Try and G-Reco last year and not the best mecha series of 2014. People will either agree with me, laugh, then cry, then agree with me.
#10. Monster Musume
At this point, everyone knows that I am voting for this because I want the spider girl to step on me.
MOVIE/OVA
#1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - Odyssey of the Celestial Arc
Yamato 2199 is a good-ass series. This is a good-ass movie. It feels good to know this is getting a second season after the movie managed to succeed in setting itself before the finale AND setting up the second season without it feeling forced.
#2. Little Witch Academia 2: The Enchanted Parade
Not as tight or "magical" as the first production, but it still manages to have fun character animation and be a joy to look at.
#3. Dragon Ball Z - Resurrection F
Disappointing coming off Battle of Gods (my favorite DBZ movie) but there is still fun to be had in RoF despite none of it making that much sense and it being fairly anticlimactic.
#4. Psycho-Pass Movie
I would like to say I like Psycho-Pass but I'm actually not sure. Thematically it has a lot of potential, but I feel like it flounders it half the time. While season 2 was absolutely horrible, the Movie manages to at least elevate itself up to the first season's level, which for me means pretty decent.
HONORABLE MENTIONS –
This is a spot for shows/series I liked or were under appreciated that I want to give a shout out to that didn’t get a spot on my list.
Maria the Virgin Witch - This is the most under appreciated show this year, I feel. The 100 Years War setting and the focus on Christianity of that era clashing with a freedom loving witch worked very well, the characters (especially Maria, the main) were likable and thematically the show was sound.
Haikyuu S2 - Haikyuu is a good show even for someone like me who hasn't typically been into shonen sports series. The team dynamic is fun to follow and the characters while not exceedingly deep and essentially defined by their volleyball play style are still likable.
Symphogear GX – Symphogear is a series I love dearly but I find it hard to qualify on a quality level, and it doesn't help that GX was bad in a lot of areas. Still as far as trashy shows where Nana Mizuki suffers and sings its a good #2
.
Gintama° - I just caught up on Gintama this year so I don't feel comfortable voting for just this one season, both because it's the weakest season thus far and that I'm having trouble just thinking of it as the 2015 season alone and not the previous ones as well.
Ushio and Tora - You want old school 90s shonen? Ushio and Tora is there for you in spades because it is literally an old school 90s shonen.
Shimoneta – Like Prison School but worse and with more ojou-sama laughs.
Show by Rock – Best Bones show of 2015. Sorry Concrete Revolutio weirdos.
Kagewani - Horror anime. There are like, 5 of them. Kagewani is something I can really appreciate with its old school horror style and framing of never really giving you a good look at the monster ala Alien.
The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls - My first idol show and I liked it quite a bit. The first half was kind of iffy but by the second I accepted that it was for character development so the rest of the show could shine. For characters that have like 40 sentences of dialog in a phone game, I really like how such a large cast was developed. If you've seen my twitter half my tweets are just retweets of CG Idols so I'm as surprised as you are that I didn't put this on my list.
Yuri Kuma Arashi - The name of this series literally translates to “Lesbian Bear Storm" and it's by Ikuhara who directed Utena and Penguindrum so that's really all you need to know. While YKA starts out on loose footing, by the end it regained its composure and I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I'm still not sure what the lilies represented
Japan Animator Expo- A collection of 35 shorts from tons of different directors and animators, young and old. Even if some fail to be more then a sales pitch, almost every one is creative in some form and for me that makes it a success. Since it's comprised of multiple shorts by different directors, its hard to put it on the list so I'll put it here. Standouts for me -
ME!ME!ME!
Girl
Hammerhead
Cassette Girl
Bureau of Proto-Society
20min Walk From Nishi-Ogikubo Station, 2 Bedrooms, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2mos Deposit, No Pets Allowed
TV SERIES
#1. One Punch Man
Here is my review of One Punch Man.
“Hey, remember that time he punched that dude”
“Yeah”
“That was so cool”
#2. Shirobako
Honestly if I was to recommend one show off this list it would probably be this one. A super enjoyable show that gives a maybe too optimistic look into the realm of anime production. Probably not as informing as an actual documentary, but the fun characters and scenarios offer a lot of value to the show.
#3. Owarimonogatari
Having just marathoned through the Monogatari series this year, I am going to have to settle for voting for the third best season. But it was still really good. Not going to try and sell anyone on watching the seventh installation of a series.
#4. Sound! Euphonium
It's a band drama about cute girls (there are guys too) that is really pretty and well directed and proves KyoAni makes good shit as long as it isn't chuuni garbage
#5. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders Battle in Egypt
I like JoJo a lot so expect to see this on my list for the next decade. Battle in Egypt is the second part of Stardust which is when the Stands get more creative and the fights more engaging. While everyone knows how good the OVA are, I still think that the TV series manages to stand out on its own especially in comparison to where the OVA suffered like voice and sound direction. Of course the OVA had far superior animation and direction but I don't think anyone reasonably expected the TV series to match that.
#6. Prison School
Good adaptation of what is pretty much the greatest manga of all time. Raunchy and crude beyond measure but far more clever and entertaining then you would expect, the best part about this is that a second season will assuredly be made with all the teases which is when the series truly ascends to GOAT status.
#7. Shokugeki no Soma
Soma is a good manga. This is a good adaptation of that manga. It's pretty simple. The voice acting and color adds a lot to Soma, and while it doesn't exactly exceed or go beyond expectations for an adaptation, it easily manages to be an entertaining and fun show to watch, so I'd say it matched the manga fine.
#8. Non Non Biyori Repeat
If there was a category for chillest and comfiest anime Non Non Biyori would win easily. I don't have a lot to say about this show other then its a prime slice of life and an easy watch, and there isn't really much to comment about on SoL shows anyway.
#9. Cross Ange
I have no shame.
Against all odds, I somehow managed to fit Cross Ange on here as a vendetta against those who would oppose my liking of this trash. This is me making up for voting for Try and G-Reco last year and not the best mecha series of 2014. People will either agree with me, laugh, then cry, then agree with me.
#10. Monster Musume
NO SHAME.
At this point, everyone knows that I am voting for this because I want the spider girl to step on me.
MOVIE/OVA
#1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - Odyssey of the Celestial Arc
Yamato 2199 is a good-ass series. This is a good-ass movie. It feels good to know this is getting a second season after the movie managed to succeed in setting itself before the finale AND setting up the second season without it feeling forced.
#2. Little Witch Academia 2: The Enchanted Parade
Not as tight or "magical" as the first production, but it still manages to have fun character animation and be a joy to look at.
#3. Dragon Ball Z - Resurrection F
Disappointing coming off Battle of Gods (my favorite DBZ movie) but there is still fun to be had in RoF despite none of it making that much sense and it being fairly anticlimactic.
#4. Psycho-Pass Movie
I would like to say I like Psycho-Pass but I'm actually not sure. Thematically it has a lot of potential, but I feel like it flounders it half the time. While season 2 was absolutely horrible, the Movie manages to at least elevate itself up to the first season's level, which for me means pretty decent.
HONORABLE MENTIONS –
This is a spot for shows/series I liked or were under appreciated that I want to give a shout out to that didn’t get a spot on my list.
Maria the Virgin Witch - This is the most under appreciated show this year, I feel. The 100 Years War setting and the focus on Christianity of that era clashing with a freedom loving witch worked very well, the characters (especially Maria, the main) were likable and thematically the show was sound.
Haikyuu S2 - Haikyuu is a good show even for someone like me who hasn't typically been into shonen sports series. The team dynamic is fun to follow and the characters while not exceedingly deep and essentially defined by their volleyball play style are still likable.
Symphogear GX – Symphogear is a series I love dearly but I find it hard to qualify on a quality level, and it doesn't help that GX was bad in a lot of areas. Still as far as trashy shows where Nana Mizuki suffers and sings its a good #2
.
Gintama° - I just caught up on Gintama this year so I don't feel comfortable voting for just this one season, both because it's the weakest season thus far and that I'm having trouble just thinking of it as the 2015 season alone and not the previous ones as well.
Ushio and Tora - You want old school 90s shonen? Ushio and Tora is there for you in spades because it is literally an old school 90s shonen.
Shimoneta – Like Prison School but worse and with more ojou-sama laughs.
Show by Rock – Best Bones show of 2015. Sorry Concrete Revolutio weirdos.
Kagewani - Horror anime. There are like, 5 of them. Kagewani is something I can really appreciate with its old school horror style and framing of never really giving you a good look at the monster ala Alien.
The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls - My first idol show and I liked it quite a bit. The first half was kind of iffy but by the second I accepted that it was for character development so the rest of the show could shine. For characters that have like 40 sentences of dialog in a phone game, I really like how such a large cast was developed. If you've seen my twitter half my tweets are just retweets of CG Idols so I'm as surprised as you are that I didn't put this on my list.
Yuri Kuma Arashi - The name of this series literally translates to “Lesbian Bear Storm" and it's by Ikuhara who directed Utena and Penguindrum so that's really all you need to know. While YKA starts out on loose footing, by the end it regained its composure and I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I'm still not sure what the lilies represented
Japan Animator Expo- A collection of 35 shorts from tons of different directors and animators, young and old. Even if some fail to be more then a sales pitch, almost every one is creative in some form and for me that makes it a success. Since it's comprised of multiple shorts by different directors, its hard to put it on the list so I'll put it here. Standouts for me -
ME!ME!ME!
Girl
Hammerhead
Cassette Girl
Bureau of Proto-Society
20min Walk From Nishi-Ogikubo Station, 2 Bedrooms, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2mos Deposit, No Pets Allowed
- Status