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A Decade of Anime 2019

Posted on January 17, 2020November 12, 2021 by Karandi

The anime of 2019 were pretty impressive. Sadly Given and Dr Stone didn’t make the final list but only because they came out in what was my favourite season of the year with a lot of other strong titles. Despite them not making the final list I would still strongly recommend both of these anime as standouts from an amazing year. Here are my favourite anime 2019 edition.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

No. 3: Other than 2019 anime, no matter how brilliant an anime was if I hadn’t rewatched it since it aired then it didn’t make the list. If I don’t like it enough to watch it more than once then it doesn’t deserve to be on an anime of the decade list.

Incidentally these anime are not the technical best anime of their seasons but are the ones I would pick if I could only watch one anime from that season. They are anime I loved, for whatever reason, and felt deserved to be remembered.

Favourite Anime 2019 Edition

The Promised Neverland

There probably wasn’t much doubt that The Promised Neverland would make the list. With its fantastic atmosphere and solid trio at the centre of its cast, this anime delivered a fun and thrilling season of viewing. It also even took us to a decent moment in the story to pause at the end of the season so we weren’t left with no sense of resolution. Even though there is clearly much more story to tell, the immediate situation is resolved by the end and it leaves you feeling satisfied with this season on its own.

Again, it is the attention to detail and the great use of visual and sound direction that really sell this anime. The story itself is interesting enough but in less deft hands would have had little impact. While a few moments of the anime push it a little too far, largely The Promised Neverland gives you a fairly polished and nuanced viewing experience.

Fruits Basket

After years of wanting a reboot to the franchise as the original anime left us high and dry 2019 delivered with Fruits Basket 2019 and a promise that the story would continue. Now this could have gone very wrong or fallen pretty flat however between the lovely visuals, voice acting, and the love and care given to the story this rebooted series was everything I had hoped for.

This is a story with a lot of heart as Honda Tohru uses the advice given to her by her departed mother as well as her general upbeat disposition to help those around her accept themselves. It is almost impossible not to smile or cry or both while watching the story unfold and I can’t wait for another season.

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Astra Lost in Space

It was a very tough call between Astra Lost in Space and Given for the Summer Anime Season. Honestly, I’ve rewatched both since they aired and loved them both and feel they are both going to be anime I continue to love well into the future. What really consolidated Astra’s place on this list though was that I watched it with a friend over the Christmas period and through fresh eyes got to experience how nicely plotted the story was and how great the characters were as you slowly got to know them as more than their initial character type.

Of course, it also helps that Astra gave us a complete and finished story whereas Given feels like we are still waiting for more.

Anyway, this is a great adventure with a group of students who get flung into space, find a spaceship and have to make their way back home. There’s the ongoing question of why they got sent into space and who is responsible but all questions are nicely answered by the end. However, what makes Astra great is that it is just fun to watch.

No Guns Life

This is probably the pick I am most dubious about but to be honest little of what I finished in the fall season really grabbed me as a long term repeat watch. There were lots of okay and fun-enough stories but I just can’t really imagine myself buying a DVD of any of them, except of course Dr Stone but it started the season before.

That said, No Guns Life was an interesting viewing experience. The lack of resolution and sense that the story is totally unfinished hurts it, as does the general lack of urgency to address its central narrative as we keep diverting off to pursue other cases. However, I did like the old school Noir feel and mostly the comedy of this anime landed for me.

Honestly, this season is too fresh still and I think once I get some distance I’ll get a clearer idea of what my favourite anime actually is, but my initial impulse is to go with No Guns Life. If nothing else the guy with a gun for a head is memorable.

And look at that! We made it through the whole decade!

Okay, now you can tell me what I got wrong, what you loved, and let’s look forward and discuss what we want to see in the new decade of anime.

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Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
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Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2018

Posted on January 16, 2020November 12, 2021 by Karandi

2018 was another big year in anime however looking back there just weren’t that many anime I’d rewatched. Still, there were enough for the list and I have a great variety of titles here. When looking at choices for my list of anime 2018, I found it hard to narrow down.

Unfortunately the super cute and education Cells at Work didn’t make the final list (Platelets!), no did Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (which has less impact on a rewatch). Tsurune was the other anime I considered but unfortunately it went head to head with that other sports anime I liked from 2018 so didn’t quite make the cut.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

Favourite anime 2018 edition.

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens in the story of a group of characters who are all involved in the dark underbelly of Hakata city where apparently the majority of people are hitmen or similar (it makes no logical sense for that many to be in one city but let’s just go with the setting). In the first episode we meet Lin who is hired/coerced into killing Banba but instead ends up offering to protect him until his boss coughs up more money and so the story begins.

This one is a mix of dark subject matter and murder with an overly upbeat and jazzy tone over the top so it won’t work for everyone and it isn’t as zany or fun as stories like Baccano that came out the decade before. Still, I definitely appreciated what this anime had to offer.

The ensemble cast all bring something to the table, the weird mix of professional killers and hobby baseball team kind of works, and the music is great. The story is broken into a couple of distinct arcs, some stronger than others, and that makes it very easy to digest. Definitely not for those who don’t like blood or violence as why it isn’t horrifically gory, there are some confrontational images.

Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori

I wonder if two titles could be any more contrasting. After Hakata Tokotsu Ramens, Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori with its slice of life/hang out with handsome anime guys serving great anime food vibe couldn’t be any more different. Everything about Rokuhoudou is soothing and relaxing. These guys make coffee or tea and serve an assortment of customers in the gorgeous setting of their cafe. They do go to another location at one point to promote their services but by and large you are going to get to just bliss out in one of the prettiest anime cafes ever.

This anime is my comfort food and I’ve watched it more than once since it aired when I found myself stressed out as it is really impossible to feel stress while absorbed in this anime. This one isn’t going to change the world but it is definitely an anime I was glad I came across when I did.

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Banana Fish

Banana Fish is one of the few anime I went out of my way to watch despite it not being available on the services I normally use. By and large that was because everything about the write up to this anime appealed to me and honestly it didn’t disappoint. While the overall narrative is logically implausible and despite efforts at updating certain elements of the story there’s clear issues where the story has become dated in places, this one was a great watch. Okay, it was also a fairly emotional viewing experience and not for the faint of heart with its core of sexual abuse, gang violence and drug development.

What makes this anime more than just a sensationalist splash in amongst so many anime that want to tackle dark subject matter is the relationship that develops between the protagonists Ash and Eiji. Watching the two grow closer together, the mutual trust they place in each despite the situation they are in, and the way they look out for one another is a truly beautiful experience and one I wouldn’t have missed.

Run With The Wind

I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion on this blog that I’m not really into sporting anime. Run With The Wind is the only sports anime that made the final cut for this list as I look at my favourite anime from the last decade. It did this because it developed some really solid characters with the teammates, had some fantastic visual and sound direction (seriously, the sound direction deserves recognition), and gave us a solid and satisfying conclusion at the beginning of 2019. The only criticism I’ll lob at this one is that it is a slow burn initially. Worth it but definitely slow going in the early part of the season.

While Run With The Wind gives us a different kind of team dynamic to the usual sports club story it really gave us the time to get to know the ten members of the team and what ended up driving them whether they joined up for the team willingly or not. This slow development of character comes to fruition in the final handful of episodes where we see the ‘event’ they were training for in full and each character has a moment to shine and conclude their character arc. It is well worth the time to check out this anime.

I can hardly believe tomorrow is the last post. Before we look at 2019 though I want to know what you thought was the best anime of 2018.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2017

Posted on January 15, 2020November 12, 2021 by Karandi

Here we go and 2017 was the very first year I covered a whole year of seasonal anime on the blog. It was a big year but more than just watching lots of anime I was actively working to watch anime outside of my comfort zone. That meant there were a few odd titles that cropped up in my watch lists and some of them ended up being well worth the watch.

Some notable titles that didn’t make my final list include KADO (if only this one had ended as well as it began because that ending should be noted as one of the worst anime endings ever), WorldEnd, Princess Principal, Land of the Lustrous and Recovery of an MMO Junkie. Depending on your tastes in anime, all of these titles offer fairly good viewing but still didn’t manage to make the list.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

Best anime 2017 edition

ACCA

With its jazzy introduction, striking character designs and a plot that is woven throughout its entire run-time, ACCA was an anime that got my attention early in its season and held it all the way through. While not as thrilling as some anime and certainly light on action preferring instead to progress the plot through subtle character interactions and world build through food and clothing, ACCA still ended up being great fun full of colourful characters.

Of course the best thing about it is a very conclusive ending. The character lives go on but the central plot has been resolved in a satisfying manner and the point that needed to be made is made.

Where ACCA may fall down a bit is that it is a slow burn with small pieces of the puzzle gradually coming together. It isn’t a style of story telling for everyone and the more subtle characterisation isn’t overly attention grabbing though for those who stick around you will be rewarded with characters who have quite a lot of personality and depth bubbling away under relatively sedate exteriors. Honestly, I just really enjoyed this anime and could do with one like it each year.

Sagrada Reset

Okay, I probably do need to defend this choice. This was an anime dropped by a lot of reviewers and I know my early episode reviews (particularly in the middle of the first cour) were not exactly flattering of this incredibly slow paced and awkward little story.

Actually I was downright critical by the end of the first cour and ready to drop the show. However, given I did make it to the end of the 24 episodes while this was airing I came to the conclusion even then that Sagrada Reset had an amazingly well structured narrative. You just don’t realise it until you watch the end of the series and see how every little piece does come together and even the seemingly most random and pointless conversation or object actually does have some purpose.

On rewatch, identifying all these little points along the way is actually very satisfying and while the stilted dialogue and very stilted characters are still a little hard to take, there’s definitely some merit to this one.

Ultimately, Sagrada Reset has flawed execution of what was a fairly ambitious narrative. While it does at times try to be cleverer than it is and it certainly could have presented the entire package with more enticing characters and visuals, having now watched this more than once

I do feel its an anime that will do better outside of seasonal viewing only it more or less vanished from discussion before it was even done airing. While there were certainly better anime in 2017, Sagrada Reset is one that has drawn me back numerous times since and despite my initial negative reaction to it I’m now in a place where on reflection I can say I’m very glad I watched it.

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Made in Abyss

There’s only one thing that stops me declaring Made in Abyss a masterpiece but it is a pretty bit thing. Largely it is that this season that aired in 2017 feels like a prologue to a story we still haven’t gotten to see. It is adventurous and fun with some fairly tense and dark moments as well as quite a dose of the grotesque, sharply contrasting with the pretty cute character designs, and yet the narrative really does feel like we are still just getting started when the anime comes to an end. Although these episodes have done a brilliant job of making you want to uncover the secrets in the abyss so some excellent points there.

Visually, this one is a work of art and the design of characters, creatures, and settings are truly spectacular. Work in some brilliant sound design and you have an anime that sets the right tone with sound and visuals more or less every scene and it is amazing what a difference that can make to immersion within a story. Honestly, Made in Abyss is just good and if it actually ended it would be one of those unmissable anime titles.

Girls’ Last Tour

The year that was 2017 closed out with this quiet gem of an anime, Girls’ Last Tour. This was an anime of contrasts. Cute female characters against the bleak end of the world setting. The upbeat opening song which included the girls dancing and even dabbing and then episodes where they declared things like making friends with hopelessness. The girls have no destination and merely travel looking for whatever they can find in order to keep eating and living. As they have no goal there’s no arrival at the end and the story is broken more into half-episode stories where the girls find or interact with something new and then they move on.

This one snuck up on me as I did not expect it to have the impact it did. Ten minutes watching the girls make music with tins and raindrops was actually truly wonderful because of how the visuals, sound and characters interact. More dangerous situation where the girls faced crumbling infrastructure or came across other survivors added a bit of variety into what was essentially a two girl story. While Girls’ Last Tour isn’t a perfect anime, it is one full of amazing moments that are each worth watching. If you missed this anime in 2017 you definitely need to give it a shot.

2017 is done and I have two years left before I’ve covered the whole decade. However, before we get to 2018, let me know what your picks from 2017 were.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2016

Posted on January 14, 2020November 12, 2021 by Karandi

In May of 2016 I decided it was time to start a blog. I’d been watching seasonal anime for awhile and tried various forums and discussion boards to try to get a sense of community and a conversation around what I was watching without much success and took the plunge starting my blog a few weeks into the Spring anime season.

Turns out 2016 was my favourite year of the last decade for anime with some massive titles coming out that still dominate my favourite anime of all time lists. With so many amazing titles to choose from Ajin and Bungo Stray Dogs tragically didn’t make the final cut but both were worth noting within the year. As always, I’d love to know what your favourite anime from the year were so be sure to leave a comment below.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year. I totally cheat in this list. That’s okay. I made the rules.

Best anime 2016 edition.

Erased

A mystery drama with a time travel element? Sign me up. While there are plenty of holes to be found in Erased if you look too closely at the plot and the ending of the anime is a little lacking (the live action series on Netflix is less fun to watch but has a more solid conclusion), Erased was one of those anime that I just fell in love with. I liked the premise and found Satoru to be an interesting character in his hopelessness as an adult and his earnest efforts when returned to his younger self to try to change the future. It also gave us a great anime mum for a change and that’s something to celebrate.

Having rewatched this series numerous times and introduced several people to anime through it, the mystery/time travel hook has worked on a number of my friends, Erased is an anime that was well worth watching and is well worth holding onto as the decade ends. If you missed it be sure to give it a go.

My Hero Academia

Do I actually need to justify this one? Though in fairness, I didn’t start watching at the beginning of the season. I wasn’t interested in another super hero story. A few rave reviews of the first episodes later from other bloggers and I picked the series up about five episodes in and binged the lot. I was hooked.

While my recent, less enthused coverage of season four might not show it, My Hero Academia was an anime that blew me away and drew me right in. The colours, the characters, the energy, and some actual depth to the structure of the super-hero society all worked together to make My Hero Academia a phenomenon that definitely left its mark on the decade and kind of defined the later years of the decade in terms of mainstream anime.

Whichever way, if you are one of the few anime viewers out there who has never tried My Hero Academia because of the hype around it, I strong recommend seasons 1 and 2. They are just solid entertainment and well worth the watch. Season 3 delivers some excellent moments as well but has a few more rough edges and I will admit at season 4 I’m starting to fall out of love with the franchise, but that will not change how amazing season one and two were.

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The Morose Mononokean

From one of the most popular, main stream titles to this obscure and low key school, supernatural story, The Morose Mononokean. The story of a boy who picks up what he thinks is a bag and it turns out to be a yokai and then ends up having to work for the Master of the Mononokean in order to pay for his assistance.

Turns out the master is also his classmate so it all works out fairly well. Honestly, this first season isn’t much on its own, though the recent addition of the second season had me revisiting where the story began and to be honest, this is one title that I’ve grown more fond of with time. Certainly it isn’t in the league of some of the others on this list but it is my list of favourite anime from the decade and so here we are.

If you are after your basic help the yokai of the week story with a bickering odd-couple at the centre and an interesting take on human and yokai relationships then you could certainly do worse than The Morose Mononokean. Okay, it doesn’t rise quite to the heights of Natsume Yuujinchou, but so few things do.

March Comes in Like a Lion

I’ve probably already mentioned a million times on my blog how much March Comes in Like a Lion (or Sangatsu no Lion) means to me. I utterly fell in love with the visuals, the characters, and following Rei’s ongoing struggles as he tries to pull himself out of depression and find what he wants in life, and whether that actually is being a pro-shogi player. There’s so much heart in this series and just a stunning understanding of human emotion that only gets better in season 2 even though season 1 was already a phenomenon in its own right.

There is no way I could have made a list looking back at the anime of last decade and not included March Comes in Like a Lion. However, another anime came out in Fall 2016 that has to be mentioned because it was the anime that got me hooked on ani-twitter. Watching and following along with other viewers and spending the next week while waiting for the next episode looking at the speculation, the art works, and just getting swept along was a truly amazing experience.

Yuri on Ice

Yeah. Yuri on Ice came out in 2016 as well. Where March Comes in Like a Lion was a slow, contemplative title that slowly mined the emotional depths of its characters, Yuri on Ice was an explosion of personality and music that swept viewers along for the ride. Certainly there are criticisms that can be made about it, but for those who watched it the season it aired, the viewing itself became part of the experience and was part of the online anime community.

This wasn’t another shounen title making the mainstream, this was an anime about male ice-skaters, their growth and their relationship. It was definitely a different kind of experience.

This is another one of those anime that I’ve gotten non-anime fans to watch. They start that first episode with Victor’s lonely figure skating and Yuri’s narration and a few hours later the story is done and I’m being asked what other titles they could try. Of course, there’s nothing quite like Yuri on Ice.

And that brings 2016 to a close. It was the only year in the whole decade I needed to cheat with my one anime per season rule, but I definitely had to include both of those titles. Be sure to let me know your favourite anime from 2016 and join us again tomorrow to look at 2017.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2015

Posted on January 13, 2020January 9, 2022 by Karandi

What a year 2015 ended up being. There’s so many fantastic titles that came out in this year and so many anime that I have watched and rewatched again and again. Anime 2015 is a year worth remembering.

With so many great titles to choose from even Death Parade, My Love Story and GATE, all of which I love, couldn’t manage to land a place. The first season of Food Wars also deserves a mention because it was actually a fantastic season and it is more the later seasons that wore thin however it also didn’t make the final list. So let’s get into the anime that did make the cut.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

What were my favourite anime 2015?

Assassination Classroom

2015 opened with a bang as it brought us the story of the yellow octopus teacher threatening to destroy the world unless one of the students in the E Class at a certain school managed to assassinate him before the year end. Yes, that glorious insanity is Assassination Classroom and it is an anime I fell in love with. The comedy works as does the high energy. The teacher mentoring the students and helping them find themselves and their confidence is a little trite and fits the overall story.

Not to mention watching the kids wracking their brains to come up with increasingly complex assassination plots is pretty entertaining and it is great when they very nearly pull them off (actually it is pretty fun even when nothing works).

I will admit, I have more merchandise from this anime in the form of stickers, keyrings and the like then I should and honestly I just really enjoy it. While I’m not the biggest comedy fan the mix of action and comedy here tempered with a bit of drama just hit the spot and I absolutely loved watching this anime. Just letting you know though that if you continue on to the second season, be prepared to cry before the end.

Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon

If you don’t already know about my undying love for this series then you clearly have not been following my blog for long. And while the long awaited season 2 was a little bit on the flat side it doesn’t diminish just how much I loved watching Bell growing stronger and exploring the dungeon in season one. DanMachi gave us one of the best one on one fights ever when we watched Bell take on the Minotaur and honestly this series is just all manner of fun.

This is also a series I’ve now seriously gotten into the light novels of which if why I’m desperately hoping for a third season. I love Lily, Welf, Hestia, Bell and really all the characters in this story and I love seeing them overcoming the odds even if it is at great cost. What I also like is that the series manages to put the characters in some pretty tight spots and build tension but it always remembers to have fun.

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Snow White With The Red Hair

snow white red hair cast characters summer 2015 anime bentobyte

This is a glorious fairy-tale style anime about Shirayuki who runs away from her own kingdom to avoid being made a concubine to a prince and ends up… well falling in love with a prince. Still she gets to make it on her terms and works hard to earn a place as a healer in the castle so that she can be near him. Snow White With The Red Hair is just beautiful to watch and is full of fantastic characters who surround the central duo who are both great to watch. Zen and Shirayuki are awesome together and they really sell the fairy-tale.

In this case season two is every bit as solid as season one was so be sure to watch on and then, like the rest of us, you can be sad that there is no season 3 yet even though it feels like there really needs to be at least one more season. Then again, spending even a second longer with this cast would be great so we’ll take whatever we can get.

One Punch Man

This is one of a very small number of anime included on this list that I’ve only watched the twice. Largely because the nature of the anime doesn’t really lend itself to multiple viewings. That said, One Punch Man is worth watching once so if you’ve never given it a go you definitely should. From the hard hitting OP to the hilarious central character as well as some pretty amazing animation, One Punch Man is an anime that really leaves an impact.

I will definitely give a shout out to Genos as one of my favourite supporting characters. Sure he ends up the butt of a lot of jokes, and in pieces a lot of the time, but you have to admit he’s pretty cool and if Saitama wasn’t around, Genos would probably have stepped up as an awesome hero.

That was 2015 but now it is over to you. What would your picks from the year have been? Also, remember to join us tomorrow to check out 2016.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2014

Posted on January 10, 2020January 9, 2022 by Karandi

2014 gave us some interesting anime titles. Lord Marksman and Vanadis came out and while it certainly won’t earn a spot as the best of the year, it had an interesting approach to narrating its battles which absolutely rubbed some viewers the wrong way but I found interesting. 2014 also gave us the amazing No Game No Life however as the story is still totally incomplete it just always misses out on making any kind of best of list. Without a conclusion, it is quirky and fun but just doesn’t quite measure up. So what did make the list? Let’s see and then I’d love to know what you would have picked from the year.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

Noragami

Quite literally the only thing wrong with Noragami is that there is no third season. I loved this anime when I first saw it. It was so energetic and fun but had its darker moments. The characters are great and the cast gets better and better as the show progresses. Revolving around Yato, a poor and relatively unknown god who takes on wishes for 5 yen pieces, Noragami is a story that goes in some unexpected directions but builds up a world with a rich mythology, some great action sequences, and the music is awesome.

Forget best of the Winter, Noragami was the anime that dominated my 2014 with multiple rewatches. It’s still a go to anime for me when introducing some of my friends to anime. I absolutely love this anime and I would love to see a third season of it at some point.

The Irregular at Magic High School

Yes, I already know a lot of people didn’t like The Irregular at Magic High School and certainly the anime has some problems. That didn’t stop me from falling in love with this anime enough to watch it again with a friend and then help that friend make a costume to wear at a convention based on the girls school uniform. Honestly, while this anime isn’t the best story the basic concept of the fusion of magic and technology is actually very cool. There’s also some pretty interesting applications of magic within the story and the militarisation of magicians is actually fairly plausible within this setting.

With the story broken into distinct arcs it is easily digestible and I found it very fun spending time with the students as they learned new way to use their magical abilities in each situation. The Irregular at Magic High School isn’t for everyone but I thought it was a bit of fun.

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Terror in Resonance

Terror in Resonance isn’t an easy story to watch given it focuses on two teenagers engaged in acts of terrorism in order to bring a government conspiracy around human experimentation to light. That said, the story doesn’t quite go far enough and the end result is one that teeters on the edge of providing social commentary around a lot of issues related to modern terrorism without actually making any kind of statement. It leaves the viewer with an uneasy feeling.

While this series starts strong and ends reasonably well as it wraps up its loose ends and gives characters closure, the mid-season is where the weaknesses of the story really become apparent. Despite that, it is still an anime worth watching as it takes on some fairly big issues and presents a slightly different perspective. All and all, this is an anime that remains relevant in the current political climate and even though it doesn’t quite nail what it might have been going for it at least makes the audience think a bit.

Your Lie In April

I am not the die hard fan of Your Lie in April that some viewers became however I certainly appreciated this anime for what it is. And what this anime presents is a beautifully packaged emotionally wringing story of a boy who is lost and the girl who helps him to find himself and a path before the tragedy unfolds. There’s nothing new in terms of the plot with so many stories having done a similar thing before, but with the presentation of this particular story they have done a spectacular job.

When you throw in the music and the performances with the wonderful visual metaphors that appear while they are playing it really becomes something quite unforgettable. Even the most jaded of viewers will probably be moved by either the characters or their music at some point while watching. For everyone else, bring lots of tissues because you are going to cry buckets when this one ends.

With that we bid farewell to 2014. I’d love to know your favourites from 2014 and on Monday we’ll continue looking at the anime of the decade starting at 2015.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2013

Posted on January 9, 2020January 9, 2022 by Karandi

Another difficult year of decisions. 2013 hit us with anime after anime that made me laugh, cry, think, or just straight up get drawn into a legendary story. Still, when looking at my favourites from each season, I noticed some interesting titles ended up pushing their way to the front as the anime from that season I would not want to have missed.

That means Hataraku Maou-Sama didn’t make the final list despite this being a straight comedy anime that I adore. Nor did My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU end up in my top shows even though I love the humour in the story and the interactions between the characters. Even the beautiful and emotional (though with a somewhat flawed narrative) Sunday Without God didn’t end up quite making top of its season. Which leaves me wondering, what did we do to deserve so many great shows in one year?

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

Maoyu Maou Yuusha

It’s the story of a hero who goes to fight the demon king but then finds out she’s a hot girl who doesn’t even want to fight but wants to save the world and end the war through economic development. This quirky anime is not technically brilliant and the story is incomplete, but there’s enough here to make it worth having watched. Maoyu Maou Yuusha is a different take on the hero story and one that really looks at the impacts of war and how difficult it is to end one.

That said, there’s a few things that really throw people about this anime. The first is none of the characters have a name, they are referred to by their job. Now, in the post Goblin Slayer days that may not be as unusual but it was a bit jarring the first time I watched this. Secondly, there’s a lot of discussion about improvements to farming, trading and economics in this anime.

You won’t learn a huge amount as it keeps things pretty basic, but there’s a lot of talk about some relatively dry subject matter. I found it pretty interesting but its definitely not something everyone is going to love. Still, I feel this one is worth remembering and I’m glad I came across it as it is one that isn’t talked about much and if I hadn’t watched it when I did I may never have come across it.

Attack on Titan

Could it have been anything else? Regardless of your personal thoughts toward the franchise, Attack on Titan got a lot of people talking anime even if only briefly. While the shock and horror of the early episodes faded and the second cour kind of dragged, there was still something about the series that held viewers. It’s hard to believe now it was 2013 when this first came out given we’re still not quite at a conclusion and that gap between season one and two didn’t do Attack on Titan any favours and yet there’s so much here worth noting even if you want to nitpick the flaws.

For me there are two things that stand out from this first season of Attack on Titan. The first was the animation. It was stunning. The way the characters moved, the choreography of the fight and training sequences, even just the way crowds of people were animated, all of it looked amazing for 2013 and it still looks pretty good even by 2019 standards.

The second was the tone and atmosphere. Attack on Titan particularly in its first cour really built its rich atmosphere of fear, paranoia, hopelessness, and anger. It brewed through all the characters and permeated the world design. For all that I will happily criticise aspects of the story, particularly when we get to season two, I will not forget how season one made me feel watching it and I can happily say that on rewatch it is every bit as brilliant.

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The Eccentric Family

When season two of this quirky supernatural slice of life came out I realised for the first time how many people hadn’t watched the first season. I’m not into slice of life or comedy and The Eccentric Family is dripping in both, yet with its colourful cast of characters, fast paced dialogue, and generally witty delivery it most definitely won me over. When you throw in that the story has a lot of heart with the family at its centre being one that is fairly fun to spend time with and there’s almost nothing to fault with it at all.

However, it gives us even more then that. We have some great female characters on board despite the male dominated cast. We have inter-generational commentary as well as a look at modernisation vs traditionalism. There’s also a great tourist aspect to seeing Kyoto from the perspective of the tanuki that dominate the story. Basically The Eccentric Family is a fun little anime and it has a second season if it leaves you wanting more. Well worth checking out if you are someone who missed it when it aired.

Golden Time

Golden Time is something of an outlier for me. It is a straight rom-com/drama with an amnesiac protagonist at its centre. Honestly, it shouldn’t work for me and yet I found it pretty hilarious in the early episodes as we watched Koko breaking up with her boyfriend and the friendship forming between Koko and Banri. The introduction of a love triangle was less welcome but ultimately that opened the way for the story to explore Banri’s memory loss and past and in the end everything does just kind of work in this story.

Partly this is because the supporting cast are fantastic at bringing what is needed to the story and the central three, Koko, Banri and Linda, are all interesting characters to get to know in their own way and are carrying their own pain but also looking for happiness. Like with any good romantic comedy you’ll laugh and sometimes cry but ultimately you’ll get a happy ending, unless you really wanted the love triangle to resolve the other way in which case you might be really annoyed at the whole thing. Whichever way, I loved this anime and it remains one I happily watch again and again.

And that was 2013. A big year for anime with the huge appearance of Attack on Titan and many other great anime. What were your favourites from the year? Share in the comments and be sure to check in tomorrow for 2014.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2012

Posted on January 8, 2020January 9, 2022 by Karandi

Alright, 2012 was one of those years that I spent a fair bit of time short listing titles before finally deciding on my top from each season. Winter and Spring were relatively easy but wow Summer and Fall made it hard. The anime that didn’t make the cut: Sword Art Online, Humanity has Declined, Kamisama Hajimemashita, and Psycho Pass. Seriously, I love every one of those titles but I just couldn’t say they were the anime from that season that I would absolutely have to watch. That said, they are all brilliant and if you haven’t watched them, be sure to check them out… after you check out the list for 2012.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

Another

For those who have followed my blog for sometime, my predilection toward horror is pretty well known. That said, most horror anime are trash and few of them are even the good kind of trash. Here we have the second and final horror anime to make the cut for the decade that was and it is Another (which I’ll definitely be writing a review for soon). Another plays on a lot of cliches of the genre and also throws around buckets of blood. Think a really slowed down version of Final Destination crossed with the Grudge and you kind of have the idea. Honestly, the overall plot is a little dicey though does make sense but the atmosphere constructed through visuals, music and pacing are phenomenal.

Anyway, while not a perfect anime by any means, for those with a bit of patience and a love of horror, there’s plenty to enjoy in this story of a cursed class. Definitely do not watch if you are squeamish or if suicide is a trigger for you.

Jormungand

One of these days I’ll even learn to spell the title to this one correctly. However, Jormungand gives us the story of the arms dealer, Koko Hekmatyar, and her body guards as they travel about the world making deals for weapons and getting caught up in various regional conflicts and hostile business dealings. The series kicks off when Jonah, a child soldier, joins Koko’s crew and we see a lot of the story from his perspective as the outsider learning about the group. There’s clearly some touchy subject matter here and while the story does respect that it also knows not to depress its audience and provides plenty of lighter moments. The cast of characters are what will make you watch this more than once as they grow on you as you get to know them and with each watching it feels like you learn a little more about them.

With some great action, good music, and a solid cast of characters there’s little to complain about with Jormungand other than the occasional pacing issue. Well worth a watch and be sure to watch the second season to see the conclusion to Koko’s plan.

Kokoro Connect

You have no idea how hard this decision was. My initial reaction declared that of course it had to be Sword Art Online but as much fun as that anime is (and the first cour is great fun to watch), Kokoro Connect left a powerful impact on me when I watched it. Five students who through various reasons have ended up in the same club end up being used as experimental subjects in some weird intelligence’s experiments. They’ll be mind reading, body swapping, acting on impulse and so on and still trying to deal with their own identity issues and budding relationships. While this story could have gone further it certainly does enough and there’s some really powerful moments here.

This is an anime that you will have mixed reactions to and will probably connect or not with different cast members. For me, I found this anime delightful and while I didn’t necessarily relate with any of the cast members, I ended up emphasising with them as they went through an awful lot in this story.

Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shita

Where do you even begin with something like Chuunibyou? This is a series with a lot of heart that tackles serious issues of grief, growing up, identity and mental health but does it in a way that has you smiling every single episode. Rikka became one of the most identifiable protagonists of the decade with her eye patch and ridiculous poses and the rest of the cast are equally colourful and entertaining to watch as they stumble about their school live and adolescence.

This anime is a must watch regardless of the decade and while it has its silly moments, at its heart it seriously knew what it wanted to explore and it does an excellent job of it. The characters each carry their weight as they each explore the issues in their own way and draw their own conclusions but ultimately it is up to you, the viewer, to think about everything that is presented and to draw your own conclusion. If you want something fun that has a big impact, Love, Chuunibyo and Other Delusions is definitely an anime to check out if you haven’t already seen it.

2012 is completed and I can’t wait to see what you would have put in your top picks from the year. Tomorrow we’ll move on to 2013.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2011

Posted on January 7, 2020January 9, 2022 by Karandi

2011 is a bit of a weird year for my favourite anime. The choices ended up incredibly varied and we’ve got slice of life, comedy, drama and sci-fi anime all of which left an impact on me but for very different reasons. The sad thing is Season 3 of Natsume Yuujinchou came out but my rules prevented me from adding it to the list but you better believe it would have been my pick for the year. Also, No. 6 came out in 2011 and while I loved it dearly the disaster of an ending meant it couldn’t win its season. With these tough choices made lets look at the list.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year.

Wandering Son

Wandering Son or Hourou Musuko is an anime I didn’t discover until well after it had aired. While I have watched this one twice I’ve never managed to get my thoughts around it together enough to write a series review. That said, it is an anime well worth remembering well after the year it aired as it takes a very calm look at some big issues concerning gender identity. While there are certainly some rough edges, to see an anime tackling such an issue at the forefront rather than as a side story or through a subplot, and seeing it do it in a relatively non-sensationalist manner was very impressive.

I really enjoyed this anime’s take on its subject matter and feel it is one of those anime worth watching even if the genre and style aren’t your usual interests. Definitely one to add to your watch list if you missed it in 2011.

Steins;Gate

How could it not be? Watching Steins;Gate was an actual experience and one that should not be missed regardless of how you end up feeling about the story. It takes a bit to get going but the quirky dialogue (and there is a lot of dialogue) will keep you dialled in until all hell breaks loose with time travel mayhem. And would you believe I haven’t written a full series review of this anime despite a multitude of rewatches? Something I’ll need to correct later this year I’m sure.

Incidentally, Steins;Gate is one of the few anime I firmly recommend watching the English dub of. Firstly, because it is well acted with the voices matching the characters very well but secondly and more importantly, because if you are reading subs there’s a lot of dialogue very quickly between characters and at times the subs can fill up to a third of the screen and even for someone who reads as fast as me they become a little hard to keep up with. Still, Steins;Gate is a must watch anime regardless of the decade.

Kamisama no Memochou

Kamisama no Memochou or Heaven’s Memo Pad might seem like a weird choice for a favourite from a season, however this anime is one that impressed me by bringing its threads together for a truly beautiful, if a little bit heart shattering, conclusion. I’m a sucker for a well realised ending and while the journey to that ending in this case is a little bit hit and miss with the story being broken into distinct arcs or cases, the final destination makes if worthwhile. That said, this story about a NEET detective agency where every character is basically a trope of some sort with little fleshing out, isn’t going to work for everyone. Throw in stories of sex trade, drug use and suicide and you have an anime that is definitely not going to appeal to everyone. Still, as I said, this one sticks with me because of its powerful ending and when looking back at the Summer 2011 season, this was the anime that called to me as one I am glad I didn’t miss.

On that note though, if you are on the lookout for something new to watch and missed Heaven’s Memo Pad, it might be worth checking out. There’s some interesting moments and commentary in amongst the somewhat murky presentation. I was sure I’d reviewed this already but apparently I haven’t. I’ll have to correct that.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sakunai

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Final Featured Image

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sakunai also known as Haganai or I Don’t Have Many Friends is a school based, harem, comedy. Needless to say the fact that it was my favourite anime from a season is a little weird given that should be three strikes against it. And honestly, it isn’t exactly revolutionary for any of those genres. However, maybe it was the time and place but when I watched this anime for the first time, something clicked. Anyway, our protagonist Kodaka recently transferred schools and is instantly misunderstood because of his hair colour so doesn’t make any friends. Then he stumbles into a room where his classmate Yozora is talking with her ‘air-friend’ (like an air-guitar). Yozora decides to start a club to make friends with the plan of only her and Kodaka being members, however soon the rich girl Sena shows up and then a whole bunch of other girls. It’s silly and at times the comedy pushes it too far, but I still found this anime fairly enjoyable probably because at its heart it really does try to deal with the issue of feeling isolated for whatever reason.

While this one won’t have universal appeal it is definitely worth trying to see if it works for you. There’s even a season two which seems to focus more on the romance side of things so if you wanted to know where the relationships go at least you know there’s more to the story to watch after season one.

And that concludes 2011 except that it is time for my lovely readers to share their favourite anime from the year that was 2011. Leave us a comment and remember to check out the post tomorrow for 2012.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Check out my favourite anime from each year over the last decade:

A Decade of Anime 2010

Posted on January 6, 2020January 9, 2022 by Karandi

A lot has changed for me over the last decade. For one thing, midway through 2016 I started this blog and the amount of anime I watched and discussed exploded. So looking back at the anime and taking a step back from the heat of the moment and snap judgements, I’m now getting the chance to think about the anime I most loved from the last ten years.

The Rules:

No. 1: No sequels of any kind. This kind of knocked Natsume Yuujinchou out of the lists straight away because the first season aired in 2008. That said, Natsume is awesome and is now six seasons in. It was a big part of my last decade of anime and hopefully we’ll get more in the next decade.

No. 2: Only one anime from each season which gave me 4 picks from each year. Let me point out, when we hit 2016 that became a big problem, but I resolved it by cheating and you’ll see how when we get to that post.

Otherwise I just decided to have fun and go on a nostalgic trip through the last decade of anime. Incidentally, my to be watched and rewatched anime lists grew massively as I came across titles I remembered wanting to watch and anime that I really meant to get to rewatching and hadn’t. I do love that we have access to so much anime these days.

Katanagatari

I’ve previously gushed over my love of this series in this review but I’m going to gush a little here. Despite it now being ten years old, Katanagatari is an amazing anime and one that is highly underappreciated. The format is a little different with episodes running 40 minutes rather than 20, but the story that unfolds over the 12 episodes is well worth watching. Between the gorgeous and unique art style, the fun characters, and a solid and well structured narrative, Katanagatari is one of those anime that has withstood the decade and remains a solid piece of entertainment. I’d also solidly recommend reading the novels because so far I’ve been having a fantastic time with them.

Definitely a must watch anime. It has adventure, martial arts, love and drama all wrapped up inside a truly beautifully presented package.

Angel Beats

Another anime I know I’ve gushed over on numerous occasions and definitely expressed my love for it in my series review here. Angel Beats is an odd anime that uses the whiplash between ridiculous slap-stick comedic moments, slice of life antics, over-the-top action and high stakes drama to drag the viewer through an emotional roller coaster before ripping your heart out of your chest and stomping on it. And just when you think you won’t get over that it makes you smile and feel all warm and melty inside. Sure, there’s plenty you could say to criticise this story but if it sweeps you away it is one of those moving viewing experiences that is unforgettable and this one gets better and better on multiple watches.

Totally recommend you give this one a try though mileage will vary. Those who don’t like abrupt tonal shifts or ‘whacky’ characters will find this one a bit draining early on and it really is contrived to play on your heart strings, though it is effective if you let it be. I love it and I do believe this anime is one of my most rewatched DVD’s.

Shiki

A slow burning vampire horror story set in rural Japan? Yeah, Shiki was a must watch for me and ended up being the first full anime I ever reviewed on my blog. Needless to say, I love it though with all the anime I’ve watched since starting the blog I will admit some of the shine has come off of it. Still, in terms of horror anime, this is still one of my favourites. For me, the long and slow build up as we wait for the first characters to realise what is happening is the kind of tense viewing I love with horror and once all hell breaks loose it feels worth it. While the ending definitely goes for shock and gore, horror fans will definitely appreciate it. Even a decade later there are few horror anime that can stand up to this one in terms of enjoyment.

Note, this anime is absolutely not for everyone. If you aren’t into horror and you don’t like blood then you are really going to find a lot to dislike in this story. Also those who just want to get to the fighting part of the story will find this one on the slow side because it takes a long time before people accept that they are actually even under attack. That said, there’s a great ensemble cast here and with rewatches you really appreciate all the relationships that exist within the village. Definitely one I’m still in love with ten years on. Plus there’s this creepy scene:

Bakuman

Bakuman isn’t an anime I talk about much on the blog and while characters and ideas from it have ended up on some of my top 5 lists, I’ve yet to write a review of it. Part of the problem is I haven’t watched it since starting my blog though it did meet the requirement of having been watched twice to end up on the list. The thing is, Bakuman is an awesome story of two aspiring manga artists. I feel some of the drama is a little contrived and the whole I won’t speak to you until you succeed gimmick is idiotic, but the core of the story, the creation of a manga and trying to succeed is absolutely solid and entertaining. Despite that, it just isn’t the kind of story I want to watch over and over. Twice was enough. That said, if you have never seen Bakuman, then you are missing out on a very solid anime from 2010.

Now there are entire essays that can be written about the working conditions of manga artists, the gender stereotypes reinforced within this story, and a whole slew of other points, but the bottom line is that it is a fun anime and if you ever wanted to learn the basics of how manga is produced, this anime is definitely going to give you a starting point.

That was 2010. Tomorrow we will check out the year that was 2011. In the meantime, what are your must watch anime from 2010? Be sure to share in the comments.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James