As you may or may not know, I have a major weak spot for Japanese animation, otherwise known as anime. Ever since I was a child and began watching shows akin to Naruto and One Piece, I've been just enamored with this genre. Before I knew it, I was moving on to better things like Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Gurren Lagann, and I slowly developed a very "not shit taste" if I may say so.
And since anime has affected me and my life so much, I only thought it fair that I count down my top 10 favorite anime that I have ever watched. Just remember that this is my own personal list, and that I'm not including "anime-esque" TV shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, RWBY, or Wakfu. This is strictly reserved for Japanese animation, though I do love all three of those aforementioned shows.
Baccano!
Baccano! is something I stumbled upon, almost on accident, after watching the light novel's creator's other series, Durarara!!, which, while something that I also love, just cannot compare to the genius that is Baccano!. All the characters are like-able on some level, the stories are very intriguing and well tied-together, and the soundtrack is just plain amazing. Yeah, the art can be a little bland, but don't let that turn you off because, as I just stated, literally everything else is fantastic.
The anime revolves around three main story-lines that you switch between, so it can be a little confusing at first, but if you stick with it, you should be able to catch on pretty quickly and be sucked in by all of the fun and quirky characters that you're sure to love, not to mention what is probably the best English dub I've ever heard. There's a little bit of every genre for everyone, too: horror, mystery, romance, suspense, supernatural, tragedy- pretty much everything but sci-fi, and it all ties in very well. Not to mention just how brilliant the ending was; it's hard to get an ending to an anime that ties things together in a neat little bow so well that you actually don't want a second season due to the fact that you feel as if anything else could soil it. It was definitely a brilliant anime, and if you haven't watched Baccano!, then you are doing yourself a grave disservice.
Mushishi
Mushishi is less a continued story-line and more a collection of quiet, subtle stories with the common theme of a mysterious man named Ginko traveling to various places and helping several people having problems with mushi- little spirit-like creatures that Ginko is very knowledgeable about.
As I said earlier, the show is very quiet and subtle, without any over-the-top action sequences or anything else of that effect, but it is certainly atmospheric and mesmerizing, if nothing else. The sheer amount of passion and creativity that was poured into this project is just plain amazing, and the quality of animation is quite stunning, as well.
So, yeah. It's nothing too flashy, but Mushishi really is just a work of art, and a must-see for anyone that enjoys animation as an art medium.
8:
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Jojo's is probably the most engaging and dramatic pieces of fiction ever created, and it's not hard to see why once you start watching, as you will never be able to stop once you've started.
Like, I'm serious. Just watch it. I can't even explain. It's just too... bizarre.
7:
Sword Art Online
OK, OK. Lower your pitch-forks and torches, everyone. I know how upset you are with me, and how much hate I'm likely to get for this, and I understand that SAO has its faults, but this is my personal list of favorites, and I just couldn't leave this work off, since I got so much pure enjoyment out of it. I know SAO gets a lot of bad rep, but honestly, I love it. The romance, the animation, and every single fighting sequence is top-notch, and I absolutely adore the characters. Sinon from season 2, in particular, is perfect waifu material, as she has a great amount of ass character development. Not that I'm complaining about Asuna, though, as she's such a strong and independent character that her romance with Kirito is just incredibly sweet and touching.
Plus, I love the theme about how real life and video games are slowly becoming merged and how there is slowly becoming less and less of a difference between the two.
And, yes, I understand people's gripes with Kirito being overpowered, but I find it forgivable because of the fact that he was a beta tester and thus knew his way around the game. We needed a powerful main character for this series, anyway; it's about an MMO game, and there's no way anyone but the most dedicated of nerds are going to win an MMO.
6:
Future Diary
Future Diary is another one of those anime that I feel gets an unnecessarily bad rep because it has a few plot holes, but I honestly don't give a damn because of how great the entire show is. The plot itself- a game of death with the end goal being to receive the power of a dying god- is very unique, and each of the twelve characters, as well as additional side characters, have their own unique personalities and different reasons for entering the game.
The show also takes some mature looks into some very dark subjects, which I really appreciate, as it covers stuff that a lot of other anime will shy away from, so you have to appreciate the sheer amount of balls that Future Diary has, if nothing else.
Also, the romance. I am regrettable to say that on my Valentine's Day special, where I listed off thirty of my favorite OTP's, that I forgot to mention how Yuno and Yuki are definitely the poster couple in anime. They have so many ups and downs, but they still stick together through thick and thin, which really sets them apart and makes Future Diary something for other self-proclaimed "romance anime" like Toradora and Kimi ni Todoke to learn from.
5:
Fairy Tail
This is one of the- if not the- most popular anime running at the moment, and there's a reason for that. The premise itself- a magical world filled with guilds that magic-users can join forces in- is very unique, and everything else about the show is just plain fun. All the characters are fun and silly, with cool powers and abilities, but are actually very deep and have some very unexpectedly tragic backstories.
Combined with the top-notch animation and plethora of hilarious comedy- including multiple running gags that literally never get tiring- Fairy Tail remains fun and refreshing with every new episode that is released.
It's fun, creative, always full of laughs, and is probably the best anime I can think of for someone just looking to have a good time while still challenging themselves with deep and meaningful content.
4:
School Days
School Days is kind of the most underrated anime I can think of, and I'm kind of confused as to why anyone could dislike this masterpiece. 'Cause, come on, really...?
I mean, yes, a lot of bad and unexpected stuff happens at the end, but that's kind of the point: the entire anime is about the repercussions of a young boy that can't control his sexual urges and ends up breaking a lot of hearts because he wasn't thinking about what he was doing.
It's a beautiful story really, with lots of drama and a lesson that I think everyone could learn from. You just have to watch it to truly understand what it is I'm talking about.
3:
Diabolik Lovers
Diabolik Lovers is just a sinful masterpiece of a dark and gritty romance anime. It's pretty much everything that Twilight wanted- and ultimately failed- to be.
As it is a story about a girl named Yui sent as some sort of sacrifice from her church to live with some hot but cruel, intimidating, and borderline evil vampire boys, you can already see what makes this anime stand out. Because while the animation and soundtrack are truly phenomenal, it's the story and the development of characters that really makes it shine- kind of literally.
Each of the boys is very unique, and it takes them time to learn to care about Yui, but you know it'll have to happen eventually, since she's such a charming yet strong and graceful character that you honestly have no choice but to fall in love with her.
It's meaningful, deep, and heartbreaking in every way possible, and all the characters are such charming and good people that you just can't help but love them. For that very reason, Diabolik Lovers will always remain in my heart as the third most iconic pieces of Japanese animation to ever grace God's green earth.
2:
Boku no Pico
Boku no Pico is something that I stumbled upon in the comment section of almost every YouTube video pertaining to anime, and I can never thank those kind people enough for pointing me in the direction of this story of a boy overcoming the trails of falling in love in his youth. The relationship between Pico and Mokkun is a truly heart-warming love story, something that you unfortunately don't see too much of in anime any more. Mokkun rescues little Pico from the abuse of his perverted grandfather, who makes Pico dress in cute girls' clothes and serve food to his perverted customers, and from there, we are taken on an emotional roller coaster, as Pico and Mokkun fall in love and eventually come to terms with their attraction to each other, even though Mokkun is about twice ten-year-old Pico's age.
This anime will have you weeping by the end, and the other two additions to this series will only add to the very important themes that age is but a number and that love knows no boundaries, even between twenty-something-year-old men and impressionable ten-year-old boys.
1:
Cory in the House
There seem to be some people that are a little confused on the subject of Cory in the House, in that they believe it to be a Western live-action series, and with the sheer amount of realistic animation, I can see why, but I can assure you that every frame of this work of art was hand-drawn in Japan, but simply released on Disney Channel in the US due to it being a re-imagining of the beloved live-action series, That's So Raven, which is undoubtedly inferior to Cory in the House.
Now that we have that out of the way, it shouldn't be hard to explain what a masterful artwork this anime truly is, as it's symbolism and commentary on American politics kind of speak for themselves, especially with the prejudice that Cory's father must live through as being the only black employee in the White House.
But it doesn't end there.
As I stated earlier, each frame of animation is hand-drawn to look as life-like as possible, which really helps with telling such a grandiose tale and when connecting with such rich and colorful characters as Cory, Newt, Sophia, and Meena (who is best girl and every true anime fan's waifu). Even the voice cast was perfect, and the Japanese voice actors put so much effort into their English that you could hear the raw emotion in every word they spoke.
There's simply no comparing this anime with anything else in the world, it was so beautiful. Unfortunately, due to economic failures in Japan at the time and the amount of money it cost to produce animation this beautiful, Cory in the House's run was cut short and cancelled much too early. Thankfully, though, Japan didn't leave us hanging too long and released one of the best video games in history, rivaled only by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, to bring the much anticipated end to this epic saga.
Overall, Cory in the House changed my life for the better, as it did for many of its other viewers, and I feel lucky to have been a part of the generation to view it while it was airing.
And that's my list. Feel free to let me know in the comments if you watched any of these anime and, if so, how they changed your life.
For now, though, I'm going!
Happy April Fools' Day~
;)
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