Once again, it’s time to rank my top 10 anime of the year. Unlike last year, I had a bit of a harder time, there seemed to be less surprises this year. I could probably rank Firiren at number 1 again this year, because the season continued on this year. That feels a bit like cheating, so instead, I included a few things that might not quite be anime. Without further ado, let’s get started 

10. Twilight Of The Gods 

A Zack Snyder animated show initially had me skeptical, but Norse mythology is always an interesting setting, so I gave it a try. To my delight, I found a show that had a somewhat unique feel to it, and kept me on my toes throughout the show. The characters were strong, the plot was unpredictable, and the action was fun. 

It may not have ended up higher on my list, it’s not really anime, and not quite exceptional enough to be an exception, but it’s still a great show. Since this is on Netflix, I’m skeptical of it getting a second season, as much as I would enjoy one, but it’s still a fun watch. 

9. Blue Exorcist Season 3/4

Somehow, we got 2 new seasons of Blue Exorcist this year. It’s been years since the second season, which also had a long gap after the movie and first season. The end of the first season even went in a totally different direction than the manga and had to be retconned, it’s been a weird and bumpy road.  

Thankfully, the third season really seemed to find its footing. It’s a hard show to recommend, but it’s always an enjoyable watch, and something about the setting and characters, while not very unique, I find endearing. The 4th season is still airing, and while I’m not finding it as strong, I still keep coming back each week for more. 

8. Oshi No Ko Season 2 

When Oshi No Ko first came out, it seemed to make quite the splash, and I’d always meant to get around to it. Unfortunately, it was a Hi-Dive exclusive in North America, and I refuse to pay for more streaming services I won’t use. When I came to Japan, I found out it was on Netflix here, and quickly binged the first season. 

I liked it a lot, and it’s no wonder its opening Idol by Yasobi became so iconic. The second season felt like a small step down, feeling a little aimless in places, and having a pretty weak ending that mostly felt like set up. It’s uneven, but a slightly darker look at the entertainment industry is always fascinating. 

7. Kaiju No. 8 

This is another show I was the perfect target audience for, it’s unabashedly Shonen, and I unabashedly love Shonen. It’s a little paint by numbers, if you’ve watched basically any other show in this genre, you know what to expect. Thankfully, I think it executes on all of those tropes quite well. 

It’s not doing anything new, but it’s doing the familiar very well, and with a high quality bar. It won’t rock your world, but it’ll go down smooth, and sometimes that’s all I really need to keep coming back for more. Maybe the story will go to some more interesting places, and I hope it does, but I’d be tuning in regardless. 

6. Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld

Now, this is also not anime, but it is exceptional. It almost makes me angry that we don’t have more shows focusing on Chinese mythology, because it makes this show feel special and new. I usually don’t notice performances much, but Ali Wong as the titular Jentry is incredible, and Bowen Yang as the loveable sidekick as Ed is so much fun. The cast is simply stacked, and it shows. 

The story feels complete, but I would never be opposed to a second season. This is a heavy hitter in my mind, up there with the likes of Steven Universe and Dead End Paranormal Park. I was constantly delighted by this show. If this wasn’t strictly an anime list, it’d be an easy top 3 contender.

5. The Apothecary Diaries

While not normally a show I might go for, there seemed to be a lot of buzz around this show. Eventually, I caved, and gave it a try. I could see why everyone seemed to be enjoying it. Maomao is one of the most engaging and well rounded characters I’ve seen in a long time. Oftentimes the protagonist is one of the least interesting characters, but not this time. 

Each week I wanted to see what new mystery Maomao would solve, or what problem she would tackle, because she was so much fun to watch. The romance elements never blew me away, but they don’t take away from the show. 

4. Konosuba Season 3

I love Konosuba, this dumb show is always consistently funny, even when the jokes might not be for me, I'll still find myself chuckling. It always feels like such a refreshing take on the Isekai genre, and often pokes fun at the very things that get under my skin. 

There’s enough of a plot to feel like the story has momentum, and it keeps things from getting too stale. At times, the show can even be genuine, and give small moments of character growth, despite how goofy the show is the rest of the time. It’s one of my favorite comedy anime, and always brings a smile to my face. 

3. Arcane Season 2 

Is Arcane anime? I refuse to answer that question, who cares, it’s excellent. While there are some minor missteps, mostly in regards to the pacing, this show delivers in almost every way. It unfortunately has to do some work setting up future shows, but it still provides some truly excellent moments. 

And my god, this show looks incredible. It uses a variety of styles, while still retaining it’s own visual identity, you can see every bit of the budget poured into this show. It’s rare for a show to finish as strong as it starts, but Arcane is a compelling watch the entire time. 

2. Nier Automata 1.1 Season 2 

The first season of Nier made it on my list last year, but the back half of this story is where things get really juicy. My thoughts mostly remain the same, it looks great, it sounds great, using music right out of the games, and makes plenty of smart tweaks. It even adjusts the ending somewhat to make the anime feel wholly unique. 

It might be a familiar story, but it’s another version of that story. It’s done in a way that feels just like Yoko Taro, and it reminds me why he’s one of my role models, and one of the few “auteurs” in the games industry. 

1. Dandadan

Talk about a surprise. This show came out of nowhere for me, and it quickly became one of the hottest topics in anime. From an iconic intro, to a stellar first episode, to a unique artstyle, to strong characters, it just checks every box imaginable. It feels like such a tight concise story, and it’s such a breath of fresh air. 

It forgoes the huge roster of characters to really develop a smaller cast of memorable characters, and is planting the seeds for a really excellent romance. Dandadan didn’t need to go this hard, I certainly never expected it to, but I am so glad it did.