1. Hyouka - This was easily the best and most visually impressive show of the year, as it excelled with nearly every aspect, particularly it's incredible conclusion, meticulously constructed narrative, and the small touches of romance that were filtered into the latter half of the show. Though the mysteries were occasionally of the mundane variety, they certainly weren’t close to being the focus of the show, as the complex characters and the nuanced characterization that defined them immensely elevated the few episodes that contained a mystery that was less than intriguing. It was, above all, nearly absent of any particularly noticeable flaw.
2. Hotarubi no Mori e - One of the best romance films I've seen, as it wove a plethora of poignant emotions into an exceptionally beautiful tale.
3. Fate/Zero 2nd Season - The narrative was excellent throughout this season, as it was riddled with a plethora of haunting twists and a particularly morose melancholy that accentuated the inevitably nihilistic nature of their world. The action was also of a higher quality during the second season. The constant shifts in perspective throughout the story were really effective. Kiritsugo was a fantastic and impressively complex character. Really top-notch all around.
4. From the New World - Although it faltered for several episodes, this has been a wonderfully atmospheric and deeply nihilistic story; one that rarely loses it’s focus, consistently illustrating a very expertly written and tightly structured narrative. As such, one of it’s most impressive elements is it’s ability to slowly peel away the shadows that surround the decayed society that the characters inhabit. This is definitely the most compelling story of the year.
5. Ano Natsu de Matteru - This was a consistently great romantic comedy, complete with one of the most satisfying conclusions of the year. The story, and, in turn, the romance, was exceptionally well-told, as it rarely lingered on tedious complications or needlessly frustrating developments. The execution, all in all, was exemplary.
6. Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita -This is the best comedy of the year, by far, as it was suffused with a wonderfully cynical satire that worked immensely well. The whimsical atmosphere really complemented the tone of the story. Watashi was one of the best characters of the year and the fairies were hilarious.
7. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - The poor production values and the occasional tendency for a usage of some unnecessarily garish colors detract from the show a bit, but this has been a really good and excellently unique show throughout, especially what's been shown of the second half.
8. Sakamichi no Apollon - The conclusion wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have hoped, nor was it as impressive as Watanabe's earlier works as a whole, but the characters were great, save for Seiji, and the dramatic elements were consistently effective. Not to mention, the music, for the most part, was amazing.
9. Tasogare Otome X Amnesia - This was definitely the surprise of the year, as each episode, save for the unnecessary first, continuously developed an abundance of emotional subtleties within the story in a manner that allowed the last several episodes to be superbly effective and unexpectedly emotional.
10. Kokoro Connect - The narrative was occasionally flawed and the developments were partially contrived at times, but the story, as a whole, was surprisingly ambitious. Each episode, for the most part, was skillfully balanced between the dramatic elements and the comedic ones, rarely dragging on stagnant emotions or tedious developments. Inaba was a really great character and one of the best of the year, as she was made even better by Miyuki Sawashiro’s brilliant voice acting.
This was a very difficult list to create, since many of my honorable mentions, particularly the first five, could easily be included in the top ten.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Tsuritama - The cast of characters were thoroughly enjoyable. Although I wasn’t incredibly fond of the setting, the colorful, wonderfully vibrant aesthetic really complemented the lively atmosphere. The first several episodes were quite dull, but the latter half was fantastic, especially the final episode.
12. Natsuyuki Rendezvous - Although quite good, this was also, along with Tonari, one of the most disappointingly inconsistent shows of the year, as each possessed a fantastic first half, only for that brilliance to then be significantly diminished by a thoroughly flawed second half. In Natsuyuki Rendezvous' case, the narrative was highly compelling through episode 5, but, following a particularly inane twist, a separate dynamic than what was initially promised was focused on entirely too often, as the story unnecessarily isolated and almost comprehensively extinguished the chance for development within the supposedly central aspect of the story. However, despite these criticisms, it often portrayed a beautifully naturalistic maturity that is quite rare.
13. Space Brothers - Though it’s story is very simplistic in nature, it’s really beautifully illustrated, despite the occasional tendency for a mediocre episode to slip into the fold. Mutta is one the most endearing and likable characters I’ve encountered in anime.
14. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! - The final episode wasn’t as satisfying as I was expecting, since this would otherwise have landed in my top 10, but the romantic elements were very well-developed, and, though I preferred the humor that was woven in, the story was filled with dramatic complexities that mostly heightened the effectiveness of the story.
15. Jormungand - Though I really enjoyed the first season, the second was a surprisingly effective improvement over it, as it possessed a string of episodes that were comprehensively terrific. The production values weren't particularly impressive throughout the entire show, but the engaging characters and the unexpectedly complex and intriguing story more than made up for it.
16. Kamisama Hajimemashita
17. Joshiraku
18. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun - This was a fairly impressive shoujo, but the narrative was detrimentally flawed throughout the latter half; to the point where it essentially lost it's focus far too often towards the end, providing dull and repetitious insight into several worthless secondary characters, while disappointingly offering little in the way of satisfying resolution for many of the significant developments that had occured earlier in the story. As such, if it simply had a more cohesive and less predictably conventional second half, then it would have likely landed near the top of my list.
19. Another - Though it became predictably amusing and much too needlessly theatrical, rather than chillingly melancholic, throughout the latter half, this was still one of the most effective horror titles in recent memory., due largely to the subdued manner with which the early developments unraveled, gradually painting a dreadfully significant picture that was superbly disturbing. The dynamic between the two leads was consistently compelling to watch unfold.
20. Code:Breaker - This was one of the most consistent shows of the year, and, though the material wasn't always great, the latter half of the show became increasingly excellent as it progressed, culminating with a very strong conclusion.
21. Nazo no Kanojo X - This was a very underrated, enjoyable quirky show, and the relationship was really well-developed throughout.
22. Sukitte Ii na yo - This is certainly a typical shoujo through and through, but the minimalistic manner with which it was directed really elevated the the occasionally tedious material.
23. Kyoukaisenjou no Horizon II - Though quite convoluted at times, it’s also considerably entertaining.
24. Acchi Kocchi - Highly enjoyable fluff.
25. Sankarea - Following the amazingly well-directed and very promising initial three episodes, the remainder of the story was quite disappointing.
26. Yuru Yuri - The premise provided a consistently pleasant comedy. The large cast of characters and their antics were very enjoyable, save for the horrible Chinatsu.
I decided to refrain from including several incomplete shows, such as Psycho-Pass, Sakurasou, or Zetsuen, since, aside from being behind on all three, their latter halves and conclusions will ultimately provide a necessarily complete perception of the whole. Girls und Panzer would also have been very high on my list, but I haven't yet seen nearly enough episodes in order to properly judge it's quality.
All in all, this has been a very strong year, but it never consistently reached the heights of 2011.
