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[Narag]

TV shows

1. Yamato 2199

Beautiful show that deserves every bit of praise it has received. It’s one of those things that’s not just great anime but a great show period transcendental of the medium.


2. The Eccentric Family

You know how people complain about the dearth of quality anime nowadays and how the good ol’ bad days were better? Yeah, no. This show was one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch featuring beautiful art, great storytelling, an interesting fusion of the modern day and mythology, no dull moments, and characterization that makes most shows pale in comparison. It’s one of the few non-Ghibli productions that I’ve been able to lose myself in like it was something from Ghibli itself. If there’s something that helped me reaffirm anime was alive and well nowadays, it was this.


3. Gundam Build Fighters

Hey hey, Gundam is fun again. Came for the 2D mecha fanservice, was rewarded with a great show.

4. Flowers of Evil

Beautiful heartbreaking show that more should give a shot. It’s been a while since I had the pleasure of watching a show that revelled in raw emotion like this one does.

5. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

Despite a technobabble-laden tenuous opening, this show turned into something pretty great. Don’t be put off by the notion of the limited fan service or the idea some episodes are “filler”, the meat of this show was Ledo’s integration into the culture he found himself in far more than any space alien story that’s initially presented. Also there’s Chamber’s interminable bro-ness that made this one rather memorable.



6. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

I hadn’t looked forward to a show from week to week like this since Geass’ initial airing. Battle Tendency was hyped to me before the run of episodes began and that hype was validated and then some. Despite some lackluster production values at times, the show possessed an energy and style that helped carry it in the face of these problems. To sum up, this shit was manly as fuck, harkens back to the big dumb manime days some of us miss, and I’m so damn hyped to revisit Part 3.


7. Rozen Maiden (2013)

Lovely show that has me hoping to see what Hatakeyama can do with something original if he could elevate an adaptation as well as he did here.


8. Gifu Dodo!! Kanetsugu & Keiji

The opposite end of the DEEN spectrum, this one’s really rough around the edges. Art and animation are all over the place but generally on the bad side. Why’s it here then? Yasuhiro Imagawa’s script tells this great tale of Sengoku era bromance that was just a blast. Admittedly the second cour seemed like it was stretched out, it ended just as well as the first.

9. Muromi-san

Wonderfully animated gag anime that strayed a bit too far into boob joke territory at times. It was a real joy otherwise given the great humor.

10. Gatchaman Crowds

Good show that did a wonderful job in exploring social media but failing to fully utilize its namesake.



Movies

1. Wolf Children

One of the best animated movies I've watched.


2. Blue Exorcist Movie

Always nice when source material is elevated like it was here and that's not even accounting for the godly background art.

3. Little Witch Academia

Funny, beautifully animated, and something you could share with anyone without hesitation unlike so many works. Perfect example of the OVA format.



Honorable Mention: Death Billiards

Don’t normally bother with honorable mentions but this was pretty good. Anime Twilight Zone that was only missing was a Rod Serling intro & outro. Wish we’d gotten a full show from it.

 

[brd]

1. Aku no hana - Claustrophobic atmosphere and characters with human imperfections made it easy to relate to the desperation comming from the confligt between dissatisfaction towards the daily "ordinary" life and the need for belonging and acceptance from others I guess most people have experienced, especially in their teens. The show conveyed these feelings' ugly and nonetheless very human qualities masterfully. The rotoscoping didn't bother me much, when it looked bad it looked really bad but when it was at it's best it looked great and really fit the atmosphere of the show.

2. Shinsekai yori - This is probably one of my favorite shows, the world and mythos was well fleshed out and the themes of the moral greyness of resistance, violence and power spoke to me aswell as providing an interesting fantasy/sci-fi setting and an ambitious story.

3. Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 - The ultimate space opera and an almost perfectly crafted anime. Engaging story and setting that would probably appeal to a lot of sci-fi fans regardless of medium.

4. Kyousou Giga - Had big potential but ultimately felt a bit unfocused and disorganized.

5. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru

6. Kakumeiki Valvrave - The first season was just crazy in a good way but it never felt as if the show could find it's feet in the second season which is not strange considering the feet lacked a ground to stand on from the beginning.

7. Samurai Flamenco - The start of this show was fantastic but you hardly recognize the show anymore which is both it's strength and weakness.

8. Log Horizon

9. Monogatari Series: Second Season - This probably wouldn't have made my list if it wasn't for the last arc.

10. Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko

 

[dimb]

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199
Follow the adventures of the Great Fox as it sets out across the solar universe to save Corneria. Along the way they will blow up enemy facilities, face off against prototype weapons, and battle their archrival Star Wolf. Twists and turns await as ROB 64 finds true love, Starsha the Toad proves to be useless, and the great enemy Aberdt

Spoiler

turns into an unstoppable brain even after you kill him.

2. The Eccentric Family/Uchouten Kazoku
Consistent in quality and visually engaging, this show manages to create an interesting and unique world while deftly handling relatable themes. Every single cast member is identifiable and sends across a distinct personality that sticks.

3. Yama no Susume/Encouragement of Climb
A short show about tall mountains. Solid production that maximized its use of every minute to make something concise, fun, and enjoyable.

4. From The New World
My life for Squealer.

5. Love Lab
High marks for animation that really help sell this emotionally cognizant comedy. Funny without being completely one note, and instead of feeling like I was overwhelmed with wackiness there was more of an emphasis on wit here, so when things did tread into being over the top they had more impact.

6. Aku no Hana/Flowers of Evil
This show does so many things right to justify itself as an adaptation of quality source material. Impeccable audio perfectly encapsulates the series sense of foreboding emptiness. The question of "why rotoscoping" is answered in full by the actor's enrapturing performances that breath the necessary signs of life into husk of a world Flowers of Evil capably portrays.

7. Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san
Fast paced and short enough for me to pass over the times it missed and remember all the jokes that hit.

8. Log Horizon
Kind of alright as this show that unravels the weird idiosyncrasies of being trapped inside a video game. The handling of game logic against real world logic actually factored in, letting Log Horizon kind of revel in higher level strategy instead of its lousy action.

9. Love Live
While idol culture can often feel exploitative and kind of gross Love Live! does an excellent job of feeling very earnest with its intentions. Even if what is trying to be achieved is often something very rudimentary (i.e. save the school, qualify for the contest, etc.) it sews a good-hearted philosophy into the series that shines through and binds the cast together. That cast is ultimately what carries the show, and each character manages to stand out and hold a presence without being overbearing and taking over scenes that they shouldn't.

10. Yuyushiki
Good-natured fun on a show that actually feels halfway modern with its jokes.

Movies:
1. Death Billiards
2. Wolf Children
3. Aura: Maryuuinkouga Saigo no Tatakai

 

[ColossalLazy]

TV Series

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199

One of the best sci-fi series I ever watched. It had good characters, a cool story with some good twists, character development for both heroes and villains, amazing scenery, cool alien architecture, awesome space battles with smart strategy and the CG is excellent. And too much visual porn my god.

2. Gundam Build Fighters

Superb 2D mecha fights coupled with a strong and likeable cast. The gundam references and cameos are the icing on the cake.

3. JoJo Bizarre Adventure

Excellent adaptation of one of the best shounen battle manga. Excellent OST by Taku Iwasaki and the voice actors are awesome (Sugita as Joseph is perfct).

4. Log Horizon

DATABASE DATABASE. Catchy OP aside, it has a good story that utilizes MMORPG mechanics in a believable way. Characters are very good and people with glasses are too be feared.

5. Samurai Flamenco

After Episode 7 twist at the end of it, it has been a pretty crazy ride after it, I have been looking foward to each new episode just to see the new absurdity it brings. It also has good characters and good interactions between them.

6. The Eccentric Family

Charming story about a family of mythical creatures and their relationship with their kind, another type of mythical creatures and the humans. The meat of the show is learning more about the characters presented, the relationship between them and how their secrets affect them. The animation and art really adds a lot to the mythical theme of the show.

7. Attack on Titan

When the actions is rolling, its an excellent show. Otherwise, its decent with pacing problems, the most notable it being taking 4 minutes of the episode with a recap of the last one together with the OP. The epic soundtrack adds to the action scenes.

8. Kill La Kill

The action is epic and crazy and I really love it. Characters are unique and distinct adding a ton of charm to them, all of them aare interesting with the exception of the main character which is boring because of her motivativation. The story has been pretty meh for a while but it can change with the upcoming episodes. Mako is da best.

9. Kyousougiga

I was expecting a lot of action because of the OVA but what I got was sweet story of a family of people with godly powers and bizarre personality. The animation is top notch and the actions when it happens is excellent.

10. Valvrave

Its pretty crazy with a lot of stupid ideas not being possible to work in real life but nevertheless ending being extremely entertaining. I was surprised with the CG animation of mecha fights, its fluid and enjoyable to watch. Also L-Elf its the best.

Films/OVA

1. Gintama: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare

Hilarious and the gags were spot on. New season when?

2. Gundam Unicorn 6

Need the final OVA now.

 

[fertygo]

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199

Great space opera that we not seeing in long time.. I'm not too big with the ending phase but I guess I can say without doubt this show having the best high point from 2013 anime that I watched.

2. Monogatari Season 2

An absolute return to form from show that famous with its unusual witty dialogue, story and character. Providing 3 really strong arc, and with awesome last arc as its peak that use different protagonist than usual and that character is definitely the best character from 2013 for me.

This last arc make me consider to put this as my Number 1, but I guess the show itself still have some low point and weakness such like poor production value and suck that expected from SHAFT.

3. Hunter X Hunter 2011
This long running shounen show amaze me with its consistency, truly remarkable.. this show could be higher in my list if I'm putting those awesome episode that started airing in 2014 calendar year, not gonna suprise me if this show end up high for my 2014 list too.

4. Yozakura Quartet -Hana no Uta-
This like the perfect anime for me, colorful, fun, likable cast and plenty of action.. great stuff.

5. Gundam Builds Fighter

Finally they make Gundam show fun again, making this show that mostly aimed to Kids with simple premise to sell toys actually help a lot.. Its just about robot beating shit against each other and oh boy its glorius.

6. Saki : Side-A Achiga hen
Spinoff of over the top moe mahjong anime, I'm surprised liking this more than actual show actually.. I like the cast of this spinoff more and the match is incredible. One of my favorite analogy for one of the round is comparing it to the Pitch Black movie where Riddick and the crew try to escaping from alien that gonna eat them. Yeah one of mahjong match is like that, you would believe me with watching.

7. The Eccentric Family
Well crafted show with impactful theme about family and death.

8. Flower of Evil
I guess many people here already about how unique this show is, I might agree but I also think its also hit many miss, the high of this show is really incredible, there's quite a few powerful scene in this slow but I also think there's plenty of low point where the team simply trying too hard and some laughable technical mistake due to the unique animation process. Like I said though the show is really hitting some high point that make it worthwhile watch.

9 My teenage Rom-com is SNAFU
Your standard rom-com anime with batman, that already make it sound awesome.

10. Silver Spoon

Film/OVA

1. Wolf Children

I cried like baby at this happy scene, truly incredible experience

2. Steins Gate movie.

3. Little Witch Academia.

 

[Jasconius]

Almost forgot to vote this year...

1. Shinsekai Yori ; I think I voted for it last year too - not without its flaws but nonetheless my favorite anime of recent times
2. Karneval ; Really liked the world and character designs - not enough josei manga gets adapted into anime! Strange+ from this season actually runs in the same magazine and I'm loving that one too~
3. Hyperdimension Neptunia ; did a pretty great job of translating the games into a good anime series. I think I watched the whole thing in like two days because I forgot that it came out...
4. Mondaijitachi wa Isekai Kara Kurusou Desu yo ; Wasn't expecting to like this at all but it was just so ridiculous that it worked for me - good character designs (visually)
5. Aiura ; kanikanikanikani
6. Yama no Susume ; Very cute and fun for a short series
7. Unbreakable Machine-Doll ; yaya
8. Kiniro Mosaic ; De~su
9. Non Non Biyori ; Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the character designs I ended up enjoying this a lot just for the overall atmosphere
10. Walkure Romanze ; How could you possibly go wrong with a jousting girls h-game adaptation?

Spoiler

You can't!

Honorable Mentions

a. Oreshura ; Maybe it's simplistic but I liked the extreme use of color in the character designs
b. Kotoura-san
c. Amnesia ; As much as shujinkou-chan was kind of useless, I still enjoyed it
d. Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko ; Better than I expected but didn't really rise above just being enjoyable for me

 

[Evilisk]

Quick note, I was extremely busy this year and only really got to properly watch any shows in the last quarter of the year, hence the large number of incomplete shows

TV Shows
Watchlist:
Psycho Pass, Kyoukai no Kanata, Samurai Flamenco, Kill la Kill, Watamote (never finished), Sunday without God (never finished), Shingeki no Kyojin (never finished), Inferno Cop, Ixion Saga DT (never finished), Karneval (never finished), Servant X Service (never finished)

TV Show Picks:
1. Psycho Pass
To keep this brief, while this show was disappointing in quite a few respects, it was still a pretty good show all things considered. The low points; there was a surprising amount of QUALITY and predictability in certain episodes; the supporting cast was heavily underutilized past the first few episodes; and there wasn't nearly as much world building to help flesh out the setting which was a shame. Also the literature babble started to grate towards the end.

Now on to the high points; Akane's character development from the beginning of the show to the end was excellently handled. The setting itself was interesting enough on its own and unlike quite a few other shows I watched, actually seeing the setting being explored in some capacity was something I could appreciate. There's also that despite the predictability in some episodes, it still manages to be really tense in those moments. And lastly, while the QUALITY was really jarring, I definitely liked the overall art style as well as the character design behind the show. I definitely feel that the show had the most well designed overall cast of 2013 at least. Overall while it does quite a few things poorly, this still managed to be an interesting and enjoyable sci-fi romp and I'm definitely looking forward to Season 2 and the movie.

2. Kyoukai no Kanata
If I'm really honest, this show was kind of average. It has rough pacing for the first half of the show, it has an dissonant mood where the goofy antics just don't really suit the show's dark fantasy theme and everything besides the animation and art style is just okay. But even so, from the moment I finished episode 6 I just ended up enjoying it all the way to the end. The ending was kind of iffy but hey it pleases the people that wanted a

Spoiler

happy

end and those that don't like it, well there's enough fanwank to explain away what happened. Also Mirai has to be my favourite character of 2013.

Honorable Mention:
Samurai Flamenco
I elected to leave out shows (or at the least, seasons) that weren't finished up in 2013 just because I can't judge a show up to a certain number of episodes only; any show can be great up to a certain number of episodes but not every show can be consistently great until the very end. Hence my reasoning as to why Samurai Flamenco isn't no.1 on my list. Honestly it's kind of hard to say why I love this show without invoking spoilers so I'm just going to say it's definitely the most memorable show of 2013 for me.

Movies/OVA's:
Watchlist:
Blue Exorcist movie, Gintama movie 2, One Piece Z, Garden of Words, HAL, Wolf Children, Saint Young Men, Aura: Maryuuinkouga Saigo no Tatakai, Little Witch Academia

Movie Picks:
1. Blue Exorcist Movie
I don't have anything to add that hasn't been said before already. My only complaint is that ending could have done with an extra 10 minutes more (since it seems to end a bit abruptly) but otherwise it was a perfect movie for me.

2. Gintama: Kanketsu-Hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare
After the last Benizakura movie, it was quite nice to have a proper Gintama movie. I think the main problems I have with this movie are the ridiculous timey-wimey shenanigans that end up diminishing a lot of the last act of the movie. The animation is also pretty weak for a full length movie, and for better or for worse, the movie does feel like your standard Gintama arc. However the 4th wall shenanigans tying directly into the plot was genius, the jokes were really good (Peen-san had me dying throughout the movie) and it was overall great even with the somewhat dumb ending.

3. Garden of Words
Just like Blue Exorcist, mostly everything that I liked about the movie has been noted before. I have to give a mention to the art style though, it's so very refreshing to look at.

Honorable Mention:
Little Witch Academia
The animation was really pleasing but as the kind of guy that rewatches the hell out of anything he loves, everything but the animation is kind of rough to rewatch. Yeah it's dubious to put down an OVA for average writing when it seems to be focused on animation, but I guess I'm like that lol. Either way, it's getting the love it deserves with or without my vote anyway.

Favourite OP and ED List
I'm far too lazy and too picky to choose just one so I'll just list my favourites of the year
Psycho Pass OP2
Shingeki no Kyojin OP1 and ED1
Kyoukai no Kanata OP and ED
Samurai Flamenco OP1
Watamote ED1

Other Mentions/Awards
Most Shameless Fanservice Award
Aura
Talk about shameless. It had no place in this movie at all, and it was so explicit too.

Biggest Twist Award (SPOILERS, highlight at your own risk)

Spoiler

HAL

Spoiler

I can’t say I saw this coming at all and if it weren't for the fact that the rest of the movie was boring as hell to watch it may have gotten an honorable mention because of it.

Biggest WTF Moment (SPOILERS, highlight at your own risk)

Spoiler

Samurai Flamenco

Spoiler

Two words: Guillotine Gorilla. I must have watched that almost a month ago and I am still not able to wrap my head around that whole segment.

Really-Should-Have-Been-A-TV-Show-And-Not-A-Movie Award
Aura
I think there was a neat idea here but the choice of medium didn't really help the telling of this story in any meaningful way.

Personal Character of the Year
Mirai Kuriyama / Kyoukai no Kanata

Her development wasn't nearly as dramatic as Akane and she isn't as outright as badass as some other characters from last year like Mari or Nonon. But she was just a lot of fun to watch. I like the modest design, she has her badass moments, her antics are 2cute and damn it if she isn't straight up adorable. (Runner Ups: Nonon Jakuzure, Tsumugu Kinagase, Sucy, Mari, King Torture)

Favourite Episodes of 2013
1. Psycho Pass Episode 21
2. Kyoukai no Kanata Episode 6
4. Samurai Flamenco Episode 10
5. Kill la Kill Episode 5
6. Psycho Pass Episode 11
7. Kyoukai no Kanata Episode 10
8. Shingeki no Kyojin Episode 5
9. Samurai Flamenco Episode 7
10. Kill la Kill Episode 10

Graveyard (List of Shows, Movies and OVA's I planned on watching but...)
Aku no Hana, Short Peace, World God Only Knows III, Hinata no Aoshigure, Kara no Kyoukai: Mirai Fukin, Assassination Classroom OVA, all of my incomplete shows

And I think that's about it. I definitely have to work on getting more shows done this year.

 

[lj167]

10. Free!
9. Tamako Market

Typical post-Hyouka Kyoani. Fun to look at, nothing to write home about otherwise.

8. Attack on Titan

The pacing was terrible at times, but the spectacle was grand.

7. SNAFU
6. Blast of Tempest

I can't say these are great shows, but I had a lot of fun with them, and when it comes down to it, what more can you really ask?

5. Monogatari SS

Typical Monogatari, except the choice to make Koyomi a supporting character works wonders for developing the other characters. Washed the taste of Nise right out of my mouth.

4. The Eccentric Family
3. Space Battleship Yamato 2199

Fantastic atmosphere and tone, interesting and compelling characters.

2. Chihayafuru 2

If I'm honest with myself, it wasn't the second-best show I saw that aired this year, but it's Chihayafuru so I don't care. Also, #TeamTaichi

1. From The New World

The animation could be shoddy and the direction could be questionable, but it didn't really matter at the end, because the core story was so strong that I couldn't help but ignore the faults.

HM: Aiura

cute girls and crabs.


Movies/OVA/One=offs

1. Wolf Children
2. Little Witch Academia
3. Death Billiards

Shows I didn't have time to watch before the end of the voting period, but plan on watching eventually based on comments from this thread:
Kyousougiga
Silver Spoon
Flowers of Evil
Jojo

There isn't a section for OP/ED, but if there was Monogatari would end up sweeping my ballot.

 

[survivor]

TV

1. Flowers of Evil

Fantastic anime with strong direction mixed in with ugly rotoscoping animations clashing with beautiful backgrounds of Studio Pablo. Nagahama was really able to capture the awkward teenage life of Kasuga and the batshit insanity of Nakamura from the manga and elevated the source material to new heights. Sure the ending wasn't a normal one and probably a big fuck you considering that we probably aren't seeing a second season, but the entire journey was really worth it and one of the best of the year.

2. The Eccentric Family

A really interesting anime with very strong visuals direction, especially those beautiful colourful backgrounds. The mix of mythology with the family bonding issues were great and when the emotional scenes hit in the anime, they hit you fucking hard, so many tears during episode 7. At times it was slow and felt like it was repeating itself a lot with the social aspects of the tanuki, tengu and humans in the world, but the final 6 episodes or so of the anime moved at a very great pace and picked up a lot. The ending however left a lot to be desired especially regarding Benten. Out of all the things the anime didn't bother exploring, Benten's backstory was the one that hurt the most. Still the family drama was fantastic and it's worth watching.

3. Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta

Probably the biggest surprised of the year. I have skimmed the source material randomly before and wasn't impressed with the manga at all. However this adaptation had really great animations, lively cast, and a kickass OP. Sure the shounen tragic backstories weren't anything special, but the characters really carried the show through and made the fights much more enjoyable and hype. Really hoping for a second season after they finish the BDs specials.

4. Kyousougiga

I haven't really paid attention to this franchise before with all the confusing releases and story. However the TV version was pretty damn good. Confusing for the majority of the times, but it told a great story about a particular family fighting to reunite and stay together. It had fantastic animations coupled with great music. I think a lot of the finer details of the story were a mess and the last couple of episodes didn't really do a good job of tying everything up, but really that didn't bother me that much. At the end I was very satisfied with the story were got and the main message and themes of the anime worked well.

5. Nagi no Asukara

This could be considered a filler choice as it's only here since it's a Mari Okada anime that does things the "right" way in terms of tragedy and melodrama. It's really heavily flawed with some really bizarre and bad dialogues, contrived nonsense, and filled with stretches of dullness, but Okada always find a way to grab my attention with the looming tragedy and showers of rain. It never really hit the highs of Anohana with its climax of episode 13, but it came close in some aspects.

Movies/OVAs

1. Wolf Children

Easily Hosoda's best movie and one of the best anime movies in quite some time. I have always been a fan of Hosoda's films, but the themes explored here really resonated with me much stronger than his previous works. Very personal and touching story and I'm very glad that I was able to watch it.

2. Garden of Words

Shinkai is finally back after his previous blunder at trying to branch out from his usual romance stories. Some directors should really stick to what they are good at and milk it well. This is also probably the most beautiful and best looking anime of the year, so many amazing wallpapers, so many amazing gifs gotten from the movie, just visually stunning. The climax of the story was weaker than 5cm and the insert song wasn't as memorable, but the main romance plotline was strong, concise, and emotional.

3. Otona Joshi no Anime Time

This is the one anime that I wish other studios and producers would look at and say "let's make more stuff like it". Pretty much a nice change of pace from what an average anime is about. Not all the 3 stories were strong. I found the first one, Supper, to be the weakest special due the focus on food. Life's Best 10 on the other hand had really good visuals and pretty fantastic and humorous story. However Not Somewhere, But Here is the one that I loved the most. The sheer helplessness of the main character and her dissatisfaction of her current marriage and children just hit too hard.

 

[Droplet]

1. From the New World

From the New World has a somewhat basic premise: What if humankind suddenly develops psychic powers? The answer presented here is logical yet terrifying, with a gripping and often chilling plot about children growing up in a society based developed on the basis of fear of the unknown and uncontrollable. The story matures with its characters, and while it doesn’t really start out childishly, I would say it goes from being creepy to a sense of genuine fear and despair over the course of its telling, although high points of suspense and action appear in every arc. While low-budget animation and some pacing issues occasionally put a damper on the quality, I can’t say they ever really affected my enjoyment, and I often finished episodes feeling that they’d ended far too quickly. If anything, it's one of the most intelligent anime I've seen in a long time.

2. The Eccentric Family

A remarkable story about a family of tanuki who find their place in society after the father is boiled in hot pot. The distinctive art style and quirky cast make it for the most part a very fun, at times sobering and even sorrowful, ride, and although I thought the ending reveal to be a bit of a cop out after tension had been built up over the course of the show, I was still right there with the family till the very end. The show is, for the most part, absolutely beautiful, although some odd choices of cgi made some scenes look a little strange.

3. Kyousougiga

I actually have difficulties putting Kyousogiga into words. It’s a pretty amazing piece of animation, with a plot that fluctuates between the whimsical and emotional while never really losing the sense of heart it starts off with. It’s another show with a rather odd way of presenting its definition of “family”, but it does it effectively and well.

4. Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

Rather than follow the normal kyoAni formula of using a light novel as source material, Free! actually only uses its source material as background of what eventually became a show that both shamelessly panders to and engages the audience. At its forefront, Free! is a show about teamwork, and the interactions and motivations of the mostly likeable cast of main characters revolve around that theme. The animation is consistently great throughout, but goddamn the swimming scenes, especially the first relay, are amazing. I also found the story to be mostly true to my own experience swimming in high school, so if you’re looking for a sports show where people don’t shoot basketballs into space you might want to check this out.

5. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

A Gen Urobuchi show that’s 75% slice of life and only 25% suffering? I think we set a new record. Gargantia is a story about choice and self decision, as well as the impact that has on society. It’s also a war between two very different interpretations of similar ideologies of how civilization is meant to function, what the meaning of “supporting each other” is, and how people are meant to live as a singular unit. Ultimately Gargantia’s greatest strengths lie in Ledo’s interactions with the fleet of the Gargantia and their confrontations with his set idealogy; unfortunately it also makes it a habit, especially towards the end, to throw its main messages at the viewer in long-winded monologues which I found to be quite preachy and redundant.

I did watch more shows than this but these were the standouts that I saw, although I still do need to find the time to watch Yamato. I also don’t watch shows that I’ve read the source material of, so I’ll say right now that the Flowers of Evil and Silver Spoon were probably also very good. I’m also a huge fan of Magi but not enough to rightfully tell somebody that it’s fine if they watch the anime.

 

[duckroll]

I just sent out reminders to everyone with a list on this thread which is lacking a single comment. Hope I didn't miss anyone out!

 

[shintoki]

1. Shinsekai Yori ; Favorite show in a while. Great mystery and suspense story.
2. Hunter X Hunter 2011 ; All I can say is hype. The show suffers from the continual narration problems, but when it's on. It's probably the best shounen adaption in years. They know very well how to build tension and have characters deliver.
3. The Devil is a Part-Timer! ; Complete surprise, but was a suprisingly fun series. It looks like the typical harem and does have traces of it, but rather turned into a fairly clever gag show. Basically every character is a dumbass fuck up in some way. lol.
4. Flowers of Evil ; The show drove me to read the manga as quick as possible. I loved almost every bit of it. It was cynically dark and twisted.
5. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet ; The show was about actions and choices made by characters. Using that good old free will and having to live with the consequences.

 

[HamPster PamPster]

1.) The Devil is a Part-Timer - I hope there is a season 2!
2.) A Certain Scientific Railgun - While I wasn't a fan of Index it was really enjoyable to see the Sisters arc retold. Plus its amazing how much better it was the second time around.
3.) Yowamushi Pedal - I'm not going to give this show any points for originality but it does have an addictive quality (like most sport shows tend to) and the main character is likable. Bring on the inner-high races!
4.) Samurai Flamenco - I'm not sold on the change in direction (still need to catch up on several episodes) but the down to earth episodes that aired in 2012 were great.
5.) Kill la Kill - The show didn't quite grab me the way I was hoping but I still found it enjoyable. I'm definitely excited to see where they take the second half.

 

[FlyingSaucer]

TV

1. Senran Kagura
The major flaws with the adaptation were its writing with some very weak episodes at the beginning (thankfully the action picks up with the invasion of Hanzo by the Hebi girls), and its almost complete focus in the fanservice aspect of the original games (but I love fanservice with pretty ninja girls, so who I am to complain - and I won't lie, I don't especially like the darker angle of the games). I like the characters, and there were some great fights during a completely over-the-top final with the heroines battling an eldritch abomination in bikini at the top of crumbling japanese castle. I hope Shinovi Versus or SK2 will get animated in the future.

2. The Eccentric Family/Uchouten Kazoku
Magical realist familial drama set in Kyoto where tanukis, tengus and magicians live side-by-side with an unaware human population. The show is packed with charm, and the characters felt complex and likables.

3. Gatchaman Crowds
Once I had accepted the fact that the 'gatchaman' name was basically a red-herring and the series have few common points with the classic series, I loved this deconstruction/reconstruction of the super-hero concept via social network and crowsourcing. Hajime is the most unforgettable female character of the year.

4. Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta
I wasn't especially waiting this new adaptation of Suzuhito Yasuda's manga but was blown away by it; I will never doubt Ryo-timo again. Full packed of some of the best animated scenes of the year. The remaining episodes of Tsuki ni Naku can't come soon enough.

5. Log Horizon
An original take on the 'caught in a MMORPG' theme where the main protagonist actually try to do something and improve the world around him.

6. Hatarakuo Maou-sama
Nice slices of life comedy with an unlikely cast.

7. Kyousougiga
Too many scenes taken straight from the OAD, and the conclusion felt rushed and incomplete. But the show bring some fresh air, and I felt Matsumoto Rie display an almost flawless skill with framing and composition.

8. Kill La Kill
Nice regressive take on the shounen school battle genre of the 80s, with plenty of comedic violence and a pinch of Go Nagai-esque flair.

9. Yamato 2199
I'm bothered by the idea that one of the best shows of the year is a remake of a 30+ years old legend. A great series, probably even better than Endless Odyssey (to cite another notable rebuild of a Matsumoto classic).

Movies/OAV

Little Witch Academia
Kick-Heart
Blue Exorcist: The Movie

 

[Coxy]

1. Attack On Titan
Really great premise for a show and a lot of great characters

Spoiler

I would have liked it more without everyone being a titan as it went on though

2. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
This almost got my top spot, love the whole look and feel of the series and universe but just felt there could have been more to it, in particular the juxtaposition of the life Ledo came from and life on the planet.

3. Majestic Prince
I wasnt expecting to like this much, high school kids piloting mechs and whining about it annoys me to no end, so I was actually pretty charmed by the cast because despite their struggles, failures and losses of confidence they kept trying, made great friendships both with each other and among their support staff and with the more typical mecha hero type team doberman, all of which were pretty nice supporting characters too.

4. Log Horizon
You have betrayed my expectations, my lord. Again, I was not expecting this to be any good. The art and synopsis made it seem like the most generic show of this sort yet and it looks kinda low budget AND the "loner who used to be in a guild but now wont be but now he's made new friends maybe he will be" is the most overdone thing in all these. Despite all that, the characters are very loveable and the show is well paced and funny. Naotsugu and Nyanta are really great guys and the half pint ninja is cute and goof for as laugh too, the other guild leaders are interesting and add different angles to the show, I also found it interesting how they kept showing the events of a group of bandits the heroes defeated early on, showing how they cope and change in the world too.

5. The Devil is a Part Timer
Funniest show of the year with a silly setting.

6. MaouYu
Not quite as good as MaouDonalds but I still enjoyed it a lot.

7. Ixion Saga DT
The epic and tragic saga of a guy who kicked another guy in the balls.

8. Servant x Service
Really just a great summer anime, simple, funny, easy to watch, doesnt do anything of particular note but on a hot day when you're tired? Perfect.

9. Mondaijitachi wa Isekai Kara Kurusou Desu yo

10. Gatchaman Crowds

Dishonourable Mention:
I couldnt become a hero so I reluctantly decided to get a job
After loving MaouDonalds and highly enjoying MaouYu I was hoping for at least a little of that quality in this, none was found.

enjoyed reading some of the comments here, definitely considering checking a few shows out based on them.

 

[DiGiKerot]

Suppose I should actually go back and fill my post in. Voting is over tomorrow, right? Consider this your reminder, folks!

 

[TheRancor]

TV

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - Fantastic old school space opera. A grand space adventure that juggles a large cast of characters, features great writing and is well paced. Has a nice catchy retro soundtrack with lots of themes and emotion. Also contains some of the best sci-fi art in recent memory. A must see for any fans of the genre.

2. The Eccentric Family - Filled with charming unique characters, well executed storytelling, great layouts and eye catching visuals. Magical realism at it's finest.

3. Gundam Build Fighters - 2D Mecha showing how it's done. Also a fun toy commercial show.

4. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency - Manages to be highly entertaining despite poor production values. Sugita voiced Jojo is also a massive plus.

5. Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta - Obligatory sakuga entry featuring good action. Excessive amount of unnecessary panty shots.

Movie/OVA

1. Wolf Children - Mamoru Hosada's best and something about real G mods. idk

2. Blue Exorcist: The Movie - Masterful art direction by Shinji Kimura. Oh and I suppose the rest of the movie was also fairly entertaining and competently made.

3. Little Witch Academia - Charming and well animated directorial debut of Yoh Yoshinari.

Honorable Mention: Garden of Words

 

[Delusibeta]

Edited in some reasons into my vote post. Admittedly they're all fairly crap reasons, but still.

 

[Sinthetic]

TV:

1. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Stunning art style and characters. Awesome music, action, settings. I cannot wait for more this year.

2. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - Inspirational Sci-Fi. Some very likeable heroes and villains in a huge scale setting with the nicest female butts of the year (apart from Matoi's haha). Fantastic and rewarding.

3. Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic - A big fan of the Middle Eastern theme. I loved Aladdin, what a cute guy! Will definitely watch S2 this year.

4. Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil) - Count me in as a fan of the style. It was painful to watch at times, but the reward came at the end of E07. The music was crazy here too!

5. Attack on Titan - Definitely not perfect, it suffered from lots of lazy work and overlong filler episodes (not to mention recap ones). But when it delivered, it was exhilarating. I really liked the Titans.

6. From the New World - This may have been my favourite art style of the year. It was spooky, strange and had the disgusting Squealer in it. Very rare and different work here.

7. Psycho-Pass - Massive fan of the setting and implementation of the future gadgets etc... Loved the main female characters. I was surprised to see some real emotion towards the end.

8. Robotics;Notes - Silly but very charming. I am a big sap for robot shows and this one was well worth a watch.

9. Karneval - Beautiful characters and lots of action. Not too sure I remember it well enough, but I will watch when it comes out on BD.

10. Kill la Kill - Insane, sexy (?) and hilarious. I'm sure this will rate highly in my 2014 list.



Movies:

1. Wolf Children - Breathtakingly beautiful look at a troubled family and the path life takes them down. It brings the emotional gutpunches over and over and it makes you smile while doing so. Hosoda is a true genius of his craft.

2. Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryouiki no Déjà vu - Not essential viewing unless you love S;G. It's nice to see Kurisu as the hero here. Pure pleasure for fans of her.

3. Blue Exorcist: The Movie - Superb movie of a very good franchise. Looking forward to picking it up in May 2014.

4. HAL - Gorgeous AI based Anime. It touched me and was pure eye candy. Recommended.

5. Kick-Heart - I love Yuasa and found this 12 minute Wrestling Anime to be awesome. The sketchy art style does it for me.

6. Little Witch Academia - Full of awesome animation and cute girls. This could be a big franchise.

 

[Hazaro]

I guess I should watch Yamato. Is there an older series I should watch too?

I feel bad now since I love LoGH and won't have Yamato on my list. Should put it up tonight.

 

[FelixOrion]

Just a day and change left to vote/make edits. Make sure you guys are adding your descriptions to your votes.

I guess I should watch Yamato. Is there an older series I should watch too?

I feel bad now since I love LoGH and won't have Yamato on my list. Should put it up tonight.

You don't have to watch the old series; this a total reboot/remake. You can watch it if it interests you but its not required to understand this one.

 

[Hazaro]

Just a day and change left to vote/make edits. Make sure you guys are adding your descriptions to your votes.



You don't have to watch the old series; this a total reboot/remake. You can watch it if it interests you but its not required to understand this one.

I don't mind watching older series at all. Both are self contained?

If both are good I'd watch both, but ask which one I should view first.

 

[dimb]

I don't mind watching older series at all. Both are self contained?

If both are good I'd watch both, but ask which one I should view first.

All you need to watch is Yamato 2199.

 

[strangedopamine]

Shows

1. Gundam Build Fighters

No show gets me more excited every week than this one. It is obvious that a lot of heart and soul has been put into it's production from the extensive references to the wider Gundam series. The 2D animation is top notch and in this day and age is rare for mech fights. This is a must watch and my top pick for last year!

2. Log Horizon

This has my favourite OP of last year. It's so catchy! You can't escape the DATABASE! The show itself is brilliant with well thought out fight sequences and a large amount of interesting mechanics and backstory. *Glasses Shine*

3. Inferno Cop

It's fxxxing Inferno Cop! Not fxxxing Donkey Kong. Not fxxxing Titanfall. It's fxxxing Inferno Cop! There's not much else to say about it really apart from you won't be disappointed when you watch it!

4. Non Non Biyori

The feel good series of this year. Non Non Biyori is a show that will melt your heart and remind yourself of simpler times of when you were a kid. If you ever need to watch a show to unwind this is the one for you!

5. Sazae-san

Yes, that picture does say Episode 6,917! Sazae-san reached over 7,000 different stories last year and really not enough people in the west know about it or even watch it and it's a shame. It doesn't have a large budget but it makes up for it in it's simple stories about everyday life of an average Japanese family, which is easy to watch and relax to on a Sunday morning (when it airs for me at least).

6. Valvrave The Liberator

Utter madness! Everything is insane and over the top, the mechs and the characters. It's so much fun watching this! I couldn't stop laughing at A-Drei's odd screaming or the 'I'll be the cream to your coffee' line. Don't take it seriously and you'll be just fine!

7. Kill la Kill

Inconsistant but has it's great moments. I personally enjoyed Episode 4 the most with the mad obstacle course to the Academy everything in it was gold especially the machine gun toting grannies. Mako is my favourite new character in 2013, she's just this huge bundle of energy and balances out the super seriousness of Ryuko and Satsuki well.

8. Psycho Pass

The second half to Psycho Pass was definately the stronger part of the show. I especially liked how the OP would change slightly as the series progressed which was a nice touch. I still didn't like Akane by the end although she was more insufferable in the first half.

9. Attack on Titan

The biggest anime of last year for many although it didn't manage to hold my attention for very long. It started very stongly in the first three episodes and then tapered off from there.

10. Oreimo S2

Most of the episodes were spent building this harem for Kyousuke which didn't interest me in the slightest. There were some good episodes (Episode 3 was the best in my opinion) but overall (not even counting the terrible ending) a disappointment compared to the first season.

Films and OVAs

1. Wolf Children

A beautiful film from start to finish. It will make you laugh, cry and then cry some more. More people need to watch this!

2. Little Witch Acedemia

I absolutely loved watching this, incredibly charming and very well animated. I'm glad the sequel got funded on Kickstarter as it left me craving more of it!

3. One Piece Film: Z

In my opinion one of the best One Piece films. Just a shade under Movie 6. The fighting scenes were insane in this, far more complex and fluid than in previous entries.

 

[DiscoShark]

The List

1. Flower of Evil (Aku no Hana) –
Easily and without question my anime of the year. It's a show that takes the glorified highschool environment and subverts it, revealing an ugly, conflicted, hypocritical, and yet all together human underside. Everything from the art style to the conscious non-use of music in certain scenes work to drive the prevailing themes of the story home. It's telling when a director knows when to back off and let the dialogue make up the core of the experience. It's a gradual fall from grace, a compelling drama, and a story told in such a masterful way that it easily breaches not only my anime of the year but secures itself as one of my all time favorite shows.

2. The Eccentric Family -
It's hard not to come away from this one without a smile on your face. The family of Tanuki's that you follow in this story all bring something to the table and their interactions among each other and the world around them never fail to impress. It's hard to really quantify what specific quality makes this one a worth watch but it's one people are going to want to check out.

3. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 -
Most certainly a technical achievement (despite some quirks with the CG) and a remake who's source material has clearly proven to be able to withstand the test of time. Not a lot of SciFi picks to really sift through in 2013 but Space Battleship Yamato 2199 certainly scratches that itch I've had for a solid Hard Scifi show. Though clearly a Space Opera in its focus I think the show does a lot to surprise viewers when it gets its feet wet with other SciFi themes. The episode involving the interaction between the onboard Robot and a Robot that was repurposed from an enemy fleet in particular is one that sticks out for me as an enjoyable and thought provoking break from the mainline of events. It presents a healthy number of interesting characters throughout the story and is able to really let you latch on to them without ever overwhelming the viewer in its attempt to progress the plot. Though I could nitpick certain aspects of the ending and aspects of the show going unexplained it is still a thoroughly enjoyable ride and certainly the definitive SciFi series of the year.

Honorable Mentions

Kyousougiga -
Whimsical is the right term for the world Kyousougiga presents. It's a show that brings together a likable cast of characters that proceed to fuck shit up in the Land Where Things Fix Themselves.

Yozakura Quartet Hana no Uta -
A surprise for me. Having never been exposed to the previous series or the novels for which this is based this one really came out of left field and clearly had a fair amount of money put into the project. The animation is slick during the action sequences and the story is able to keep you interested from start to finish.

Attack on Titan -
Most certainly not a show without flaws but is one that I can primarily attribute to me jumping back into the Anime scene and getting back into watching on-going shows regularly. There are pacing issues and signs of troubled production peppered throughout the series but it gets a spot on my honorable mentions for the undoubtedly successful bout of world building the show presents. The acrobatic 3D maneuver gear, the politics and origin of the Wall, and the motives behind the Titans are all aspects of the world that I can absolutely latch on to and appreciate and it screams of “Cool!” in a way that speaks to the hyper-active-shounen-loving 12 year old living in my head.

Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya
Certainly not something that'll reinvent the magical girl show (it ain't no Madoka) but Fate/Kaleid represents an enjoyable and humorous experience despite that. A spinoff of the Fate/ world but one that newcomers to the franchise may be able to enjoy despite that.

 

[FelixOrion]

I don't mind watching older series at all. Both are self contained?

If both are good I'd watch both, but ask which one I should view first.

Both are self-contained. I'd say just go for the Yamato 2199. I haven't seen the original version, but I hear its good too.

 

[Andrew J.]

FILMS

1. Little Witch Academia: A perfect OVA. Tons of worldbuilding, character development, comedy, and action packed into less than half an hour.

Sucy is best girl.

2. Wolf Children: A gorgeous, heart-stirring film that has a supernatural take on a topic (single parenthood) that all too few anime really examine. Ame turned into a jerk by the end and Hana had a weird frog face sometimes, which kept this one from the top spot.

3. One Piece Film Z: It follows the One Piece movie formula closely, but the action is great and it involves a bunch of cool manga-canon characters. Dare I say the villain is actually somewhat compelling?

*. Blue Exorcist Movie: The backgrounds are as pretty as everyone will tell you, full of intricate, baroque detail, which I prefer, generally, to elegant simplicity. The rest of the movie isn't bad, either, with a fairly touching story and decent fight scenes.

SHOWS

1. Kill la Kill: The fusion of Utena, Gurren Lagann, and Re: Cutie Honey I never knew I always wanted. Tons of wacky comedy and hot-blooded action. Mako and her family are a godsend.

2. Space Battleship Yamato 2199: Science fiction stories like this are rarely told in any medium nowadays. It's serious without being dreary, proudly optimistic about the power of the human spirit. Action scenes show almost as much animation quality and attention to detail as adherence to the "space = ocean" metaphor. The story has a few too many convenient coincidences and the female costume design seriously clashes with the rest of the show's tone, but otherwise this series is excellent.

3. From the New World: No other TV show has caused me to dread the broadcast of new episodes so much, and I mean that as a compliment. Simultaneously a serious examination of the eventual result the development of psychic powers would have on human society and a bildungsroman about a girl who has to confront the hidden realities of that society to survive. The art and animation are wonky at times, but that detracts only slightly from an immensely powerful story that pulls no punches when criticizing human nature.

4. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Proof that you can make an entertaining action show entertaining without much animation budget if you combine the melodramatic characters of the source material with good voice casting. Takehito Koyasu hamming it up as a villain is always a treat, and few villains are as hammy as kono Dio, so he's naturally the highlight of Part 1. Sugita's Joseph is just as awesome in Part 2, backed up by a more fleshed-out supporting cast of allies and multiple villains. Having the catchiest ED of the year doesn't hurt, either.

5. Girls und Panzer: The insane premise and world combine with a structurally sound sports story based on training, teamwork, and experience to form a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The CG tank animation improves rapidly and by the final two episodes is downright awesome.

6. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet: Another show that examines the effect of certain theoretical developments on human society, although not as deeply or critically as From the New World. It spends a lot of time as a slice-of-life following the adjustment of a soldier to a peaceful life he had never thought possible, which is engaging enough on its own terms. And although this show isn't "about" giant robot fights, when they happen they're pretty good.

7. The Eccentric Family: A brilliantly drawn and animated series featuring a deceptively intricate plot. The way the tanuki react to the idea of being prey is somewhat off-putting at first, but you get used it as the show goes on.

8. Monogatari S2: Witty banter, frank conversations about sexual perversions, weird Shaft-style visual metaphors. This show won't surprise fans of the previous series (with the possible exception of the Shinobu flashback episode and the beautiful art shift that goes with it) but it won't disappoint them, either.

9. Valvrave the Liberator: A robot show with well-executed story beats, good CG mech battles, and mechanical designs that at least suit my tastes (see my comments about baroque design above). Alas, it never quite lived up to being the successor of Code Geass, as so many called it. The story never got quite as crazy as the first episode's ending and the first flash-forward promised, and it was far too chaste; the new Geass needs tons of gratuitous nudity and trashy, impractically tight uniforms. If this show had swapped costume designs with Yamato 2199 it would have improved them both.

10. Silver Spoon: Comedy was always the secret best element of Fullmetal Alchemist, and that's on full display with the author's new project here. The art and animation is unspectacular, to put it mildly, but they get the job done conveying both humor and some genuinely touching moments.

*. High School DxD: The best harem comedy in years, with a protagonist who's actually entertaining, girls who aren't just bog-standard archetypes, and halfway decent action scenes.

*. Tomodachi wa Mahou: Miyuki Sawashiro as Twilight Sparkle is amazing.

 

[jman2050]

All right let's do this

TV Shows
1. Love Lab - Dogakobo comes out of nowhere with the best show, a show I have to put number one because it's the only show that I can't think of something bad to say about.

2. Kill la Kill - Concerns about its writing, pacing, lack of animation, whatever aside this show is fun as hell and it has Mako who is the best thing to happen to anime since Akiyuki Shinbo. An easy number 2.

3. GJ-Bu - In a season where I was looking forward to a bunch of other shows with varying results, this stood out as the best of the bunch out of nowhere. Oh look, Dogakobo was responsible for this as well, hmmm...

4. Monogatari S2 - The story of our favorite part-vampire pimp and his harem of supernatural creatures continues and is better than ever.

5. Golden Time - I hesitated putting this up here because it's not finished and unlike something like KLK, it needs to end for me to really evaluate it, but what the heck. From the author of Toradora comes a story that isn't quite as good but is fun and engaging nonetheless. And from the latest batch of episodes I can see it ending very strongly (I hope)

6. Hataraku Maou-Sama - What could have been generic fantasy-turned-modern romcom harem trash was instead hilarious, well-paced, and had some decent action sequences and setpieces to boot.

Spoiler

Chiho > Suzuha > Emi, you know it's true

7. Watamote - A fun soul-crushing manga turned into an even more fun, even more soul-crushing anime. Silver Link does something competent for once!

8. INFERRRRRNOOOOO COOOOPPPU - Because INFERNO COP, what else?

9. Muromi-san - Crazy mermaids and their well-animated hijinx with hints of lewd sprinkled about (of varying overtness). Loses a few points for failing to mention the dolphin rape caves.

10. ServantxService - Basically Working, just not as good. Totally okay with that.

Movies/OVAs
1. Little Witch Academia - The single best piece of anime made this year that isn't called "Madoka Rebellion"

2. Wolf Children - The second best piece of anime made this year that isn't called "Madoka Rebellion"

3. I would put "Madoka Rebellion" at number 1 and move down the others but seeing as it's ineligible, I'm going to have to leave this space vacated.

Spoiler

But no seriously, watch Madoka Rebellion as soon as you can.

 

[Acosta]

Well, here we go. Mi nick is Acosta and I'm a complete noob of anime, this will be my first vote for AOTY. Please, don't chew me out over this.

Films

1. One Piece Z:

I have only seen One Piece Z and it was great, good action, nice plot, interesting characters, cool animation. It didn't touch the best moments of the series, but it was nice to watch so I give it my only vote.

Shows

1. The Eccentric Family

Magical realism is something that I have always loved and I find it´s really hard to do. The Eccentric Family manages to do it in a convincing way, drawing a world where fantasy and reality, supernatural and routine merge naturally. That's a big plus itself, but it happens it also has a fantastic cast of characters, everyone flawed in some way, everyone being tremendously human and credible in their needs, fears and anxieties. About the story, I will only add the last part of the series was a joy to watch. And aside of that, it was visually gorgeous. And it had Benten. My anime show of the year, because what's fun is good.

2. Love Lab

I had not laugh so much with anything in ages. I have zero experience with this kind of shows of girls going to high school so I can't compare, but the humour was always fantastic, from funny to hilarious and always surprising in some way.

3. Hunter X Hunter

Shonen is what I have a bit of more experience and I guess I have watched the basics one, but even with my limited experience I can say Hunter X Hunter doesn't look like anything I have seen. The show always manage to surprise me with its combat, plot and characters, always ready to throw a curveball and catching me off guard. The tension they are building in the Chimera Arc is insane.

4. Log Horizon

Everything I dreamed when I started (to waste my time) with SAO, and more. Log Horizon is exactly how I expected to be a story based on humans trapped in a MMO. It nails the combat, the group dynamics, the big social aspect and even deals on big politics and grand strategy with success. I also find the main character fantastic and original in this context (even if the "villain with glasses" is too overused).

5. Space Battleship Yamato 2199

Sadly I have not finished this yet, I'm on the half of it, but it´s so good that I feel confident enough to vote it in this position (and think it could go higher, but I have no time). What I like the most of this is how grounded everything looks like: the characters, the science, the plot, the setting, the combat... everything has a halo of credibility that makes the show more intense.

6. Yuyushiki

Cute girls doing cute things in the most adorable and silly way. While Love Lab made me laugh with the jokes and crazy antics, Yuyushiki doesn't even need to make sense to be funny, sometimes it´s just a collection of puns and insane chats and you just smile without knowing exactly why.

7. Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen

I dropped it at the first episode, hopefully I went back. If the objetive was accomodating people unfamiliar with Rozen Maiden, it was a huge failure IMO, and overall I felt lost at many points of the series. But beyond that, the inner story of a coward and awkward guy who feels his life is miserable and senseless until he finds something magical and "special" is absolutely captivating and the biggest strength of this. There is also a sense of style in the series that give extra charisma to the dolls, aside of Shinku having a voice I could hear for all eternity. The closest moments between Jun and Sinku were breathtaking and very emotive.

8. Kill La Kill

I don't care about the plot or the characters. Kill la Kill is a bunch of awesome stuff that ends exploding and I love it for this.

9.Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta

Aside of the panties overload for no reason, and the not so satisfying ending, I had great fun watching Yozakura Quartet. The animation was fantastic, the action is probably the best in this year of what I have seen so far (and I wish I could have watched more of it) and the characters are enjoyable. Really entertaining stuff.

10. Attack on Titan

At the beginning I thought it was absolutely incredible and if I had thought back then I would vote in this year I could have predicted this would be number one. Between the fantastic OP, the intensity of the world, the sense of dread and hopelessness merged with the original and really dynamic combat style, and the characters, everything in AoT looked perfect, including having such a great character as Mikasa. But the pacing started to fell flat enough so even I could notice, and the series lost quite a bit of its strength for me, but not su much to drop it from my list, because when it´s awesome, it´s really awesome.

*Honorific: Tokyo Ravens: the action is not so hot and the CG looks sooooo weird, but when they are not fighting I find it really enjoyable. Still only 7 episodes on it.

 

[firehawk12]

All right let's do this

Spoiler

But no seriously, watch Madoka Rebellion as soon as you can.

Holy crap, I had no idea you were a fan. lol

 

[Branduil]

Honorable mentions:

Valvrave the Liberator

Ludicrously nonsensical fun in the Code Geass tradition, at least in the first half. Gets a bit dull after that.



Death Billiards

If The Twilight Zone was an anime, it would be Death Billiards.



Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home

It was like an extended episode of the series, that is to say, pretty good.



Tamako Market

I never finished it but it seems to be the last decent thing KyoAni has done.



Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

I should probably finish this, it was decently interesting.



Dishonorable mentions:

Beyond the Boundary(excluding episode 6)

KyoAni continues to disappoint and embarrass by adapting dumb crap that even they admit is not good enough to win their light novel contests. A dull and cliched, pandering story that can't be saved by excellent production value, and is only entertaining when it fully embraces its stupidity.



Arve Rezzle

Anime Mirai should be ashamed beyond all measure that they ever let this steaming turd bear their name. When it's not a painfully tiresome, generic scifi story about totalitarianism and the internet blah blah blah, it's yet another vehicle for incest pandering. Do not watch.



Ryo

Gonzo resurrected itself, beginning with this short, and after watching it, I can only ask, "why?" There is nothing of any merit in this soulless and witless mess of a samurai story. Attempting to tell something like the story for a two-hour film in half an hour, the editing and script is a disjointed disaster. The plot is so flaccid and the characters so unengaging that it actually does feel like you've been watching it for two hours. Despite the large budget they surely received for this, it looks as awful as any normal Gonzo episode. And then it ends like this. Seriously. That's the last shot.



Movie/OVA

3. Little Witch Academia

Yoh Yoshinari put Studio Trigger on the map with this charming and brilliantly animated short, which borrows liberally from Harry Potter and other stories about magical schools while still establishing its own distinct identity and themes.



2. Garden of Words

Makoto Shinkai's strongest film, in which his gorgeously saturated visuals form a true resonance with the themes of the movie. He remains as sentimental as ever, but it all feels earned and believable in the context of the story of two isolated souls who come to rely on each other for strength.



1. The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki

Director Mamoru Hosoda continues to make it look easy, with his heartwarming and heartstring-pulling story of a mother and her two unusual children. His masterful use of montage has never been stronger, and there are several sequences of wordless sound and animation which evoke the purest cinematic joy. As things currently stand, Hosoda is simply without peer in the anime community.



TV

10. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

The first arc is a pretty big mixed bag, and the art is horrific, but the second arc is great fun.



9. Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta

Fun Ryotimo show with great animation. Too bad he's such a pervert.



8. Attack on Titan

A heavily flawed show, with production issues exacerbating pacing problems and making the middle portion of the show in particular a real drag. Still, Araki knows how to storyboard an action scene, and when the show is good, it's really good. The thick-outlined character designs have a nice retro feel to them(when they're actually animated), and some of the titan battles are true spectacles of animation. And the Goya-inspired titan designs are a nice touch, often looking like giant clowns, which as we all know, are pure evil.



7. Kyousougiga

The narrative is pretty messy and it becomes unnecessarily convoluted and drawn-out towards the end, but it still has its heart in the right place. A story of familial love on a cosmic scale with some pretty nice art direction and animation.



6. Flowers of Evil

If you can get past the ugliness of the rotoscoping(especially the still shots, or when they don't draw their faces), and the monotonous first episode, this series has a lot to offer. Director Hiroshi Nagahama painstakingly establishes an eerie and disturbed atmosphere, reflecting the subjective isolation and loneliness of the protagonist. This atmosphere is in no small part aided by the superb background art from Studio Pablo, as well as the minimalistic soundtrack. There are times the deliberateness of the pacing and mood can cross the line into tedium, but for the most part it's a skillfully directed character piece dealing with some very dislikable and disturbed teenagers.




5. Girls und Panzer

One of the most purely entertaining series of the year, without pretensions of being anything more. The fairly absurd premise of schools on gigantic ships in a world where playing with tanks is a sport practiced exclusively by girls is taken quite seriously, and the result is an excellent sports anime about a silly, yet awesome sport. Every battle is fought and won(or lost) not with arbitrary shounen power-ups or deus ex machina, but with cunning and clever strategies based on the actual characteristics of the tanks, their operators, and the dynamics of the battlefield. As a result, victories full earned, rather than expected. And it helps that each fight is well-storyboarded and directed. And the characters are more fun than the moe designs might lead you to expect.



4. The Eccentric Family

An accurate title for the story of a family of shape-shifting tanuki who still haven't come to terms with the death of their father years ago. The vibrant art direction really brings to life the skillfully woven story, which manages to find just the right balance of comedy and pathos, and that's no small feat, in anime or any other medium. It's the second anime series based on a Tomihiko Morimi story, after The Tatami Galaxy, and his stories really stand out both for their clever writing and their quirky sense of humor.



3. Rozen Maiden: Zurückspulen

Mamoru Hatakeyama first made an impression as a up-and-coming director with the first three episodes of Sankarea, where his storyboards really elevated some subpar material, before the series crashed and burned under the weight of its own bad story and weaker storyboarding from other artists. With Rozen Maiden, although no masterpiece of writing, Hatakeyama had much better material to work with, and he uses it to establish himself as a very talented director with a great eye for framing and a strong sense of atmosphere. Protagonist Jun's characterization is strong enough that despite being a misanthropic loner, he's easy to sympathize with, and even when he keeps making bad decisions, we can understand why. The plot could have easily devolved into a convoluted mess in the second half, as in the manga, but Hatakeyama does an admirable job keeping the story focused on what's important. It would be nice to see what he could do with even stronger material.



2. From the New World

One of the best true science-fiction stories on television in years. Despite a few stumbles with animation and storyboarding, the strength of the original story, and its anthropological examination of the human condition, cannot help but shine through. The premise(that a portion of humanity awakens their latent psychic powers) has certainly been done many times, but From the New World treads new ground in how thoroughly and intelligently it examines the necessary consequences and implications of humanity's newfound power. It's a story full of bubbling fear and an omnipresent, implacable foreboding, but the true horror is the realization that every atrocity has a despairing justifiableness to it.

Director Masashi Ishihama made a name for himself as the director of great animation openings with dynamic flat visuals, as well as an animation director for films such as The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. He brings his distinct flat style and iconic framing to his first job as a series director, but his inexperience does show through at times. Still, the story is so well-written, and the ending so thematically satisfying, that it's hard not to grow fonder of the series over time.



1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199

If From the New World restored faith in hard sci-fi, then Space Battleship Yamato 2199 restored faith in the space opera. It's a thrilling and well-paced adventure with rich art direction and a stellar soundtrack, and a likeable cast of well-played archetypes. It's easy to forgive the series' sins(out-of-place fanservice uniforms, a couple weak deus ex machinas, some bad CGI), when the highs are so high. The technical designs are fantastic, especially in terms of heads-up displays. It may seem a subtle thing, but in a show such as Yamato the quality of the displays, the sounds of machinary, etc., play a huge role in establishing immersion. The background art is of consistently high quality, and combined with exquisite designs results in memorable alien worlds. The animation is rarely flashy, outside of some truly remarkable explosions, but it's all very high-quality and consistent. The CGI still shows many of the weaknesses of its usage in anime, but the ship battles are storyboarded and animated well enough to overcome that.

The story is nothing new, being a remake of a nearly 40-year-old anime, but it takes itself seriously and continuously builds on each event and moment of characterization, resulting in a very satisfying and fast-paced ride. And director Yutaka Izubuchi even manages to fit in a RahXephon episode. It's unfortunate that this series probably never would have been made if it wasn't a remake, but we can at least hope its success will lead to a rejuvenation of the genre, and at the very least a sequel.

 

[zeroshiki]

Movies/OVAs
1. Little Witch Academia - The single best piece of anime made this year that isn't called "Madoka Rebellion"

2. Wolf Children - The second best piece of anime made this year that isn't called "Madoka Rebellion"

3. I would put "Madoka Rebellion" at number 1 and move down the others but seeing as it's ineligible, I'm going to have to leave this space vacated.

Spoiler

But no seriously, watch Madoka Rebellion as soon as you can.

Wolf Children came out in 2012. The best anime to come out in 2013 was Princess Kaguya.

 

[Branduil]

Wolf Children came out in 2012. The best anime to come out in 2013 was Princess Kaguya.

The AOTY thread doesn't honor Japan time.

 

[jman2050]

The AOTY thread doesn't honor Japan time.

He's technically correct though, so it is indeed my mistake!

 

[zeroshiki]

The AOTY thread doesn't honor Japan time.

I expect Wind Rises to win easily next year unless AnimeGAF is able to create some kind of reality distortion field to get Princess Kaguya the win. Or god forbid, Madoka.

 

[firehawk12]

I expect Wind Rises to win easily next year unless AnimeGAF is able to create some kind of reality distortion field to get Princess Kaguya the win. Or god forbid, Madoka.

You can't complain about Madoka if you haven't seen it!

 

[Branduil]

You can't complain about Madoka if you haven't seen it!

Has Shinbo ever even been a magical girl?

 

[Dresden]

Has Shinbo ever even been a magical girl?

It's what acid is for.

 

[Branduil]

It's what acid is for.

So that's where all SHAFT's money goes.

 

[Decado]

Film/OVA

1. Berserk: The Advent - Not as good as the second film, it was still fun. Great seeing this content animated, even if the quality is inconsistent and the CG looks out of place. Great companion to the Berserk TV show.

2. Ghost in the Shell Arise - Not finished yet, and the second episode wasn't as strong as the first, but it is better than expected.

TV

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - It's like they took the setting, art style and ambition of a 80's or early 90's show and updated it with modern animation and more complete experience. Still haven't finished it, but it is extremely promising.

2. Psycho-Pass - Again, felt like a throw-back to 80's and early 90's shows. Like them, it generally felt like it was missing something. Still decent and one of the few anime shows I've finished in the past 1/2 dozen years.

3. Attack on Titan - Highs were pretty high. Lows were almost rock bottom. A lot of wasted potential.

 

[firehawk12]

Has Shinbo ever even been a magical girl?

Shinbo is a magical girl. How else does he direct every other anime made?

 

[Branduil]

Shinbo is a magical girl. How else does he direct every other anime made?

I'd totally watch an anime about magical girls making anime.

 

[zeroshiki]

You can't complain about Madoka if you haven't seen it!

Are you betting that it will be a better movie compared to Wind Rises or Princess Kaguya or something? :lol

 

[Basileus777]

Are you betting that it will be a better movie compared to Wind Rises or Princess Kaguya or something? :lol

Of course he will. Haven't you seen him gush over the film?

 

[CDiggity]

Shows

1. Space Battleship Yamato 2199- Simply a must watch for anyone who likes space operas. This is how a remake should be done, using modern design while keeping that old-school flavor to not only present, but expand on the tale. This is a show where if there were any other categories besides AOTY, Yamato would probably lose. While other shows did certain individual elements, like art, music, characters, story better than Yamato, as a complete package it is such a well constructed anime that few shows come close.

2. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Very camp, manly and over the top, this was the most fun I had with a show in 2013. Battle Tendency is probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite part of the Jojo saga. I always wanted an adaptation of that part of the manga and I was not disappointed. Besides how many shows can claim that they have a cyborg Nazi with a chest machine gun.

3.Shin Sekai Yori - Probably the show that made me think the most with its themes on the human condition. The occasional production hiccup does go against it however.

4. Aku no Hana - This show is an experience. The way it subverts expectations of a high school environment is just great with its sense of emptiness and the way it progresses into madness. There is a LOT of angst and the rotoscoping can be really uncanny at times, but still very enjoyable.

5. Kill la Kill - Is the show I watched after Aku no Hana as a palette cleanser. I wanted dumb, stupid fun. And that is exactly what I got. Is it deep? No, not really. Horribly written? Yes, totally. Hell, this anime has loads of problems, but it is so stylish and flashy that I don't really care. And all of the little nods and shout-outs to old school anime, movies as well as stuff from the West is such a treat. This is what Trigger chose to cut their TV anime teeth on, and it shows that they are a little green, but I get the feeling that future projects out of them will be even better once they get some experience.

6. The Eccentric Family- It's a very pretty work and I love the characterization. A great mix of the ordinary and the supernatural. It is very easy to get drawn into the world that is presented to you.

7. Maoyuu Maou Yuusha- It always seems hard to get a medieval society to progress beyond it's technological limits in fiction. Nothing a little business management and market manipulation can't fix. As someone who studied economics and likes Spice and Wolf, it is a show that resonated with me, but the fact that it just...ends causes it to not go any higher on my list.

8. Suisei no Gargantia- Chamber is best bot. Watch this show for the Sugitabot if nothing else, and get colorful backgrounds and a story about adapting to a new life.

9. Monogatari S2- Kaiki is best girl.

10. Valvrave the Liberator - The best worst show of 2013. This is a show that dug itself into a very deep hole by constantly introducing ridiculous plot elements and character motivations, but it was very entertaining in its ridiculousness. The split cour hurt it since I think some writing decisions were made on the fly and so it seemed disjointed towards the end, and especially the ending left a lot to be desired. Still a fun offering none the less.

Honorable mentions go to:
Inferno Cop because it's Inferno Cop
Non Non Biyori because Nyanpassu~
Gatchaman CROWDS because Taku Iwasaki is a composing genius
Chihayafuru S2 because I don't know why
Log Horizon because DATABASE

Movies/OVA
1. Little Witch Academia - Very simple and a little cliched, but it is so damn charming. I love it's look and style. I want Trigger to do more with this in the future, even going beyond the Kickstarter. It's one of those shows you can show anyone really.

2. Wolf Children - The feels are strong with this one.

3. Gintama: Kanketsu-hen - Yorozuya yo Eien Nare - If you are a fan, this is a treat.

 

[zeroshiki]

Of course he will. Haven't you seen him gush over the film?

I would have thought there was a limit to firehawk12's delusions! There's no way Madoka is a better movie than either Ghibli film. (or to put it less bluntly, there is no way Madoka will be judged as better than either Ghibli film by the majority of people here)

 

[Dresden]

If the Madoka movie is good and enough people watch it, I can see it moving up against both of the Ghibli titles. Remember that the voting here isn't quite indicative of mass appeal (otherwise Titan would run away with it this year).

 

[firehawk12]

If the Madoka movie is good and enough people watch it, I can see it moving up against both of the Ghibli titles. Remember that the voting here isn't quite indicative of mass appeal (otherwise Titan would run away with it this year).

I think this year's vote has been much more like AnimeGAF's voting that last year's anyway. Titan is not as galvanizing as SAO, it seems.

 

[dimb]

I think this year's vote has been much more like AnimeGAF's voting that last year's anyway. Titan is not as galvanizing as SAO, it seems.

SAO > Attack on Titan. The people have spoken.

 

[Basileus777]

SAO > Attack on Titan. The people have spoken.

You know, if someone had a gun to my head and forced me to rewatch one of them, I might choose SAO.