Scavenger Hunt #01 - 0/5

Scavenger Hunt #24 - 0/5

Honourable Mentions Just a brief mention of a couple Anime that barely didn’t make the list: 1. Isekai Quartet As much as I liked Isekai Quartet, it wouldn’t feel right for me to mention it on neither the upcoming list or the sequels/spin-off list. It was great, but I rather have new seasons of the individual franchises (which some of them we’ve already gotten the announcements for). 2. Black Fox Black Fox is a great movie, however with the rumours that this was planned to be a 24 episode series, I can’t help but think that a lot of potential was wasted. Animation was great, pacing was really bad.

My 21 Favorite Anime of 2019

21. Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai S1 & S2 To start of this list, We Never Learn: BokuBen is something I didn’t actually start watching until the second season was announced. Since BokuBen was airing in Spring, it was a very busy season for me with my trip to Japan, so I put it aside to watch at a later day. It’s a good series for the waifu war, but my picks are far too obvious. However I don’t like the art style and animation that is being used. I can’t really explain why that’s the case, but I really like the characters and how funny the misunderstandings are. It could have been better, but it atleast deserved it’s spot in the list. Final Score: 7.4 (7) 20. Watashi Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne? The first of three Isekai anime in my list of 2019 and this particular entry isn’t that serious. In fact I give it too much praise than it possibly deserves. It’s a fun show where our reincarnated girl wants to be as average as possible, wishing for average abilities in her next life. For an Anime about a girl wanting to be average, it’s the best way to describe what the Anime is. Average at best but yet I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. Opening is catchy and adorable. Characters are nice and the MC is funny. Animation and Art is average. Still a big enjoyment for me! Final Score: 7.4 (7) 19. Sewayaki Kitsune no Senko-san Imagine having to work all day, a stressful, dreadful day and once you get home, there’s a Fox deity welcoming you home and pampers you, if that isn’t the perfect scenario to relax. The Anime, is in all honesty, just that. It really doesn’t offer too much more than a relaxing time watching the show. Senko is a loveable fox that you just can’t help but want to pat. It did wonders for me as I had to work a lot of overtime on wednesdays (day of airing). So it’s nothing too special, but if you’re into this kind of shows it’s a real enjoyable watch. Final Score: 7.5 (8) 18. Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo With the english title being “O Maidens in Your Savage Season”, it started off relatively innocent. After one girl mentions she wants to have sex before she dies, the other girls from the literature club couldn’t help but think about it afterwards. With a really hilarious start, it became one of my favorite shows of the season, but at some point there was a lot of cringy stuff happening and that’s why it hasn’t become my favorite that season. This Anime is full with innuendo’s and I felt that sometimes they were misplaced. Also there were some characters I just want to forget about that appeared in this Anime. But besides that, it was a really funny show with a bit of drama here and there. Final Score: 7.6 (8) 17. Watashi ni Tenshi ga Maiorita! (Wataten!) Doga Kobo is a studio known for it’s Slice of Life Anime and they do really well with me. In a bit of a similar fashion as UzaMaid from 2018, we have a college student who adores a 5th grader so much she’s will to do anything for her, to get her to cosplay. I mean, I understand it’s a sensitive matter, but people made a bigger deal out of it than it should have been. Overall this was lovely and heartwarming and one of the greatest finale I have seen this year. That was just perfection, it’s what pushed it up a rating. Final Score: 7.8 (8) 16. Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru My lord, that title is a mouth full. I have to say, this Anime in particular is quite the dilemma for me. I really, really like the female lead Rista. She’s hilarious and so entertaining with her so many ridiculous facial expressions, however her Male counterpart Seiya, not so much unfortunately. The Anime is called Cautious Hero, so it was to be expected but I don’t seem to enjoy it as much as I would have expected. His personality and rudeness just bothers me, he’s very powerful though. He has his great moments, slaying the thot that is Rista, those moments are priceless. Rista is basically carrying the Anime for me. Final Score: 8 15. Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka Since the release of Madoka Magica there have been more Anime about magical girls with a dark tone to it. Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka is another one of those. It doesn’t hide away from gore and violence as it’s shown quite a lot during the show. Which I can appreciate, a lot of these matters seems to get toned down one way or another. Straight from the trailer when the opening theme kicked in, I had to check it out. No matter how “edgy” it became, I quite enjoyed it. I guess I can say that this was also a guilty pleasure. cause there was definitely a few things wrong with it. What wasn’t wrong at all, was the soundtrack, especially the main theme is an absolute banger. One of my favorite soundtracks, if not my favorite of 2019. It’s not often you get an epic soundtrack blending a bit of rock and EDM. I approve a lot. Final Score: 8 14. Enen no Shouboutai One of the two new Shounen Anime in Summer. Enen no Shouboutai (Fire Force) was together with Dr Stone the most hyped up Anime of the summer and eventho I enjoy watching it, it doesn’t go without flaws, it has a lot of still frames where literally nothing happens for seconds (no dialogue either) and it kind of feels strange when it happens. There for the pacing seems to become slow. However it is backed up by brilliant animation, great sound and somewhat enjoyable characters. Especially the animation is a big plus. The second opening is my favorite Anime opening song of 2019, but the visuals are so mediocre. Final Score: 8.4 (8) 13. Ore wo Suki nano wa Omae dake ka yo (OreSuki) Let’s be real here. If an Anime brings you a bench, with a menacing aura while the Imperial March is playing in the background. What else do we need to love it? For real though, OreSuki is one of the few Anime that made me look forward to having an inanimate object return on screen. First we have the Reincarnation Truck and now a Menacing Bench. OreSuki is one of those Anime that still manages to surprise me quite late into the year. A romcom where I had no high hopes for turned into one of the funniest series of the year. Characters are great, interactions between them are funny yet quite nice at times. Also the amount of 4th wall breaking in this Anime, I have not seen it that much since I started the Neptunia series. Pansy is a solid contender for Waifu of 2019! So beautiful! Final Score: 8.4 (8) 12. Machikado Mazoku The Time hath come! What the heck? Where do I even start with this one... I mean, if you judge a book by it’s cover, someone might think that this is one of the most generic shows of the summer season. That same thought had also crossed my mind, but while the weeks progressed, I couldn’t help but love it more and more. What seemed as a Demon vs Magical Girl Anime, became a great comedy about friendship. The chemistry between our two mains, Yuuko (aka Shamiko) and Momo is by far the cutest things I have seen this year. The laughs, the cries, I will remember it! A hidden gem for a slice of life Anime. *Insert cute Shamiko noises* Final Score: 8.5 (9) 11. Dororo Dororo was a pleasant surprise at the beginning of 2019 and with so many great Anime coming out at the same time, I didn’t initially watch it from the start and actually had to start a week later. The premise is really great. The story at the start feels really episodic but slowly forwards the plot more into a proper story. The world building is great. Dororo is quite dark and gory, with a lot of sensitive subjects along it’s path. Some were making me feel a bit uneasy. But the colour scheme used for the Anime really captures those dark and uneasy tones. Unfortunately Dororo suffered some art inconsistencies during it’s halfway point of the series. Overall it’s was a pretty great Anime! Final Score: 9 10. Honzuki no Gekokujou I can’t believe that I have slept on this Anime for 12 whole weeks this Fall season. It’s safe to say I am ashamed that I didn’t see this sooner, but regardless. This was by far the show from Fall that I enjoyed the most. The Anime and it’s main character for me is just too wholesome to comprehend. The story is slow paced, but went into directions I didn’t really expect. I had expected it to be focussed on a bookworm reincarnating to read other worldly books. But to see that the MC has to work her way up to be able to read said books or make her own was really nice. The hardships that came with it was to be expected but the illness she suffers from is the most unexpected aspect of the show and it brought really interesting yet sad moments with it. Can’t wait to see the next season! Final Score: 9 9. 5-toubun no Hanayome I am no stranger to Harem Anime, heck I had started with many of them when I first got into Anime with the likes of Date A Live/The Familiar of Zero. 5-toubun no Hanayome was something different though, tutoring 5 sisters who happened to be identical. Only difference is their personality and hairstyle. I expected a waifu war and we got one with 5-toubun, competition for best girl was never this competitive before. Overall the Anime lacks a bit of quality, the girls are really nice, with a god-like voice cast. It was gonna be tough to pick who is best girl with so many talented and loveable voice actors. I would have probably rated it the same as Bokuben, but 5-toubun is better in my opinion. At the same time as I am writing this blog, I have also been reading the manga and with season 2 coming out in just a couple of weeks, it’s became of my most anticipated sequels of 2020. HYPE! Final Score: 9 8. Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari The Shield Hero, I was going into 2019 with high expectations that this could become one of the best Anime of 2019. It didn’t quite reach that but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Interesting premise and it had a really solid start. The one thing that bothered me the most was the stupidity of the other heroes and their followers. It had times it used CGI for animation but it wasn’t too big of an issue. The soundtrack is done by Kevin Penkin and it’s a blessing to listen to. Openings are great. Looking forward to the already announced sequels! Final Score: 9 7. Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majuu Sensen Babylonia What is a year without at least one Fate entry? Well lucky for some of us we were blessed with 3 Fate entries in 2019: A Fate/Zero spin-off, Heaven’s Feel sequel and Fate/Grand Order Babylonia. It’s a shame that Fate/Grand Order Babylonia is a 2 cour series and aired in fall, so I can’t give a proper rating yet. But from what I’ve seen up to this point I am really enjoying it. Animation is awesome, sound effects are mind blowing (my subwoofer and I are loving it). What I love the most so far is seeing Gilgamesh in a different light than the one I know from Fate/Zero & UBW. Current Score: 9 6. Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru What else can I say other than that Dumbbell Nan Kilo Moteru was my ultimate guilty pleasure of 2019. From the funny and likeable characters, to the great comedy and chemistry between these characters. For an Anime about exercising and the gym, it doesn’t take itself very serious. When it’s actually about exercising, it will become as serious as it gets. It becomes really educational on what you can and can’t do at a gym or at home. But anything around that, is just ridiculous and that’s why I love it. One could say it would fit nicely in the parody category. With many funny cameos and references and plenty of 4th wall breaking, Dumbbell is an Anime that I will most likely rewatch often, just to make me laugh and smile like a goof again. Also, the OP and ED gets your blood pumping, so catchy! Final Score: 9 5. Dr Stone Dr Stone has definitely been an Anime I looked forward to every week. The premise is the first thing that caught my eye. It is something new and a setting I had not really seen before for a shounen. As the earth has to pretty much start from scratch again, after it’s population got turned to stone, it’s great to see these teenagers go through what can only be described as the “stone age”. I initially would have loved to see a lot more world building but the battle between the two teams was really entertaining. The comedy is great, with over the top reactions and great chemistry between the characters. Sound was great overall. Final Score: 9 4. Yakusoku no Neverland I don’t watch many thriller/psychological Anime but Yakusoku no Neverland was honestly a spectacular nail biting, edge of your seat Anime. The reveals were insane and we have had to go through so many cliffhangers, that I actually couldn’t wait for the next episode. The suspense was great, the mind games were incredible. For a genre I don’t often watch, I enjoyed this immensely. It’s a shame only one Anime beat Yakusoku no Neverland to be AOTS of winter 2019, that Anime is coming up soon at #2. Final Score: 10 3. Fruits Basket 1st Season Whenever I got more into Anime/Manga, there is a time where you learn about the name Fruits Basket. A worldwide popular Shoujo Manga with an adaptation back in like 2001. When late 2018, the reveal came that Fruits Basket was gonna get a new adaptation, I thought it was time to finally get into it and see what this is all about. All I can say is, I came for the name, stayed for the characters. Especially Tohru Honda. Everyone needs a Tohru in their life. The Anime is packed with very interesting (shady) characters and emotional scenes. The reveal near the end was actually really well done and for an Anime-only like myself, I was blown away cause I didn’t expect it. With a second season planned for 2020, this is probably one of my favorite series for the coming years. Something to look forward to! Final Score: 10 2. Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen I started watching Kaguya-sama 3 weeks after it started airing and to be honest, I am glad I joined a bit late. Eventho initially it didn’t catch my eye too much. But after seeing clips on social media and people kept talking about it. I gave in and started watching and my god was it worth the watch. It’s the best comedy of 2019 and AOTS of Winter 2019. The characters are too funny and their interactions are priceless. The opening is one of the best I have heard this year, it was something I rarely hear in Anime, a solid classic sound. Also, Chika is best girl, fight me! Final Score: 10 1. Kimetsu no Yaiba My most anticipated Anime of 2019, after a coworker who has read the Manga said that it’s definitely something to look out for, with ufotable as animation studio and Yuki Kajiura for the soundtrack, I instantly had to think of Fate/Zero and Unlimited Blade Works, so I had to add it to my list. Both Anime are masterpieces and Kimetsu no Yaiba was no exception. Ufotable, has really outdone themselves with Kimetsu no Yaiba. I have always been impressed with their animation but they managed to keep the animation top notch through these 26 episodes. They managed to blend 2D and 3D animation even better than ever before. The soundtrack was absolutely amazing, the characters, are lovely. Especially the sibling love between Tanjiro and Nezuko. Honestly can’t wait to see more of this franchise! Final Score: 10 Favorite Characters of 2019 Now it’s time for the individual characters to shine. The year 2019 had some really nice and loveable characters for me. From Quintuplets to a Girl-turned-demon, From Animal Zodiacs to a goddess. Both male and female will be discussed, but the females will also have a mention for the Waifu of 2019, other than that the list is in no ranking order.. Best Girls of 2019 Winter Season Raphtalia, Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Raphtalia, a Tanuki-type Demi-human and the Sword of Naofumi. Bought as a slave, treated like family. Raphtalia’s growth is quite nice. Since Demi-human age by the levels they gain, she grew out to become a pretty young lady very quickly. She’s adorable, became a skilled warrior and has absolute loyalty towards Naofumi. Miku, Ichika, Yotsuba, Itsuki & Nino Nakano, 5-toubun no Hanayome Okay, I lied when I said I wasn’t going to rank any of the characters, however if you have Quintuplets battling for best girl, looking all the same but their hairstyle and personalities, there’s no other choice than ranking them. Miku is my favorite of them, mainly cause I can relate in a few ways to her. Shy, quiet. It just works. Each having their own characteristics makes it so hard to rank them. But they are all evenly cute in their own right. **My ranking overall has changed after reading the Manga, but this ranking is purely based on Anime-only (Season 1)** Chika Fujiwara, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen Don’t get me wrong. Kaguya is an awesome character with great development but from my perspective I couldn’t stop loving the funniest character of the year that is Chika. She’s the one who really brighten up my winter after having a really tough time. She’s adorable, derpy but such comedic gold. She had great competition for being best girl in Kaguya-sama, but even with Ai Hayasaka being a very close second. Ai has the perfect combination I absolutely love, blond hair with blue eyes. Spring Season Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket 1st Season Tohru is one of them exceptional characters where best girl doesn’t really matter here. The way she always seems so energetic, with always having this positive vibe that she brings wherever she goes, no matter the amount of hardship she suffers, she always put others before herself. I can’t help but smile (or cry) whenever she’s on screen. I’ve only seen one season of her and can’t wait for the sequels. Mafuyu Kirisu, Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai BokuBen is just like Gotoubun an Anime where there’s plenty of girls to choose from. Personally I don’t like Ogata or Takemoto that much. I mean they are great for comedy and stuff, but overall they don’t hold a candle with Fumino Furuhashi. The thing is, if Sensei (Mafuyu Kirisu) wasn’t a girl in this Anime, Fumino would have gotten this spot. Sensei, being as cold hearted as she is at her job, what lies underneath is what really peaked my interest. She has really adorable moments, especially interacting with Nariyuki and she’s able to rock anything she wears. Nezuko Kamado & Shinobu Kochou, Kimetsu no Yaiba I just can’t choose… I mean, Nezuko is just too precious. It needs to be protected at any cost. At the start I felt so much pity for her after she got turned into a demon, but seeing her live with it and still fight alongside the humans is just amazing. Her sibling love for Tanjiro is real and also so precious. Shinobu on the other hand, seems like a cold and dangerous person but in the closing stages of this first season, she showed a side which I can’t help but love. Sharing the same dream Tanjiro has for human and demons to coexist. Looking forward to see more of both of them. Summer Season Hibiki Sakura, Dumbbell nan Kilo Moteru? My guilty pleasure of the year and it comes to no surprise that a girl is mentioned here. Hibiki is just someone I can relate to. I want to keep my body in shape, while in no way in hell am I changing my eating habits. Also, she’s super funny, is the One Punch Woman and is THICC in all the right places. Gray, Lord El Melloi II no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note Gray is another Saber face in the Fate Universe and I don’t mind. I actually really liked this shy, timid girl that looks like Saber. She’s a nice assistant for Waver as she protects him from time to time. Also her abilities are quite powerful! She has the Noble Phantasm worthy of being a Saber face, called “Rhongomyniad”, the Lance of King Arthur. Yuuko Yoshida (aka Shamiko), Machikado Mazoku Cute, funny and over the top silly. She makes silly noises, says funny things. Shamiko is another Demon girl in this list, yet very weak. One night she awakens with a tail and horns as she was send on a quest to defeat the magical girl in her town. With the same voice actor as Chika from Kaguya-sama, her character was brought to life to deliver one of the greatest comedic characters of the year. Also her Demon outfit rocks! Fall Season Ristarte, Shinchou Yuusha What happens if you have Aqua (KonoSuba) with her thirst for wine, but replace that wine with a Hero, you get Ristarte. Ristarte for me is a bit more than that “second useless goddess”, she carries the Anime for being a great comedy this fall. Her facial expressions are gold. She is cute and is thirsty and her voice actor does a solid job making it entertaining. Sumireko Sanshokuin (aka Pansy), OreSuki Who the hell is interested in a nerdy, flat girl, with a nasty attitude and hair like …… Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. What looks like the rude summary I just wrote, is quite the opposite. Pansy is honestly the most beautiful character of the year, everything is right about her. That attitude however, it might sometimes be there still, but deep down she cares a lot about the people she loves. I don’t often throw around the word perfect… but Pansy.. Oef! Ishtar, Fate/Grand Order: Zettai Majuu Sensen Babylonia If a Saber face was not enough in 2019, we actually got a Rin face as well, named Ishtar. Fate doesn’t fail to deliver best girls. Everything you know about the personality of Rin, you see back in Ishtar. From her long black hair to her tsundere attitude. It’s great to see it in a new light. Ishtar has many mysteries surrounding her, which I won’t mention here… (Otherwise I will have to make yet another entry) Maine, Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen Energetic, but frail girl with blue hair that reminds me of Megumi Tadokoro. She's amazing at what she does for her age, but that's no surprise as she has the mind of a high schooler. Her exceptional hard work makes her someone to cheer on for and in general is a wholesome character. Sometimes I wish she wouldn't be bedridden so often! Okay, so out of all these girls… ❤ Chika Fujiwara ❤ Is my Waifu of 2019 ❤ Favorite Male Characters of 2019

Favorite Sequel/Spin-off of 2019

When it comes to sequels, there’s not really an explanation needed. If I liked the first season, I will obviously watch the sequel as well and with some of them I am more biased than some others. With 2019 being packed with sequels and spin-offs, 2019 was a year not to forget and 2020 is already looking to better that. Now let’s see what sequels I enjoyed and the ones I didn’t like as much as their prequels. --. Nanatsu no Taizai: Kamigami no Gekirin - Score: -- --. Boku no Hero Academia 4th Season - Score: -- Both these sequels started airing in the Fall season and exist of 2 cours. That’s why I put them on the bottom of the sequel list as I can’t quite give a good rating to it yet. Nanatsu no Taizai suffered from bad censoring and different animation studio, while Boku no Hero Academia feels very slow paced. 12. Kakegurui×× - Score: 6 11. 3D Kanojo Real Girl Season 2 - Score: 7 Kakegurui was just as amusing as the first season, but still it’s not quite my thing. 3D Kanojo Real Girl got wrapped up really nice and was a big improvement from the first season. 10. Date A Live III - Score: 7 9. One Punch Man Season 2 - Score: 8 Perhaps the 2 biggest disappointments for 2019 when it comes to sequels, both done by JC Staff and it was a downgrade in quality, which is a pity as Date A Live is one of my favorite Harem Anime and One punch Man was such a hit in 2015 that you just wanted more. A real shame. Regardless of that, I still gave them a higher score than they both deserve. 8. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka II - Score: 7 7. Lord El-Melloi II Sei no Jikenbo: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note - Score: 7 Danmachi was a nice sequel, that sadly didn’t live up to it’s expectations. I rather would have loved it more if they actually went back into the dungeons. A spin-off from Fate/Zero following Waver Velvet and his job as a teacher in the Clock Tower. Really nice Anime with a Saber Face. Was a bit hard to follow at times but animation was great! 6. Karakai Jouzu no Tagaki-san 2 - Score: 8 5. Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation: Nep no Natsuyasumi - Score: 8 Takagi-san had a really nice ending, but still felt pretty repetitive as Season 1. But we got some serious development near the end! Neptune, well this is the most biased one. I love the games and when a new OVA was announced, I couldn’t be happier and best thing of all, it didn’t disappoint me. 4. Shokugeki no Souma: Shin no Sara - Score: 9 3. Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld - Score: 10 I would welcome any sequel season of Shokugeki no Souma, still doesn’t live up to it’s first season. But anytime that I can have new screen time of Megumi Tadokoro, that’s enough for me! As a big SAO-Anime fan, I just simply love this season. Alice vs Asuna, I need more of this! 2. Mob Psycho 100 II - Score: 10 1. Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2 - Score: 10 Mob Psycho 100 II was so awesome, Animation was god tier, emotional this season was better than it’s prequel. Just simply amazing. Attack on Titan, what a season and what a truly masterpiece. Levi vs Beast Titan the highlight of this season. The ending is near!

50. Subete ga F ni Naru (2015) Composed of one clean mystery from start to finish, this show is a great example of what expanding one’s brain feels like. With a clear, yet unique directing style and character designs by the legendary Inio Asano, this show stands out from the others from the very beginning. With a host of intelligent characters that stand out in their own right and a mystery that keeps one hooked until its conclusion, this show contains a quality that is hard to find among other shows. 49. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (2015) I graduated three different times in the 2010’s. Each time I get nostalgic, thinking about all the times that came before and the people that I’ve met along the way. This anime captures everything about that feeling perfectly, from the music to the fun characters. This show has its fun moments, but it’s never afraid to go very, very dark. And of course, it finishes it all off with one of the best, emotional endings I’ve seen in anime. 48. Osomatsu-San (2015) Sometimes absurdity is just very, very fun. With a vibrant cast of characters star-studded with fantastic seiyuu, Osomatsu-san has a unique and often off-brand style of humor, yet one that resonates well. Despite its usual comedic vibe, this show also has moments that will both warm and break the heart. Flaunting a level of creativity that is hard to find these days, this show has proven to be one of the top. 47. Houseki no Kuni (2017) Fully CGI anime are one of the most notable things to come out of this past decade. While there are still some on the fence, this anime is a great argument for what great things CGI can do. This show has such gorgeous animation that it’s hard to keep eyes off it. Beyond what it looks like, it also carries such a hard-hitting story about trauma and change. In the short, single season we’ve received so far, the main character Phos goes through so many shattering moments that we see them change drastically with some fluid character development. Here’s hoping to seeing more seasons of this in the 2020’s. 46. Robotica*Robotics (2010) This short is a great example of what a show can accomplish in just ten minutes. Showing off the unique and beautiful art style of director Soubi Yamamoto, who herself made a strong showing in the year for her wholesome contribution to shounen ai anime, it shows the wide range of human emotions from hopelessness to love from the perspective of robots as they discover whether or not they could feel those same emotions. Sweet and tragic, this anime proves that short anime have their place, too. 45. Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruka (2016) One type of show you’ll see throughout this list is the heartwarming group of teenage friends. This show is the first example of that, showing the listless Tanaka-kun, his best friend Oota, and their other friends on their exploits during the school year. The humor in this show is great, never being afraid to poke at Tanaka’s laziness without it ever getting mean-spirited. With a sunny and wholesome aesthetic, if one’s in the mood to kick back and reminisce about the closeness of friends in high school, this is certainly one to do it with. 44. Koi wa Ameagari no You ni (2018) Don’t let the premise of this show throw you off, this show is brilliant. It’s a great look into what it’s really like to have romantic desires that you know are wrong, yet still can’t quite shake them off. The characters all act very naturally, particularly the two main characters with broken dreams that are at their feet. The animation is one of the most gorgeous of the year, and the ED is one of my favorites of all time. 43. Saraiya Goyou (2010) In our lives, the past may haunt us and grow a strong grip on our heart. Though, usually when we think of samurai, we think of legendary fights such as the ones in Samurai Champloo or Sword of the Stranger, this anime strips it back and places in front a samurai who doesn’t do much fighting, and has a hard time fitting in society at all. As he interacts with the members of the House of Five Leaves, he discovers their past and how it’s haunting them. With a strong heart and unique, yet oddly beautiful character designs, this show gives a glimpse into both the strength and the complexity of the bonds that connect us all. 42. Honobono Log (2016) Yes, another short anime that you can knock out in a single setting. Letting the simple beauty of everyday life shine through, this show gives us snippets into different couples’ lives. It demonstrates how the little things are what are important in our lives, rather than only the big, dramatic moments that most anime focus on. With a cozy art style as the cherry on top, this is the perfect anime to watch on a cold autumn night with a cozy cup of cocoa in your hands. 41. Fune wo Amu (2016) With so many anime coming out each season, it’s easy for some high-quality anime to get buried among all the other shows. Well, here I am to unbury this anime and once again draw well-deserved attention to it. Though the subject matter of writing a dictionary may, at first glance, seem as boring as watching paint dry, it’s actually an interesting dive into how we communicate and how the words we use carry our feelings and thoughts from one person to another. In a world where the meanings of words are just a few keystrokes away, we often forget the deep care it takes to perfectly word those meanings to make them understandable. This anime highlights that care, as well as the care it takes to have down-to-earth characters and a relaxing atmosphere that is a great one to wind down to.