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Your Top 5 Anime of 2014 (And Ours)


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Barbobot



Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 460
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:45 pm Reply with quote
I'd probably have to rank them as follows.

1. Ping Pong
2. Nozaki-kun
3. Space Dandy
4. Parasyte
5. Noragami

Though it's very hard to choose some of these as there are so many good shows. Even those top 5 could probably fluctuate in their order depending on how I'm feeling at the time.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:03 am Reply with quote
Sad to see Zank so high. Normally I give wowing visual anime a pass if the story and writing and kind of lame (see: Rintaro), but not this time. This is Watanabe, everybody's Golden Savior of Anime, so he deserves all of the criticism for a hackneyed script that can't even properly express itself. I remember people going goddamn bonkers because of the New Orleans touchdown in Aldnoah Zero, spoiler[but no one batted an eye when these kids nuked the skies above Japan, obviously outright murdering any in a motor vehicle going at speed or anyone who requires life support, and this comes after multiple other implausible acts of terror that allow the kids to remain "morally pure."] I don't buy the subtext the show tries to present, teen primal youth rebellion my ass. I'm glad for the end the characters got, they deserved it.

I said in another thread that I liked a lot of series that got some top spots, but not consistently enough to put them on my top 5, such as Dandy, Fate, Bahamut, Barakamon, and others.


Last edited by walw6pK4Alo on Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:07 am; edited 2 times in total
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Rob49152



Joined: 19 Dec 2014
Posts: 117
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:05 am Reply with quote
I would like to see these results broken down into seasons. I think the split across shows would be a little more well defined. Right now the gap is rather huge.
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Ali07



Joined: 01 Jun 2014
Posts: 3333
Location: Victoria, Australia
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:07 am Reply with quote
The voted for top 5 doesn't surprise me, but those shows didn't make my top 5. And, the only one that could make it into a top 10 for me is Parasyte. Though, I've not started watching F/SN - UBW yet.

Did watch NGNL and, while enjoyable, don't see it as a top 10 for me, let alone top 5. Maybe not even top 20.

Space Dandy and Tokyo Ghoul are 2 series I tried to watch, but neither held my interest through 2 episodes.

My top 5 would be (in no particular order):
Kawai Complex
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
Engaged to the Unidentified
Barakamon
Log Horizon

Honorable mentions - Parasyte, Noragami, Chaika, Knights of Sidonia, One Week Friends, Blue Spring Ride, Witch Craft Works, Brynhildr in the Darkness (eps 1-9), The World is Still Beautiful
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infamoustakai



Joined: 12 Jun 2014
Posts: 323
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:11 am Reply with quote
No Game No Life greatness. Glad to see everyone loved it. It was such an excellent series.

Same with Barakamon and Amagi Brilliant Park.

Space Dandy was good, but I don't think it's as good as the editors say it is. In the end I would give it an 8.7, but I think it fell short of a few expectations, and one of them being the comedy aspect from time to time. Some of the trippy episodes, like the library one for example, were terrible.
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Banjo



Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 779
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:40 am Reply with quote
PARASYTE! yay Laughing sad to see sailor moon that low.
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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:51 am Reply with quote
I really wished Amagi Brilliant Park has gotten a legit simulcast (why hasn't that been the case?) It would probably get more peeps watching it and maybe add it to their favorites of the year.
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Mr. Oshawott



Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 6773
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:54 am Reply with quote
A bit sad that Sailor Moon Crystal ranked moderately low on the poll. It seems that the animation issues that were initially present just didn't sit well with many people.

Congratulations on Parasyte for reaching the No. 1 slot, with an honorable mention of No Game, No Life taking the 3rd.
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rheiders



Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Posts: 1137
Location: Colorful Colorado :)
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:04 am Reply with quote
I don't remember what I voted for, but my current top five would be something like:

1. Mushishi Zoku Shou: Mushishi was my second-favorite anime of all time before the second season even began, and the second season has only elevated it even further. I tear up just thinking about the artistic masterpiece that was "Cushion of Grass". Whichever reviewer described it as a religious experience was right.
2. Ping Pong: I think this is the first Yuasa series I've seen all of? I really need to finish Tatami Galaxy...Anyway, I'm a fan of Taiyo Matsumoto's stories and I loved Yuasa's adaptation of this one. The visual style was great and by the end of the series I felt like I really knew each of the characters. The ending felt transcendent.
3. Space Dandy: Pretty much what the reviewers said. Fairly hit-or-miss, but included many of the highest highs of the entire year. My favorite is either the space race episode or "A World with No Sadness, Baby".
4. Silver Spoon 2: I liked the second season better than the first. I really relate to Hachiken and the episodes are consistently funny and just really calming and pleasant to watch. I always have a soft spot for Arakawa's writing style, even in adaptation.
5. Tokyo Ghoul: Like Hope, this was a big surprise for me. I started watching it for some dumb schlocky monster violence, and it ended up with by far the most memorable finale of the season. Strong character writing and great direction elevated what really had no right being any good at all to one of my favorites of the year. Can't wait for season 2, as well as the manga in June!

Runners up would be Nozaki-kun, Jojo's, The World is Still Beautiful, and Haikyuu!!. Overall, I thought this was a really great year. Each season I had multiple shows I was really excited about, and even more impressively, each season had several shows I was still really excited about after they ended. The current season might be shaping up to be the best one of the year (currently really enjoying Mushishi, Parasyte, Your Lie in April, and Yona of the Dawn), but it seems unfair to put shows that aren't finished yet in my top 5 (Mushishi's the exception because it has a full cour under its belt, I guess...yeah, that's it).
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HeeroTX



Joined: 15 Jul 2002
Posts: 2046
Location: Austin, TX
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:51 am Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
Tenchi wrote:

Is it that, even as a relatively-straight adaptation of the manga, Sailor Moon Crystal isn't quite living up to Sailor Moon fans expectations


It's this.

Using the INCREDIBLY limited sample of "my wife", I can say that Sailor Moon Crystal has multiple factors against it, mainly:
-The cheap looking, awful CG animation (especially in the OP and transformations)
-The constant off-model cel animation
-The REALLY annoying, "twice a month" release schedule

I think the biggest problem is it really does come across as a HORRIFICALLY blatant cash grab. I really would've expected it to be a series they'd have tried to hold aloft as a flagship and do a really impressive job on, but instead it seems like it got dropped on the "B" team and crapped out under the assumption it was gonna make a bunch of money overseas no matter what.
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Mr. Oshawott



Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 6773
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:01 am Reply with quote
^
Ah, yes...Those other reasons why Sailor Moon Crystal didn't fare so well critically.
In this case, I'm pretty much disheartened at how half-hearted Toei was at managing the show. I think had a Sailor Moon remake been done by a different, more competent studio, it might have fared a bit better.
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kevinx59



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 959
Location: In sunny California
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:05 am Reply with quote
No Game No Life #3 ah yeah. Akame ga Kill was also pretty high, but all of my other choices were pretty low.

1. Hanayamata
2. Wake Up Girls
3. Akame Ga Kill!
4. No Game No Life
5. Selector Infected Wixoss

Chaika was also really enjoyable, and I would have put Brynhildr if the final episodes were better. Pilot's Love Song, Sabagebu, and Black Bullet were other series I really enjoyed as well. I hesitate to call Ore no Twintail good but every episode is so ridiculous it leaves a smile on my face. I'm really sad that Hanayamata and WuG were so low though. WuG lower than Glasslip and Dramatical Murder? Hanayamata lower than Tokyo ESP and World Trigger? What????

And it looks like only Rebecca and Theron share a bit of my taste in anime. (the latter more than the former). Mike Toole has some cool looking action series that I may check out. Its all good though. Thanks Theron for your top five list: Engaged to the Unidentified sounds good, I always hear Nozoki kun is good, and I just started watching Yuki Yuna (thanks to the scores on the streaming reviews) and have been seriously impressed.
Macron One wrote:
Disappointing to see Encouragement of Climb season 2 ranking that low (125th place). The series has been truly excellent thusfar and has very impressive production values to boot. It's a pity so few people seem to be giving it a chance.
Shit, forgot about that series too! Beautiful art, cute, and actually makes me want to outside for a change. And so low as well. What a shame.


Last edited by kevinx59 on Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:50 am; edited 2 times in total
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Keichitsu0305





PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:21 am Reply with quote
Space Dandy, Parasyte-the maxim-, Log Horizon 2, and Unlimited Blade Works all definitely deserve to be that high. Space Dandy for it's visuals and having a wide range in tone and storytelling. Parasyte for being a refreshing action horror with Shinichi being the most likable hero recently who isn't overpowered, a sarcastic smart ass, or a perverted wimp. Log Horizon for continuing the story of MMORPG fans stuck in a game without ever being boring. And Unlimited Blade Works for just being fun to watch even if those who played the VNs keeps spoiling it for me. Very Happy

My Top 5 of 2014 were (out of order):
Haikyuu!
Space Dandy
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki
Log Horizon 2
Barakamon

Honorable Mentions (Top 10):
Free! Eternal Summer, Unlimited Blade Works, Noragami, JBA: Stardust Crusaders, and Mushi-Shi 2. I would have included Chaika but that last episode was so rushed and left too many things unanswered. Same with No Game No Life, I really hope it gets a Season 2 because that was surprisingly addictive to watch.
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@



Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 3498
Location: IN your nightmares
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:57 am Reply with quote
I guess I can't say that Inou Battle in Everyday Life is not higher on the list because of being a latecomer in the year. Its release schedule is only 5 days behind that of Parasyte, the #1 show on the list (#3 for me). Still I can't really explain why Inou Battle has struck such a strong chord with me. I'm pretty much torn between putting it in the #1 spot or SAOII (Mother's Rosario Arc was perfection). So I guess I should do the obligatory mention of the other 2 in my top 5: No Game No Life and Fate Stay at #5.

Honorable Mentions: Himegoto and Gonna Be the Twin Tail.

Hmm, I'm rather perplexed at how close my ranking is with the Mega Poll results. I thought I had more quirky tastes than that.
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Crisha
Moderator


Joined: 21 Apr 2010
Posts: 4290
PostPosted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 3:26 am Reply with quote
Rebecca wrote:
There are a few things I am an unabashed sucker for, and two of them are a strong heroine and a happy ending.

Yes, yes, 100%! And we even share the #1 favorite.

As for my Top 5 Anime of 2014:

  1. Yona of the Dawn - As mentioned above, I am an unabashed sucker for a strong heroine, and Yona has some of the best qualities of what I want in a strong heroine. She strives to improve herself, accepting her faults but not letting them rule her. She burns with an inner fire to strive better and protect those around her. She's not afraid to struggle. She's not thoughtless and thinks through her actions. It's so rewarding to watch her grow, and I eagerly anticipate every Tuesday. Other pluses are all the hotties eye candy and the character designs, which are less cute and more pretty. I'm also just a sucker for fantasy, especially with this kind of setting.

  2. Mushishi 2nd Season - This is probably my favorite iyashikei anime. It has the right amount of melancholy and soothing feelings. I also like how several episodes can actually have horrifying elements to them. I think it's the bittersweetness of the series that draws to me more than other iyashikei series. The visuals are stunning, the music is gorgeous, and there hasn't been an episode yet that I disliked.

  3. Chaika: The Coffin Princess - This and Nobunagun are pretty much on equal level to one another. They're both fun, entertaining series with quirky main leads I came to really like. I ended up giving Chaika the slight edge because of its fantasy/scifi hybrid setting (which I also enjoyed in the author's Scrapped Princess series). I originally had harsh words for the ending, but after reframing everything and rewatching the last episode several times, I came to really like it. Despite the time crunch, the team was able to wrap everything up well and focus on the key moments that needed focus. To me, the amount of thought they put into the last episode is more apparent than my first watch, so I bumped my grade up to a Very Good.

  4. Nobunagun - What can I say? It was a really, really fun and entertaining series, one of the best of the year. It's something I could rewatch multiple times.

  5. Parasyte - I am quite enjoying this series, but I imagine this may be bumped out of its number 5 slot if I just saw more 2014 series. There are several other series I've seen good reviews for that I feel might potentially take over the #5 spot. Regardless, I enjoy the horror and characters that the series provides, especially Migi. Also, this series probably has my favorite opening of the year (I love the heavy beat), though Yona, Mushishi, and Chaika are up there as well.
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