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The Best Anime of 2015


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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 10:11 am Reply with quote
Animegomaniac wrote:
Merxamers wrote:
And I'll be very surprised if F/SN has much of an appearance, as quite a few people (me included) were unhappy with how badly the second half dragged out.



But.. but... i didn't write that! LEAVE ME OUT OF YOUR FS/N DEBATES!!!

In all honesty, I don't know if i can give a top 5; i've found that since i started working full-time i only have the energy to follow about 2-3 shows a season, so i never watched some shows like Maria: Virgin Witch, Snow White, and the new Noragami, and i never did finish Blood Battlefront Blockade (I really want to though! I just need to sit down and do it)

With those grains of salt, here is what i'd call my top 5 (no particular order):

1. One Punch Man: This is everything I ever wanted in an anime. Despite what some think, it actually DOESN'T have a huge budget, and yet it looks incredible. I was very concerned about whether the anime would live up to the manga, but those fears were put to rest almost immediately.

2. Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet 9: Yep- I don't expect to see this one on any Top 5 lists, but i think it deserves some recognition. It's a fantastic adaptation, and i love the weird "full of genre tropes, but told in really odd ways" approach the story takes. I can understand getting hung-up on some of its sillier elements, but I love it.

3. Working!!! S3: The strongest season yet of a great comedy series. It was so satisfying seeing so many loose plot threads get tied, and characters' development reach their climax. A great comedy that had some heart to it.

4. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Egypt Arc Until One Punch Man, I'd say this was the best adapted anime of the year. It hits that perfect balance between embracing its inherent silliness, yet taking the sincere peril and high stakes seriously. I love watching anime where it's obvious that the creative team loves their show as much as the audience does, and that quality did wonders for this show. I dare anyone to find a more awesome ending than the spoiler[ROADROLLER-DA!!! sequence!]

5. Garo/My Love Story!!!: I'm not sure if, by the rules, the first Garo counts for this list? If it does, i'll include it. I loved the art style and character design, which really felt a lot different from other anime out there. It was a great, rousing adventure, with emotional slugs that hit REALLY hard at points. Too bad this apparently didn't do that well Japan; it was a great show.

If Garo doesn't count, then I'll put My Love Story!!!, for reasons similar to the reviewers. Heartwarming, really funny, and a great way to recover from rough day at work. Sometimes, it's ok to drop the cynicism Smile

Other stuff that I enjoyed but are by no means classics: Overlord (sorry Hope); DanMachi (much better than i expected, honestly); Monster Musume (i'd apologize in shame but i'm pretty sure everyone else enjoyed this too); Osomatsu-San (first episode was amazing; I know other people love this show, but the humor is hit-or-miss for me)
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Saffire



Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 1255
Location: Iowa, USA
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 10:16 am Reply with quote
kotomikun wrote:
Death Parade seemed like boilerplate "everyone's a selfish asshole" cynicism from the one episode I watched. Going by the reviews, there's a bit more to it than that later on; but it was praised like crazy from the first episode, which I can't understand at all.
I don't know how you got that out of the first episode when Chiyuki is introduced almost immediately to provide a counterpoint to the system. It was very clearly setting up to challenge the presumptions the judgment system operates under.
residentgrigo wrote:
I consider it to be just another “decent” DBZ clone with better female characters and the OVA level production values are impressive so i can live with that.
You have a very strange definition of "DBZ clone" if you think OPM falls under that heading.

I kept trying to figure out how to get My Love Story!! onto my top 5 and I just couldn't seem to get it there.

5. Overlord - It's not always the most exciting show but when it delivers, damn. It's got some cool stuff going for it, I just wish it was better paced.
4. Yuri Kuma Arashi - I struggled with where to place this because I really need to watch it again, but for right now this is fine. I love Ikuhara and even if I think this is probably his weakest show, it still stands heads above most others.
3. One Punch Man - Most anticipated show of 2015, lived up to the hype.
2. Gintama - Narrowly missed out on #1, the show's been on absolute fire since coming back on the air. Some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen.
1. Death Parade - Hits all the right notes and had some fantastic aesthetics to boot.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18136
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 11:25 am Reply with quote
Saffire wrote:
residentgrigo wrote:
I consider it to be just another “decent” DBZ clone with better female characters and the OVA level production values are impressive so i can live with that.
You have a very strange definition of "DBZ clone" if you think OPM falls under that heading.

Agreed. OPM is not even remotely in the same vein as DBZ. I'm totally fine with someone (like residentgrigo) not liking it, as I could certainly understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea, but try to grossly misrepresent what it is and you will be called to task on that.


Last edited by Key on Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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FilthyCasual



Joined: 01 Jun 2015
Posts: 2165
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 11:54 am Reply with quote
The link for the second set of reviewer Top 5s is dysfunctional.
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3767
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 11:57 am Reply with quote
FilthyCasual wrote:
The link for the second set of reviewer Top 5s is dysfunctional.


Prolly not available yet. Check back later when it hits the front page.
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Parsifal24





PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:23 pm Reply with quote
My best of list is :
#1. Osomatsu-san
#2. Concrete Revolutio
#3. Chaos Dragon
#4. Actually, I Am and
#5. Gate

Osomatsu-san gets the number one spot for being a comedy that has a great pace to it knows how to play moods while also being unafraid to be completely absurd in places.

Concrete Revolutio for being fearless and inventive while mixing an sometimes disorienting nartive with questions of justice as a personal value. Also good to see Shō Aikawa willing to be contriversal.
Chaos Dragon while it has it's problems with juggling it's charcters and a non ending.

It works as a thoughtful look at ocupation and the question of loyalty and friendship. Also Maaya Uchida as Lou was my faveroute performance of the year.
Actually I am comes in at number four becuese of it's odd gag manga like paceing and 90s harem Anime ethos.
While Gate is simply there becuese I enjoyed it and can't wait for season two.

I really wish I could have like Yuri Kuma but that was the series that made me ginaily decide that Ikuhara just is not for me.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
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Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:24 pm Reply with quote
It's up now.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:24 pm Reply with quote
I'm also somewhat surprised at death parade getting so much praise. Like many, it seems, I watched the first episode and just didn't feel like watching a show about horrible people being horrible to each others. From everything that I've read about it that seems to be what every episode was about. Ultimately nothing in the first episode seems to really use the "game" part of the premise (maybe there was something about the game only being winnable if both of them worked together), seems like it was just there to fill in time between airing people dirty secret. It could have been interesting if eventually people started to cheat the game system to get to heaven/reincarnation when they shouldn't, seeing how they do it could be interesting, but again the first episode made it pretty clear that the game outcome had 0 importance. Maybe its cause I already accept that there's no life after death and that morality doesn't exist. I also already accept that people are generally good and it makes no sense to value people only on there low point without considering there high point too.

Oh, on a completely different order, I guess I should also mention chaos dragon for the very fun episode review. If a train is gonna crash it should at least do so in an interesting way. I just hope we do eventually get other DnD session anime made, some that don't re write everything losing the entire point in the process.
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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:29 pm Reply with quote
Parsifal24 wrote:

Actually I am comes in at number four becuese of it's odd gag manga like paceing and 90s harem Anime ethos.


I liked quite a bit about Actually, I Am..., but that complete non-ending kinda killed it for me. Is a satisfying emotional conclusion too much to ask for?!?! Oh well...
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Folkstad Ohm



Joined: 22 Jun 2015
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:41 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
It's up now.


... but with two unfortunate editing errors in the section by Rose Bridges. First, she concludes her Yuri Kuma Arashi review by writing "Yuri Kuma Arashi will make you and feel". Looks like a word got dropped after "you". Also, based on a reference in that same review the screenshot above that section should be from Yuri Kuma Arashi, not Maria the Virgin Witch.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5406
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:10 pm Reply with quote
I suspected that Nick was going to put SNAFU TOO! at number one based on how much he praised it while it was airing. Rose does a great job explaining what is special and unique about Maria the Virgin Witch and Blood Blockade Battlefront.

A quick comment on Yuri Kuma Arashi. I was disappointed with it. Not because it is not a good anime (I rated it Very good), but because Yuri Kuma Arashi is about two steps below compared to Kunihiko Ikuhara's 2 masterpieces: Utena and Penguindrum.

Ikuhara offers interesting ideas in Yuri Kuma Arashi, but perhaps it needed more than 12 episodes to really shine. Of course I want to see more anime series from Ikuhara, but hopefully the next one will at least be two cours long.
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Sahmbahdeh



Joined: 05 May 2015
Posts: 712
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:18 pm Reply with quote
meiam wrote:
Maybe its cause I already accept that there's no life after death and that morality doesn't exist. I also already accept that people are generally good and it makes no sense to value people only on there low point without considering there high point too.


Well, I don't believe in life after death either, and I still thoroughly enjoyed the show. It's called suspension of disbelief.

Second of all, I don't really see how you can think morality doesn't exist AND think that people are generally good. Those two concepts seem mutually exclusive to me. Perhaps you might elaborate on that point?

And thirdly, the last statement here (about how it makes no sense to value people only on their low point) is essentially the main point (moral dilemma, etc.) of the show. If that was your problem with it, rest assured that that issue is more than satisfactorily addressed and resolved by show's end.
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Barbobot



Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 460
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:27 pm Reply with quote
meiam wrote:
I'm also somewhat surprised at death parade getting so much praise. Like many, it seems, I watched the first episode and just didn't feel like watching a show about horrible people being horrible to each others. From everything that I've read about it that seems to be what every episode was about.


Not every episode was just horrible people being horrible. There was an episode about young love being reunited, even if it's the afterlife. Another episode was partially about how the abused can grow up to be the abuser with the other part being about teenage depression/suicide (my personal favorite episode). A lot more than just "let's watch these horrible people be horrible and get punished for it".
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4410
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:28 pm Reply with quote
One of the many good things about Funimation's broadcast dubs is that I could actually participate in the poll. Other years, I would just observe out of curiosity since I couldn't honestly vote for shows I hadn't seen. It's fun seeing at least three of the top five I voted for showing up consistently.
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CaRoss



Joined: 11 Nov 2014
Posts: 457
PostPosted: Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:34 pm Reply with quote
These are always great to see. I love seeing other people's opinions on series that aired during a year.

I'm not surprised about Yuri Kuma Arashi or Death Parade showing up so often though. They were probably two of the highest reviewed series on this site, and constantly being talked about during their season.

I am shocked by the lack of Maria the Virgin Witch though, but obviously those other two series were thought of higher than that one.

Anyway, here's my top 5 list for 2015.

5. Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
I wasn't expecting this one to end up on my top five list. However, it was so much better than I had expected (having read the first novel before it started). It picks up well beyond what the first novel made it feel like and ended up being one of the strongest fantasy series this year.

4. Assassination Classroom
While most people are, rightfully, gushing over One Punch Man, I personally find that Assassination Classroom left me with a stronger impression. Enough of one that I'm probably going to go back and rewatch it now. The absurdity of the concept, alongside some great writing and animation, has me really eager for season two.

3. Gate
I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this one. It was really nice having an adult otaku protagonist, but it was also nice to get one of these "alternate world" fantasy series for this year. Last year's No Game No Life was great, but Gate was definitely the more enjoyable take on this genre. I think it helps that all of the characters were quite likable.

2. Maria the Virgin Witch
As a person of faith, I found the way that Goro Taniguchi's version of this story, compared to the manga, was handled was really interesting and the tough questions it asked are not asked enough and provide a lot of thoughtful points. It really handled itself well on the sexuality side as well and never felt exploitative. Overall it was one of the best series of this year. Only surpassed by my number one pick.

1. Death Parade
This series is hands down my favourite of this year. Everything about it had me hooked from start to finish. The tough themes it covered, and the interestingly portrayed world were just the icing on the cake of the characters themselves. It was an extremely enjoyable journey following Decim and Onna as the mystery behind her was slowly unraveled. Everything about this series just worked for me, and it remained at the forefront of my thoughts coming into this final push of 2015, so no other series I can see deserves this spot from me.

Honourable Mentions
Himouto Umura-chan: This one was fun and a nice change of pace from the "usual" portrayals of sibling relationships. Also the humour was consistently funny throughout.
Rokka no Yuusha: A great mystery, pacing and characters made this one quite enjoyable. The knowledge that the rest of the series may never get animated tempers my enthusiasm for it though due to the ending.

As can probably be seen, a lot of my favourite series of this year came from the Winter season. Part of that stems from still having a huge backlog for 2015 though. Have yet to watch Food Wars (although the manga is one of my favourites) or the second season of Noragami (waiting to binge that whole thing). Also, although Haikyu! was my favourite series last year, the second season's split between 2015 and 2016 gives me a chance for it to sit higher as a favourite of next year rather than this year. So, it's me cheating a little there Anime hyper
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