2014 was a great year to be an anime fan. It started strong and ended even stronger making 2014 possibly one of the best years in recent memory. If you ever thought anime wasn't worth your time, here's a list of shows that will change your mind....and some that won't.
First, I'd like to note that series that did not complete in 2015 are not on this list. So that means series such as Shigatsu no Uso and Kiseijuu are not on this list because they are still ongoing. Series such as Fate/Stay Night and Aldnoah Zero are eligible for this list because though not technically over, their first season has ended leaving a gap between the end of that season and its second season. Additionally, movies and OVAs are not listed meaning that Hanamonogatari/Tsukimonogatari are not eligible for consideration.
I also apologize ahead of time for the formatting. Blogger was not cooperating with me, so I decided to give up and just let it do whatever it wanted since I'm going for content rather than aesthetics.
Without further ado, this years categories are:
Top 5 Anime of the Year
Best Animation
Best Sound
Biggest Flops
Worst Anime
Most Hated Characters
Better Than Expected
Most Anticipated
Top 5 Anime of the Year
5. Barakamon
Last year, there was a show about a traditional Japanese card game (Chihayafuru) and now there's one about calligraphy? Boring, right? Wrong. Barakamon is a show less about calligraphy and much more about the transformation of the main character. After punching the calligraphy director when he criticized his work at an award ceremony, Handa Seishuu moves to a remote island to let things blow over and to focus on his calligraphy. What he expects to be an isolated island in the middle of nowhere ends up being his salvation. Thanks to his new life with the island's denizens, his outlook on not only his work but life as well, changes over the course of the 12 episodes. Barakamon has a simple, arguably generic plot about relocating to find oneself but it has some of the best characters and scenarios in recent memory making each episode entertaining and special.
4. Isshukan Friends
Making friends isn't easy especially when you're Fujimiya Kaori. Isshukan Friends (One Week Friends) is about the bonds of friendship and the lengths these characters will go to maintain them. What makes Isshukan Friends, so special is not only its setting, but how the characters change thanks to one another. It is a very heartwarming series that is sure to capture the hearts of anyone who watches it.
3. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Haters gonna hate, but this anime was great. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun made top 3 on my list because it was one of the funniest, most entertaining shows of 2014. Jokes felt fresh, characters had great synergy, and it was just overall enjoyable. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun was not only the best comedy of 2014 but one of its best shows. Watch it, if you don't believe me. If you have watched it, watch it again, it only gets better.
2. Ping Pong the Animation
Unique is one way to describe Ping Pong the Animation, another is Masterpiece. Despite its name, Ping Pong the Animation is less about the progression of the main characters as Ping Pong players and more about their progression as people. Some might be thrown off by its very unique animation style, but I assure you, if you decide to skip this anime based off its looks, you're making one of the biggest mistakes of your life.
1. Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
After Fate/Zero ended, I thought that it was the ultimate animated version of anything in the Fate universe in addition to being an overall animated masterpiece. When Ufotable announced that they would be doing a reboot of arguably the best route of the Fate/Stay Night visual novel, I was skeptical of it being able to top Fate/Zero. I already knew all the characters, the plot, the setting-- everything. It was even a movie before, and a decent one at that. I had no doubt that it would be a good anime, but I just did not expect it to be as amazing as it ended up being. The reason for that was a major flaw that stuck with Fate/Stay Night no matter how it was adapted. Its huge flaw was something that most people recognized especially after watching Fate/Zero. It's the main character, Shirou. He is your usual main protagonist who is trying to become a hero who won't sacrifice anyone to save others. Yes, he is the guy who says "People die if they are killed."
It gives you an idea of how dimwitted his character is. If you ask most Fate fans if they like Shirou, I doubt any of them will have much positive feedback for him. He's one of the most annoying, generic, characters in the series and readers and viewers alike had no choice but to deal with him because he was the main character.
With the new anime adaptation though, somehow, magically, Shirou is not so easy to hate. Ufotable has somehow managed to make Shirou a likeable character. Whether it was due to the script, increase in the focus on the great supporting characters, or something else, it is easier to sympathize with Shirou making for a more engrossing and enjoyable experience.
What's more is that Ufotable has made each episode of Fate/Stay Night as visually stunning and fluid as a movie. There's not a scene in the anime that could not be picked out, made into a gif, and wouldn't demonstrate just how beautiful it is.
Then there's the soundtrack which is absolutely phenomenal. It's more of the same from what you would expect from the Fate series and Kajiura Yuki (Fate/Zero, Kara no Kyoukai).
Every aspect of Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works screams polished making it an easy decision to place it as the best anime of 2014.
"Shinichiro Watanabe can do no wrong."Zankyou no Terror had the potential to get in the top 5 best anime category due to its interesting setting and very strong first episode, but it ultimately falls short mostly due to the things that should have made it great-- its characters and plot.
Zankyou no Terror takes place in modern day Tokyo, Japan where a terrorist group called Sphinx have begun placing bombs in important government buildings and asking the police to solve riddles in order to find out where the bombs are set. Over the course of the series, the reason for these terrorist acts is revealed, but more questions are left unanswered than they are answered.
Praise must be given though to its music and animation though. While some might debate that the story and characters are not as bad as I claim they are, no one can deny that Zankyou no Terror had a great OST and animation direction. Every episode, I was impressed by how consistent in quality the animation was. While most anime have a noticeable drop around half way through the series, Zankyou no Terror had no such thing and stayed constantly great.
I want to clarify that Zankyou no Terror is by no means an average show, but it does not hold up when compared to some of the other great titles of 2014. That being said, it is still an interesting watch and should not be overlooked.
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Best Animation
5. Nisekoi
One of the most surprising announcements of 2014 was the fact that Nisekoi would be animated by Shaft. Shaft, for those of you who don't know, is an animation company most famous perhaps for their work on the Monogatari series. They have a very unique style that is very complementary to more "serious" titles such as Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei or Monogatari, so the switch over to a romance comedy like Nisekoi was a huge surprise. Shaft's adaptation on Nisekoi brings in their own style (head turns and all) in conjunction with Nisekoi's lively world. Shaft made sure that Nisekoi's anime debut was visually stunning and entertaining, doing a justice to its source material.
4. Amagi Brilliant Park
Kyoto Animation does it again with another anime that's not Full Metal Panic or a moeblob. They prove that they're still one of the best animators in the industry even if they choose not to do something as action oriented as last year's Kyoukai no Kanata. Amagi looks great at all times boasting lively, fluid scenes that perfectly complement its eccentric cast.
3. Aldnoah/Zero
2. Ping Pong the Animation
Despite being second on this list, Ping Pong the Animation could have easily won first. Ping Pong brings unprecedented fluidity, emotion, and character to the anime world. As if having a good cast of characters wasn't enough, Ping Pong has great animation that makes every scene stand out and impressive.
1. Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
The best of the year also unsurprisingly has the best animation. With Ufotable in charge of the animation for Fate/Stay Night, quality expected from movies has found its way to a 12 episode series. Literally every second of this anime is beautiful, fluid, and awe inspiring. The parts without action were enough to make me think that it had the best animation of 2014, but when the action came, I KNEW it had the best animation. The fights in F/SN put to shame every action anime this year.
Honorable Mention: Sword Art Online II
Sword Art Online has always had pretty great animation, but the second season has definitely improved on it. Out of the action series that aired in 2014, SAO II definitely stands out as one of the better animated ones. Fights are as exciting as they should be without using the usual dirty camera tricks. SAO II is able to show fights in a way that other action anime fail to do making sure that all the actions of the characters are displayed in a way that the viewer can understand what is going on. This might sound like a silly reason to praise an action anime of all things, but many action anime have a surplus of still shots and very poor cinematography making action scenes extremely confusing and cheap looking. SAO II deserves praise for not falling to that level and keeping its animation quality high.
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Best Sound
5. Ping Pong the Animation
Ping Pong only gets better with a great soundtrack to back it up. The music was perfect for the anime, fitting every scene, making the viewer feel the appropriate emotion for the corresponding scene.
4. Nisekoi
Nisekoi being on this list might raise a few eyebrows, but I believe Nisekoi had some of the best BGMs not to mention Openings and Endings of any anime in 2014. What makes the soundtrack stand out so much is how well the music fits the anime. I'm bad at finding music so I can't find any of the BGMs so have the opening instead.
3. Zankyou no Terror
It's Youko Kanno, I don't think I really need to explain why this made the list. Also, it's hard to choose just one song to display how good the OST is so here's an hour long video instead.
2. Aldnoah Zero
If you liked the music from Shingeki no Kyojin and Kill la Kill, here's more of that awesomeness. With Sawano Hiroyuki at the helm of this anime's music, there is no room for disappointment. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any of the music on youtube, so here's one of the songs from the OST on soundcloud.
https://soundcloud.com/phon-l-fven-ahl/sets/aldnoah-zero-ost
1. Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2014)
Kajiura Yuuki. Seriously, if you don't know this name by now, just search Kara no Kyoukai OST and be amazed. Kajiura Yuuki brings her talent once again to another Type-Moon production and thank god she did because the music for F/SN is amazing.
Honorable Mention: Psycho-Pass 2
Psycho-Pass 2 has a great soundtrack but it is mostly recycled songs from the first season, so instead of putting it on the list, I decided to give it an honorable mention instead so as to let other series shine. Recycled or not, it's still a very good soundtrack, so give it a listen if you're interested.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9TJD49MW332gEd7wwiVs3OOAP_OV-VpZ
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Biggest Flops
5. Mahouka
This anime. Pls. It's SAO 2.0 with more wincest.
"But there was cool action and a deep plot." More like there was a convoluted story with literally zero explanation, huge pacing issues, and a main character who is invincible and serves as a panacea to any situation that arises in the anime. His only flaw? Denying that he has a hard-on for his sister....seriously so annoying and uncomfortable.
4. Grisaia no Kajitsu
I watched Grisaia no Kajitsu without having read the visual novel but I could tell that it had pretty good source material. Going through the anime, it was obvious that everything was being rushed (extremely rushed) but the overall story and characters were interesting enough that I didn't let it bother me...until I read the visual novel. Also, the last episode was beyond ridiculous, but I won't spoil it for anybody who might watch it eventually. If Grisaia no Kajitsu actually had more episodes to cover all 4 routes from the visual novel, it might have turned out a lot better but as it is, the anime adaptation turned out to be extremely disappointing if not laughably bad at times.
3. Persona 4 the Golden Animation
When another P4 anime was announced, I'm pretty sure that the general reaction was that of surprise, as in, "why was it necessary?" I thought that too but, hey, more Persona could never be a bad thing right? Nope, I was proven wrong. This time around, the anime focuses much less on the story of P4 and more on the new parts that were added to the game through Persona 4 the Golden. This means, the new character, Mari, was the main focus of this anime. What took approximately a few hours to go through in the game became an unnecessary 12 episode anime adaptation. P4GA is an example of an anime that needed less episodes rather than more. I think this would have worked a lot better as an OVA series since that way, they could cut a lot of the unnecessary scenes out and make it more coherent and concise.
2. Tokyo ESP
I personally didn't like the Tokyo ESP manga, but some people did and it got an anime. I'm pretty sure that even if I enjoyed the source material, I would not have liked the anime. It felt sloppy with poorly developed characters, mysteries that get built up but never solved, and mediocre fight scenes.
1. Terra Formars
When I read the manga for Terra Formars, I got hooked. It was exciting, had an interesting setting, and seemed to have a lot going for it. It was one of those mangas that made you think, it would be really great if it had an anime. Well, the Terra Formars anime makes me wish that it didn't have one. It was extremely close to making the cut for the top 5 worst anime of 2014 but I guess it sucked just a little less than the rest. The thing that plagued the anime the most was pacing issues. While every other anime tried to come to a conclusive end, Terra Formars just continued at its own pace and then just abruptly ended. Nothing even really happened. They kept taking several episodes to delve into characters' back stories that no one asked for. They made you try to feel for the characters but they spent way too much time on that making episodes 2/3 back story and 1/3 reflection on it. Another huge problem was how they introduced characters and plot. They use two characters on Earth who introduce everything and it just gets really frustrating and tedious to watch. They cut from the action to these two characters talking nonchalantly about government secrets, the super powers the main characters have, and sometimes character back stories. Terra Formars, never again.
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Worst Anime
5. Bakumatsu Rock
I began watching Bakumatsu Rock because of two things, the music and its interesting setting where Rock and Roll was around during the Edo period. It seemed like one of those anime where historical figures would be doing something unconventional for their time period. But instead what happens is that it followed the same pattern every episode until the last few where the producers probably realized that "Oh wait, we have to end this" and then just hurriedly threw something together. But even aside from the rushed plot, the characters were far from great which was not made better by the lack luster voice acting and the same god damn song being played EVERY SINGLE TIME WITH THE SAME POORLY ANIMATED CG SCENE. This has to be one of the laziest anime I've ever seen. In the end, the two reasons why I began watching the series ended up being the reasons I hated it and why it's one of the worst of the year.
4. M3
From the start, I really wanted to give M3 a chance. It seemed like it was a series that would start off really muddled and mysterious but would eventually solve everything, making everything fall neatly into place. Not only did this not happen but it left more questions than it answered. Without having anything be answered, everything that happens ends up just being a huge jumbled mess that is hard to enjoy.
3. Momokyun
If there's any indication of whether an anime will be bad or not, look for "plot." Momokyun has a lot of "plot" going around.
Momokyun Sword takes a different approach on the Momotarou story, making Momotarou a girl who is tasked by a goddess to gather shards of the legendary peach before the Oni collect all of them and bring destruction to the world. Each episode revolves around Momo and her party of a monkey, pheasant, and dog locating a shard and fighting the Oni for it. This pattern goes on for most of the series until the producers did the same thing as Bakumatsu Rock (rush to the finish) except they added a plot twist.
2. Dramatical Murder
No.
1. Sonico
Every episode, I was in agony. The reason behind this was primarily its vapid characters in combination with its overly simplistic plot which was obviously conceived for the pure sake of promoting Super Sonico. For those who do not know, Super Sonicowas originally a mascot that was developed by Nitroplus for one of their music festivals. She was then mostly made to appear in visual novels, and eventually gained her own manga, anime, as well as cds.
The anime adaptation centers around Super Sonico (yes, that's the name she uses in the anime) who is currently attending college while working as a model, guitarist for her band, and sometimes helping out at her grandmother's restaurant. Aside from this, literally nothing happens. It's 12 episodes of just watching IQ lowering fluff. The anime is nothing more than a cash grab geared towards fans who want to see their favorite plot monster in action.
Dishonorable Mention: Blade and Soul
What do you get when you take, bad characters, a worse plot, and even worse animation and voice acting and put them into one anime? Blade and Soul. For a proclaimed action anime, it has some of the worst action scenes I've ever seen. Admittedly, they were not all bad, there were some times when everything looked decent but when it didn't look decent, it looked horrible.
The story, while simple, became extremely convoluted and difficult to follow which was not helped by the anime's poor pacing.
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Most Hated Characters
5. Slaine
If a tree fell down and no one was around to hear it...fuck Slaine
.
4. Slaine
On a scale of 1-10. Fuck Slaine.
3. Slaine
Scientists have proven that there is no Alternate Universe where Slaine is cool and no one likes the piece of shit we named Slaine.
2. Slaine
Here's a list of people worse than Slaine....
1. Slaine
Seriously. Fuck Slaine.
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Better than Expected
5. Inou Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka De
Another harem anime? Yes and no. What sets Inou Battle apart from other harems is the fact
that Trigger is behind it and....that's about it. The real pleasure you'll get from watching the show aside from the animation is the characters and the overall atmosphere. While I believe the anime was too ambitious, it was an enjoyable ride and something that is worth a watch.
4. Sword Art Online II
When the original Sword Art Online came out, everyone rushed to recommend it as potentially the best series of its year (some people still think so). Unfortunately, it took a nose dive after a few episodes and turned from a very exciting series to just a borderline harem action show. While Sword Art Online II does not necessarily stray away from that, it is not nearly as focused on it as its first season. This time, it's all about the characters and that's a good thing.
The first story arc of SAO II focuses on a new character, Asada Shino and a mysterious killer, Death Gun who has been allegedly been killing people through the online multi-player game, Gungale Online. I believe this is SAO II's strongest arc. It reclaims some of the tension from the beginning of the first season that made it initially interesting. This time though, the anime knows its limitations and doesn't try to do anything out of its reach.
The other two arcs go back to Alfenheim with the first arc being utterly pointless, while the second one is heart warming. I believe that whenever the story centers around Alfenheim, the story just gets severely uninteresting and formulaic which is probably due to the fact that the harem problem starts up again. Luckily, in the second Alfeneheim arc, Kirito and crew are primarily gone and it instead focuses on Asuna and her relationship with her mom in addition to a new character, Yuuki.
SAO II begins strong, has a questionable middle, and ends strong. For anyone who treated the series with caution due to the first season, rest assured, this season is not garbage.
3. Baby Steps
To be clear, I really don't watch sports anime. They are usually over the top to the point of ridicule and follow the same patterns over and over again. However, Baby Steps takes the viewer through a journey of Maruo Eiichiro from his beginnings as a book worm, to a casual tennis player, to an aspiring pro. What's special about Baby Steps is its pacing and characters. Like other anime, Eiichiro is a hard worker and is met with many obstacles along the way. What's different is Eiichiro himself. He doesn't pull off any miracles like in other sports anime, his results directly reflect his own hard work.
In order to catch up to his competitors who have been playing tennis from a young age, he worked on improving his accuracy and stamina by focusing on his strengths, repetition. Every day, he practices the same strokes with the same training regime and eventually he is able to compete with the strongest players in his division.
Watching Baby Steps, you gain a better understanding of tennis, of the characters, and ultimately develop a stronger connection with the characters making for a very enjoyable watch.
2. Mikakunin de Shinkoukei (Engaged to the Unidentified)
I came into this anime expecting one of the standard, generic romance comedies and was instead given a very competent series with memorable characters and an overall fun time. The star of the anime is definitely the side characters which spice up the otherwise normal plot. Every episode has its own flair and uniqueness due to character chemistry and very amusing dialogue. Mikakunin de Shinkoukei is one of the few romance comedies that doesn't come off as generic and instead leaves a lasting impression on its viewers. If you're looking for a light hearted romance comedy with great characters, this anime is definitely for you. Even if you aren't, this anime might be for you.
1. No Game No Life
I had my doubts about No Game No Life when I read the synopsis, but what was once doubt turned into great enjoyment and excitement for any kind of continuation of the series. Some might say that No Game no Life should be considered one of the best anime of the year and for good reason. It had an interesting setting, great characters, a unique animation style, in addition to a decent plot and pacing. Game theory the anime-- I mean, No Game No Life follows the story of two prodigal (otaku) gamer siblings who get transported to a world where battles are no longer fought through weapons but through games. They quickly realize that in this world, humans are at the lower echelon of society while other fantastical beings such as elves inhabit the higher positions. Humans are considered weak pushovers who cannot win anything mostly due to their previous king losing a large majority of their land in a foolish game with another country. After the siblings come, they show the world that humans aren't as weak as they seem. The way that they play games is interesting in of itself, but the best part of the anime are the characters which really breathe life into this anime. No Game No Life is one of those anime that you'll hesitate to watch but by the time you realize it, you've finished the first season and now you want a second season. Do yourself a favor if you haven't, and watch it.
Honorable Mention: Akame Ga Kill
If you want action that's better than your average Shounen series, Akame ga Kill will be right up your alley.
What makes Akame ga Kill worth mentioning is the setting. The main character initially goes to the country's capital in order to join the army with his 2 childhood friends in order to earn money to send back home to his village. He instead ends up joining an assassin troupe called Night Raid due to the obvious corruption of the government. The enemies he and Night Raid fight, are mixed. Some you can't help but sympathize with and others are just rotten to the core and you will cheer for their deaths. Being able to feel bad for an enemy is an impressive feat and Akame ga Kill is able to pull it off effortlessly.
Akame ga Kill should also be noted for its action scenes which are very impressive. Even if you don't like the characters somehow, if you like action, Akame ga Kill has you covered.
Akame ga Kill unfortunately falls short in pacing and overall plot making it a good series but not as outstanding as others this season. Regardless of its flaws, it was an enjoyable watch and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who enjoys Shounen anime.
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Top 5 Most Anticipated
5. The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls
4. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Egypt Arc
3. Aldnoah/Zero (2015)
2. Durarara x2 Shou
1. Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (2015)
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