While constructing my list for
top 20 TV shows of 2018, I noticed that it was being dominated by anime. It’s because 2018 was the year in which I had followed the most amount of anime shows as an adult (I also caught up with a couple of old ones), and with 2018 being considered by the consensus
as one of the best years of anime – if not the best – it’s only logical why. Thus, instead of the usual “top 20” list, for
2018, I decided to make a separate “top 10” list for anime series in order to make
room for more non-anime (i.e. West-produced) shows to be covered in the “TV
shows” list.
Alright. Let’s jump into it…
Honorable
mentions: Goblin Slayer, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai,
Overlord, A Place Further than the Universe
10.) Steins;Gate 0
“In a nutshell, the entire series involves waiting for the dispirited Okabe Rintaro to ‘resurrect’ Hououin Kyouma. It takes most of the episodes to get there, and it can be sometimes chore-like… However, the great anticipation for the endgame and exemplary storytelling amply enable the audience to push through, and once it finally arrives at the eventual return of Hououin Kyouma, it’s such a glorious, spine-tingling, fist-pumping moment that it makes the somewhat tough journey toward it well worth it.”
Click here for the full review.
9.) Zombie Land Saga
“The premise is objectively ludicrous. But it’s the kind of twist that compelled me to watch my very first idol anime… It brilliantly lampoons the idol industry, but at the same time, celebrates its merits… Moreover, the anime promotes, without being heavy-handed about it, the value of moving forward amid the fear of replicating past pitfalls as well as the profound strength that can be found in belonging to a group. And all these are delivered while being accompanied by gut-busting hilarity, endearing quirkiness, and efficient placements of the feels.”
Click here for the full review.
8.) Cells at Work!
“It’s truly a brilliant show – not necessarily because it’s the first one to have ever thought of anthropomorphizing the microscopic world inside the human body… but because it’s probably the best one to have done this. It can be easily observed that there’s a great amount of creativity and cleverness involved in how the show translates real-life biological characteristics into tasks, personalities, designs, sets, technology, and other details of this world and its characters. And the plotlines it reinterprets from actual cases the body undergoes are incredibly thrilling, humorous, and even poignant.”
“Tapping into the premise of having a horrible job to generate comedy, while critiquing the absurdities of workplace culture, is not a new concept… However, Aggretsuko actually manages to be more relatable, profound, and even tender than many such office comedies. Add that to the fact that it’s being conveyed through the context of a quirky Sanrio-inspired world, and it succeeds in being enormously entertaining.”
Click here for the full
review. Click here for my review of the
Christmas special.
6.) That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
6.) That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
5.) Hinamatsuri
“What makes Hinamatsuri primarily noteworthy is the comedy. It’s a show brimming with brilliant gags. One’s amusement escalates from the setup to the delivery to the punchline. In addition, amid its goldmine of jokes, it also surprisingly slows down to tug at the hearstrings with some bittersweet moments.”
Click here for the full review.
4.) Violet Evergarden
“Violet Evergarden is such a beautiful anime – emphasis put on “beautiful” because it is truly so in both writing and animation. There’s an exquisite attention to detail in the craftsmanship involved that it visually and narratively flows with gracefully captivating quality. As a result, it arouses a potently emotional watching experience.”
3.) Devilman Crybaby
“Devilman Crybaby isn’t for everyone. Some may find its cockeyed animation style and occasional blasts of surreal visuals unappealing. While some may be turned off by the extreme, explicit content. But for those who get to go past these things – or rather, appreciate their necessity and suitability to the story being told – they will enjoy a genuinely smart, unique, and dynamic anime.”
Click here for the full review.
This show, in its past two seasons, has always been about being a visceral ride. Season 3 was likewise, but in an almost fundamentally different way, and I loved almost every bit of it. There was a noticeable change of pace for this season, which was perfectly embodied in the OP – instead of the usual heavy metal music, it opted for something more reflective and sentimental. In addition, it had some of the most memorable anime action set pieces of the year.
On the other hand, the reveal that the reason Levi and Mikasa are such badasses is because of genetics bugged me a bit. I prefer it for them to be badasses for no other reason but because they are.
1.) My Hero Academia
2.) Attack on Titan
On the other hand, the reveal that the reason Levi and Mikasa are such badasses is because of genetics bugged me a bit. I prefer it for them to be badasses for no other reason but because they are.
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