Since I separated anime from my
TV shows list of 2018, I will also have this separate list for anime moments. So here are the top ten moments that I think
really stood out from anime 2018.
10.) Android 17 Wins Tournament
of Power MVP
To be fair, the entire Tournament
of Power arc – arguably the peak of Dragon Ball Super, and even the entire franchise – is probably what I have in my mind for this spot, and I’m
just letting its final moment represent the whole. Nevertheless, a second-tiered (maybe even
third-tiered) character like Android 17 being the last man standing was still
an unexpected turn, and a perfect way to cap an arc that was filled with exciting
and surprising moments.
9.) The Reunion of Team Urameshi
A mere OVA was not the way I want
to see Yu Yu Hakusho be revived. It was underwhelming overall, but I nevertheless
had a brief rush seeing Eugene, Alfred, Vincent, and Dennis (the names I had
known them in the Filipino dub I grew up with) – one of my favorite fictional quartets – reunite after so many years.
8.) Fighter Gets Raped by
Goblins
Graphic rape should never be
depicted in a story gratuitously. However,
I argued in my review for Goblin Slayer
that it wasn’t like there was no thought put behind its pilot’s rape scene –
there was. But regardless of where you stand
on this controversy, it can’t be denied that this was one of the year’s most
unforgettable anime moments.
7.) Rintaro Is Shocked by Where
Kagari Has Been
Whatever faults Steins;Gate 0 had, making its big
moments impactful was not one of them.
On top of my head, I could point out at least four stirring moments that thoroughly gave me the chills. But what really got etched
on my mind was when Rintaro, along with Moeka, discovered the facility in which
Kagari had been held during all these years.
Even though it was obvious where that scene was going, the combined
might from the excellent direction, voice acting, animation, and sound design
still made my skin crawl and took my breath away.
6.) Escanor F---- Galand Up
Right out the gate, Escanor made
quite an impression when he cleaved Galand effortlessly using an extremely
heavy ax. Now, it may be true that the
moment where he destroyed Estarossa, seemingly the strongest of the Ten
Commandments, was more awesome, but it was his initial introduction that made it
known to everyone that he’s the baddest mofo in the land, and whatever he did
onward was worth closely paying attention to.
At that exact moment, I just knew Escanor was going to be my most
favorite part of The Seven Deadly Sins’
second season.
5.) Deku Unleashes a 1,000,000%
Delaware Detroit Smash
One of the reasons why My Hero Academia, in its third season,
ended up being my most favorite anime series for the second straight year is because
of its exhilarating, testosterone-charged, fist-pumping battles. And the season’s first example of such is
when Deku, facing his toughest opponent yet in Muscular, had to push his limits
and unleash a 1,000,000% Delaware Detroit Smash. But utterly badass it might have been, it
couldn’t hold a candle to…
4.) United States of Smash
Meanwhile, All Might was also
pushed to his limits some episodes later while fighting All For One. Giving it his all, he clocks the villain with
the United States of Smash. That earned
him the victory but at the cost of depleting him of his power forever. In a stirring pose to the TV camera afterwards, he passed the torch to the next generation of heroes – but more specifically, to his protege Deku.
3.) Franchouchou’s Guerrilla
Performance
This was the moment where all the
Franchouchou girls finally become sold into becoming an idol group, and it was
also the moment where I realized I love Zombie Land Saga. It was catchy, adorable,
and entertaining, and there’s no other anime scene in 2018 that I re-watched more
times than this.
2.) Naruto and
Sasuke vs. Momoshiki
I’m often frustrated with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations because
it usually feels like it’s just spewing out filler after filler. But when it does get into the meat of it, we
get awesome stuff like this. This fight –
and the entire Momoshiki story arc, for that matter – originally played out in Boruto: Naruto the Movie a few years
ago, but there’s no question that the anime series did it much, much better.
1.) Levi vs. Kenny and His Squad
Episode 2 of Attack on Titan’s season three is for the ages, as it features one
of the greatest action set pieces in anime history – Levi’s rooftop/street/bar
fight with Kenny and his men. Seriously,
there’s more effort and artistry put into this sequence alone than what some
anime have in their entire run.
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