Top 10 Memorable Anime Moments of 2018

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.