The Best Anime from Each Year of the 2010s

In the past, even the best anime tended to be rather niche. If they weren’t film-buff favorites like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, they were Saturday morning fare that got trimmed to bits for localization and censorship purposes. Not that this stopped some old video outlets putting ultra-violent affairs like Ninja Scroll or Urotsukidoji next to the Disney classics.

But now it’s one of the most popular forms of animation out there, with the 2000s seeing a host of shōnen shows like Naruto and Death Note become mainstays. Then, thanks to the rise of streaming services in the 2010s, viewers could suddenly watch as much anime as they liked, and catch them as soon as they were broadcast-ready. But which anime made a Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRV, etc., subscription worth the cost? Whether they excelled in storytelling, animation, cultural impact, or all three, these are the best anime of the 2010s year by year.

10

2010: The Tatami Galaxy

Disillusionment Across Dimensions

2010 saw Studio Ghibli adapt The Borrowers in their own style with Arriety. Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s manga about manga, Bakuman, became an anime about manga. The World God Only Knows brought the laughs, while Colorful opted for a drama about suicide that, while much more sobering, managed to be uplifting without feeling artificial.

It made viewers think, but not as much as The Tatami Galaxy did. Based on the 2004 novel, its nameless protagonist tries to see how his college life would go across different parallel universes, only for none of them to live up to his expectations. It may be a comedy, but it has a dark psychological edge that makes it a fascinating watch.

9

2011: Steins;Gate

Texting the Past to Save the Future

Steins;Gate

Release Date

2011 – 2011

Network

Sun TV, Teletama

Directors

Kazuhiro Ozawa, Kanji Wakabayashi, Tomoki Kobayashi, Koji Kobayashi, Tomoko Hiramuki, Hisato Shimoda, Shigetaka Ikeda, Hiroyuki Tsuchiya, Yuzuru Tachikawa

2011 ramped things up with Tiger & Bunny, a twist on superheroes that was interesting, but not as dark or twisted as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, which hid its plot about galactic conspiracies behind a magical-girl veneer. In contrast, Hunter X Hunter got readapted for a new generation, and Hotarubi no Mori E offered a must-see if bittersweet short.

But as popular as they are, they didn’t explode in the same way Steins;Gate did. Though it started off as a video game, its story about averting potentially disastrous alternate timelines while avoiding its own shadowy cabal arguably exceeded its visual novel origins. The anime clicked with viewers and critics of all stripes, inspiring a range of articles detailing its science, approach to geek culture, and its different themes.

8

2012: Space Brothers

Late Bloomers Can Still Shoot for the Stars

Space Brothers

Release Date

2012 – 2014

Network

Nippon TV, YTV

Directors

Hideaki Uehara, Shigeru Ueda, Takahiro Harada, Matsuo Asami, Nanako Shimazaki, Yasuo Tsuchiya, Daiji Suzuki, Toshimasa Ishii, Akiko Seki, Shigeru Yamazaki, Yoshihiro Oka, Hisatoshi Shimizu, Fumio Maezono, Yukihiko Asaki

It would be to follow whatever anime won the most awards per year. The lupine family drama of Wolf Children will likely touch more hearts than, say, Sword Art Online. Both came out in 2012, though while WC got better critical praise than SAO, the latter produced an isekai boom that has produced a wide range of follow-ups, rivals, and imitators.

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So, it might be surprising for fans of either to see Space Brothers here. That’s because, ironically, it’s more down-to-earth than WC or SAO. Mutta’s goal to make up for his lost youth and join his younger brother Hibito as an astronaut is relatable without being morose, and spectacular without being over the top. The show got plenty of plaudits, but next to SAO and other 2012 anime like Kingdom, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Psycho-Pass, it feels underrated.

7

2013: Attack on Titan

The Start of a Colossal Series

It’s easier to pick winners in some years than in others. Like SAO, Attack on Titan became one of the biggest series of the decade. By its end, it had become a cultural mainstay, being referenced in non-anime media. That’s not to mention its awards and accolades for its story detailing the rise and fall of its ‘hero,’ Eren Yeager. Though that doesn’t mean it didn’t have competition.

The late Isao Takahata arguably produced his best work for Ghibli in 2013 wuth his take on The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, while Hayao Miyazaki rivaled it with The Wind Rises. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU became the best romcom of the year, and the murder-mystery visual novel Danganronpa exploded beyond its PSP origins with Danganronpa: The Animation.

6

2014: Ping-Pong: The Animation

A Unique Story Told Through a Unique Sport

• Studio: Tatsunoko Production
• 1 Season, 11 Episodes
• Available on Crunchyroll

2014 was a pretty good year for anime. The classic horror manga Parasyte was finally animated as Parasyte: The Maxim, and Space Dandy became a cult classic. Your Lie in April smoothed out its manga’s kinks and came close to getting the spot for this year. But it’s hard to deny the power of Ping-Pong: The Animation, as it was a sports anime with a difference.

Peco and Smile’s stories weren’t about struggling to win the next big game like its rivals. It was more about coming to terms with who they were as people, as they didn’t always win, and didn’t always take their losses well. It’s as much about the psychology of its players as it is about their records. Combine its storytelling with its strong animation, sound, and pacing, and viewers have a visual, aural, and neural treat in one series.

5

2015: One-Punch Man

An S-Class Series About a B-Class Hero

One-Punch Man

Release Date

October 5, 2015

Directors

Shingo Natsume, Chikara Sakurai

Writers

Tomohiro Suzuki

Compared to 2014, 2015 is rather quiet. Dragon Ball came back as Dragon Ball Super, though it wasn’t quite as pristine as the movies that preceded it. Food Wars shonen-ized cooking and combined fine dining with fanservice. Assassination Classroom became a strong front-runner, as its odd premise was fun and engaging in equal measure. But One-Punch Man was a touch more tantalizing.

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ONE’s scrappily doodled webcomic about a superhero who could destroy everything in one hit was partly a comedy of errors and partly a psychological study, as Saitama tries to find fulfillment beyond the strength he gained. While its second season was all right, its first season lived up to Yusuke Murata’s redrawn version of ONE’s comic with its eye for detail and dynamic animation.

4

2016: A Silent Voice

Ironically Louder Than its Counterparts

A Silent Voice

Release Date

September 17, 2016

Runtime

130 Minutes

Director

Taichi Ishidate, Naoko Yamada

2016 became a battlefield of big-name series. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 4 butted heads with My Hero Academia. Your Name’s bodyswap romantic drama took on the BL smash hit Yuri!!! On Ice. The Disastrous Life of Saiki. K tried to psych-out Mob Psycho 100, while Erased and Re: Zero fought across time and space.

Even so, those shows couldn’t deliver the emotional gut punch A Silent Voice provided. Shoya’s redemption for bullying his deaf classmate Shoko is harsh but moving, heavy yet uplifting, and bitter with a sweet aftertaste. Its 130 minutes offer more of an emotional rollercoaster ride than many full series, let alone other movies.

3

2017: Made in Abyss

Looking Beyond the Surface

2017 offered a few strong contenders. Kino’s Journey-The Beautiful World and Girls’ Last Tour were both charming, melancholic tales. Inuyashiki and The Saga of Tanya the Evil looked into the nature of good and evil. Land of the Lustrous showed that ‘3D’ didn’t have to be a dirty word in anime, as people have been waiting for it to get a second season ever since it ended.

However, they didn’t offer as much of a curveball as Made in Abyss did. It looked as cute as Girls’ Last Tour, while being way more grim. Riko heads into the titular abyss to find out what happened to her mother, with a robot boy called Reg to accompany her. But what she finds borders on bad taste, as the Abyss hides more horrors than its increasingly horrific monsters.

2

2018: Hinamatsuri

An Unlikely Winner in a Busy Year

Hinamatsuri

Release Date

2018 – 2018

Directors

Masashi Ishihama

Writers

Masashi Sogo, Yûsuke Kishi

2018 saw several big hitters make their debuts. Golden Kamuy, Wotakoi, Megalo Box, Devilman Crybaby, Pop Team Epic, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and more are all must-see anime. There’s something for everyone: workplace dramas, gritty tales of retribution, and surreal flights of fantasy.

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Hinamatsuri offers practically all their twists and turns in one 12-episode series. Nitta, a yakuza grunt, takes care of a powerful psychic child called Hina. The story offers criminal drama, cutesy comedy antics, surreal sight gags, complex sci-fi, and touching moments as the two bond over time. It’s sweet, silly, and serious.

1

2019: Kaguya-Sama: Love is War

Making Romance By Testing Wills

2019 wasn’t as swamped as 2018, but it had plenty of contenders. Dr Stone managed to shonen-ize science. Osamu Tezuka’s classic series Dororo got remade, and Vinland Saga finally got animated. The Promised Neverland impressed worldwide, at least until its second season came along.

Still, shows don’t have to be heavy historical epics or dramas to win out. Kaguya-sama: Love is War turned courtship into a battle of wits, as Kaguya and Miyuki try to make the other show their feelings first, often to the bemusement of their friends. The show became a sensation, winning awards along with praise from fans and critics alike, becoming the top show heading into 2020.

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