10. My Hero Academia Season 7 (Kenji Nagasaki, Bones)
The context here is on a very high level, once more in combination with the intense drama that permeates this season. In that regard, the presence of a traitor among the Academy’s members provides one of the most impactful arcs here, both for the shock of the revelation and the way this betrayal was shaped. As the issues families face comes to the fore, it is also worth mentioning that the Dabi-Endeavor-Shoto arc is resolved in the most dramatic fashion, twice actually, with its very ending being rather emotional as much as one of the most impressive battle sequences in the whole season.
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9. Kingdom Season 5 (Kenichi Imaizumi, Studio Pierrot and Studio Signpost)
This combination of drama and action, along with the inner and exterior conflict is the best asset of the season, and the one that allows it to stand out from an otherwise repetitive style of narrative, since the last seasons focus on a specific battle almost exclusively. At the same time, the anti-war comments continue even harsher, additionally being connected with the coming-of-age of Shin and his group. In that regard, that Kan Ki’s appalling tactics end up being rather successful sends a clear message to the group, who try to retain their ethics even among such a horrible concept as war.
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8. Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master (Yoshiaki Kyougoku, Studio Pierrot)
Particularly in the first part of the series, where the rise of the Prince is juxtaposed with the feud among his potential wives, offers probably the best writing we have seen this year, with the characters and their shifting dynamics being truly captivating. The second part is not as intricate, although still quite entertaining, while the issues with the character design prevert “Yatagarasu” of having an even higher position in the list.
7. The Apothecary Diaries (Nirihiro Naganuma, OLM and Toho Animation)
Evidently, the best aspect of the whole series is the rather multileveled script, which also extends to the characters featuring throughout the story. The apogee of this aspect is definitely Maomao, with her personality and background becoming more intricate the more are revealed throughout the series. Her past, where she grew up in a brothel, being taken care of by the proprietor and three high-class prostitutes, was adopted by a doctor who had some connections with the palace, and the enigma of her actual parents set a very appealing background to her story. The prowess, however, does not stop there. The fact that she seems cool and sure of herself, but frequently finds herself in embarrassing situations due to the interactions with people who “have” her, her intense intelligence, knowledge, and powers of analysis and deduction, with her obsessions with poisons and medicines, as much as her knack for drinking result in an impressive amalgam, in one of the most outstanding character analysis we have seen in an anime.
6. Solo Leveling (Shunsuke Nagashige, A-1 Pictures)
At the same time, this aspect also allows for a more thorough analysis of the main character, mainly as an individual, with the stand alone approach here working quite well. Furthermore, even when he finds a comrade, he is the one in charge, in a rather unique element for the particular genre, which adds to his portrait. Moreover, and in probably the most interesting element here, Shunsuke Nagashige examines how Jinwoo ends up becoming murderous, in a way that can only be described as cold-blooded. The fact that he is both that, but also a loving brother and son, creates an ambiguous persona that definitely raises the interest towards him. Lastly, his relationship with Joo-hee, who ends up traumatized by all the violence and death surrounding the dungeon dwellers, hints at something very intriguing too, which is bound to be explored more in the next seasons.
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5. Frieren: Beyond Journey`s End (Keiichiro Saito, Madhouse)
The second unique and actually surprising element here, after the timing of the beginning of the story, is definitely the focus on how the essentially ageless presence of Frieren impacts and is impacted by her comrades, who do not share this ‘ability’ of hers. As such, in the beginning, Frieren is quite impervious to the fact that the people around her do not have as much time as she has, thus dealing with their lives in a more hasty way. As time passes though, and particularly after Himmel’s death and her discussions with Fern, she begins to realize the fact, and through this process, gradually matures, in a coming-of-age element that is actually one of the most central aspects of the narrative.
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4. A Sign of Affection (Yuta Marano, Ajia-do Animation Works)
Communication and emotional growth are the core things here. Yuki is sheltered and naive without being insipid. Her world is limited by her disability, or at least she believes it to be. In meeting Itsuomi, he helps her see that she can participate in more of the world than she thought possible. Itsuomi, meanwhile, whilst skilled with verbal languages, experiences a different kind of communication with Yuki and discovering the effect it has in how she sees things. He has a cool personality that doesn’t come across as overly aloof and he has a playful and caring side. Yuki’s inner monologue is heard by the audience throughout and this both helps us understand her and shows the difficulty that she finds in expressing exactly how she feels. (Sarah Miles)
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3. Monogatari Series: Off and Monster Season (Midori Yoshizawa, Shaft)
Descending on Nadeko’s streams of consciousness means dealing with a hikikomori who wants to become a mangaka and understands that to draw, she must start living again! It is through the painful and violent confrontation with the other Nadekos that she finds the desire to survive to her past and love again. Thanks to the fact that she wants to live up to her alter egos and their feelings, Nadeko finds the courage not to betray her will. (Antony Danese)
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2. Dead Dead Demon’s Dededededestruction (Tomoyuki Kurokawa, Production +h)
Probably the most interesting aspect in terms of context, though, is the way the alien invasion is presented. The aliens never actually attack, and although their purposes are unknown, the government and military corporations immediately proceed on attacking them and developing weapons to do so, with their practices actually having rather dire consequences for the population. The massacre of the aliens, who seem unable to retaliate, by both the military and paramilitary groups, and the whole immigrant mentality the ‘invaders’ have add another level here, which takes a metaphorical path that also works quite well for the narrative.
1. Dan Da Dan (Fuga Yamashiro, Science Saru)
Fuga Yamashiro brings the absurd collection of mashups of Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga to the screen in the most rewarding fashion possible. For starters, the mashup of genres is the most evident one. We have the romantic arc between the two protagonists, which follows an adorable will-they-won’t-they approach, which becomes more complicated when two ‘adversaries’ appear (one for each). We also have the supernatural arc, which is actually split between ghosts and aliens in ways that differ significantly from each other, while school and family drama elements are also quite prevalent here.
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