Ranking the 16 anime that I've watched so far in 2021

In February, I watched The Disastrous Life of Saiki K for the first time based on a seven second clip I saw on tumblr. It was great. And that set me on a path of watching a bunch of anime over the next several months. Some were better than others, and one, which gets a dishonorable mention here (Food Wars), I couldn't watch more than one episode of, and another (Cowboy Bebop) just wasn't for me, so I didn't finish it. But there were fifteen other anime that I did finish, several of which I have mentioned on this blog at one point or another. But here, I will rank all 16 shows that I have completed so far.

16. Your lie in April

I watched every episode of this, so it's not like it was totally horrible or anything. But it was depressing and kind of boring and forgettable. It's about a depressed kid pianist and this girl violinist that comes into his life and cheers him up and gets him back into music. It was only one season, but I still felt like it drug on for too long.

15. given

I didn't realize this was a BL anime until I was already a couple of episodes into it. I don't really mind that, per se, but it's not my favorite genre. (I prefer the implicit romance of sports anime). It's also very music-focused, which I've learned is not something that I can really connect with, being as I'm not really a musician myself. The story was also pretty darn sad and the protagonists were boring. But the music that the band plays in the show is actually pretty cool.

14. HoriMiya

Horimiya is a sort of slice-of-life romance anime with some elements of humor. My issues with the series are that there were too many characters that I didn't really care about and that there wasn't enough development of the main relationship (Hori-san and Miyamura-kun). The type of school kid slice of life stuff going on in the show was pretty droll as well. I feel like there were other ships that should have had more satisfying conclusions too. Overall, I just wanted more out of the show in terms of stuff actually happening.

13. Golden Boy

This show was pretty darn hilarious and had that vintage anime vibe to it, which I liked. It's about a 25 year-old pervert who's basically a drifter, moving from town to town working odd jobs. Each episode follows the same sort of formula wherein he meets an incredibly sexy and capable woman who thinks he's an incompetent fool. Then he embarrasses himself by revealing himself to be a pervert (or something like that) and as he's leaving town, he proves that he's actually really smart and reliable in an ironic twist. The show would be ranked higher, but it's really inappropriate.

12. Yuri on Ice!!!

Yuri on Ice!!! is a mix of sports and romance anime, and it's debatable which is the primary genre. It's about competitive figure skating, so it's obviously kind of fruity. Following the protagonist Yuri's journey of self-confidence was really inspiring. I liked most of the animation and the music as well. I really hated the Swiss skater and were it not for his disgusting character, I might have ranked this show even higher on my list. The show has a lot of great drama as well as really, really funny moments.

11. The Way of the Househusband

I honestly should probably rank this lower because each mini-episode is basically just the same jokes/gags recycled over and over again, and the animation sucks. BUT. It works. This show has a lot of laugh out loud moments, it's really easy to watch, and the characters are all really likable and charming. I guess I also feel a certain fondness for it because I watched it with my househusband.

10. Monthly Girl's Nozaki-kun

Monthly Girl's Nozaki-Kun is what Horimiya wishes it was, in my opinion. It's basically still school kids slice-of-life stuff, but it's actually got a concept. Nozaki is a manga author and the girl who likes him, Chiyo, gets sort of roped into being his assistance when her love confession goes awry. Nozaki's total obliviousness to her crush on him is ironic because he writes romance manga for girls. The whole show's premise is entertaining and the side ships are just as cute and funny as the main ship.

9. Kuroko's Basketball

I've talked about Kuroko's Basketball at length on this blog before, so I won't go too much into detail about my feelings on this show here, but I did enjoy it enough to watch all three seasons and the movie, and while I have my issues with the pacing and story telling, the characters are really intriguing and fun and basketball is a superior sport. The weird, border-line supernatural elements of the gameplay are insanely entertaining and kind of off-putting all at once. But I still find myself thinking about the characters and doodling fanart from time to time, so I guess I liked it pretty well in the end.

8. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

So this is the last slice-of-life romance on my list and it ranks the highest for a few reasons. One: the characters are adults, so I relate to it more. Two: the concept of nerds having a hard time finding love is really cute and funny and also relatable. Three: I actually felt compelled to read the manga when I got done watching it. The slow building romance between the two main characters Narumi and Hirotaka is really compelling, even though it's not fraught with drama, which makes it really easy to watch. It's totally a feel-good story and I hope that more of the manga chapters get adapted into episodes or OVAs.

7. Sk8 the Infinity

Sk8 the Infinity was a super fun and popular anime when it came out earlier this year, and for good reason. The show was super exciting, with thrilling skateboarding races as well as heartbreaking character development. The characters also had really cool designs and the setting was really beautiful. I found there to be a good balance of humor and action. This show compelled me to draw fanart and was so inspiring that I even started to learn skateboarding over the summer. The show doesn't rank higher for me because it's a little over-dramatic and campy at times and the "villain," Adam, is super creepy and off-putting and not in a compelling way. But I look forward to more Sk8 content coming soon, hopefully, in the form of a movie or second season, maybe.

6. Free!

Free! is a classic fan-service-y anime. The point of the show is that the guys are supposed to be eye-candy. I don't tend to find myself genuinely attracted to cartoon characters, but I do like the drawings and think that the boys are pretty. I like the intense focus on the sport as well as on the almost romantic friendship that develops between the guys in the swim club. One issue I do have is with the characters that are introduced in the third season and the movies. I think the cast gets a little too big and that some of the story lines associated with those characters get boring. As long as the focus is on Haru/Rin/Makoto, then I think the show is fun and interesting. I feel like I ended up ranking this higher than Sk8 largely due to nostalgia and the fact that I have actually re-watched the show, but I also can't help but feel that the over-dramatic scenes are best executed in this show over any other on this list.

5. Death Note

This one was kind of a surprise to me, since I've heard of this show since middle school but I knew very little about it, actually. I decided to give it a chance because I saw a meme about it on tumblr and when I actually watched it I was surprised to find that it's less of a emo-kid fantasy and more of a crime drama. The cat and mouse elements of the show kept me on the edge of my seat and the characters motivations were really compelling. The whole plot is so clever and well-written, but the narrative did take a turn about two thirds of the way through that killed some of that momentum. However, it wasn't a twist that was totally out of the blue or anything, so I couldn't be too mad at it. Overall, if you've never seen this one and you like crime drama, then you should give this a try. The real world setting with fantasy elements was exactly the right balance for me.

With that we move into the top four shows on the list, which really could switch positions at any given point based on my feelings at the time. Am I more in the mood for sports or psychics? Am I more in the mood for comedy or drama? Do I want to watch something with subtitles or do I want to watch a dub? Based on the answers to those questions, my exact ranking may change. This is a difficult task, but I will now proceed with much effort to complete it!

4. Run With the Wind

I've talked about Run With the Wind on this blog before, but if you're unaware, it's a sports anime about a reluctant college long-distance running team. This show has little to no humor, but it's so incredibly heartfelt and motivating and earnest. It's got some of the most beautiful storytelling as well. Each character gets their own meaningful development and complete story arc. And of course they get a satisfying end to their time as a team as well. This show is only one season and it was a truly complete show in that time. I don't feel the desire for additional content because there were no leftover loose ends to tie up. I have nothing bad to say about this show and about this story. I think the animation was pretty much top tier as well. I didn't rank this show higher at this exact moment because it's not as exciting as the others, but nevertheless I truly recommend this to anyone, whether you like sports anime or not.

3. Mob Psycho 100

This show is incredibly good. It's one of the ones that compelled me to read the original manga since I couldn't get enough of the story. It's about a middle school kid with psychic powers who really wants to be more popular at school and his con-man master who runs a psychic consultation business. These characters are so likable and interesting and lovable. I have been drawing fanart of them and the other characters on the show non-stop for the last month or so. The show has amazing animation, the best on this list by a long shot as well, even though the character designs are so simple. The show has an excellent balance of humor and plot as well, perhaps better than any other show on the list. It's never over-dramatic and all of the emotions in the show are well-earned. I can't believe how heart-felt the show is for how crazy the concept is. The theme songs slap too. I'm ready for season three to come out soon!

2. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

This show is a gag anime based on a manga. I read the manga as well and the anime was very well adapted: fast-paced, with more jokes than you can even process in any given scene. The characters are all over-the-top stereotypes of anime clichés, but still have enough depth to keep the show grounded. While the animation is lack-luster, the show isn't built around action so it doesn't really matter. The reasons that I rank it so highly are largely due to fandom reasons: I write a lot of fanfic for this show and I draw a lot of fanart which has kept me entertained for long after I finished the show (twice) and has given me a lot to think about. The premise of the show really tickled my imagination in a way that most other shows just don't and there's still more that I would like to see with these characters even though the original story has reached its conclusion. Saiki K is just plain fun and has been on my mind for a long time.

1. Haikyuu!!

It's probably not too surprising that this is number one on my list, since I've talked about it on this blog at length and have made several videos about it on my youtube channel. I have bought the first three seasons on blue ray, so that no matter what streaming service it may or may not be on, I'll be able to watch it. I have also bought a sort of subtle sweatshirt so that I can represent my favorite team anytime, anywhere. I have drawn tons of fanart and have taken a crack at a few fanfics as well. The animation really inspired me to improve my art, pushing me to study poses and anatomy more. I feel like there is a good balance of humor and drama, though sometimes it gets a little bit over-the-top with the inspirational speeches. Honestly, I love it, though. There's a huge cast of characters to love, and while the manga ended in a way that was a little unsatisfying, the anime has yet to disappoint. I hope that season 5 gets announced soon!

That's the ranking! I'm not sure if my explanations made sense, but that's the way I'm feeling right now. I would recommend most of the shows on this list, honestly, especially the shows that managed to make it into the top ten. If you're an anime watcher, contact me with recommendations too! Maybe you can get a sense of what I'm into from this list? I'm currently watching a few other anime series and have been enjoying them too. Great Pretender on Netflix has been fun and K-On has been a very chill show to put on in the background while I work on drawings, but I'm not sure where they would slot into this list. Maybe in another six months or so I can include them in another anime ranking round-up!