First aired: 2014 | Episodes: 22 When she was a kid, she loved reading books. What would normally be the defining climax/twist in any other sci-fi show, its creators refuse to hide from the audience. Director Masaaki Yuasa retained the art style of the manga, by acclaimed artist Taiyō Matsumoto, characters rough and exaggerated, scenes cut up into panels just like a comic. 16 November 2020, The best anime on the biggest streaming services around. They cover genres as wildly different as action-heavy shonen to sports, mecha, romance and slice-of-life. © NY 10036. Arte is about a young woman pursuing her dream of becoming a painter in 16th century Florence. Where to watch it: Netflix. Even as studios scrambled to adapt to the ever-changing conditions of 2020, animators still managed to produce a landmark year for anime. Create lists for what you've seen & read, watch over 40,000 legal streaming episodes online, and meet other anime fans just like you. The series’ fourth season is MHA at both its darkest and its strongest, as it further explores the complications of a world where nearly everyone is super-powered. It is wacky – but none of it is random. Where to watch it: Crunchyroll. From capturing Hirohoki Araki’s highly recognizable art style to plot lines and action that can often described as camp, it surely is an anime that evokes a solid love or hate reaction in many people. Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation. This makes it a rather low stakes, but enjoyable show. His sister Nezuko seemingly survives, but transforms into a demon herself. And better-animated, too. It's a slice-of-life series with a touch of the supernatural, but what makes it great is how it uses those supernatural encounters to tell human stories. Welcome to Top '10s, our fond farewell to the movies, ... we made this list of the 50 best anime series of the 2010s. Basically Catarina, unlike similar protagonists, is a well-meaning doofus. Where to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu. There's just so much in Evangelion: it's dense with biblical imagery and psychoanalysis and what-the-hell moments that have inspired countless games and anime since the '90s. First aired: 2014 | Episodes: 11 Mob Psycho 100 is simply the best action series of the past several years, thanks to the peerless animation of Studio BONES, imaginative characters, and a whole lot of heart. And with beautiful animation and art direction, the show is enjoyable to watch in multi-episode chunks or across multiple viewings. Want to watch the best anime shows around? It doesn't focus on action, but instead the politics and commanding officers of the Free Planets Alliance and the Galactic Empire. First aired: 2016 | Episodes: 152 now streaming Updated Aug. 1, 2020. First aired: 2016 | Episodes: 25 We saw even more investment in productions by international streamers like Netflix. First aired: 2018 | Episodes: 13 10 Awesome Feel-Good Anime Series To Help You Recover From 2020. First aired: 2012 | Episodes: 22 Where to watch: Funimation. Lupin kinda gets married to a rich celebrity/adrenaline junkie, crosses paths with the CIA, and is, as always, chased by square-jawed international supercop Zenigata. Mob is a middle school kid who happens to have incredible psychic powers, and he inevitably uses them to fight other psychics in outlandish battles. Most sports anime are comfortable, trope-y hang-out shows with a fun cast of characters that are content to trundle along for a couple hundred episodes. It's an ever-evolving series, and especially adept at planting seeds that will pay off in big, revelatory moments a dozen hours down the line. You will receive a verification email shortly. First aired: 1998 | Episodes: 1,109 The best anime in each category rises above its genre in one way or another. Apps. You can't go wrong with either animated version of Fullmetal Alchemist, but the second adaptation of the manga, Brotherhood, is ultimately the better of the two. No show better exemplifies the Japanese theme of fighting spirit better than Gainax's exuberant, over-the-top mecha masterpiece Gurren Lagann. Find out which unexpected series from this past year took the top spot in our list of 2020's best shows. With tragically heartbreaking scenes and emotional moments, these stories are powerful. There are other anime series (based on long-running manga) that run for hundreds upon hundreds of episodes, but they're essentially designed to run forever, keeping characters largely the same. It has style to spare, but it's ultimately the relationship of friends Smile and Peco that makes Ping Pong an all-timer. 2020 in anime. Aggretsuko is frighteningly relatable, and a must-watch to anyone feeling downtrodden by the rigors of modern day life. It’s inspiring, and just like the all the best anime, Eizouken celebrates having the tenacity to follow your dreams, even when it’s hard work. Mushishi's approach to the relationship between man and nature is quieter and more contemplative than the movies of Studio Ghibli, but you can definitely draw parallels there. Despite its fantastical concept, Death Note is an accomplished crime thriller. First aired: 1988 | Episodes: 110 Mired in depression, there doesn’t seem to be anything he enjoys. Where to watch it: Funimation. There will be more supernatural occurrences than you can shake as stick at, as members of the Joestar family time and time again try not only to thwart the Brandos, but also save the universe with their mighty fists. The series explores how final products are often a compromise between what the animator wants to do, what investors want, and what they can produce in the time they have. Where to watch it: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation. The series transforms Sherlock Holmes’ greatest foe from a criminal mastermind into a revolutionary anti-hero who constructs his perfect crimes for those seeking justice against the normally untouchable rich and powerful upper-class British society. The protagonist, Ginko, deals with the tragic and the mundane, dispensing words of wisdom while curing a young boy's hearing loss or helping a man search for a mystical rainbow you can reach out and touch. It’s a story about living life to its fullest, and trying to let go of regrets, without making light of how truly difficult things can get. Its retro design, its eclectic soundtrack, its defiant end title card proclaiming "not dead yet…" There's a likeable cast of characters, sympathetic backstories and moral quandaries, to be sure, but the joy here is rooting for the underdog as he survives a series of brutal, frenetic battles. The show has unparalleled character animation and spectacular, multidimensional action scenes. So in order to help you distinguish the wheat from the chaff I’ve compiled a list of some of the best anime of 2020. With season two, the cast begins to find ways to process through their issues even as the gravity of their family and their curse continues to complicate their lives. Both poignant and heartening, it balances the wish-fulfillment and reality of a person pursuing a creative life. The creators infuse tension, nuance, and depth into Paru Itagaki’s brilliant high school drama/murder mystery manga. The series follows a group of high school kids training to become the next wave of heroes, and thanks to a fun cast and brisk pacing, it's a prime candidate for binging. Some of the qualifying factors taken into consideration for a series being deemed great are, entertainment value, popularity, lasting appeal, quality of writing, originality and significance to the medium of anime. (One's already out!) After being cast out by her remaining family, orphan Chise – who possesses the rare ability to draw in magic from around her – is sold to Elias, a Thorn Mage with a skull for a head. The second season of Bookworm continues to find new and fascinating complications for Myne’s seemingly simple ambition of wanting to make books. The anime centers on a girl named Elaina. Mob is gentle to his core, and cares deeply about growing up into a better person without taking advantage of his psychic gifts. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer, How to watch Attack on Titan season 4 online, Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review, Where to buy PS5: all the latest restock updates, Best Netflix shows: 30 amazing TV shows that are worth binge watching, The Lord of the Rings on Amazon Prime has an official synopsis, and we're excited, Why your next TV should be a TCL OD Zero mini-LED, The Mandalorian's MicroLED displays could kill off the green screen for good – here's why, Cobra Kai season 4: release date, story, season 3 ending explained and what we know, CES 2021: These microLED smart glasses might be the coolest we’ve seen, Your Lie in April (Shigatsu Wa Kimi No Uso). 2020 is at our door steps, and there are already plenty of exciting anime series on tap for next upcoming year. The creators have begun to fill in the tragic backstories of the show’s supporting cast, though without losing the series’ unique sense of humor. Where to watch it: Netflix, Prime Video. Kimetsu no Yaiba somehow manages to imbue a well-used setting with new life and boasts great production values all around, from the animation to voice acting and music. But Mob Psycho 100 deviates from most series of its kind by being a surprisingly deep character study, especially in its second season. As you learn of the underlying traumas that haunt its characters, Okabe is revealed to be more sympathetic and noble than he first appears. Where to watch: Hulu, Funimation. Malindy Hetfeld First aired: 2004 | Episodes: 13 Anime has a complicated relationship with gay representation, even today. I’ve narrowed the list to seventeen shows, most of which could easily be watched in their entirety in just a few days. It all means something, from the moment the wild, pink-haired, Vespa-riding Haruko smashes tween Naota in the head with her guitar and sets off his journey through adolescence. With this list, we'll be taking a look at the most anticipated mystery anime of the 2020 season. Phil Savage, The series findings drama and character in the gender politics of the period, the privilege of class, and the minutia of how Renaissance art was made. Where to watch it: Netflix. Over the course of eight seasons, you follow different members of the Joestar family through several decades. See how your favorites ranked (or didn't) next to top shows like "The Queen's Gambit," "The Mandalorian," "The Boys," "The Umbrella Academy," "Better Call Saul," and "Ozark." Who's stealing things from around the school?). It’s a good thing Retsuko, the timid titular character in this wonderful anime from Sanrio, can do exactly that. As in all Watanabe's shows, the music really sets the tone for the show, and his use of modern hip hop gives Champloo a wholly unique tone. Beautiful anime such as The Promised Neverland, Rilakkuma and Kaoru, Kengan Ashura, and Beastars was released last year. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Lupin III forever. A mysterious boy with roller blades and a bent metal bat starts attacking people on the streets of Tokyo, at crisis points in each of their lives. After watching Evangelion, we guarantee that there's at least one reference in something you've watched or played that will belatedly make you go ohhh, now I get it. Over the last decade, American anime fans have finally started to get access to series that explore the more human, less explosive, elements of … The first season of Kaguya was a breath of fresh air in terms of romantic comedies thanks in large part to brilliant choices in its animation style. Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll. The simple premise of the show is that Natsume seeks out these spirits in order to restore their names to them and unbind them. It doesn’t make any sense, but it has to be seen to be believed. It’s as though someone wrote a fantastical horror story and then had it converted into a comedy. Every time you think it can't get more dramatic, more emotional, more over-the-top, it will exceed your expectations. The absolute pinnacle of unrestrained anime action. This arc pushes against societal challenges of following one’s professional pursuit. This is a masterpiece of a show from top to bottom. And the way L goads Light into making mistakes – even just revealing more information then he intended – is always a delight. All of the animation, acting, and writing choices convey the emotional drama of high school teens on the precipice of adult responsibility. Even if you don't like mecha shows about giant fighting robots, which is what Eva is at a high level. Wild, overwhelming, confusing, sad, empowering – it's all in there. The season is more personal for Deku and the UA students, but no less dramatic. One minute they’re designing a flying vehicle on paper, the next you see them get in and take a tour around their neighbourhood. Its real depth quietly sneaks up on you: it's lighthearted and breezy at first, finding delight in tiny everyday mysteries (who's the murderer in an unfinished movie? Where to watch it: Crunchyroll. Wave’s Minare Koda is a walking disaster, with every step forward in her life coming with at least one step back and another to the side. The cast is huge, though its stars are military leaders on both sides, the Empire's Reinheart von Lohengramm and the Alliance's  Yang Wen-Li. By Where to watch: Hulu, Funimation. Every season, production houses in Japan release dozens of new anime, and you can usually find all of it on streamers like Crunchyroll, translated into English, on the day they originally air. Holding on to her humanity, Nezuko refrains from attacking Tanjiro, giving him hope for a cure. 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