Looking back at the year in anime, it’s been a pretty eclectic mix. We’ve had some very highly anticipated adaptations, some ambitious original stories, and even a few unexpected revivals of seemingly long-abandoned franchises (looking at you, D.Gray-man). If anything, 2016 has showcased how flexible and creative the medium can be: we’ve had shows featuring zombie fighting, lexicography, concert bands, mafiosos, superheroes, professional figure skaters—this year we watched a Taiwanese fantasy puppet show and called it anime, for god’s sake.
Narrowing down the top ten was, as always, a unique challenge, and, as always, I’ve left off quite a few of my favorites. But enough excuses—read on to see what made my list for the best ten TV anime series for 2016.
Erased / Boku Dake ga Inai Machi
Tenth on the list this year goes to Erased, the seinen thriller that made waves last winter. Following Satoru Fujinuma, a down on his luck twenty-something who is thrust into the past in order to prevent a tragic event from his childhood involving his classmate Kayo Hinazuki, Erased’s suspenseful storytelling had me hooked from the first episode to the last. The ending felt abrupt and, to be honest, didn’t really work for me, but the first ten episodes of the show, which deal with Kayo’s narrative, along with the very polished execution as a whole, were powerful enough to kick this show into my top ten over other contenders.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
Orange
Interestingly, the ninth entry on this list has a rather similar premise to Erased—in fact, the “do-over” plot was uncommonly popular this year, if you count Erased, ReLIFE, Orange, and Re:Zero (am I missing any?). In this shojo drama, high schooler Naho Takamiya receives a letter from herself ten years in the future warning her that a close friend, Kakeru, will commit suicide that school year. Naho herself remained frustratingly passive through most of the anime, but the restrained presentation and sensitive portrayal of Kakeru’s depression as the story approached its heart-wrenching emotional climax elevated this show above similar titles this year.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
Flying Witch
The eighth spot on this list takes us into lighter territory with Flying Witch, a show about a young witch in training who moves to the countryside of Aomori to live with extended family. Evocative of perennial favorites like Natsume Yujin-cho and Kiki’s Delivery Service, Flying Witch’s particular brand of rural slice-of-life mixed with low-key fantasy was a real winner for me. The show seamlessly mixes everyday wonders with the fantastic, from the small triumph of growing a garden to encounters with shape-shifters and spirits. Flying Witch’s slow, dreamy pace and buoyant, childlike positivism was a bright spot in a rather dark year.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
Usually I try to steer clear of second (or third, or fifth) seasons for this yearly wrap-up, but I feel that Diamond Is Unbreakable deserves an exception here, (a) because JoJo’s arcs can to a large extent stand alone, and (b) because Diamond Is Unbreakable was just that GREAT. Diamond Is Unbreakable takes place on a smaller stage than previous parts of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures series, but that hasn’t in the least prevented it or its hero, Josuke Higashikata, from being just as intense as any of the other entries. The insanely likable cast, quirky villains and powers, and general outrageous JoJo-ness of it all has been an absolute highlight of my year. And honestly, did anyone seriously think that a show with an ending by Savage Garden wouldn’t make this list?
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
Sweetness and Lightning / Amaama to Inazuma
This is the second year in a row I’ve been able to put a show about cooking in my top ten for the year, a trend a foodie like me can only hope continues. Sweetness and Lightning is a poignant series that follows the culinary adventures of a single father trying to feed his young daughter wholesome meals after the recent death of his wife. Though the premise is inherently a bit of a downer, the tone of the series is, for the most part, as light and fluffy as Tsumugi’s voluminous hair. The show’s light touch with its characters and tender portrayal of how love is shown though cooking is nothing short of heartwarming, and earns it a spot on this list.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
My Hero Academia / Boku no Hero Academia
We certainly can’t end without one conventional battle shonen on this list, and there really isn’t any doubt about which it ought to be. The adaptation of this Shonen Jump title was highly anticipated, and director Kenji Nagasaki (Gundam Build Fighters) certainly did the material justice. Following the journey of Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, a kid who dreams of being a superhero despite lacking any powers of his own, My Hero Academia delivers an engaging cast of young heroes, flashy battles executed with the expected Bones polish, and enough wacky superpowers to keep things fresh in a world frankly overburdened by superhero stories. My Hero Academia is Shonen Jump played straight, but played at its finest, and I’ll be looking forward to the second season in 2017.
Missed it? Watch it now on Hulu
Mr. Osomatsu / Osomatsu-san
Of course Osomatsu-san is on here. This madcap comedy was positioned as a reboot/homage to the popular 1960s manga, Osomatsu-kun, which follows the various misadventures of sextuplet brothers. What we actually got is a wild episodic comedy with only the most tenuous relationship to the original title, in which six profoundly awful human beings who can’t manage to stop flinging abuse at each other long enough to hold down a job or get a girlfriend torture each other in increasingly creative ways. The show is hysterical and became deservedly popular beyond anyone’s expectations. Osomatsu-san’s gleeful misanthropy and complete disregard for logic or decency earns it a well-deserved place on the list this year.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
Yuri!!! On Ice
Oh, what to say about Yuri!!! On Ice. Yuri swept in this fall as a breath of fresh air for the sports genre, focusing as it does not on high school hopefuls but professional athletes, and presented an even more refreshing romance between protagonists Yuri and Victor, whose mutual fascination with each other drives much of the series. Joyful, sincere, and full of infectious love for its subject and characters, Yuri took the world—or at least social media—completely by storm, with even professional figure skaters watching (and in some cases appearing in!) the show. Though ending on a somewhat low note after seeming to stumble a bit in its final arc, Sayo Yamamoto and Mitsurou Kubo’s passion project absolutely made history (sorry not sorry) in 2016.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
And now we’re getting down to it. Measured, deliberate, and beautifully crafted, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju gave us mature characters within an engrossing historical drama. Although there is a lot to love here—the delicate handling of the relationships, the atmospheric opening sequence—the highlight of the series for me was easily the rakugo performances themselves, which were brought to vivid life by both creative visual direction and the excellent work of a veteran cast. Rakugo is the kind of series we are lucky to see made these days, and 2016 was undoubtedly better for it. This season wrapped up the first portion of the story deftly, and I’ll be looking forward to the second season in January.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
Mob Psycho 100
Penned by ONE, the author of One Punch Man, and made by a significant number of the same staff, Mob Psycho 100 entered the scene riding hard on the coattails of last year’s hit. As much as I love One Punch Man, what I certainly didn’t expect was for Mob Psycho 100 to be, in many ways, a better show than ONE’s most popular title. Mob Psycho 100 follows Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, a kid with powerful psychic abilities but a total inability to stand out from the crowd. Mob is an unusual protagonist, and his struggle with his own nature is equal parts compelling, funny, and strangely sad. Elevated by a standout production effort led by director Yuzuru Tachikawa (Death Parade) at Bones, this thoughtful take on superhuman powers comes out on top as our favorite show of 2016.
Missed it? Watch it now on Crunchyroll
And that’s it, folks! Didn’t see your favorite show from 2016 on here? Tell us your favorites from the year in the comments—or better yet, what you’re looking forward to in 2017!
Kelly Quinn is not sorry that Re:Zero is not on this list. You can complain to her about it on Twitter.
“this year we watched a Taiwanese fantasy puppet show and called it anime, for god’s sake” AND WE LIKED IT DANGIT IT. :P
Haikyu! was amazing.
Sound! Euphonium‘s just-finished second season was a tour-de-force.
Alderamin on the Sky probably won’t win any awards for creativity, but I enjoyed seeing the “chessmaster and dragon” pairing played as heroes rather than antagonists. Active Raid was a good, if slightly disposable, superhero show with some fun deconstruction and dry humour.
Amanchu! was lighthearted and surprisingly educational fun, and Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto managed to keep its absurdity a bit more grounded than Jojo (but only slightly).
My vote is for Re:Zero I’m afraid, though I agree on your assessment of Erased. Funniest anime of the year goes to Konosuba.
I don’t watch a ton of Anime, but I really enjoyed Erased.
I’d talk about how much I loved (and am now obsessed with) Yuri on Ice, but it would involve hundreds of heart emojis, exclamation points, and paragraphs upon paragraphs of Victuuri shipping. I’ll spare you all that.
No qualms here about Mob psycho 100 topping the list, a great show, and one that can be even more enjoyed once some of the novel animation techniques are explained to a pleb like me. Loved Flying Witch, it was so comfy and the characters were great. Others I liked but didn’t love: My Hero Academy, Sweetness and Lightning, Flip Flappers, Erased.
Somehow have still not gotten around to Rakugo, but I will, a good seinen at a steady pace is one of my favorite things in Anime.
Not on the list that I am enjoying immensely is 3-Gatsu no Lion, really enjoy the character interactions, though it could do with less of the cats.
@1. WanderinDreamr – I still cannot believe that show happened.
@2. detectivetrap – Haikyuu!! was as good as ever- I wish I could have put that and Natsume Yuujinchou Go on this list as well.
@3. Cybersnark – Sakamoto was definitely one of the ones that was just shy of this list – they did a great job with it!
@@.-@. ChocolateRob – Just couldn’t see the appeal of Re:Zero past the first arc, though I do realize I’m in the minority there. Looking forward to KonoSuba’s new season in a few days!
@5. Andrea J – Heart emojis are welcome here, no need to hold back <3
@6. bewared – Flip Flappers ended up never being more than a sakuga fireworks show for me. Visually creative and well animated for sure, but totally lacking in substance in terms of story and characters. I’d love to see the same team on something with a stronger story. Also really enjoying 3-gatsu no Lion; I know the reaction has been polarized because of Shaft’s adaptation, but I actually think it’s working well and am really looking forward to the second half this season.
Absolutely agree on most of your list, with a couple of additions.
planetarian was short, but made me cry for a robot. It set up a fascinating world and a painful tragedy in its limited time.
Shonen Maid seems to have been mostly overlooked (I understand a lot of people thought it was something a bit more unsavory) but it was a sweet and touching story about a little boy in mourning and the weird uncle trying to be the family he needs. It made me so happy every single week.
Also this year had the second halves of Snow White With the Red Hair, which is one of my all-time favorites, and GATE, which was ridiculously entertaining with modern military taking on fantasy world.
I completely agree with your top four, and agree with Erased up to the last couple of episodes. I also loved Flying Witch and Jojo. I didn’t care so much for Sweetness and Lightning and My Hero Academia, and I hated Orange. Who would act like that heroine? No one except someone in a novel where the author had to draw the plot out!
I liked Re:Zero to a point. I thought it was good up until the “talk”, when suddenly all that had gone before was for naught. At that point I was just disgusted. I watched to the end, hoping for a reverse, but it remained lame.
I think the other two I might include are March comes in like a Lion, and Thunderbolt Fantasy, though the first isn’t finished and the second isn’t exactly anime.
@8. SPC – YES so glad to see someone mention Shonen Maid here! Along with Sakamoto and KonoSuba, that was definitely one of the ones vying for a top ten spot. I definitely remember thinking of it as “the pedo show that’s not Super Lovers” when it stared airing–and could not have been more wrong. It’s a lovely, warm show about dealing with grief and finding ways to understand family, and somehow it never gets dark or depressing. Was also pretty impressed with the really unexpected performance from Nobunaga Shimazaki as Madoka. Completely agree that it was an overlooked gem this year.
@9. Kate – Naho was undoubtedly the worst part of Orange – the whole time I kept thinking the show would have been vastly improved if Kakeru had dated Suwa instead, since he’s the one who ended up coming to the rescue every time! March Comes Like a Lion wasn’t eligible this year since it’s only halfway through, but it’s already looking like a strong contender for next year’s list.
Erased – yes abrupt ending, it needed maybe 6 more episodes to wrap it up correctly. The manga has a lot more story during his last “present” time trip, as Satoru creates multiple plans to catch the bad guy and the bad guy tries to kill him.
Not sure if anyone is familiar but “Natsume Yuujinchou” (Natsume’s Book of Friends) 5th season aired as well and this is simply one of my favorite series, nothing too fancy just a very touching slice of life story intertwined with … well… spirits and such. Although, I guess this being a long running series it needs to be seen from the beginning to fully enjoy all the side characters.
Most of your choices are good, but how could you have left out Joker Game? And I admit, that if you’re not ruling out the sweeter stuff (i.e. Flying Witch) then I’ve got to put in a good word for Tanaka-kun is Always Listless.
I know everybody’s raving about Yuri On Ice, but I think it’s overrated. Yes, the skating sequences are very pretty, but. . . Super star Victor drops his entire life to go spend a year coaching a wannabe that copied one of his acts? That’s not professional behavior. It’s not even plausible behavior. And if you don’t accept that, it’s just a lot of fan service for the Boys Love crowd.
I do watch animé some, but didn’t see any of those, so thanks for the heads up on these titles. I’m sure I speak for many fans in taking a massively huge PASS on that figure skating animé. I actually really despise ALL the sports animé I’ve seen, so it isn’t purely a bias against figure skating. That said, I don’t find the romance of two male rival figure skaters to be in any way “refreshing.”
I was surprised to see that Ajin: Demi Humans wasn’t on the list. It was by far the best animé I saw last year, and I’m pretty sure it was a 2016 release. It was by far the best series I watched last year, and it managed to be that way without any sports at all.
Love this list. I completely agree about these shows. It was a great year for anime.
I only watched three out of your top ten (Erased, Sweetness and Lightning, The Flying Witch) and they were all among the most enjoyable of the year for me as well. I did start Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju and will probably finish it at some point. It’s a good show, but just didn’t fit my mood at the time, I guess.
This, as well as a couple other recaps I’ve read in the past few days, make me want to watch Orange, Mr. Osomatsu, and Mob Psycho 100. None of them seemed particularly interesting when I read about them when they debuted.
Other favorites for me included: Gate, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, KonoSuba, Re:Zero, Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans, Space Patrol Luluco, The Morose Mononokean, and Planetarian.
Also: Megumin for Best Girl!
@11. offstandard – I adore Natsume Yuujinchou, so glad you brought it up. I really loved this season, especially with the extended looks into the backstories of some of the characters like Natori and Natsume’s adoptive parents. Glad that Shuka has taken over the reigns and will be giving us a sixth season as well!
@12. MichaeleJordan – I wanted to like Joker Game but I just got so very bored watching it. I love the concept and the character designs but it never managed to hook me.
@13. Greg Gauvreau – I’ve heard good thing about Ajin, but I just can’t stand any of Polygon’s productions. Their full CG approach never works for me.
@15. Jay – Space Patrol Luluco was absurdly fun for a half-length show, and I enjoyed it SO much more than Trigger’s concurrently-running Kiznaiver. I enjoyed Mononokean while it was on, but it never rose above a low-rent Natsume Yuujinchou for me…so when Natsume returned, well.
Oh, I complete missed Orange! Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll try to check it out sometime soon.
@@@@@ MichaeleJordan : Athletes take time off for many reasons – you’d be surprised that it’s not all about injury and death. Victor’s reason wasn’t exactly “let me help this wannabe out”, either. It’s heavily hinted at that he was losing that spark in skating, among other things (and it wasn’t well received either, so don’t play it off like everyone treated is as a whim). SPOILER: We find out later on that Yuri drunkingly asked Victor to be his coach and that sparked something in him (perhaps serving as a point of attraction, too, if you remember their relationship later) – the imitation video was just the final straw, so to speak. It would have been nice to explore his character more (season 2 anyone?), but from what we got the time off was way more than Victor having a bit of fun.