Corin's favorite anime of the 2010's

2020 is here and I thought it be fun to take a trip down memory lane. Anime is my favorite medium, it's my favorite subculture, it's the thing I spend most of my money and time on; and in the past 10 years I've gone from just exploring it to becoming fulling immersed in it. My journey in anime began this past decade. Watching anime seasonally was the trendy thing to do with rise of streaming services such as Crunchyroll and Netflix so it became habitual to me to watch multiple different anime every three months over the course of ten years.
After scratching my brain a bit I put together a list of twenty-six anime that I loved over the past 10 years. Not just anime that I thought were great but TV series and movies that captivated me, impressed me and continued to thrill me upon re-watching them over the years.

1. B Gata H Kei(Hal Film Maker, Dir. by Yuusuke Yamamoto)

I've blogged about this show before during my 30 Day anime challenge posts. I watched it on a whim on Netflix and I immediately fell in love with it.

2. K-on!!(Kyoto Animation, Dir. by Naoko Yamada)

Now the first season of K-on actually came out in 2009 but the second season came out in 2010 and I'd be making a huge mistake if talked about anime in the 2010's without mentioning the series that perpetuated "moe killing the anime industry".

3. SHIKI(Daume, Dir. by Tetsuro Amino)

Greatest Horror anime ever.....which isn't saying much but still. Shiki is one of my favorite series to re-watch. It's a story about society, humanity, and progress vs tradition all wrapped up in suspense and gore. A masterpiece of an anime with an excellent soundtrack and English dub.

4. Anohana(A-1 Pictures, Dir. by Tatsuyuki Nagai)

When Anohana debuted in 2011 it quickly gained a a reputation as an anime that will make you with cry, and with good reason. This is an emotional roller coaster of a show from the renowned Queen of Melodrama, Mari Okada. But it's also really heartwarming. The series is about people overcoming grief, being honest, and reconnecting and I feel it should be on everyone's watch list.

5. Hanasaku Iroha(P.A. Works, Dir. by Masahiro Andou)

Another Mari Okada work; this one even aired the same season as Anohana but it went on for another cour. Hanasaku Iroha doesn't tug on your heartstrings the way Anohana does. Instead it gives a bitter, relate-able coming of age story about a person's relationships with their family, friends and co-workers.

6. Puella Magi Madoka Magica(Shaft, Dir. by Akiyuki Shimbo)

There were dark magical girl anime before Madoka none of them shook the fandom the way Madoka did. In just 12 episodes Gen Urobuchi took anime fans on a wild ride of tragic plot twists. Episodes 3 still shocks people to this day, episode 8 is still dreadful, and episode 10 is so powerful that it firmly established Homura Akemi as one of the greatest characters in the medium. 

7. Blue Exorcist(A-1 Pictures, Dir. by Tensai Okamura)

I'm kinda bummed Blue Exorcist isn't as popular as it used to be. The manga has been especially great this past year and I'd really to talk about it with more people. The first season of the anime diverged from the manga but I feel it still nailed the appeal of the source material while being an entertaining show in it's own right. A-1 would later produce another season in 2017 with the Kyoto Saga so I'd like to think there's still hope more Blue Exorcist anime down the road.

8. Blast of Tempest(Bones, Dir. by Masahiro Andou)

A captivating series that had me glued to my seat when I watched it in high school. I accidentally read the spoiler to the show's biggest mystery and it didn't even ruin the story for me. In fact, it made the story more interesting because a mystery isn't just about the answer, it's about how you get to it. Aika Fuwa is one of my favorite characters and to this day my favorite performance from my favorite female seiyuu, Kana Hanazawa.

9. Senki Zessho Symphogear(Satelight, Dir by Tatsufumi Itou & Katumi Ono)

Symphogear was really something special. It's rare for anime to get continuations, especially original IPs, but Symphogear went on for five seasons. One thing that helps is it's crossover appeal. Like Magical Girls? Watch Symphogear. Like Mecha? Watch Symphogear? Like Idols? Watch Symphogear. But the most important aspect are obviously the characters, a quintet of certified Best Girls(mostly Chris) led by a charismatic, hot blooded, and adorkable protagonist. 

One more time: Watch Symphogear.

10. Kuroko's Basketball(Production I.G., Dir. by Shunsuke Tada)

Probably still my favorite Sports anime and one I'd really like to have on home video. The series is often criticized for being unrealistic but that's definitely pat of the charm. KnB starts off with magic blue passes and it only gets more over the top in it's 75 episode run. There's a scene when a character gets dunked on so hard he has an existential crisis and I just...love it so much.

11. My Teenage Romantic Comedy SNAFU(Season 1: Brain's Base, Dir. by Ai Yoshimura; Season 2: feel., Dir. by Kei Oikawa)

Hachiman Hikigaya is absolutely the protagonist I needed. When the character made his debut and spouted his monologues about youth and socializing in high school it resonated with a lot of young male viewers. We treated Hachiman like a wise sage and shared his quotes like the gospel. He was a loner so naturally he understood how other loners and felt and was able to put it in words. But as the series goes on, as Hachiman forms more relationships and encounters more problems, our sour hero is forced to confront his behavior and if you latched onto his snark and cynicism then you'll gain a lot from watching him reevaluate his toxic traits.

12. Kill la Kill(Trigger, Dir. by Hiroyuki Imaishi)

When it was announced that the team behind Gurren Lagann was making a new original series there was so much hype that Kill la Kill was dubbed the "Savior of Anime". It was fun thinking that and the actual show was enjoyable in it's own right. Some would have you believe you need to "turn your brain off" but how can you truly appreciate how over the top it is if you did? There's also some fascinating references to folklore and history. I've seen it three times and I've grown to like it more with each viewing. A certified classic.

13. Gundam Build Fighters(Sunrise, Dir. by Kenji Nagasaki)

The best Gundam series of the decade was the one that fully embraced the franchise as a toy commercial. It's an absolutely stellar series both as an action series and as a love letter to Gundam fans.

14. Space Dandy(Bones, Dir. by Shinichiro Watanabe)

An episodic space comedy from some anime's most celebrated directors ranging from Shinichiro Watanabe to Sayo Yamamoto to Shingo Natsume and even Masaaki Yuasa. It tells a variety of stories and plays around with it animation so this show definitely has something for everyone. My favorite of these is "I can't be the Only One, Baby" where the characters interact with alternate versions of themselves.

15. Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon(Sunrise, Dir. by Yoshiharu Ashino)

There are people who hate this show. There are people who find it offensive, misogynistic, and just outright terrible. But to me this show is the best kind of roller-coaster. It's an action, mecha series about a former princess literally destroying the patriarchy for its crimes. It's fast paced and very meta about crazy and illogical the story gets. I won't argue with somebody that has in on their "Worst of"list but this was too entertaining and unforgettable for me.

16. The Boy and the Beast(Studio Chizu, Dir. by Mamoru Hosoda)
I saw this film in theaters two days in a row. It blew my mind. I made Kumatetsu my FB profile pic for a month. Mamoru Hosoda released three excellent films this decade. Wolf Children was touching and Mirai was fascinating but the one gets me excited about anime and film making the most was The Boy and The Beast. The action set pieces, the music, the characters just vibed with me so well.

17. Macros Delta(Satelight, Dir. by Shoji Kawamori and Kenji Yasuda)

Not the most popular Macross but definetly my favorite after the original. I can admit that the 2nd half isn't that great but it would still the most appealing to me for awhile. I loved practically everything in the show and it felt tailor suited to me at times.

18. Love Live Sunshine!!(Sunrise, Dir. by Kazuo Sakai)
2016 was an important year as it marked my descent into Idol Hell. Now I liked Idolm@ster and Love Live SIP I just didn't love them as much as Love Live Sunshine. Sunshine, both in and out of text, is a series about what it means to be successful. Do you copy what worked before? Do you stand out on your own? What are you trying to achieve? Over the past past five years we got to watch Aqours tackle those questions. The nine idols came a long way as characters and performers and it was a pleasure to watch.
Dia is Best Girl.

19. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable(David Production, Dir by Naokatsu Tsuda)

The characters of Morioh are the kind you want to be your friends. They're bizarre(obviously) but good-natured and the way the unite to take down the dangerous threat to their community is really wholesome when I look back. But it's said dangerous threat that really elevates Part 4. Yoshikage Kira is an outstanding villain and I've talked about how great he is before. Add him to a superbly directed anime production and you have my favorite JoJo part by leaps and bounds.

20. ReLIFE(TMS Entertainment, Dir. by Tomochi Kosaka)

This is a show that resonates with me in such a deep, therapeutic way. Watching this show gives you the nostalgia of your high school days and the anxiety of young adulthood. Although all 13 episodes of the first season were released in one day I didn't binge it. Instead I watched it weekly like any other seasonal anime which helped me really appreciate it. ReLIFE understands two things very well. The first is just how painful it is to part with people regardless of whether you say goodbye. The second is that it's never too late to be the person you want to be.

21. Flip Flappers(3Hz, Dir. Kiyotaka Oshiyama)

Imaginative and fun. A perfect example of what anime can do. There were fun moments like the action scenes in Pure XLR(episode 3) and the intense moments all over the last quarter of the show when the plot twists unraveled. However, episode 7, Pure Component was my favorite episode of the show as well as my favorite singular episode of 2016 for taking such an intimate approach to the way we view the people we love.

22. Tsukigakirei (feel., Dir. by Seiji Kishi)

A slow paced, heartwarming depiction of teenage love that balances being pure and realistic. It successfully captures all the small moments and life and amplifies them into a compelling story. Things like embarrassing parents, talking to your crush, and deciding your future. It's all portrayed subtly but it hits quite hard.

23. March comes in like a lion(Shaft, Dir. By Kenjiro Okada)

There's no overarching story line in this anime. It's a drama that runs it's course though the life and times of Rei Kiriyama and the Kawamoto family. What I love about March comes in like a lion is the way it portrays emotion. Every scene feels like a painting where an artist is tasked with expressing feelings like loneliness, happiness, isolation, sadness etc. The characters are great. I can't thing of many series that have a wide rage of good people across various age groups.

24. Revue Starlight(Kinema Citrus, Dir. by Tomohiro Furukawa)
Bushiroad's latest multi media franchise was really ambitious. It's still got cute girls, voice actor units and a mobile game like Milky Holmes and Bang Dream but this anime was surreal. Tomohiro Furukawa worked under Kunihiko Ikuhara(Penguindrum, Yuri Kuma Arashi) and the influence shows immediately in his directorial debut. If you liked Kunihiko Ikuhara's Utena then I can't recommend this enough. It's a mesmerizing anime about defying fate and I really describe how eloquently it plays out. I'm seriously looking forward to the sequel movie.

25. Planet With(J.C. Staff, Dir. by Youhei Suzuki)
This series was created, story-boarded, and written by Satoshi Mizukami; author of an excellent manga named Spirit Circle. While there are definitely some staff who worked on this anime it's Mizukami's story that makes it outstanding. Planet With is best described as 50 episode epic mecha anime wrapped in 12 episodes. It's quite amazing how accomplishes so much while other mecha fell apart despite having twice the length in content. Some would say the mecha is dying because it as popular anymore but I could care less if we're still getting series' of the level of quality

26. Promare(Trigger, Dir. by Hiroyuki Imaishi)
The dream team behind Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill came back to bring us a film about corrupt public officials taking advantage of climate change to exploit their constituents and gain more power. It's so awesome. The animation uses geometric shapes for it's mecha designs and special effects giving us some innovative visuals. This is also in my opinion the best Hiroyuki Sawano score so far. I've seen this film twice int theaters and now I'm just counting the days until I can grab the Blu-ray.

 This list wasn't in ranked order but rather chronological. Each one has a special place in my heart and memory that I would never put one over the other. Every anime I've mentioned in this blog multiple times over the years and I look forward to re-watching it more times in the near future.