Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Happy new year to everyone out there. It’s the start of a new year and like always we find ourselves looking over the events and anime that came out in 2018. With 2019 looking like a promising year for anime, what say we take a look back at 2018 and count down the top 11 anime that came out last year. Why top 11? Because just like someone else I too like to go one step beyond. So sit back and relax, these are the top 11 anime of 2018.
#11. Aggretsuko
Sanrio struck gold with Hello Kitty who has since then go on to become one of the most iconic anime characters in history. But Sanrio struck gold again with their latest character Retsuko a cute red panda office worker who vents out the anger and stress of her life by singing heavy metal rock. This show quickly rose to popularity not because Retsuko was this adorable red panda who could sing heavy metal songs, but because of how much the viewer between the ages of 25 and up were able to relate to her. Retsuko is the perfect embodiment of everyone coming out of college with big dreams and goals only to get hit with reality and see how life doesn’t always work out for us. While Retsuko is a good person overall, she is shown to have flaws just like everyone around her and isn’t always in the right. If you’re looking for a show to give you an existential crisis than definitely check this show out.
#10. Golden Kamuy
Definitely the surprise entry for this list. Golden Kamuy was very enjoyable and an entertaining anime from beginning to end. Each character is badass in their own way but at the same time funny and have their bizarre moments that just makes you laugh. The story is very good as everyone is trying to find this gold and the mystery surrounding it catches your interest. The series was also educational. The stuff about the Ainu is very interesting. Every time they stopped to talk about the Ainu cultural, their beliefs, and teachings, I never once felt annoyed or bored by it because it was presented in a way that was easy to follow and understand. While the series may not be too big on action, it makes up for it by having great and likable characters, a good story, and funny scenes here and there. That’s really all you need to make your anime good and memorable.
#9. Overlord S2&3
Overlord returned last year, not once but twice with both animes serving a different purpose. Season 2 took the attention away from Ains and focused more on the Guardians, other races, different side characters, and just opening our eyes to the world and relationships between the kingdoms and the people in it. The third season shifts our focus back to Ains where we see him completely crush our thoughts on him being an anti-hero and instead show us that he is a stone-cold overlord bent on taking over the world even if he himself isn’t fully aware of the plan. The brutality in the anime is done beautifully, the funny moments will make you laugh (it’s impressive how they’re able to get so many facial expressions out of Ains despite the fact that he’s a skeleton), and just seeing Ains just go full overlord on people is always cool and badass in my opinion. I don’t know if Madhouse will do anymore seasons but if I and I’m sure others are open to the idea of 4th possibly 5th season. All hail Ains.
#8. Cells At Work
Where was this anime when I was school? Cells At Work joins Osmosis Jones and Inside Out as movies that make learning about the human body fun and interesting. I went into this anime not expecting much but what I got was a fun and educational experience that made me appreciate my body more and the cells in it who keep it functioning correctly. While the characters may not have names, they’re all memorable and enjoyable characters. I love how the red blood cells are UPS workers, the white blood cells are these badass soldiers who can kill germs with just a survival knife, and the palettes are these adorable lolis and shotas who work hard to heal your body whenever you get injured. Plus, it’s one if not the only shows to actually make you feel sympathy for cancer cells. Just like Golden Kamuy, Cells At Work turned out to be one of those animes that was better than expected and more than deserves a spot on the list.
#7. Nanatsu no Taizai S2
Nanatsu no Taizai returns where we get the battle of the 10 Commandments as well as meet the final sin and boy was the wait worth it. With battle shounen getting a lot of flag these days it’s nice to see a series that can deliver and hold its own. This season actually did a good job exploring the characters more and letting us know who they were as well as where they come from. The 10 Commandments were also cool and diabolical and their relationship with Meliodas just adds fuel to the fire. There were more fight scenes this time as well as we finally got to see Meliodas and the others actually face strong opponents that they themselves weren’t sure they get beat and actually had to go on the defensive for once. While the season ended on a cliffhanger it does get me excited for what’s to come next and I can’t wait to see what new surprises come my way as I continue this great series.
#6. Goblin Slayer
That’s right! I like Goblin Slayer, come at me! Following in the footsteps of Re:Zero, Goblin Slayer shows us just how dark and scary isekai anime can be. While the series may just be about a guy obsessed with slaying goblins because what they did to him in the past, the series presents as this great evil that needs to be destroyed no matter what. The strategies and ideas used to defeat the goblins are cool and I love how the anime doesn’t shy away from the dark brutality that comes with being an adventurer and getting captured by monsters. I really do wish this anime got 24 episodes instead of 12 as I feel like there was so much more to see and watch. I really do hope White Fox continues this series down the line as this was a big hit in my book and I’m very interested in seeing where the story goes next.
#5. Banana Fish
Take the amazing atmosphere and storytelling of Cowboy Bebop than combine that with the dark and gritty realism of Black Lagoon and you have yourself Banana Fish. Since it’s publication all the way back in the 80s, Banana Fish has been the victim of misrepresentation. Some have called it yaoi and shounen-ai but in truth the series is a seinen series that takes a hard look at drugs, rape, pedophilia, gang wars, violence, and government corruption as a group of individuals try to stop the mafia from releasing a drug that could change the landscape of the world. The series doesn’t shy away from the true horrors of the things I listed earlier as the main character is a smart 17-year old boy named Ash who was raped as a child and has had no one to rely on but himself. The only person who can bring him peace is our second main character a Japanese man named Eiji who’s slightly older than him and the only person who Ash can let his guard down around and feel safe. While I admit there are a few scenes that border on the line of yaoi and sometimes the series can get repetitive, they’re not really major to distract you from the story being told and getting you invested into this mature series of Ash trying to fight his fate and find true freedom. MAPPA did an incredible job with this anime and prove once again that they are the kings of seinen anime.
#4. My Hero Academia S3
The third season of My Hero Academia is where shit got real. The final moments of season two were a shot of things to come and season three followed up on that ending as we saw Izuku become someone’s hero, All Might’s last and probably greatest moment as a hero, and a bunch of other character developing and maturing through the course of the season. This season was definitely way more emotional than the other seasons as we just saw everything fall apart for our heroes but see them power through it with sheer will power and prove themselves. With the announcement of a fourth season set to come out sometime this year, I think it’s safe to say that My Hero Academia is becoming one of the animes that will define this generation of anime watchers.
#3. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
A series with a ridiculous title but a series that surpasses all of your expectations. This anime just crushes every trope you would expect an anime like this to have. Rather than the male be a dense lead he’s actually very smart, realistic, and has a lot of great and sarcastic lines that even you would find yourself saying or thinking if you were in his situation. The female cast is also as each episode reveals something new and different about them that adds a whole new layer to their character and personality. As the year was drawing to a close, this anime really caught me by surprise for how good it was and hope to see more it in the future.
#2. Violet Evergarden
Oh yeah, you better believe I put this on the list, and how couldn’t I? Violet Evergarden is not only impressive visually (easily some of Kyoto Animation’s best work) but it’s impressive emotionally. Violet is a perfect example of how to do character study correctly. Each episode follows Violet and her interactions with the people she meets and her trying her best to understand them and help her understand herself and the world around her. You easily get invested into Violet and her story. You want to see her grow, you want her to understand, and you want to watch her develop as a character. While Violet is the center of attention, the anime doesn’t skip out on getting you invested into the side characters and letting you know that just like Violet has her own burdens so too does everyone else. While a good chunk of the anime may be anime-only material, that material stays true to the ideas and thoughts of the source material and are a welcomed addition to the series. If an anime can touch you emotionally it’s doing something right.
Honorable Mentions
Before naming the number AOTY, here are a few honorable mentions that I and I’m sure you enjoyed throughout 2018. Grand Blue, Lupin the Third Part 5, Hinozuma, Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi, Food Wars! The Third Plate: Totsuki Train Arc, Captain Tsubasa (2018), Miss caretaker of Sunohara-sou, Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, Highschool DxD S4, Baki, Attack on Titan S3, The Ryou’s Work is Never Done, Angolmois, Pop Team Epic, Megalo Box, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5, SSSS.Gridman, and Darling in the Franxx (yes, it had a bad ending but the first 15 or 17 episodes were good).
And number one. . .
#1. That Time I Got Reincarnated As Slime
It was tough deciding between this and Violet Evergarden but I choose this series for how fun and original it is. With isekai anime oversaturating the anime scene right now, this anime managed to stay fresh, new, original, and fun to watch. This time instead of the main character being reincarnated as this powerful human, he’s instead reincarnated as slime but through time becomes powerful and easily gets his own following. Some have said the anime moves slow and yeah I can see that, but I think the anime moves at just the right speed where it can tell its story, explain why this is happening, why it matters, and where the story will go from here. Also, it’s staying very true to the novel which is always a plus in my book. I especially love the characters and their designs. They actually made goblins and ogres look hot but the best design has to go to Rimuru. I like how they’re able to give Rimuru so many expressions despite him being nothing but slime and I love how he can go from being care-free to dorky to badass all in one scene. He really does come across as a realistic character with his actions and responses to everything around him. The way he uses his skills and abilities are all clever and make you see just how impressive slime can be as well as give us an idea of what he was like in real life. 8-bit, the studio behind this anime has been on a streak of bad luck when it came to their anime but I’m happy to say that this anime was fantastic. You can just tell they’re going all out with this anime and enjoying every minute of it. With the first half of the anime done, I can’t wait to see what happens next and what Rimuru will get involved with next. All I can say is 8-bit delivered on a spectacular anime and I’m proud to name AOTY.
Well that’s my list. I hoped you all enjoyed. Happy new year and I’ll see you next week when I count down the top 11 anime openings of 2018. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
*All videos, clips, and music are not owned by me and belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved*
Thanks for reading. As always feel free to leave a comment in the comment section or send your comments, feedback, or request to iamprojectnitsuj@gmail.com
And follow me on twitter for updates and other stuff: https://twitter.com/ProjectNitsuj