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Apr 11 2014

Categories: best of 2013

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A friendship. A relationship. And a pet.

As always, shows that started in December 2012 through November 2013 are eligible. 2013 was the best year of anime that I’ve seen in a while. It, by far, was the easiest year to judge as I didn’t have to reach for any filler for the top ten. In fact, I felt twelve– a record twelve– fucking shows were a tier above the rest– and I enjoyed them all. Just a banner year for anime.

In other news, by the time you’re reading this, I’m going to be vacationing in Japan. Since most spring 2014 shows won’t even air by the time I leave, I’ll either not do a thin slicing, push it to May, or tweet it. I haven’t decided yet. I also need to go back to do Best of 2012… someday… in any case, enjoy your 2013 nostalgia…

#12: Monogatari Second Season

Also wins for 2013:

• Best Heroine
• Most 1990 Opening

Shaft’s Best of 2009 #1 Bakemonogatari is one of the greatest anime series that I’ve seen. The “real” follow up to it, Monogatari SS, is a bit disappointing because it doesn’t live up to the original nor to Shaft. While Shaft kept their trademark head tilts and random texts, the show suffered a lot from low effort animation, long scenes of people just talking and head tilting, and poor pacing. I think Shaft may have done better to split the series into two cours and give it some room to breathe. On the other hand, their efforts on the first Nekomonogatari arc was excellent and even Mayoi Jiangshi was quite good. The last two arcs really fell apart from Shaft.

So why is this series twelve instead of the garbage heap along with Cuticle Detective Inaba, Photokano, and Gifuu Doudou! Kanetsugu to Keiji? it’s disappointing considering what the show should be: a contender for number #1, but it’s still a solidly enjoyable anime. The story is still interesting, Senjougahara, Hanekawa, and Mayoi are all excellent heroines/haremettes, Nadeko has gone full snake-shit crazy, and the addition of Kaiki into the heroine ranks is superb as well, and Shaft still has a few good moments (thank you for spending your tiny animation budget on Hanekawa and Senjougahara in the shower). And Araragi is still Araragi.

#11: Maoyuu Maou Yuusha

Also wins for 2013:

• Most Meat
• Very Balanced

What I didn’t like about Maoyuu Maou Yuusha: adaptation is a bit too vanilla, the romance aspect is so grade school that it makes Nisekoi seem like How I Met Your Mother, and the pacing is a bit too fast at parts and too slow at others. What I liked: demon melonpan, meido in training, fantastic animation from ARMS, good sweeping battle tactics and economics, entertaining characters (when they aren’t whining about love), and Demon King complaining about her flabby arms. I think with a bit more polish and proper sexual tension (at least Spice and Wolf level), the show could have been a strong contender for top five of the year… but not with Hero constantly avoiding Demon King meat. (Okay, that just seems weird typed out.)

#10: Tamako Market

Also wins for 2013:

• Densest Heroine
• Most Dramatic Market Ride

Tamako Market is the rare shoujo slice-of-life show. It’s like an extinct genre these days, and I’m glad Kyoto tried their hand at it. Tamako Market is excellent. It captures the pacing and feeling of Cardcaptor Sakura without having to shoehorn in action sequences. In fact, it’s almost the anti-Cardcaptors that aired on Fox where they cut out the shoujo to focus on the action. In any case, Tamako, Dera, and the rest of the gang are charming, and the show goes out of its way to have super nice characters. If you take the show for what it is, you’ll have a good time. If you’re expecting giant monsters eating puny humans, you’ll have a less than grand time.

Some of my favorite things about the show? Let’s see… Itsuki fulfilling his manifest destiny and owning a flower shop… the fact Dera is named Mochimazzwi… Dera putting all the fat pugs on Dog Whisperer to shame… Mochizou getting constantly cockblocked by either Dera, Tamako’s friends, or Tamako’s denseness… the story with Tamako’s mom and dad… Tamako’s little sister and her boyfriend… Kyoto’s trademark moe animation style… the coffee shop that never seems to get any visitors… the poor prince who should really just try match.com instead… and Dera trying to woo poor Shiori.