What is the best anime of the year? the best thing is to ask the anime viewers and the manga readers for their opinions. Every year Crunchyroll is having a vote on the best anime of the year. Each winner in every category is selected by users votes. Which is the best anime of the year? what is the best action anime? best hero? best villain?
In this post, I will share with you the complete list of the nominees in the different categories. After the vote will be over I will share here the winner of each category.
Best Anime of the Year
- March comes in like a lion Season 2 – The series is set in Tokyo, following the everyday life of a 17-year-old shōgi player, Rei (lit. “Zero”).Umino based the setting of March Comes in like a Lion on research she conducted herself, whereas she was already familiar with the setting for her earlier work, Honey, and Clover. Rei is a 17-year-old professional shōgi player who lives by himself. He is estranged from his family and has scarcely any friends. Among his acquaintances is a family which consists of a young woman—Akari Kawamoto—and her younger sisters—Hinata and Momo—who also keep several cats. As the story progresses, Rei deals with his maturing as a player and as a person, while developing his relationships with others, especially the Kawamoto sisters.
- Made in Abyss – Made in Abyss is a manga series by Akihito Tsukushi about a young girl who finds and befriends a humanoid robot and descends with him into the titular Abyss in search of her mother
- Land of the Lustrous – Land of the Lustrous is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruko Ichikawa and published from 2012 onwards. It is published by Kodansha in Monthly Afternoon magazine and eight volumes compiling the chapters have been released so far
- My Hero Academia Season 2 – My Hero Academia is a comedy adventure manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 2014, and 16 volumes have been collected in tankōbon format.
- Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Season 2 – Ex-convict turned Rakugo apprentice Yotarou has finally taken the name of Yurakutei Sukeroku III, and with his master, Yakumo’s permission has attained the lofty rank of shin’uchi. He assumes the name at a critical time for Rakugo, with audiences fewer than ever. At the same time, he has started acting as a husband to Konatsu, who is now a single mother. Yotarou thus begins the struggle to fill the role of Sukeroku, both as the future of Rakugo and as a part of Yakumo’s and Konatsu’s lives.
- Little Witch Academia – In a time when magic is on the decline amid society, Atsuko Kagari is a cheerful girl who enters Luna Nova Academy in order to accomplish her dream of becoming a witch like her idol, Shiny Chariot. Shiny Chariot is a famous witch who disappeared from public view many years ago. On her way to school, Kagari meets the kind Lotte Yanson and the mischevious Sucy Manbavaran and the three become friends as they share a bedroom in the campus. At the academy, Atsuko soon discovers she is at a serious disadvantage compared to the other girls since she doesn`t come from a magical family and is required to learn the magical curriculum from scratch. Having found an item that once belonged to Chariot, Atsuko must discover how to activate and properly use the mysterious Shiny Rod as she hopes it might lead to finding out what has truly happened to her vanished idol.
Manga of the Year
- Golden Kamuy Vol. 1 – In Hokkaido, the far northern lands of Japan, Sugimoto survived the Russo-Japanese war of the Meiji era. Nicknamed “Invincible Sugimoto” during the war, he now seeks the riches promised by the gold rush in hopes of saving the widowed wife of his now deceased comrade from the war. During his hunt for gold, he finds hints of a hidden stash of gold by corrupt criminals. Partnering with an Ainu girl that saves his life from the harsh climates of the north, they venture into a survival adventure in a race against the criminals that seek the hidden stash.
- My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness – The heart-rending autobiographical manga that’s taken the internet by storm! My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is an honest and heartfelt look at one young woman’s exploration of her sexuality, mental well-being, and growing up in our modern age.
- My Brother’s Husband Vol. 1 – when a young Tokyo couple called Yaichi and Natsuki got divorced, it was agreed that Yaichi would bring up their daughter, Kana – a decision that makes Yaichi seem like a more than usually modern and sophisticated Japanese man. But this isn’t the whole story. Yaichi has his share of cultural prejudices, or so it seems when a smiling, bear-like Canadian arrives at his door and announces that he, Mike Flanagan, is the widower of Yaichi’s estranged gay twin, Ryoji.
- In This Corner of the World – In 1944, Suzu Urano moves to the small town of Kure in Hiroshima where she marries Shuusaku Houjou—a young clerk who works at the local naval base. Living with his family, Suzu becomes essential to the running of the household and creatively prepares meals during the tough wartime conditions while also carrying out daily housework. In 1945, intense bombings by the U.S. military finally reach Kure with devastating effect on the townsfolk and their way of life. Suzu’s life is changed irrevocably, but through perseverance and courage, she manages to continue to live life to the fullest.
- Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju – Ex-convict turned Rakugo apprentice Yotarou has finally taken the name of Yurakutei Sukeroku III, and with his master, Yakumo’s permission has attained the lofty rank of shin’uchi. He assumes the name at a critical time for Rakugo, with audiences fewer than ever. At the same time, he has started acting as a husband to Konatsu, who is now a single mother. Yotarou thus begins the struggle to fill the role of Sukeroku, both as the future of Rakugo and as a part of Yakumo’s and Konatsu’s lives.
- Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 1 – After getting his sister devoured by a dragon and losing all their supplies in a failed dungeon raid, Ratos and his party are determined to save his sister before she gets digested. Completely broke and having to resort to eating monsters as food, they meet a dwarf who introduces them to the world of dungeon food—delicious cuisines made from ingredients such as the flesh of giant bats, walking mushroom, or even screaming mandrakes.
Best Action
- My Hero Academia Season 2 – see above
- Land of the Lustrous – In the distant future, a new immortal and genderless life form called Gems populate the Earth. The 28 Gems must fight against the Lunarians, who attack them regularly to abduct them and to turn them into decorations.
- Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond – Blood Blockade Battlefront centers around the crime-fighting organization “Libra” and their battles in Hellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York City. Hellsalem’s Lot was created when a portal to the “Beyond” opened, becoming a paranormal melting pot of monsters, magic and the everyday mundane life
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 – Roughly 300 years after the conclusion of a great conflict known as the Calamity War, the Earth Sphere has lost its previous governing structure, and a new system of government has created a new world. Far away, seeds of a new conflict are starting to form in the Mars Sphere. When private security company Chryse Guard Security (CGS) accepts a mission to help liberate a Martian city from being ruled by one of Earth’s major powers, a military organization attacks CGS to stop the rebellion before it gets off the ground. Some boys use this as a chance to revolt and lead a coup against the adults who have been oppressing them.
- Attack on Titan Season 2 – Centuries ago, mankind was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called Titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.
- Fate/Apocrypha – The theft of the Greater Grail from Fuyuki City leads to a splintered timeline in which the Great Holy Grail War is waged on an unprecedented scale. Starring: Natsuki Hanae, Maaya Sakamoto, Kouki Uchiyama. Genres: TV Shows, Anime, Anime Action, Anime Fantasy, Anime Series.
Best Drama
- Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Season 2 – see above
- March comes in like a lion Season 2 – see above
- Made in Abyss – see above
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride – Chise Hatori, a 15-year-old Japanese girl, was sold for five million pounds at an auction to a tall masked gentleman. Abandoned at a young age and ridiculed by her peers for her unconventional behavior, she was ready to give herself to any buyer if it meant having a place to go home to. In chains and on her way to an unknown fate, she hears whispers from robed men along her path, gossiping and complaining that such a buyer got his hands on a rare “Sleigh Beggy.”
- Scum’s Wish – To the outside world, Hanabi Yasuraoka and Mugi Awaya are the perfect couples. But in reality, they just share the same secret pain: they are both in love with other people they cannot be with.
Hanabi has loved her childhood friend and neighbor Narumi Kanai for as long as she can remember, so she is elated to discover that he is her new homeroom teacher. However, Narumi is soon noticed by the music teacher, Akane Minagawa, and a relationship begins to blossom between them, much to Hanabi’s dismay.
Mugi was tutored by Akane in middle school and has been in love with her since then. Through a chance meeting in the hallway, he encounters Hanabi. As these two lonely souls spend more time together, they decide to use each other as a substitute for the one they truly love, sharing physical intimacy with one another in order to stave off their loneliness.
- ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. – ACCA—a national body of the kingdom of Dowa that provides public services to the citizens of the country—was established as part of the peace settlement between the king of Dowa and the 13 states of the country during a revolt. One hundred years later, Dowa is in a period of unprecedented peace, due in part to the ACCA system. However, rumors of a coup d’état start to surface. Jean Otus, the second-in-command of the inspection department of ACCA, is charged with inspecting all 13 state branches. What will he discover as he performs his audit?
Intriguing and mysterious, ACCA: 13-Ku Kansatsu-ka is a politically-themed mystery that reveals a world of diverse cultures and lifestyles, with intricate connections between its characters, as the truth of the coup d’état slowly unfolds.
Best Comedy
- Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – As Kobayashi sets off for another day at work, she opens her apartment door only to be met by an unusually frightening sight—the head of a dragon, staring at her from across the balcony. The dragon immediately transforms into a cute, busty, and energetic young girl dressed in a maid outfit, introducing herself as Tooru. It turns out that the stoic programmer had come across the dragon the previous night on a drunken excursion to the mountains, and since the mythical beast had nowhere else to go, she had offered the creature a place to stay in her home. Thus, Tooru had arrived to cash in on the offer, ready to repay her savior’s kindness by working as her personal maidservant. Though deeply regretful of her words and hesitant to follow through on her promise, a mix of guilt and Tooru’s incredible dragon abilities convinces Kobayashi to take the girl in.
- Mr. Osomatsu Season 2 – The majority of the Matsuno household is comprised of six identical siblings: self-centered leader Osomatsu, manly Karamatsu, a voice of reason Choromatsu, cynical Ichimatsu, hyperactive Juushimatsu, and lovable Todomatsu. Despite each one of them being over the age of 20, they are incredibly lazy and have absolutely no motivation to get a job, choosing to live as NEETs instead. In the rare occurrence that they try to look for employment and are somehow able to land an interview, their unique personalities generally lead to their swift rejection.
- Little Witch Academia – see above
- KonoSuba: God’s Blessing in This Wonderful World! Season 2 – When Kazuma Satou died, he was given two choices: pass on to heaven or be revived in a fantasy world. After choosing the new world, the goddess Aqua tasked him with defeating the Demon King and let him choose any weapon to aid him. Unfortunately, Kazuma chose to bring Aqua herself and has regretted the decision ever since then.
- GAMERS! – Keita Amano is a typical high school gamer living out an average student’s life. One day, however, he has an unexpected meeting with the cutest girl in school that makes him want to disappear without a trace! This girl, Karen Tendou, is an exemplary student who is proclaimed to be the school’s idol. She discovers that Amano is a gamer, and this newfound knowledge incites a passionate desire within her to recruit him into the game club. Upon visiting the club, Amano is forcefully made aware of a side to gaming wildly different than the one he loves so dearly.
- Tsuredure Children – Plot Summary: Young love—it takes many unique and fascinating forms that flourish as children begin to mature into adults. From being unable to confess to not knowing what real love actually feels like, various obstacles can arise when learning about romantic attraction for the first time
Best Slice of Life
- Recovery of an MMO Junkie – For the first time since graduating high school, 30-year-old Moriko Morioka is unemployed—and she couldn’t be happier. Having quit her long-standing job of over 11 years, Moriko quickly turns to online games to pass her now-plentiful free time, reinventing herself as the handsome and dashing male hero “Hayashi” in the MMO Fruits de Mer. With the pesky societal obligations of the real world out of the way, she blissfully dives headfirst into the realm of the game, where she promptly meets the kind and adorable healer Lily. Befriending each other almost instantly, the two become inseparable just as Moriko herself becomes more and more engrossed in her new “life” as Hayashi. Eventually, Moriko adopts the reclusive lifestyle in its entirety, venturing out from the safety of her apartment only when absolutely necessary.
- Tsuki ga Kirei – With a new school year comes a new crowd of classmates, and for their final year of junior high, aspiring writer Kotarou Azumi and track team member Akane Mizuno end up in the same class. Though initially complete strangers, a few chance encounters stir an innocent desire within their hearts. A yearning gaze, a fluttering heart—the hallmarks of young love slip into their lives as fate brings their paths to a cross.
- Girls’ Last Tour – Civilization is dead, but Chito and Yuuri are still alive. So they hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and aimlessly wander the ruins of the world they once knew. Day after hopeless day, they look for their next meal and fuel for their ride. But as long as the two are together, even an existence as bleak as theirs has a ray or two of sunshine in it, whether they’re sucking down their fill of soup or hunting for machine parts to tinker with. For two girls in a world full of nothing, the experiences, and feelings the two share give them something to live for
- Kemono Friends – Japari Park is a large zoo home to extant species, endangered species, extinct species, cryptids and some legendary creatures. Due to a mysterious substance is known as “Sandstar”, all the animals have become anthropomorphized into girls known as Friends (フレンズFurenzu). The manga follows a park keeper named Nana who looks after the various Friends in Japari Park. In the anime, a girl known only as Kaban wakes up in Japari Park with no recollection of who she is or how she got there and encounters a Serval friend. Together, they set out on an adventure to find out what kind of animal Kaban is, passing through multiple regions of Japari Park and meeting new Friends along the way.
- Sakura Quest – Tired of her rural home, recent college graduate Yoshino Koharu is desperate to lead a more exciting life in Tokyo. After a fruitless job hunt, she finally receives a part-time offer as queen of the bizarre “Kingdom of Chupacabra,” a rundown mini-attraction in the small agricultural town of Manoyama. However, Yoshino discovers upon her arrival in Manoyama that she was mistaken for a celebrity and the job offer was a mistake. Left with no other options, Yoshino reluctantly agrees to take on the role and aid the Board of Tourism in their efforts to revitalize Manoyama. Determined to bring excitement to the dying town with the help of local residents, the queen enacts a series of projects to highlight the beauty and charm of Manoyama’s culture.
- Interviews with Monster Girls – High school biology teacher Tetsuo Takahashi may look like your average everyday instructor, but beneath his gentle appearance lies something less ordinary: his fascination for the “Ajin,” more commonly known as “Demi.” Although these half-human, half-monster beings have integrated into human society, Takahashi believes that much of them will remain unknown unless he interacts with them firsthand.
Best Continuing Series
- March comes in like a lion. – see above
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 – see above
- Dragon Ball Super – With Majin Buu now defeated and Earth at peace, the heroes have settled into normal lives, which in Goku’s case means being a radish farmer. They can’t get too comfortable in their new lives because more evildoers are on the horizon. Enter Beerus, the powerful god of destruction, who awakens
- Detective Conan – Shinichi Kudou, a great mystery expert at only seventeen, is already well known for having solved several challenging cases. One day, when Shinichi sees two suspicious men and decides to follow them, he inadvertently becomes witness to a disturbing illegal activity. When the men catch Shinichi, they dose him with an experimental drug formulated by their criminal organization and abandon him to die. However, to his own astonishment, Shinichi is still alive and soon wakes up, but now, he has the body of a seven-year-old, perfectly preserving his original intelligence. He hides his real identity from everyone, including his childhood friend Ran Mouri and her father, private detective Kogorou Mouri, and takes on the alias of Conan Edogawa (inspired by the mystery writers Arthur Conan Doyle and Ranpo Edogawa).
- ALL OUT!! – In rugby, there is no ace striker, there is no number four batter, so who is the star of the team? The story begins at school entrance ceremony of Kanagawa High School where Kenji Gion, a small but gutsy go-getter joins the rugby club. He joins with his classmate, Iwashimizu, who has a complicated past and sub-captain Hachiouji, who always takes good care of his Club members. Lastly, there is Captain Sekizan, who has overwhelming powers but keeps his cards close to his chest. With such differences in both personality and physical performance, the team must learn to work and grow together so they can become the best.
- Naruto: Shippuden – More than two years have passed since the most recent adventures in the Hidden Leaf Village, ample time for ninja wannabe Naruto Uzumaki to have developed skills worthy of recognition and respect. The hyperactive youngster has trained extensively with Jiraiya-sama and returned to Konoha to reunite with friends and, perhaps, partake in more pranks than schoolwork
Best Animation
- Land of the Lustrous – see above
- My Hero Academia Season 2 – see above
- Little Witch Academia – see above
- March comes in like a lion Season 2 – see above
- A Silent Voice – A deaf elementary school girl, Shoko Nishimiya, upon transferring, meets a boy named Shoya Ishida in her new class. Shoya, who is not deaf, leads the class in bullying Shoko because she is deaf. As the bullying continues, the class starts to bully Shoya for bullying Shoko. After graduating from elementary school, Shoko and Shoya do not speak to each other… until later, when Shoya, tormented over his past, decides he must see Shoko once more. Shoya wants to make amends for what he did in elementary school and be Shoko’s friend.
- Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – see above
Hero of the Year
- Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, My Hero Academia
- Gin Minowa, Yuki Yuna is a Hero
- Atsuko “Akko” Kagari, Little Witch Academia
- Kukuri, Magical Circle Guru Guru
- Chise Hatori, The Ancient Magus’ Bride
- Nanachi, Made in Abyss
The villain of the Year
- Stain, My Hero Academia
- Tanya Degurechaff, Saga of Tanya the Evil
- Bondrewd, Made in Abyss
- Cartaphilus, The Ancient Magus’ Bride
- Hiro Shishigami, Inuyashiki
- Usagi, Juni Taisen: Zodiac War
Best Opening
- “Shadow and Truth” by ONE III NOTES, ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.
- “Here” by JUNNA, The Ancient Magus’ Bride
- “Shinzou wo Sasageyo! (心臓を捧げよ！)” by Linked Horizon, Attack on Titan Season 2
- “Peace Sign (ピースサイン)” by Kenshi Yonezu, My Hero Academia Season 2
- “The Other Side of the Wall” by Void_Chords feat.MARU, Princess Principal
- “Imawa no Shinigami (今際の死神)” by Megumi Hayashibara, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Season 2
Best Ending
- Best Ending “Step Up LOVE (ステップアップLOVE)” by DAOKO x Yasuyuki Okamura, Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond
- “Ishukan Communication (イシュカン・コミュニケーション)” by Chorogonzu (ちょろゴンず), Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
- “Kirameku Hamabe (煌めく浜辺)” by Yuiko Ohara, Land of the Lustrous
- “Hikari, Hikari (ひかり、ひかり)” by Yuuka Aisaka, Recovery of an MMO Junkie
- “behind” by Karin Isobe, Yuna Yoshino, and Lynn, Just Because!
- “Kafune (カフネ)” by Brian the Sun, March comes in like a lion Season 2
Best Boy
- Shoto Todoroki, My Hero Academia
- Rei Kiriyama, March comes in like a lion.
- Kazuma, KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!
- Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, My Hero Academia
- Fafnir, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid
- Yakumo Yuurakutei, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū
Best Girl
- Atsuko “Akko” Kagari, Little Witch Academia
- Ochako Uraraka, My Hero Academia
- Moriko Morioka, Recovery of an MMO Junkie
- Serval, Kemono Friends
- Tsuyu Asui, My Hero Academia
- Chise Hatori, Ancient Magus’ Bride
Best Film
- A Silent Voice
- Your Name
- In This Corner of the World
- Girls and Panzer movie
- Kizumonogatari III: Reiketsu-hen
- Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel – I. Presage Flower
Best CGI
- Land of the Lustrous
- Kado: The Right Answer
- Re: Creators
- Attack on Titan Season 2
- Knight’s & Magic
- Inuyashiki
Best Score
- Made in Abyss
- Little Witch Academia
- Land of the Lustrous
- The Ancient Magus’ Bride
- ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept.
- Re: Creators