Top 10 Anime Series of 2016

Top 10 Anime Series of 2016

Written by: ClayDragon & Shiggins

Well, it’s that time again. Another year has ended, and a bunch of new anime shows are about to start airing any day now. So for our final retrospective article of 2016, let’s have a look at the best series that graced our screens over the past year. And whilst there may have been less hype for some of these shows compared to 2015’s series, our entries this year were more than enough to keep us satisfied. As with our other lists, only shows that started airing in 2016 are eligible.

Side note: Whilst we made an effort to watch lots of shows that started airing this year, we couldn’t see them all. So if there’s a series that you think should be on this list but isn’t, then it’s probably because we never got around to watching it, as opposed to us not liking it.

As is this the case with many of these lists, SPOILER ALERT. You have been warned.

Top 10 Anime Moments of 2016

Top 10 Anime Moments of 2016

Written by: ClayDragon & Shiggins

When people think of an anime series, they tend to have one single scene in mind; a moment that perfectly encapsulates the show and what it’s about. These moments can be epic or subdued, heartwarming or tearjerking, hilarious or terrifying, but the key point is that they are the highlight of the show. And just like any other year, 2016 gave us a surplus of perfect moments. It was difficult, but we eventually manages to whittle them down to our Top 10.

Side note: Whilst we made an effort to watch lots of shows that started airing this year, we couldn’t see them all. So if there’s a moment that you think should be on this list but isn’t, then it’s probably because we never got around to watching it, as opposed to us not liking it.

As is this the case with many of these lists, SPOILER ALERT. You have been warned.

Top 10 Anime Characters of 2016

Top 10 Anime Characters of 2016

Written by: ClayDragon & Shiggins

It’s sometimes said that an anime is only as good as its characters. The animation can be perfect and the fights can be glorious to watch, but if the characters aren’t engaging then the whole series just falls apart. Luckily for us, we were blessed with a huge amount of great characters this year, and being the obsessive-compulsive fans that we are, we just had to make a list of the 10 best ones. Please note that we've only considered characters who made their first appearance this year, regardless of when their show actually started. 

Side note: Whilst we made an effort to watch lots of shows that started airing this year, we couldn’t see them all. So if there’s a character that you think should be on this list but isn’t, then it’s probably because we never got around to watching it, as opposed to us not liking it.

As is this the case with many of these lists, SPOILER ALERT. You have been warned.

Top 10 Anime Fights of 2016

Top 10 Anime Fights of 2016

Written by: ClayDragon & Shiggins

For a lot of people, fighting is an important aspect of anime shows. Fans will debate endlessly over which series has the best battles, or what the best fight in any individual series is. So, we’ve decided to once again weigh in on this topic with a list of what we consider to be the best anime fights this year. Because who doesn’t like seeing someone get beaten to within an inch of their life?

Side note: Whilst we made an effort to watch lots of shows that started airing this year, we couldn’t see them all. So if there’s a fight that you think should be on this list but isn’t, then it’s probably because we never got around to watching it, as opposed to us not liking it.

As is this the case with many of these lists, SPOILER ALERT. You have been warned.

Top 10 Anime Openings of 2016

Top 10 Anime Openings of 2016

Written by: ClayDragon & Shiggins

Let’s not mince words – 2016 was an absolute shitshow. Far too many great people died, there were huge political divides in both Britain and the USA, and we only got one new episode of Doctor Who. Despite this, the anime side of 2016 was pretty good, and so over the next few days we’re going to be looking at some of the best aspects of anime that came out this past year. For this list, we’re focusing on openings – as long as it debuted in 2016, it’s eligible for this list.

Side note: Whilst we made an effort to watch lots of shows that started airing this year, we couldn’t see them all. So if there’s an opening that you think should be on this list but isn’t, then it’s probably because we never got around to watching it, as opposed to us not liking it.

As is this the case with many of these lists, SPOILER ALERT. You have been warned.

Bungou Stray Dogs Anime Review

Bungou Stray Dogs Anime Review

Written by: ClayDragon

Books are awesome. Countless series all across the world are based off of books, from shows like Game of Thrones and Sherlock to anime such as Bakemonogatari and Haruhi Suzumiya. But it’s incredibly rare for any work to actually focus on the authors of such stories. Of course, some might find the idea of an entire series showing how a book is written to be comparable to one of the circles of hell, so how do you inform people of authors and their works without boring the audience to tears? Answer: you give the authors superpowers based on their books and have them fight each other.

Fairy Tail Chapters 512, 513, 514 & 515 Review - Deluxe Edition

Written by Shiggins

Heeeeere's Seanny!

Yes I'm back! I was running into quite a few problems at home and at work, so a lot of my free time was taken away from me but that bastard known as life. However, I am back to continue my reviews and hopefully I won't be buggering off again any time soon. So thanks for all the fanmail I didn't get, but I'm not bitter or anything... whatever... No seriously, I love that people keep reading my work. It's honestly the main reason I'm back here... *throat clear to stop myself getting sappy* Back to the reviews!

And I return with... Something horrific that makes me wonder if Mashima went just a bit too far.

Izana - Part 1 (Chapters 1, 2, 3)

Written by: Pomelote

 

Prologue

The air is hot, like the seasons have been reversed. Only my feet are cold and damp, from the muddy water that soaked into my tabi while I walked. The flames make a ferocious crackling, and blaze like they're going to make the night's darkness disappear. The dry wooden walls and posts of the building crumble away into chunks of black charcoal.

Ah, it's so red. So red. So red.

The world has never been so beautiful.

For a moment, the world of scorched grey had colour.

Heaven and earth reversed - and the living became the dead, the dead became the living.

And now, I was born.

At the end of a long death, I finally came into this world.

It was like the plants, at the end of their seclusion in winter, budding and welcoming the spring; it was like part of the natural order.

My thin clothes cling to my skin with sweat, but even that sensation makes me feel alive.

Suddenly remembering, I wipe my lips with my fingers. Nothing comes away. It seems that the crimson dye was melted away by sweat. But even now, I'm sure my lips are red. From elation, I'm flushing, like a rose. Like the flames. Now, I am beautiful.

Thoughts on Danganronpa 3 Compilation - Part 1

Written by Shiggins

Future.

Despair.

Hope.

The three stages of Danganronpa's anime of 2016, in which the story of Makato Naegi and his companions was finally wrapped up. Storylines are resolved, characters make shocking returns, and the dub of Monokuma just gets worse and worse. Over the course of these three segments, you find yourself questioning a lot about what you saw from the first two games of the series, and the final result is a mixed bag that is worth talking about. And since we've got Danganronpa V3 coming soon, this feels like a good time to do just that. Talk.

So many deaths. So little time.

Naruto, the Shitty Dad: A Boruto Character Analysis

Written by: Micha

It’s been two years after Naruto ended, and two years since I have mentioned Naruto to any on here. You could say I don’t handle grief so well, for someone who has repeatedly killed the spirits of Hinata fans and Sasuke fans for a while. So after two years, I woke up from my Naruto-coma to ask myself something that has been plaguing the backburner of my mind all this time: why is Naruto being a little bitch?

Boruto, chill. Kishi never tweets me back either.

Naruto Uzumaki never made it to my top three favorite characters, but he was always someone I thought was too good for bashing. And trust me, I have bashed a lot of characters. And I never thought I’d ever have to question why, an orphan who yearned to be a part of a family he even adopted this guy as his brother, would ever deny love and attention to his own biological son.

Naruto has been neglectful to the point he had Boruto running to Sasuke for comfort. Fricken Sasuke. And this Uchiha is a man so emotionally damaged to the point he probably said, “Hn” after the priest asked if he’d accept Sakura as his bride.

So why is Naruto doing this? Let me dive deep into his psyche and fish out the psychological theories.