35. MARRIAGETOXIN Alright, this was a good time. Solid action manga absolutely carried by its bizarre creativity and its infectious cast chemistry. Definitely makes you care far more for these characters romantic arcs more so than the overall clan wars but I had a pretty good time with this one.

34. The Ramparts of Ice Man we're 2 for 2 for Kocha Asagawa's anime works now, and I gotta say its kind of cool to see the strong, character driven relationship writing played in a far more dramatic, teen angsty way and still manages to come off just as engaging and charming as Polar Opposites did.

In hindsight this is perhaps the funniest season for Gyari to get her introduction arc in Iruma-kun. It really is Gay Girl Summer gang.

33. The Amazing Digital Circus Genuinely kind of miraculous this series hit pop culture so hard as a weird, subversive, character driven series that was charming, heartbreaking and all so personal and engaging. Indie animation renaissance rules and Gooseworx deserves only good things in the future.

32. Akane-banashi Was telling people earlier that there is a real, genuine argument to be made about Akane-banashi being one of the best manga in Shonen Jump right now and this anime reminded me why that is and why I still encourage everyone to watch this series too. Looking forward to more in Jan.

31. Spice & Wolf (Season I & II) Okay yeah, I absolutely see why this series was a fan favorite for many years because oh my goodness is it a compelling story absolutely carried by the unbeatable chemistry of Holo and Kraft Lawrence. Friend pushed me to finally watch the OG and so happy I did!

Grown ass man mogging the camera with his :3

I feel like Simon is just the personification of this image made manifest.

This tweet belongs in a museum hall of fame.

30. EPIC: The Musical Alright yeah. I can see exactly why this thing has taken online musical circles by storm. Genuinely impressive concept executed by some incredible songs, some truly inspired fan made animatics and just a strong musical retelling of The Odyssey. Need to sit on my favorite songs

29. MEDALIST - Season 2 I am of two minds on this season. On the one hand, Medalist continues to be a great sports drama with strong character writing, exceptional ice skating performances and characters you wanna root for. On the other, they cut the last third out so it could be a movie. Hate that

28. You and I are Polar Opposites - Season 1 Man this show is absolutely delightful. Very cute romance, very great slice of life ensemble, incredibly bouncy characters and cartoon-y animation, and gives you the entire experience from slow burn, angst, and after confession. Can't wait for S2!

@fortworthreid.bsky.social Hey Dallas quick question. Is that you as Pichi Nakagawa in Marriagetoxin?

Hey so I feel people should know one of the three named executives spearheading this SNK Media Adaptation company is an ex-CR executive who (allegedly) created a hostile/sexist work environment in CR and directly pissed off JP licensors like Toei and Toho among other things. So thats fun.

Same energy as this post.

27. Crashing Out - Live in NYC On the prompting of my beloved @lilacanimerevue.bsky.social she wanted to go see her favorite political comedians/podcasters "crash out" and lemme tell you this was a hell of a good show. I have discovered I identify a lot with Alex Pearlman from this ngl.

26. Insomniacs After School You know its always so hard to talk about romance anime with people because sometimes its kinda just saying "look man its a high school anime romance but like, one of the good ones trust me" and that's kinda where Insomniacs falls under. Very cozy vibes this one.

25. Secrets of the Silent Witch A real pleasant surprise this one was, both as a good magical fantasy series but also one with a real solid ensemble cast, very strong cartoon faces and some real heart to it as well. Definitely hoping for a 2nd Season down the road. Thanks @queenira.bsky.social

24. Planetes You know that Makoto Yukimura fellow seems like he's got a bright future ahead of him. Thanks again to @gotmlk7.bsky.social for making me finally get this one off my bucket list it was a real engaging wild ride from start to finish.

23. Anne Shirley Alright Canadians I think I understand the hype a little better now. Nice little storybook feel of a time long ago about love, challenging the status quo and pursuing acceptance and belonging as a growing woman in the 1900s. Kinda cool to see a new take on an old classic blind.

It feels nice to be included sometimes.

Does this look like a face of mercy to you?

22. Gachiakuta Kei Urana's real good at writing a cool setting and characters and the anime absolutely elevates that aesthetic coolness tenfold. Rudo's story arc being a child of rage learning trust and how to harness empathy's a great story beat. Also what a cool power system and ensemble cast.

21. Fate/strange Fake Mother fucking Ryohgo Narita really colalborated with Type-Moon to basically make his Nasuverse fanfiction while also showing off a gigantic ensemble cast. Also my god this anime looks gorgeous while ending on a cruel cliffhanger. Loved this, will wait years for more episodes.

20. Chainsaw Man - Part 2 Controversial ending be damned, nobody out here has done it or ever done it quite like Tatsuki Fujimoto. A roller coaster, character drama, apocalyptic nightmare into one of the most legendary manga series of our era. Thank you Chainsaw Man. Can't wait to see what's next.

19. My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 Sometimes you just need to rewatch a favorite romcom of yours and appreciate it all over again. Really well done and well written comfy romance about online gaming, social connections and trying to change for the better. Also by god that OP is an all timer

18. One Piece: Into the Grand Line (S2) Truly a beautiful thing that Hollywood/Netflix is spending millions on what is basically tokusatsu One Piece. And I LOVE IT. Very inspired casting choices, creative decisions and the straw hats are truly finding themselves and developing in the best ways!

17. Heathers (Off-Broadway Production) Took @lilacanimerevue.bsky.social for date night. A wild show alright. Definitely not hard to see why it's got a dedicated cult following. Great production cast, very fun song numbers and it made for a very memorable theatre experience for Valentines Day!

16. ZENSHU I really can't say I expected an Isekai into someone's favorite anime movie to be such a heartfelt exploration on creativity and why artists draw and make what they love. On top of that, some great homages to anime's history, while also being a real fun, compelling story.

Frankly my biggest surprise is how early in its life Gal x Gal Yuri is and it already made the AnimeJapan Top 5. That said its pretty easy to see the appeal there! Also heard good things about the Being Seen manga from my romcom manga mutuals so looking forward to that down the road.