The Top 5 Best Anime of 2017

Time to start reflecting on the past year. First up, what were the best anime of 2017?

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Welcome one and all to 2018!

Looking back at the past year, 2017 was definitely something else. Instead of all of the chaos of 2016, here we had more focus on the insanity. We could pinpoint the crazy moments and people were at least more willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in. Now granted, some of those beliefs may make you into a Nazi, in which case I think it's fair to say your beliefs are wrong, but other times people were at least open to standing u for themselves. Social discussion was thrown out the window and we're in a world now where anyone that disagrees with you is unfortunately the enemy. Actually being able to talk with a person on an issue was difficult and there's a sneaking suspicion that people are less and less willing to stand with each other. We'd rather stand against each other, which is a real shame. But let's not talk about the poor state of morale in the world, let's talk about the one thing that unites people everywhere; anime!

I'm probably in the minority on this one, but 2017 seemed like a year with more titles than ever before and more of them were underwhelming or bad than good. Oh sure, there were some quality sequels that came out this year like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia, but you already had to be an established fan to like them and actively be engaged in the story to get full enjoyment out of them. In terms of quality original series, 2017 was pretty lackluster.

The first half of 2017 was painful to get through. There were a few decent titles, but nothing really shone through the deluge of junk and when something was potentially interesting, it was walled off by Netflix or relegated to a paywall with Amazon's Anime Strike. It wasn't until the second half of 2017 that things started to look up. We got quality titles but we got them in smaller amounts so there was nothing lost in the grand scheme of things. But does the second half of 2017 redeem the first half? No, but there were still some good shows overall, and we're here to talk about them. I saw 21 shows over the course of 2017, and here are the five best shows! Spoilers, Hand Shakers is not on this list.

Honorable Mention: Kakegurui

Kakegurui was the best show that nobody watched. Because Netflix was being Netflix, the series was not streamed in North America and is instead going to be released in the states in 2018. Now I could have put this show in 2018's Best of list just because I know it's a great show with a ton of fun moments, but any chance I can just say "screw you" to Netflix and the way it handles streaming anime is always a plus in my books.

Anyway, Kakegurui was just a blast to watch. It's one of those shows where you know what's going to happen every episode because we have a super protagonist who can't lose, but just watching Yumeko win these insane games with euphoric pleasure is a delight to watch. All of the characters are a blast to watch and range from being over the top evil to sly and meticulous. Granted, I wouldn't call any of the characters in Kakegurui deep or interesting, but that's not what Kakegurui wants to be. It's style over substance and just has fun reveling in its insane glee. You get a certain thrill watching each episode and are constantly on the edge of your seat. And the faces. My god the glorious faces.

But yeah, the show is kind of one note, so I can't justify it being in the Top 5. But I will say this; Kakegurui has the best OP of the year! Don't believe me? Just listen to this and start grooving!

#5: Juni Taisen: Zodiac War

A controversial choice I'm sure, given how the middle is pretty middling and the same themes are repeated every episode, but I still really dug Juni Taisen. Maybe it has to do with the character designs. Maybe it has to do with the fun action scenes. Or maybe it has to do with the final episode and learning about how complex this game could have actually been. At the end of the say though, I was satisfied while watching Juni Taisen. I got to know several likeable characters and their stories were fun to listen to.

Rat, Tiger, Rabbit, Dog, Board, and Chicken were easily the best characters in the show, and the focus was placed on them for the beginning and ending of the show. I would much rather have a show start and end strongly with the middle failing than vice versa. I would have preferred if the entire show was as good as its first and last three episodes, but beggars can't be choosers. Chalk this one up as my guilty pleasure of the year, cause I couldn't get enough of this 90's throwback/ultra violence wannabe.

#4: Land of the Lustrous

Oh Land of the Lustrous. You were too beautiful for this world.

Relegated to the confines of Anime Strike, I don't think a lot of people were able to actually watch Land of the Lustrous as it aired. If you were able to though, you would have found a highly captivating and unbelievably pretty show. Every episode was a visual treat and that is not a statement I would say lightly for a 3DCG show. When you can have me gawk at a character simply looking at something, you've done something right.

And I haven't even talked about the characters yet. Phos is one of the best anime protagonists of the year with her eager attitude and how it changes over time. We see Phos mature from being a child into a teenager, angst and all, and I can't wait to see how she grows in the second season that needs to be made. The other characters are also equally interesting, like Cinnabar and Antarcticite, but this is Phos' show at the end of the day. She's the heart and soul of Land of the Lustrous and what makes the show really shine.

If there was anything that stopped me from putting this any higher on the list, it mostly has to do with where the series stopped. The entire season was dedicated to Phos finding a purpose and once she has a purpose and a new goal in mind, the show just ends. No resolution, no grand closing, just a to be continued that screams "Go read the manga". Even if the ending in a non-entity, it doesn't affect my love for Land of the Lustrous in any way. Go watch it and hope we get a sequel.

#3: Kekkai Sensen & Beyond (Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond)

I knew that we would eventually get a sequel to my 2015 Anime of the Year, but I was never expecting it to be as different as this one was. On the surface, B3&B may look like the same series as its predecessor, but their goals are entirely different. The first season was an action show with grand ideas and world building, the second season is a smaller affair more focused on the characters and what makes them tick. Learning more about the characters is great, but I can't lie when I say I wish we had more of the over-the-top action from before.

It's best to judge B3&B on an episode by episode basis, and with the exception of maybe two or three, all of them knocked it out of the park. We got an episode dedicated to our favorite werewolf espionage agent. The butler was able to show off his driving skills and kick some serious ass. We saw everyone's day off and how that went, from a drinking contest with Chain to seeing Zapp find a cat by midnight or else his unmentionables will fall off. Wholesome fun!

I just recently talked about B3&B not even a few days ago, so take a look at my Fall 2017 roundup to see some more in depth thoughts about this show. Long story short, Blood Blockade Battlefront is able to succeed by its source material alone and by the sheer charm of its world and characters. Kudos to you Yasuhiro Nightow!

#2: Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

I'm always a sucker for a good comedy done right. If you show me a comedy that's frenetic, has likeable characters, and just a touch of crazy, I can easily fall in love with it. My favorite comedy of the year wasn't even a close choice. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid was over the top and I loved every second of it.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid  is a slice-of-life comedy that does the rare feat of making me care about it's characters as actual people rather than fodder for jokes. Kobayashi is a great lead and seeing her interact and care for Tohru and Kanna is strangely heart warming. More often than not, the jokes are home runs and the running gags are just as funny.

I realize it's hard to talk about what makes a comedy so good through text. If I try and explain why the jokes work or why the show has heart, you have the potential of ruining the jokes or over hyping a show. I don't want to over hype Miss Kobayashi because it's best to go into it and just have fun. Don't expect the greatest comedy you've ever seen, but just go in expecting a pleasant and fun little time. The fact that I was invested in the show until the final episode where they ratcheted up the drama and I actually cared about it was shocking to me. A comedy about a maid obsessed office worker and her lesbian dragon maid actually made me care about how they'll end up. This was easily the best show from the first half of 2017 that I saw and I have no shame in saying so.

#1: Made in Abyss

We don't get shows like Made in Abyss anymore.

An fantasy epic at heart, Made in Abyss will fill you with joy and hope before crushing it beyond repair, only to reinstill the value of life back in you. This show is a masterclass in how to make your audience feel for characters and hope for them to survive. Riko and Reg are good kids that have a simple goal; get to the bottom of the Abyss because Riko's dead mom sent her a letter telling her to go there. What follows is a fascinating exploration about humanity, friendship, and keeping hope alive in a hopeless world.

When you're not enjoying your time spent with the characters, you're staring in awe at the beautiful world and the creatures surrounding it. Yes they're monsters, but you never feel like they're out to kill our heroes. Riko and Reg are just exploring a world that they're intruding in. And when horrifying stuff does happen to them... wow is it painful to see. It's not even because these are terrible events happening to children, but this would be grizzly to see in any situation, child or not. It could be easy to call this a sadistic show and that the only reason you're able to feel anything is because who wouldn't be emotionally effected by watching children suffer, but that's not true once you see that there are plenty of moments of hope and optimism sprinkled through this bleak adventure. These characters want to explore the Abyss and some of the people that they encounter truly do make them change for the better.

Made in Abyss also has the distinct honor of being one of only a couple of shows that have actually succeeded in making me cry. The final episode was dramatic, painful, hopefully, and tragic all in one and actually moved me to tears over the most heart wrenching scene in any anime this year. To anyone who has seen this show, you know exactly which one I'm talking about. I never once felt manipulated while I was watching Made in Abyss. I never felt like the series was forcing me to cry or to be scared. Everything felt natural and justified, and that's a rare claim to make for an anime.

When I was writing this post originally, I had said that it was unfortunate that Anime Strike had this and Land of the Lustrous cordoned off behind an absurd paywall. In a stroke of fate, Anime Strike is now dissolved and all of its titles are free for Amazon Prime users. Now you can watch this show without having to be a part of a terrible business strategy! I adored this show unlike any other show and I'm begging you to check it out immediately. With a second season confirmed and more information to come about one of the most despicable characters in the show, I can't wait until we return to the Abyss and see what's dwelling inside.