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Best Anime Series

By Chloi Rad, Eric Goldman, Joshua Yehl, +92 more
updatedJan 6, 2017

From the very first episode, Erased was an emotional roller coaster that didn’t slow down. Every episode was packed with mysteries and revelations that kept us guessing and left us on the edge of our seat as the story jumped between two timelines, weaving together a fascinating tale of redemption and friendship.

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Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World

Your votes have been counted, and the People's Choice winner for Best Anime Series 2016 is Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World. Thanks for voting!

Erased


From the very first episode, Erased was an emotional roller coaster that didn’t slow down. Every episode was packed with mysteries and revelations that kept us guessing and left us on the edge of our seat as the story jumped between two timelines, weaving together a fascinating tale of redemption and friendship.

Flip Flappers

Flip Flappers is a colorful demonstration of just how imaginative and wonderful anime can be. It mixes magical girls with Dragon Ball Z-level action and creative worlds (like a desert dystopia reminiscent of Mad Max) to take viewers on a heartfelt adventure of friendship.

Haikyuu!!

With the new revitalized Karasuno volleyball team, determined protagonist Shoyo Hinata and the gang set their sights on the spring tournament by improving each of their skills in camp and on the court. Season 2 and 3 of Haikyu!!! do an amazing job of balancing the competitive tension of high stake sports games with the multitude of characters that are every bit as important as their star players.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

Diamond is Unbreakable is the fourth part of the popular JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series that follows the life of delinquent high school student, Josuke Higashikata, and his bizarre experience in his peaceful hometown. With the sudden meeting of a distant relative, he begins to notice individuals with strange powers or “stands.” The rise of “stand” users takes Josuke and his friends into a world of crazy magical action and ridiculously awesome poses.

Mob Psycho 100

One Punch Man creator's second manga-turned-anime, Mob Psycho 100, is a whirlwind of extreme facial expressions paired with intense action. Its unique art style is captivating, but the heart of the show is in the growth of each characters as they learn how to rely on their friends and mentors to become better people.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans S1

Iron-Blooded Orphans is a brutal standalone Mobile Suit Gundam story that shows a darker side of war as we follow the lives of child workers turned soldiers. The politics in the Gundam universe are always prominent, but the growth and relationships surrounding the ragtag group of Tekkadan in season 1 makes for an engaging and exciting rise to power.

Mr. Osomatsu

Gag-manga-turned-anime Mr. Osomatsu follows a set of sextuplets with distinct personalities, slowly developing them through a series of one-off jokes and cute vignettes. Despite its focus on comedy, Mr. Osomatsu can get sweet, heartfelt, and even sad, and the love it shows toward its characters helps the comedy stand out from simple gags.

My Hero Academia

Starring a mossy-haired boy with a small body and a big heart, My Hero Academia features lots of fun, frenzied action, a quirky cast of heroic misfits, and a colorful Silver Age Comics art style. But the show's real superpower is the adorable teacher-student bond between the protagonist Izuku Midoriya and his mentor All Might. Plus, the show has bellybutton lasers and a super cool frog girl.

Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World

Protagonist Subaru Natsuki's unique ability to return to life after death gives this anime a unique chance for growth and destruction, and though the otaku in a fantasy world trope has been done many, many times, this works very well. Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World stands out thanks to its narrative focus on pain, consequence, and building up to truly heartfelt moments.

Yuri!!! On Ice

Though a lot of the (justified) excitement around sports anime Yuri!!! On Ice is focused on its incredible character relationships, this phenomenal anime doesn't put anything on the backburner. Yuri!!! On Ice wonderfully depicts and respects figure skating through beautiful performances and homages to the real competitive scene all while developing genuine relationships and rivalries that won't be forgotten.

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