An anime top 10 list – I honestly can’t believe it took this long to put this kind of list together. I’m slowly coming up on my one-year anniversary of writing for Pure Fandom. My goal in sharing these articles is to pass on a little of my enthusiasm for all things in the anime fandom. However, I generally try to avoid ranking things specifically or saying stuff that could be controversial. Maybe that’s the wrong way to go though.
Top 10 lists are useful because they can encourage conversation. That’s part of the reason why I want to share this one. I know you can get a sense of who I am by the things I like. And that’s part of why I want to share this with you. It is difficult to put an order to things that are so acutely close together. So, this list may be a bit arbitrary, but I hope you’ll follow along with me. It’ll be tough to put all of this into words, but I’m going to try my best!
Spoiler: They are unavoidable and necessary. Please take them as intended though – I love these series and my enthusiasm tends to get the better of me. If my enthusiasm can infect you to the point where you explore these offerings, then that’s the goal I’m shooting for.
Anime Top 10 – #10 Erased
Time travel is a sticky issue for me. It can be confusing or maddening at times. Yet, as a person that wishes deep down he could go back and do a little “butterfly effect” work on his past, Erased grabs my attention. There’s no explanation of how Satoru’s power works but I feel the way he uses it is what is important. The combination of creative time travel usage and detective work makes Erased a great watch. Additionally, the opening is a favorite of mine. It makes you wonder…what would you change if you could go back and influence the past?
Anime Top 10 – #9 Fullmetal Alchemist
I suppose I have to be specific and clarify that I mean the 2003 version of Fullmetal Alchemist. Now there are elements of Brotherhood that I prefer (particularly the Gate of Truth). In spite of this, the 2003 version holds a special place for me. It was the anime that started my obsession. The examination of what equivalent exchange means, how the homunculi come into being, and the finality of the ending (albeit in the movie) are all parts that I cherish. I prefer the darker elements and for me the 2003 version is more human.
Anime Top 10 – #8 Fate stay/night: Unlimited Blade Works
I previously shared about UBW in my article about breathtaking visuals. The beauty of this anime is the reason for its inclusion. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of the fight scenes. The story isn’t anything to ignore either. You get the mystery surrounding Shirou, all the heroic spirits, and (in my opinion) the best version of #bestgirl, Rin Tohsaka. The whole Fate series has this jumbled mess of concurrently existing timelines, but I think I was lucky to watch UBW first. In my mind, that timeline is the true one.
Anime Top 10 – #7 Durarara!!
There is an article idea I wish I had finished – “Why Durarara makes me want to go to Japan”. There may not be enough space in this article to explain my whys, but one day I’ll tackle that article. Durarara has this plethora of characters. Each one with a secret and motivation and affiliation and complexity that isn’t apparent on first glance. It is this depth that is so intriguing. There is an injection of magic and the unbelievable in the night streets of Ikebukuro that enchants me.
Anime Top 10 – #6 Death Parade
Okay, so point one for Death Parade is how AMAZING the intro theme is. If that intro doesn’t scream “WATCH THIS NOW”, then I must be without a pulse. Secondly, what happens to us after we die is of immense interest. Seeing a new interpretation of the afterlife is special. It gives me hope that there isn’t just a light at the end of the tunnel and then it fades to black. Even the mere possibility of reincarnation is preferable. How judgment comes down stands out as a unique element. It just makes you think…or it makes me think about what lies beyond the threshold of death.
Well, as you can see there are only 5 entries on this top ten list. I’m hoping you’ll comeback for the second part with my top 5. More so, I’m optimistic that you’ll give one of these animes a chance and maybe it’ll make it into your own top 10! Like I said, I’m hoping that this list will create a dialogue – so reach out to me and let me know what you think (Facebook – Twitter – Instagram)!
Featured image: Collage assembled by me
