Want To Know J-List’s 13 Top Anime of 2017? Well Keep Reading!
We hope everyone had an excellent and relaxing special day yesterday. Our final announcement of 2017 is…a huge 10x J-List Points sale on all products for December 25 and 26 (except fukubukuro). This gives everyone a last chance to get 20% cashback on the amazing artbooks, figures, cosplay items, 2018 calendars, ecchi dolphin polishers and snacks we have on the site.
2017 was an amazing year to be an anime fan, and our cup really runneth over, with (by my quick count) 170 series and 140 anime films released, far too many for anyone to follow properly, even someone like me who’s fortunately enough to watch anime for a job. There were a lot of quality shows, though, and the industry seemed to grow in health and energy, which made me happy. Here is my list of the top anime of 2017 based on several factors, including quality of concept and writing, overall execution, my subjective emotional connection to the characters, and the show’s effect on fans and fandom.
- Re:Creators. The “what if anime characters became real” concept done really well. I liked how characters would meet their own character designers and voice actors, and complain about not having been given this trait or that.
- Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler. Anime should always be fun, and this show was fun. Bonus for being a great Hayami Saori role.
- Demi-chan wa Kataritai/Interviews with Monster Girls. A low-key show about a world in which “monster girls” live alongside us, and a teacher who wants to help his students fit into society better. I loved the way the physics of the monster girls was explored realistically, and this scene of course. One of the top anime of 2017.
- Fate/Apocropha. I honestly tire of the complexity of the Fate-o-verse, since I don’t have time to go get a Master’s Degree in the subject. But the show is a spectacle I wouldn’t miss for anything, with high budget battles and outstanding characters.
- Eromanga Sensei. A fun series by the creator of Oreimo, which spawned lots of inappropriate memes on the Internet. Good stuff.
- Umaru-chan season2/Gabriel DropOut. I’ll cheat and combine these shows, since they’re by the same writer. Both were lighthearted and fun, and pitched right at casual-to-intermediate otaku viewers.
- Your Name/Kimi no Na Wa. The film by Shinkai Makoto blew the doors off the industry and proved that someone other than Miyazaki Hayao could make a top-grossing animated film. Though The Garden of Words is still my favorite Shinkai work.
- Kuzu no Honkai/Scum’s Wish. One of my top shows of the year, it’s an intense romantic drama with delicious yuri elements. One of the top anime of 2017, so watch it!
- Tsuredure Children, a wonderful slapstick show about dating in high school. The show follows several couples as they try to connect with each other, with adorable results.
- Blend S. A cute show about cute girls doing cute things, but mixed up with good characters who are sometimes sadistic. If they gave awards for meme inspiration, this show would place highly.
- Kemono Friends. The surprise hit of the year, perhaps of the decade. When a meme that this low-budget CGI based series would “lower the I.Q. of anyone who watched” emerged online, people wondered what the fuss was about. What they found was a cute show about sentient animals, the dark mystery of which was slowly revealed over many episodes. The fanart and memes the show generated have been great to watch.
- Made in Abyss. Fabulous adventure story about a girl Riko and her robot friend Regu delving into the ancient Abyss to search for Riko’s mother. Very rich world and characters. And season two is coming!
- Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. A superb show about a tired lesbian who saves a dragon and ends up with a dragon maid, plus many other bonus dragons in her life. Great performance and quality by Kyoto Animation. And in case there’s never a second season, there’s now a canon ending…
We’ve had fun this Christmas season, but now it’s time for our final sale of the year. Through the end of Dec. 26, we’re giving 10x J-List Points on all products (except fukubukuro), which means you can get 20% cash back on the most awesome products from Japan. It’s a huge opportunity, so make a big order! And have a Happy New Year!
