2013 is finally over and the year has given us plenty of memorable anime from all four seasons. There were anime which became pretty underrated and there were also anime which disappointed.
And then there were the absolute best. Plenty of titles deserve the top 10 spot, but unfortunately we can only name 10 of them. Here are our picks for the 10 best anime of 2013:
10: Maoyu Maou Yuusha
Romance, intrigue, economics and a whole lot of plot (in more ways than one) gets this anime the 10th spot to kick off our list.
The anime is based on Japanese author Mamare Touno’s light novels and is basically an anime about economics, war and potatoes. You can learn something from this anime on the ways of trade and commerce as well as how countries basically work. What makes this anime good is that not only do you learn things, but you also get to enjoy a good story and some pretty lovable characters and good fight scenes.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
9: Free!
Yes, this anime is full of yaoi intonations. Yes, this anime is full of female-oriented fan service, but if you look past those things and focus on the anime’s story, you get a pretty enthralling story with exciting swimming pool battles worthy of a great series.
The animation is beautiful, as expected of Kyoto Animation and the characters are quite lovable to say the least and have garnered fans all across the world. This anime makes it on our list not only because it has overwhelmingly increased female anime viewership but for being arguably the best female-oriented anime this year.
where to watch: Crunchyroll
8: Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
This mecha anime written by Gen Urobuchi has surprised a lot of people not because of how popular the anime has become but simply because none of the beloved anime characters had tragic endings like getting their head bitten off by a witch named Charlotte or being made to suffer ten years of despair in a mountain of slain soldiers.
As expected of Urobuchi’s superb writing, the story and the characters were quite amazing and the plot twist? Let’s just say it’s what you would expect from “The Butcher” though many would say that the anime’s good ending would be the real plot twist.
The animation was clean and nicely done and the music was great. Great story, great writing and beautiful animation puts this anime at #8.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
7: Beyond the Boundary/ Kyoukai no Kanata
Beautiful animation, lovable characters, great fight scenes and lots of laughs coupled with Kyoto Animation’s signature moe art style gets Beyond the Boundary the #7 spot on our Best Anime of 2013 list.
The anime is just a visual feast for the eyes and will make you laugh out loud. The action keeps you at the edge of your seats and the characters will tug at your heart. Now, say it with me, Fuyukai-desu!
where to watch: Crunchyroll
6: Kill la Kill
Kill la Kill’s unique animation coupled with over-the-top characters, fair amount of fan service scenes and in your face action just makes this anime that great.
The anime provides great chemistry not only between main character Ryuko and her uniform Senketsu but also for Ryuko and her best friend Mako as well. The anime also has great comedy scenes which will make you laugh out loud and of course, let us not forget Ryuko’s controversial outfit.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
5: Log Horizon
Like Maoyu, this anime is also based on yet another one of Japanese author Mamare Touno’s light novels.
The series tackles politics, intrigue, diplomacy, economics in a world where players are trapped inside an MMO with no way of getting out. The story is just simply wonderful and the characters have great chemistry with one another. Sure, it may sound like a Sword Art Online rip-off at first but once you watch the anime, you will understand that Log Horizon is totally different.
The story focuses on the small guild Log Horizon and the battles are usually the co-op play you would expect in most MMORPG’s. You could say it has a more MMO feel than SAO itself. All in all, Log Horizon is a must watch anime for everyone.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
4: Danganronpa the Animation
If you haven’t been spoiled by playing the game (or the countless spoilers everywhere in the internet), Danganronpa the Animation is full of unexpected twists and turns which will come out of nowhere and hit you hard.
A word of caution though, this anime is not for the weak of heart. This anime kills off the lovable characters one by one and if you aren’t into that, this anime ain’t for you.
The characters also make this anime great and you will feel sorry for them and feel their despair.
Where to watch: Funimation
3: The Devil is a Part-timer/ Hataraku Maou-sama!
This anime is part of the Spring trio which premiered during the Spring 2013 anime season and blew everyone away.
The series is full of laughs and weird reaction faces. The series features lovable characters from the Maou himself to the Hero Emilia and Maou’s co-worker Chiyo. The anime also introduced several comedic objects from Maou Sadao’s underwear and his trust “Dullahan” to Alsiel’s cape and the dreaded “Katsu-doom”.
The anime also provides plenty of fan service for both the male and female audiences, in a manner that isn’t trashy like the sort provided by most series.
Where to watch: Funimation
2: Attack on Titan
Without a doubt, this year’s hottest anime is Attack on Titan. Fluid animation, great action, lovable characters and a killer sound track have made this anime 2013′s most popular title.
The anime is so popular that its scenes have been turned into memes, the opening song has been played countless times on sites like Youtube and Nico Nico and lat’s not forget the fact that the Colossal Titan and the Survey Corps have become household names already.
The anime started off with not a lot of hype and few people could have predicted that this anime would reach these heights in terms of popularity. With its great story and success, this series makes it as the second best anime for 2013.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
1: My Teen RomCom SNAFU/ Oregairu
When the anime aired during the Spring 2013 anime season, the words “Hachiman Hikigaya is awesome” is a common sight in anime forums. The words spoken by the main character named Hachiman have been quoted over and over again. His “I hate nice girls” monologue has tugged at the hearts of many guys and has even been memorized by several fans.
If Madoka Magica is known as the deconstruction of the Magical Girl genre and Evangelion is considered the deconstruction of the mecha genre, then Oregairu is the deconstruction of the high school romantic comedy genre. The anime just takes apart every single high school RomCom anime out there in a magnificent way.
The characters are lovable. Both Hachiman and main girl Yukino have a bitter personality while the other main girl Yui balances both of them out with her sweetness. The chemistry between the three is superb and will surely grow on you. Another character, Saika has been dubbed as “the next Hideyoshi” as he makes fun of trap characters.
All in all, Oregairu takes the #1 spot beating out Attack on Titan for its complex yet beautiful story and superb characterizations.
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
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Do you agree with this list?
True, there are others out there who deserve the top 10 spot like Haganai Next, Psycho-Pass and many more, but sadly, we can only name 10.
Here’s to hoping that 2014 will also give us many unforgettable anime titles.
You can also check out our picks for 2013′s most underrated anime as well as 2013′s most disappointing anime.
Read more about your favorite anime here on SGCafe!
Also join in on the community’s discussions at http://forums.sgcafe.com
Our top 10 picks for 2013 anime
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