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ANNCast's Best Anime of 2017


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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 3:06 pm Reply with quote
OH HELL YEAH! I was hopping for this. I love your "Top X" podcasts. A little sad Justin couldn't be here, but still an all-star round-up. And merry christmas.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5513
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 4:55 pm Reply with quote
Very long episode, but I liked it.

March Comes in Like a Lion, Scum's Wish and Princess Principal (which is actually my sentimental favorite) are my honorable mentions. My top 5, best series in technical merits are:

1. Attack on Titan season 2 - Season one was an exciting and novel take on the action genre, but season two took things to new heights, and the franchise feel fresh and innovating again.

2. Made in Abyss - I knew nothing about this show before it started airinng, but from the few minutes of episode one it became clear that this was going to be a very polished and thoughtful production. It is not my number one simply because the story is incomplete.

3. The Ancient Magus' Bride - A very well done story of magic and romance that is becoming more compelling with every episode. I hope it continues to get better in its second half.

4. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, part 2 - This was a very strong cour, but like Jacob said it was not as good as the more intense and haunting first season. But it offers a solid conclusion to the story and characters. Also, I strongly disagree that it crapped the bed.

5. Girls' Last Tour - A very quiet and atmospheric show that conveys a lot of emotions and interesting philosophical ideas. Its tone and production values are great.

And I really enjoyed the My Hero Academia talk. I know these are big words, but I honestly believe this is the best and most unique shounen-action/adventure anime ever.
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jroa



Joined: 08 Aug 2012
Posts: 549
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 8:21 pm Reply with quote
I didn't watch a huge number of anime this year, so trying to write down a list would make me feel guilty, but I still enjoyed listening to everyone's picks during the podcast.

Lots of good or at least interesting recommendations here. In particular, I'd really want to watch In This Corner of the World now and I'll try to catch up with My Hero Academia based on the comments about the second season. I am also glad that Land of the Lustrous has made waves and opened up more viable uses for 3D animation.

On a related note...despite Jacob's brief dismissal towards the end of the podcast, the 3D robots in ID-0 looked very good and were even made quite expressive through the generous use of body language. Therefore, I'd say the technical merits of the production are hard to deny. Not a very memorable series, perhaps, but it was still absolutely watchable for me and at least some of the Netflix viewers around the world.

Speaking of robots, I am also looking forward to the new Full Metal Panic next year. I don't know if you guys have seen the newest trailers and promotional images, but I think the production is looking fairly nice even without Kyoto Animation's involvement.
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Alternative Ice



Joined: 07 Jul 2016
Posts: 96
PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:39 pm Reply with quote
1. Heaven's Feel
2. Owarimonogatari
3. Konosuba
4. BBB&B
5. Little Witch Academia

Runners up: Maid Dragon, Made in Abyss, HeroAca, Recreators, Aot, Girl's Last Tour, Ancient Magus Bride
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relyat08



Joined: 20 Mar 2013
Posts: 4125
Location: Northern Virginia
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:47 am Reply with quote
As always thank you from the bottom of my heart Jacob, for speaking my exact thoughts in regards to Attack on Titan. We certainly appreciate the same aspects of that show. <3

Also, in general, thanks guys for this excellent long podcast. Pretty cool to see Callum on there, and I can't thank him enough for celebrating Little Witch Academia as well. As a piece of art it was beautiful, personal, and lovingly crafted, and it definitely resonated with my love for animation. Even in a year with Made in Abyss, it was the most well animated production as far as I'm concerned.

Thirdly, thanks Zac for mentioning the endearing and incredibly charming Kemono Friends, which I didn't expect to be noted at all in the episode. It was truly a special show though. It just had the perfect balance of optimism and eeriness for me.

Finally, Made in Abyss was my overall number one. I haven't seen a show that hit me so hard and invested me in its characters quite as much as this did since I watched From the New World in 2013. It's been an incredible experience and it was great hearing others praise it so highly as well.
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TasteyCookie



Joined: 19 Jan 2017
Posts: 423
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 1:19 am Reply with quote
Great episode! Also a pretty broad range of shows mentioned which is cool to see. Was waiting till the anime of the year ANN post but might as well post it here first Very Happy

Runners Up: Made in Abyss, Gamers, SukaSuka, Kakegurui, New Game S2. AoT S2.

Top 5

1. Owarimonogatari S2. An almost perfect end to a monumental series that has changed anime forever. I can't remember the last time I've felt so satisfied capping off a long running show. Easily in my tops of all time.

2. March Comes in Like a Lion S2. While not done yet, the ride has been so emotionally poignant that I would be remiss not to have it on here.

3. My Hero Academia S2. As someone who doesn't typically like shounens and who just thought the first season was alright, the second season of MHA proved to me that I can enjoy a super hero story again after Hollywood fatigue. Easily one of the standouts for pure, raw entertainment value.

4. Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. Cute, sweet, memorable, and ultimately pretty effective on evoking a love for family; whether by birth or by friendship.

5. Ancient Magus Bride. Still has a ways to go but every episode leaves me speechless from the simultaneous beauty, and horror, of it's magical world. I just want to see more of everything. Also the OVA's are a standout of animation quality and great story telling power for its short span of time.

While there were a lot of bad shows I watched (I typically watch 18-24 a season) the title of Most Hated was an extremely easy choice. Scum's Wish joins School Days as the only two anime I loathe. I hated everything about the show so much that it made me stop watching anime completely for awhile. Even just hearing the OP or ED come on the radio makes my blood boil and immediately have to turn on something else. Hate hate HATE so much... Can't even write about it without getting furious Sad
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3768
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 1:46 am Reply with quote
I think I’ll save the listing for Tuesday, but I did want to mention a few things.

I was surprised by a few of the choices, but they were ones I could respect nonetheless and all worthy of recognition.

Heaven’s Feel could well have made my top 5 anime movies of the year, but I’d have to agree it had too many inside jokes I wasn’t privy to, even as someone who has seen all the Fate anime, for me to put it in my top 5. It wasn’t so much not understanding what was going on than why some were busting out laughing in seemingly incongruous places. I would put it at 6 though for the excellent production though. Probably Ufotable’s best work to date, and I’ll definitely watch the rest when it comes out.

Thanks for pushing back against the one questioner’s characterization of A Silent Voice as a disappointment, especially as you felt that way about the film.

While I’ll save the specifics for later, this podcast did convince me to switch my fifth and sixth place titles, in light of one of the participants rating it rather highly.

And if you haven’t seen it, I would try and get In This Corner of the World, especially as it is pretty affordably priced. While I didn’t rank it as highly as Zac or Jacob, it was one of my favorite anime films of the year.

All in all, it was a nice way to pass the time while driving up to visit family for the holidays. Though I would have preferred that it didn’t take over an hour longer than the podcast.
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 13626
Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 10:57 am Reply with quote
Jacob and Zac occasionally bring up gender roles/issues on ANNCast or the forums. Well, there was one 2017 anime title that I think really emphasized strong female leads. It might not stand out as a choice for Top 5 Best or Worst 2017 Anime, but I think it could have at least been mentioned once in the episode. If it was, please/thanks to the person(s) that can give the approximate time stamp of it getting mentioned. The show in question is a spring title called Sakura Quest.

I voted for it as as the Best 2017 Anime (I preferred the simuldub version). I have let the ADR director and main cast know that through Twitter and FB posts.


Last edited by Kadmos1 on Tue Dec 26, 2017 11:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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CatSword



Joined: 01 Jul 2014
Posts: 1489
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 2:40 pm Reply with quote
My First Girlfriend is a Gal wins for grossest anime of the year because of the pedophile character, though I thought the show was watchable overall thanks to Funimation's tongue-in-cheek dub.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4669
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 2:45 pm Reply with quote
2017 ended up being a really good year for anime in my opinion. Narrowing it down to five shows on the survey was tougher than I thought it would be. This also was a good year for slice-of-life shows since I found several quite identifiable, especially since shows featuring adults with jobs seemed to be a trend this year. Overall, I'd have to give my top pick to Sakura Quest. The characters were identifiable, and I happen to live in a small town that struggles with the same issue from that show. You could really see that P.A. Works knows and cares about that since it's based in a more rural area.
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db999



Joined: 23 Dec 2017
Posts: 347
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 5:51 pm Reply with quote
This is my first comment on this site. I really enjoyed the episode and am still listening to it I'd like to post my list of 2017

Average shows. Black Clover. I stopped after episode 2 because of Asta’s actor, and have only seen the first 3 episode because I transitioned into watching the English dub on Toonami. I’ll probably keep watching because I like shounen series. Tales of Zestiria The X final cour just didn’t feel quite right but it was decent. Kino’s Journey. I haven’t seen the 2003 version but the episodes are very hit and miss.

Honorable mentions. Attack on Titan S2, enjoyed it but wasn’t the hugest fan of the last series either. It’s good just not great. Re:Creators, I loved it but the ending and some of the final act just left me feeling cold. I think the pacing could have been much better, and the creations could’ve had better character development. Food Wars The Third Plate is just as fun as the previous series and this series has been floating just outside my top 5 since it debuted. Boruto: Naruto Next Generation I wasn’t planning on watching, but I tried the 1st episode and was surprised by how much I liked it. It’s telling exactly the type of stories I wanted to see if they were making a sequel and I’m glad its relatively low stakes. Also I’ve been a fan since I was 12-13 and have been watching it weekly for 10 years since the beginning of Shippuden. It feels comforting to me that its still going on, and it was the show that got me into anime. It’s very nostalgic watching Boruto because all of it’s throw backs.

I would put Heaven’s Feel as my number 6. I was especially impressed by the character animation and specifically the way that Sakura carried herself. This part might be a bit spoilery but I really liked how spoiler[Sakura's body language is really spot on with how people who have been abused move. As we learn in this movie Sakura has been physically abused by her family, and later we learn she’s also been sexually abused.] Also, while I’ve basically been spoiled on the broad strokes of what happens in this story I never really learned the details so it was nice to watch. I was especially impressed because this type of character animation isn’t usually seen outside of a Kyoto Animation production. It also feels very different than any of the other parts of the franchise in that the movie feels like it’s more of a character study and it’s also a very slow burn. I really like that about the movie and it feels a little bit more artistic than the others. I’ve seen all of the main timeline anime for fate and I haven’t enjoyed a fate story this much since Fate Zero. I also couldn’t disagree more with everyone on this movie with regards to it been to much fan service. While there were a few moments that felt off and a bit too much like fan service, such as the tofu scene but those scenes are few and far between. In fact I only think those scenes are only really a problem when you’re watching it with a bunch of people. If I had seen this movie by myself I wouldn’t have noticed any of those fan service moments. Maybe its because I’m only a fan of the anime, and also I haven’t really had any interactions with fans of the franchise that I didn’t notice this. Finally I loved the final scene in the snow it was pretty much the most beautiful piece of animation I’ve seen all year.

I don’t have extensive thoughts on my top 5 so I’ll just list them briefly with brief thoughts

#5 ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Dept. I really enjoyed this show, but it’s not for everyone. It has an atmosphere I’ve rarely seen before. While it could be described as a thriller, maybe a political thriller, it has a really chill atmosphere that almost feels like a slice of life. It wasn’t until the show had ended that I realized how much I loved it.
#4 GARO Vanishing Line. This series isn’t finished yet but it’s some of the most fun I’ve had watching a series this year. It feels like a throw back to cheesy 80s movies and tv shows. I also am really enjoying the musical score. Maybe after this ends it next year it will go higher on my list.
#3 Sakura Quest. Before I finished the series I would have put Re:CREATORS in my top 5 in this spot, but after that series ended I just feel like it didn’t stick its landing. This series is really fun and poignant. I loved the characters and it was just a feel good show.
#2 Ancient Magus Bride. I’ve only seen the 1st 5 episodes so far but it’s really excellent. I’m really enjoying the series take on magic and the world building is truly excellent. I also really like Chise and Elias. The 3rd episode is by far the weakest and I almost stopped watching after that, but I’m glad I continued.
#1 My Hero Academia Season 2. Everyone on the show already said everything I had to say on the series. I however love shounen anime when they’re done well and man is this done well. It was my favorite show last year and it’ll probably be my favorite show next year as well.

Worst is Chaos;Child. It was way too rushed, and had too many tonal problems. It has all the exact same flaws as the series it’s a sequel to Chaos;Head.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11626
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:58 pm Reply with quote
It's not just the house and the room that are Mitty-shaped. Nanachi's helmet is as well. Smile
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ChibiKangaroo



Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 2941
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 7:30 pm Reply with quote
Even months later, I still tear up watching Made in Abyss episode 13. It was far and away the best show of the year for me.
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Doodleboy



Joined: 23 Dec 2013
Posts: 296
PostPosted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:24 pm Reply with quote
Most of what I'm going to write in the top 5 list is what people havbe already said, but I like waxing poetic about anime so....

Runner-up: Girls' Last Tour:
Just want to talk about it even if it barely didn't make the list. Watching it is an incredibly unique experience. Taking a setting and situation that most stories would make it as a nihilistic grim-dark survivor story and using it to tell a narrative about making the most out of life.

5. Attack on Titan Season 2
A good adaptation of the most propulsively paced part of the manga. Great as pure spectacle. For a grim-dark war story it was probably one of the most fun things I watched this season. Glad studio wit figured out it's "makeup animation" pipeline to render Mikasa's and Armin's murderfaces.

4. In this Corner of the World
This one shows what makes animation different from live action. From the get go you know how the story is going to go down, but the Peanuts style designs of the characters allows the movie to get past your guard. So when the truly devastating things happen it feels wrong, darkness invading something once innocent.

3. Little Witch Academia
Every episode of this was pure joy in 24 minutes. Honestly as an former art-school student Akko is a lot of art-school students. Having more passion than sense, your abilities not matching your ambitions.

The show has smart things to say about art too. Creating emotional engagement is the ultimate goal. Modern technology and classic fundamentals are tools to reach that goal not an end of itself.

2. Descending Stories
With the exception of the last two minutes a masterpiece. One of the best openings of the year, a ticking clock counting down and a bitter old man trying to reconnect with others before his death.

1. Land of the Lustrous
This is why I keep watching anime because once and while we get a series like this. Every once and a while you get something unique and beautiful that you’d be hard pressed to find in any other medium. Every episode is pretty much waiting for the next sequence that’ll knock you on your butt.

It also does what all good science fiction does, using it’s inherent foreignness to make us re-examine humanity. I have no idea where the series will conclude thematically but watching a static world start to change by a 300 year old gem's coming of age is fascinating.
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Chrono1000





PostPosted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 12:59 am Reply with quote
My top 5 would be Fate/Apocrypha, Kemono Friends, Re:CREATORS, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, and Made in Abyss. WorldEnd was very good and had a unique fantasy setting to it but spoiler[it is a gut punch when a show kills off the main heroine even if it was implied that the show was going to be a tragedy]. Land of the Lustrous was also very good and is one of the best CGI anime I have seen.
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