Best Anime of 2011

Well, since were are now nearing the end of another year, what was your favorite anime of this year?

My top ten:

• 1. Nichijou
• 2. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
• 3. Tiger And Bunny
• 4. Steins Gate
• 5. Mawaru Penguindrum
• 6. Dog Days
• 7. Ben To
• 8. Cube X Cursed X Curious
• 9. Last Exile Fam The Silver Wing
• 10. Bibliotheca Mystica De Dantalian

edited 18th Dec '11 8:08:23 PM by dmysta3000

• 1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
• 2. Nichijou
• 3. Fate Zero
• 4. The Idolmaster
• 5. Usagi Drop
• 6. Working
• 7. Carnival Phantasm
• 8. Mayo Chiki
• 9. Mawaru Penguindrum
• 10. (Nothing exceptionally good to pick so I'll just go with Kimi To Boku)

edited 18th Dec '11 8:59:47 PM by neobowman

Basically this is just out of stuff I watched.

• 1. Tiger And Bunny
• 2. Last Exile Fam The Silver Wing
• 3. Blue Exorcist
• 4. Un Go
• 5. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi I + II
• 6. Bibliotheca Mystica De Dantalian
• 7. Persona 4

edited 18th Dec '11 9:09:00 PM by NoirGrimoir

1. Nichijou
3. Hanasaku Iroha
4. Ano Hana
5. Usagi Drop
6. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
7. Chihayafuru
8. A Channel
9. Softenni
10. Kamisama No Memochou
11. Tamayura: Hitotose

Yeah, to me, the difference between Nichijou and anything else was so big that nothing deserved to be number 2.

edited 18th Dec '11 9:28:22 PM by shark33

The only new anime released in 2011 that I watched all the way through is Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Win by default.

You never know just how small your reference pool is until you actually look it over.

1. Nichijou
2. Bunny Drop
3. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
4. Ben-To
5. Dog Days
6. Astarotte No Omocha
7. Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
8. Shinryaku Ika Musume
9. The World God Only Knows
10. Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka

These lists need more Ikoku Meiro No Croisee.

Sorry, no anime fans on TV Tropes have good taste

I find it hilarious that this is in anybody's list when it's thread here in tvtropes is only 6 pages

Anyway, agree with at least three tropers here:
Nichijou. No other anime this year has given me a lifetime of lulz.

I dropped Nichijou at Episode 2.

... maybe I'll go back and endure it for two more sittings to see what's so good about it.

Curse my Small Reference Pools, I can't even think of that many.

I always get air dates of animes screwed up time to go find a list of all that aired this year...

Phi Brain Kami No Puzzle is quite good for what it is. Dunno if it even remotely qualifies for Best of the Year status.

As a matter of fact, 2011 was my first year of watching anime airing this season. Nonetheless it isn't my first year watching anime, so I feel confident in awarding the best anime this year to:

Nichijou, a slice of life show with it's own style, it's own idea of what "normal" is littered with hilarious moments, oddities, absurdities and colourful characters. I found watching this show a good way to unwind.

Other stand out anime that aired this year are:

Fate Zero - is very good but it's an adaptation of a light novel written as a prequel to Fate Stay Night which is part of the larger Nasuverse... Ummm, basically it's good, but not my favourite part of the series and not unique enough or able to stand alone enough to be a serious contender for "best anime this season".

Carnival Phantasm - very amusing, but only for people who have some knowledge of Fate Stay Night (HA too for extra credits) and Tsukihime, which is pretty limiting, but allows for some of the best jokes.

Tiger And Bunny - A show I initially didn't watch because I was a little put off by the title... But nonetheless a good take on the superhero genre and a surprisingly interesting anime, which I have to mention pulls off the impressive feat of walking right over the top of some clichés and still somehow avoiding falling prey to them.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Tries to be dark, but at 12 episodes it is a worthwhile experience combining a bunch of cool stuff like surrealism, magic, friendship and time travel. The music is also excellent and combines with other parts of the show to make an atmosphere you can really get into.

The World God Only Knows 2 - Good, but I felt the first season was much better. A classic comedy of a gamer trying to apply his logic to the real world. A world he believes to have sub-par scripting.

Since I seem to be far too discriminating to have much else to list, I'll give honourable mentions to stuff I'm still watching, but am not all that impressed by:

Kyoukai Senjou No Horizon, Mirai Nikki and Guilty Crown (which could still surprise me).

edited 19th Dec '11 5:16:54 AM by UltimatelySubjective

I'm with d Roy, but mainly because I tend to pick up anime only after the airing's finished, so I'm not 100% sure what aired this year. There are even a few from this year I should go see, which people have brought up. I'll give it a shot anyways, though.

1. Ben To
2. The World God Only Knows II
3. Cube X Cursed X Curious
4. Digimon Xros Wars: The Evil Death Generals and the Seven Kingdoms
5. Baka To Test To Shoukanjuu Ni!
6. Mirai Nikki
7. Bakuman Season 2

...I ran out of non-time-filler stuff. :/

edited 19th Dec '11 3:28:29 AM by burnpsy

Hm, did I even watch ten series this year?

Madoka, TWGOK, Maria Holic (dropped) then the five from this season, one of which I also dropped. No, wait, I forgot Carnival Phantasm.

1. Fate Zero: Good story, good to look at and the OP is nice. Plus it has Kotomine Kirei a rather good cast.
2. Carnival Phantasm: Consistently funny apart from the Sakura episode, which I enjoyed in a meta fashion.
3. Working: Good for cheering me up. A couple dry spots, but overall good quality. I rather like the cast.
4. Persona 4: This one hasn't finished, but it seems to be a pretty decent adaptation of the game. The anime made me go buy the game, which was pretty damn good, so I feel fairly confident that the series will stay good. Still, I question some of the pacing issues that the story has as well as some of the decisions regarding the character focus.
5. Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai: Good premise and good characters that were largely bogged down by insertion of fanservice and other elements that the story really didn't need. I'll hope it gets a second season.
6. Madoka Magica: I can't rate Madoka too highly when the thought "This story is just being angsty for the sake of angst" kept straying across my mind. That said, the witch scenes were cool and I liked the ED. I was going to put it higher on the list but I just realized that I honestly don't care about any of the characters.
7. The World God Only Knows: A mediocre adaptation of a series I greatly enjoy. Disappointing.
8. Maria Holic: It could be funny, but the first season was a lot better. And since the first season was far from amazing, the fact that the second season toned down Mariya and didn't have as impressive of an OP means the second just can't compare to the first.
9. Guilty Crown: Crap. Dropped it after three or so episodes. Unsympathetic cast, not funny, nor is it really cool. There are occasionally amazing visuals, but that wasn't enough to save the weak plotting or characterization.

Although come to think of it, I could probably count the winter 2010 season since we haven't winter of this year. But I don't remember what shows aired then.

Hm, let's seeing!

• 1. Mawaru Penguindrum
• 2. Steins Gate
• 3. Fate Zero
• 4. Carnival Phantasm
• 5. Tiger And Bunny
• 6. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
• 7. Cube X Cursed X Curious
• 8. Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka
• 9. Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai
• 10. Persona 4

The first five are, like, reeeeaaaaally super even, though.

Whoa, come to think of it, I haven't watched any anime that came out this year.

1. Fate Zero: Ufotable should do all the adaptations of Nasuverse material. Even if it's spotty at times, it conveys the story excellently with great animation.
2. Mawaru Penguindrum: Kept me hooked all throughout the crazy train ride. Crazy plot twists and a whole load of symbolism and motifs.
3. Carnival Phantasm: Concentrated Nasuverse gags all the way. Being the Type-Moon fanboy I am, I enjoyed it.
4. Madoka Magica: It was great. I was wary of it at first because of the magical girl label, but I never regretted watching it.
5. Bibliotheca Mystica De Dantalian: Holy shit, a non-annoying Shana Clone and a main character who's not a total loser who falls blindly for her?!
6. Persona 4: Hit-or-miss. It's pretty decent, but the stress of the animators behind the scenes seems to take its toll on the quality. Very worth it for the personality they gave the Silent Protagonist.
7. Ano Hana: It's great. It gets narm-worthy at times, but it doesn't stay away from its theme of loss and regret.
8. Boku Tomo: Executes an interesting premise well, marred only by a questionably significant amount of fanservice.
9. Ben To: Hilarious. Would've been great if it weren't for a certain Psycho Lesbian.
10. Hanasaku Iroha: It's good as a slice-of-life show. Some weird drama, but nothing too jarring.

What's the point of watching only a few series, if hey aren't even the good ones?

Out of the ones that I saw, the great series of the year were these:

Steins Gate, Madoka Magica, Ano Hana, Hanasaku Iroha, Nichijou, Chihayafuru, Denpa Onna, Usagi Drop, Fate Zero, Mawaru Penguindrum and Kimi Ni Todoke 2.

The decent ones were these:

C, C3, Dog Days, Guilty Crown, Ben To, Fractale, Shakugan No Shana III, Boku Tomo, Mirai Nikki, Kimi To Boku, Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka, Astarotte No Omocha, Gosick, Bakuman 2 and Kamisama Dolls.

The bad ones were these:

Infinite Stratos, Onii Koto, Dragon Crisis, Yumekui Merry, Deadman Wonderland, Hidan No Aria, Mayo Chiki, Yuru Yuri, and No 6.

edited 19th Dec '11 5:56:09 AM by Ever9

I couldn't even think of ten I've watched from this year(though I do feel like I'm forgetting something).

1. Nichijou
2. Ben-to
3. Kyouso Giga
4. Working
5. Astarottes Toy
6. Yuru Yuri
7. Morita-san wa Mukuchi
8. Usagi Drop(which I need to watch the last episode of)
9. Guilty Crown

I'm a little iffy on the exact ordering of the list, but Guilty Crown's definitely on the bottom.

1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

2. Last Exile Fam The Silver Wing

3. Guilty Crown

4. The Idolmaster

5. Mayo Chiki

6. Ro Kyu Bu

7. Dog Days

8. Hidan No Aria

9. Infinite Stratos

10. Ikoku Meiro No Croisee

11. Gosick

12. Hanasaku Iroha

13. Baka To Test To Shoukanjuu Ni

14. Persona4

15. Yumekui Merry

16. Cube X Cursed X Curious

17. Fate Zero

edited 19th Dec '11 6:51:48 AM by djmaca

Wow, I watched more than three dozen series this year.

1. Mawaru Penguindrum
2. Ano Hi Mita Hana No Namae O Bokutachi Wa Mada Shiranai
3. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
4. Ben To
5. Steins Gate
6. Nichijou
7. Last Exile Fam The Silver Wing
8. Hanasaku Iroha
9. The Idolmaster
10. Tiger And Bunny
11. Chihayafuru
12. Tamayura: Hitotose
13. Kamisama No Memochou
14. Mirai Nikki
15. Blue Exorcist
16. Gosick
17. Persona 4
18. The World God Only Knows II
19. Guilty Crown
20. Yuru Yuri

edited 19th Dec '11 8:45:19 AM by Pokénatic

Not including second/third/whatever seasons.

1. Ano Hana
2. Usagi Drop
3. Tiger And Bunny
4. Madoka Magica
5. Chihayafuru
6. Last Exile Fam The Silver Wing
7. Nichijou
8. Blue Exorcist
9. Persona4
10. Gosick
11. Ben-to
12. Kore Wa Zombie Desu Ka

The Idolmaster as a special mention.

edited 19th Dec '11 9:05:51 AM by JenKunoichi351

I think the only series I watched from this year are Madoka and Nichijou, the latter of which I haven't even finished. But they were both pretty good!