One more time, let’s look back at 2016 with the annual LiA Reader’s Poll. Once again I’ll pin the poll in a post as it’s just too honkin’ long to put in the sidebar. Please choose your top 5 shows of 2016, and I’ll post the results around mid-month… As always, thanks for playing.
Redice
January 3, 2017 at 10:05 pmI bet I’m alone among readers of this site in Re:Zero being my favorite anime of 2016.
Westinaction
January 4, 2017 at 7:20 amNope, it was one of my favorites as well. I knew Enzo would never blog it, it’s just got everything he hates (LN source, wish fulfillment elements, etc.), but I was enraptured by it.
Subaru’s character arc in particular really cemented the show as one of the best of the year for me, right besides Erased and Mob Psycho 100.
Guardian Enzo
January 4, 2017 at 8:03 amI tried a couple of eps, blogged one. I know it was popular – it just didn’t do anything much for me. Seemed like a well-executed version of a boring premise I’ve seen executed a thousand times
Westinaction
January 4, 2017 at 4:09 pmI’d suggest the biggest problem with it was that it kept its cards too close to its chest for too long.
Looking back at the post you wrote on it Enzo, I can say that what you wrote about the dialogue being self-aware to appeal to “people who think they’re smarter than everyone else” is definitively proven wrong by the end, and the show is decidedly not for someone “that has zero patience for development or exposition”, but the series does take a long time to show this, and there’s no reason someone should feel compelled to watch 5-6+ episodes of something to get to the good part.
That said, the good parts are damn good, which was enough for me.
Redice
January 4, 2017 at 6:45 pmThere are certain things that are an automatic drop or zero tolerance for him. Anime with sexualised loli characters, otaku pandering fan-service (wish fulfillment), excessive violence toward male lead played for laughs, anything post 2012 shaft, a specific breed of LN adaptations, etc. Though there are certainly exceptions to the rule, most of that stuff he won’t watch.
tacotako
January 19, 2017 at 1:27 amCertainly the most memorable and with the highest highs. Sabaru’s contortions and angst was very enjoyable to watch. It is a shame Enzo skips such shows, he’s misses some true gems like Cross Ange and the like.
reviewing 2016, Grimgar had a few moments and the backgrounds were nice, although the limited animation hurt at times. Erase of course, I see Ajin also came out 2016. It’s criminal that Flip Flappers wasn’t blogged, it deserves a view, the pure joy that comes across in the first few episodes especially is sorely missing in many shows. Finally Keijo, pure silliness, and beyond that a main character that was ambitious and straight forward.
Future Imp
January 3, 2017 at 10:34 pmhttp://Www.working (better than its previous iterations due to the lack of a Sota charatcer type) was roughly tied for 1st with Tanaka and Boku Dake for me. It would have been better if www had aired in the same season as Boku Dake. Erased always needed palette cleanser due to its intensity.
Karmafan
January 5, 2017 at 3:22 amI thought this series was very weak compared to the previous series and its characters. Not as much laughs.
Simone
January 4, 2017 at 3:29 amShowa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Mob Psycho 100, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Osomatsu-san were the obvious picks. I was undecided between Yuri on Ice and Space Patrol Luluco for the last place, I picked the latter in the end. But there were many others I wish I could have included (sorry Flying Witch, you were amazing too!).
JD
January 4, 2017 at 4:46 amI don’t watch a lot of anime, but on the top of my head, if someone asks for recommendations on anime from 2016, I would say:
Rakugo
Orange
91 Days
Boku no Hero Academia (a bit unfair since I follow the manga)
Fune wo Amu.
And to be frank, I forgot that Erased existed. I don’t know why! :/
Gan_HOPE326
January 5, 2017 at 7:23 amI guess it was… ERASED.
*crickets*
I’ll see myself out.
sweejen
January 4, 2017 at 7:08 amI feel sort of bad participating in the poll without having had the chance to watch Fune wo Amu, because it looks like a top fiver given my tastes and the things I tend to get geeky about. It’s so hard to choose my #1 from among Yuri On Ice–what a ride!–Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, and Mob Psycho 100, but since I judge my favorite anime by the power they have to really stick in my mind, dear little Mob has to win. Boku Dake and Flip Flappers, which edged out Ajin for my last spot, finish my list.
romy
January 4, 2017 at 8:17 amWell, my personal favorite was definitely Shouwa Genroku………..the music, the animation and the tragic story where just perfect till the end. It’s rare that i watch an anime 2 times, this definitely was one of them.
Terrestrious
January 4, 2017 at 11:01 pmMy personal top five of the year are . . .
I. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
II. Mob Psycho 100
III. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable
IV. Haikyuu!!
V. Erased
Karmafan
January 5, 2017 at 3:26 amI did not realize til now how good a year 2016 was. I could have picked 20 favorites from the past year. Was tough limiting it to 5:
Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (Erased) was my favorite series of 2016 but there were lots more. They just did not get coverage here on this site.
say
January 5, 2017 at 4:50 amIt was hard this time around. Those are the shows that kept my expectations high:
1.Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
2. Natsume Yuujinchou Go
3. Haikyuu
4. Arslan Senki 2
5. Fune wo Amu
There were others very good this year (Orange, Ajin ecc.) but I waited for a marathon instead of watching on a week basis.
elianthos
January 5, 2017 at 10:08 amA very busy and deep year it has been anime-wise. That said while I am still debating the bottom half of my personal top 10 the first 3 positions have been fixed for a while.
1 . Yuri!!! On ice. Visuals high and lows and crammed content notwithstanding it managed to be both subtle and gloriously hammy, the cast was absurdly lovable, and had the best balance of being accessible/friendly yet ambitious and even tightly written. And its rewatchability factor is up the roof. Case in point: due to a series of circumstances I ended up watching every single episodes about 7 effing times both with Italian and English subs, both alone and in groups of other people… last time with a couple of non-anime watchers friends in a New Year night marathon [they just couldn’t and wouldn’t stop until it was over. Much spirits and tears and wine and offkey History Maker singing went down that night. My throat still hasn’t recovered] and it only improved with each viewing. Ayeee. TL;DR love it to bits, pushed all my buttons, watered my crops, healed souls, saved lives, will go down with this ship, take my money and blessed be the YOI staff. All my Eros and Agape to you.
2. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. Cordially hate the characters (hence less rewatchability factor), love the show.
3. Mob Psycho 100. CinnaMob is love, Reigen is life, One and Takizawa are genius.
The rest of the top 13 in no particular order:
– The Great Passage
– Osomatsu-san
– Boku No Hero Academia
– Jojo IV
– Haikyuu s3
– Thunderbolt Fantasy
– Binan s2
– Tonkatsu DJ
– Udon
– Erased (controversy-wise: go Airi go! :p)
Special mention of sort for Orange, in that 50% of its airtime felt wasted on me and made me wish to pull my hair out – at least in manga form you could adjust yor reading pace accordingly. The anime was excruciating in points – . The Kakeru&his mother parts were brilliant and quietly heartbreaking, the friendship angle worked for the most part too.
Gan_HOPE326
January 5, 2017 at 10:10 amYeah, but as a fellow Italian, let’s say it outright – how annoying were Crunchy’s subs that translitterated “Sara” as “Sala” XD?
elianthos
January 5, 2017 at 10:45 am@Gan_HOPE326: ciao compatriota! XD Aaaah those were a source of much hilarity among my fellow watching companions. Plus the whole ‘Crispino’! Il nostro vino!*** and implied ice rinks in Naples!
***for the non Italians: Crispino is a very cheap wine brand/label. It’s sold in boxes instead of bottles to boot.
Guardian Enzo
January 5, 2017 at 11:21 amFTR, some of us refused to go along with that “Sala” nonsense.
elianthos
January 6, 2017 at 2:31 am@Enzo: Ave O Blogging Caesar. Nice royal we btw.
—
P.S.: aaaagh I left out Ushio & Tora and 91 Days. And I still have Natsume Go and ConcRevo in my catch-up list. Ok, make it a top 17 :,DD.
Adam Mak
January 10, 2017 at 6:30 pmBoku Dake, Rakugo, Haikyu (only finally watched/marathoned it this year), Orange, and finally www because I couldn’t decide how to round out the list.
Actually as a non-manga reader, I’ve rather liked what I’ve seen of sangatsu and should have voted for that instead. Not to say it should be given a chance or anything. My issue is I rather like 50% of shaft and shinbo. But I’m going to read the manga to compare, same with Boku Dake for that matter
Deluxe
January 12, 2017 at 1:26 am1. Showa genroku rakugo shinjuu
2. Diamond is unbreakable (best shounen aired since hxh)
3. Joker game (i know you hated it, but it was popular in Japan)
4. Yuri on ice
Didn’t watch much of anything else. Dropped shigatsu no lion early and, while I liked IBO S2, it was mostly build-up for the last cour airing this year.
zeroyuki92
January 12, 2017 at 2:47 amSomewhat in order but not carefully considered:
1. Shouwa Genraku
2. Re-Zero
3. ERASED
4. Konosuba
5. ReLife
Actually I’m still not sure about #5 but I’m currently too lazy to consider the candidates again.
Guardian Enzo
January 12, 2017 at 7:48 amI found S1 of KonoSuba mostly amusing, but the premiere really fell flat for me – don’t think I laughed once. Not a good sign.