Starting a new decade gives us the perfect opportunity to have a look at the previous decade’s worth of anime. Starting with the year 2010, we will go through the top 5 anime of each season for each year.
Top 5 anime of Winter 2015
1 Ansatsu Kyoushitsu / Assassination Classroom
- Episodes: 22
- Studios: Lerche
- Source: Manga
- Genres: Action, Comedy, School, Shounen
Synopsis
When a mysterious creature chops the moon down to a permanent crescent, the students of class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Middle School find themselves confronted with an enormous task: assassinate the creature responsible for the disaster before Earth suffers a similar fate. However, the monster, dubbed Koro-sensei (the indestructible teacher), is able to fly at speeds of up to Mach 20, which he demonstrates freely, leaving any attempt to subdue him in his extraterrestrial dust. Furthermore, the misfits of 3-E soon find that the strange, tentacled beast is more than just indomitable—he is the best teacher they have ever had!
Adapted from the humorous hit manga by Yuusei Matsui, Ansatsu Kyoushitsu tells the story of these junior high pupils as they polish their assassination skills and grow in order to stand strong against the oppressive school system, their own life problems, and one day, Koro-sensei.
2 Death Parade
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Madhouse
- Source: Original
- Genres: Game, Mystery, Psychological, Drama, Thriller
Synopsis
After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered. Whether it’s bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person’s true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar’s master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!
Death Parade expands upon the original one-shot intended to train young animators. It follows yet more people receiving judgment—until a strange, black-haired guest causes Decim to begin questioning his own rulings.
3 Shinmai Maou no Testament / The Testament of Sister New Devil
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Production IMS
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Ecchi, Fantasy, Romance, Harem, Demons
Synopsis
Running into your new stepsister in the bathroom is not the best way to make a good first impression, which Basara Toujou learns the hard way. When his father suddenly brings home two beautiful girls and introduces them as his new siblings, he has no choice but to accept into his family the Naruse sisters: busty redhead Mio and petite silver-haired Maria.
But when these seemingly normal girls reveal themselves as demons—Mio the former Demon Lord’s only daughter and Maria her trusted succubus servant—Basara is forced to reveal himself as a former member of a clan of “Heroes,” sworn enemies of the demons. However, having begun to care for his new sisters, Basara instead decides to protect them with his powers and forms a master-servant contract with Mio to keep watch over her.
With the Heroes observing his every move and the constant threat of hostile demons, Basara has to do the impossible to protect his new family members. Moreover, the protector himself is hiding his own dark secret that still haunts him to this day…
4 Absolute Duo
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: 8bit
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Harem, Supernatural, Romance, Ecchi, School
Synopsis
Individuals who can materialize weapons from their soul are called “Blazers,” and they attend Kouryou Academy High School in order to harness their abilities. Each student is required to partner with another, in the hopes that one day, the pair can attain the power of Absolute Duo.
Tooru Kokonoe hopes to attend this academy in order to gain power after his sister and friends were slain by a mysterious man. However, at the opening ceremony, he is forced to duel against the person sitting next to him, with the loser being expelled. As Tooru prepares to give the match his all, it is not a weapon that manifests from his soul, but a shield, an irregularity which catches the attention of a foreign student named Julie Sigtuna.
5 Seiken Tsukai no World Break / World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Diomedea
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Supernatural
Synopsis
Seiken Tsukai no World Break takes place at Akane Private Academy where students who possess memories of their previous lives are being trained to use Ancestral Arts so that they can serve as defenders against monsters, called Metaphysicals, who randomly attack. Known as saviors, the students are broken up into two categories: the kurogane who are able to use their prana to summon offensive weapons and the kuroma who are able to use magic.
The story begins six months prior to the major climax of the series during the opening ceremonies on the first day of the school year. After the ceremony is over, the main character, Moroha Haimura, meets a girl named Satsuki Ranjou who reveals that she was Moroha’s little sister in a past life where Moroha was a heroic prince capable of slaying entire armies with his sword skills. Soon afterwards he meets another girl, Shizuno Urushibara, who eventually reveals that she also knew Moroha in an entirely different past life where he was a dark lord capable of using destructive magic but saved her from a life of slavery. Can those whose minds live in both the present and the past truly reach a bright future? Delve into the complex world of Seiken Tsukai no World Break to find out!
Top anime of Spring 2015
1 Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru no Darou ka / s It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Synopsis
Life in the bustling city of Orario is never dull, especially for Bell Cranel, a naïve young man who hopes to become the greatest adventurer in the land. After a chance encounter with the lonely goddess, Hestia, his dreams become a little closer to reality. With her support, Bell embarks on a fantastic quest as he ventures deep within the city’s monster-filled catacombs, known only as the “Dungeon.” Death lurks around every corner in the cavernous depths of this terrifying labyrinth, and a mysterious power moves amidst the shadows.
Even on the surface, survival is a hard-earned privilege. Indeed, nothing is ever certain in a world where gods and humans live and work together, especially when they often struggle to get along. One thing is for sure, though: a myriad of blunders, triumphs and friendships awaits the dauntlessly optimistic protagonist of this herculean tale.
2 Shokugeki no Souma / Food Wars!
- Episodes: 24
- Studios: J.C.Staff
Source: Manga
Genres: Ecchi, School, Shounen
Synopsis
Ever since he was a child, fifteen-year-old Souma Yukihira has helped his father by working as the sous chef in the restaurant his father runs and owns. Throughout the years, Souma developed a passion for entertaining his customers with his creative, skilled, and daring culinary creations. His dream is to someday own his family’s restaurant as its head chef.
Yet when his father suddenly decides to close the restaurant to test his cooking abilities in restaurants around the world, he sends Souma to Tootsuki Culinary Academy, an elite cooking school where only 10 percent of the students graduate. The institution is famous for its “Shokugeki” or “food wars,” where students face off in intense, high-stakes cooking showdowns.
As Souma and his new schoolmates struggle to survive the extreme lifestyle of Tootsuki, more and greater challenges await him, putting his years of learning under his father to the test.
3 Owari no Seraph / Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Wit Studio
- Source: Manga
- Genres: Action, Military, Supernatural, Drama, Vampire, Shounen
Synopsis
With the appearance of a mysterious virus that kills everyone above the age of 13, mankind becomes enslaved by previously hidden, power-hungry vampires who emerge in order to subjugate society with the promise of protecting the survivors, in exchange for donations of their blood.
Among these survivors are Yuuichirou and Mikaela Hyakuya, two young boys who are taken captive from an orphanage, along with other children whom they consider family. Discontent with being treated like livestock under the vampires’ cruel reign, Mikaela hatches a rebellious escape plan that is ultimately doomed to fail. The only survivor to come out on the other side is Yuuichirou, who is found by the Moon Demon Company, a military unit dedicated to exterminating the vampires in Japan.
Many years later, now a member of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, Yuuichirou is determined to take revenge on the creatures that slaughtered his family, but at what cost?
Owari no Seraph is a post-apocalyptic supernatural shounen anime that follows a young man’s search for retribution, all the while battling for friendship and loyalty against seemingly impossible odds.
5 Kekkai Sensen / Blood Blockade Battlefront
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Bones
- Source: Manga
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Super Power, Supernatural, Vampire, Fantasy
Synopsis
Supersonic monkeys, vampires, talking fishmen, and all sorts of different supernatural monsters living alongside humans—this has been part of daily life in Hellsalem’s Lot, formerly known as New York City, for some time now. When a gateway between Earth and the Beyond opened three years ago, New Yorkers and creatures from the other dimension alike were trapped in an impenetrable bubble and were forced to live together. Libra is a secret organization composed of eccentrics and superhumans, tasked with keeping order in the city and making sure that chaos doesn’t spread to the rest of the world.
Pursuing photography as a hobby, Leonardo Watch is living a normal life with his parents and sister. But when he obtains the “All-seeing Eyes of the Gods” at the expense of his sister’s eyesight, he goes to Hellsalem’s Lot in order to help her by finding answers about the mysterious powers he received. He soon runs into Libra, and when Leo unexpectedly joins their ranks, he gets more than what he bargained for. Kekkai Sensen follows Leo’s misadventures in the strangest place on Earth with his equally strange comrades—as the ordinary boy unwittingly sees his life take a turn for the extraordinary.
5 Plastic Memories
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Doga Kobo
- Source: Original
- Genres: Sci-Fi, Drama, Romance
Synopsis
Eighteen-year-old Tsukasa Mizugaki has failed his college entrance exams, but after pulling some strings, he manages to land a job at the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation. SAI Corp is responsible for the creation of “Giftias”—highly advanced androids which are almost indiscernible from normal humans. However, unlike humans, Giftias have a maximum lifespan of 81,920 hours, or around nine years and four months. Terminal Service One, the station Tsukasa was assigned to, is responsible for collecting Giftias that have met their expiration date, before they lose their memories and become hostile.
Promptly after joining Terminal Service One, Tsukasa is partnered with a beautiful Giftia named Isla. She is a Terminal Service veteran and considered the best in Giftia retrievals, contrary to her petite figure and placid nature. Time is fleeting though, and Tsukasa must come to terms with his feelings for Isla before her time is up. No matter how much someone desires it, nothing lasts forever.
Top anime of Summer 2015
1 Overlord
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: Madhouse
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Game, Magic, Supernatural
Synopsis
The final hour of the popular virtual reality game Yggdrasil has come. However, Momonga, a powerful wizard and master of the dark guild Ainz Ooal Gown, decides to spend his last few moments in the game as the servers begin to shut down. To his surprise, despite the clock having struck midnight, Momonga is still fully conscious as his character and, moreover, the non-player characters appear to have developed personalities of their own!
Confronted with this abnormal situation, Momonga commands his loyal servants to help him investigate and take control of this new world, with the hopes of figuring out what has caused this development and if there may be others in the same predicament.
2 Charlotte
- Episodes: 13
- Studios: P.A. Works
- Source: Original
- Genres: Drama, School, Super Power
Synopsis
While on the surface Yuu Otosaka appears to be just another charming and intelligent teenager, he has a secret—he has the ability to slip into people’s minds and fully control their body for five seconds at a time. Yuu has been using this skill for years to gain the highest grades, which allowed him to enter a prestigious high school.
When the enigmatic Nao Tomori catches Yuu using his power, she coerces him and his sister Ayumi into transferring to Hoshinoumi Academy, a school for students with supernatural abilities. The student council of the school, led by Nao, is tasked with secretly tracking down adolescents who abuse their powers. Yuu is forced to join the student council and together, they face formidable challenges that bring him closer to the shocking truth that his own, seemingly incomplete ability, might be more powerful than he could have ever imagined.
An original story from Jun Maeda, creator of Angel Beats and Clannad, Charlotte explores the supernatural lives of these teenagers and the price they must pay for being special.
3 Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou / Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Lerche
- Source: Manga
- Genres: Harem, Comedy, Romance, Ecchi, Fantasy, Seinen
Synopsis
With his parents abroad, Kimihito Kurusu lived a quiet, unremarkable life alone until monster girls came crowding in! This alternate reality presents cutting-edge Japan, the first country to promote the integration of non-human species into society. After the incompetence of interspecies exchange coordinator Agent Smith leaves Kimihito as the homestay caretaker of a Lamia named Miia, the newly-minted “Darling” quickly attracts girls of various breeds, resulting in an ever-growing harem flush with eroticism and attraction.
Unfortunately for him and the ladies, sexual interactions between species is forbidden by the Interspecies Exchange Act! The only loophole is through an experimental marriage provision. Kimihito’s life becomes fraught with an abundance of creature-specific caveats and sensitive interspecies law as the passionate, affectionate, and lusty women hound his every move, seeking his romantic and sexual affections. With new species often appearing and events materializing out of thin air, where Kimihito and his harem go is anyone’s guess!
4 Rokka no Yuusha / Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Passione
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Mystery
Synopsis
An ancient legend states that with the revival of the Demon God, six heroes—the Braves of the Six Flowers—will be chosen by the Goddess of Fate, granting them the power to rise up against the fiends attempting to turn the world into a living hell. Adlet Mayer, a self-proclaimed “Strongest Man in the World,” has arrived at the continent of Piena in hopes of becoming a Brave. Although it doesn’t go as smoothly as he had planned, Adlet is ultimately chosen as one of the six heroes shortly after being greeted by Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra, crown princess and fellow Brave.
Rokka no Yuusha follows the two as they embark upon their destined journey to fight the Demon God, intending to meet up with their fellow heroes at a small temple outside of the Land of the Howling Demons, the fiends’ domain. However, when they finally unite, seven heroes are present, and soon the others begin to suspect Adlet to be a fraud. Now on the run, Adlet must utilize his unique skill set and wit in a fight for his life to identify which member of the group is the true impostor before it’s too late!
5 Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai / SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: J.C.Staff
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, School
Synopsis
With the introduction of strict new morality laws, Japan has become a nation cleansed of all that is obscene and impure. By monitoring citizens using special devices worn around their necks, authorities have taken extreme measures to ensure that society remains chaste.
In this world of sexual suppression, Tanukichi Okuma—son of an infamous terrorist who opposed the chastity laws—has just entered high school, offering his help to the student council in order to get close to president Anna Nishikinomiya, his childhood friend and crush. Little does he know that the vice president Ayame Kajou has a secret identity: Blue Snow, a masked criminal dedicated to spreading lewd material amongst the sheltered public—and Tanukichi has caught the girl’s interest due to his father’s notoriety.
Soon, Tanukichi is dragged into joining her organization called SOX, where he is forced to spread obscene propaganda, helping to launch an assault against the government’s oppressive rule. With their school set as the first point of attack, Tanukichi will have to do the unthinkable when he realizes that their primary target is the person he admires most.
Top anime of Autumn 2015
1 One Punch Man
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Madhouse
- Source: Web manga
- Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Parody, Super Power, Supernatural, Seinen
Synopsis
The seemingly ordinary and unimpressive Saitama has a rather unique hobby: being a hero. In order to pursue his childhood dream, he trained relentlessly for three years—and lost all of his hair in the process. Now, Saitama is incredibly powerful, so much so that no enemy is able to defeat him in battle. In fact, all it takes to defeat evildoers with just one punch has led to an unexpected problem—he is no longer able to enjoy the thrill of battling and has become quite bored.
This all changes with the arrival of Genos, a 19-year-old cyborg, who wishes to be Saitama’s disciple after seeing what he is capable of. Genos proposes that the two join the Hero Association in order to become certified heroes that will be recognized for their positive contributions to society, and Saitama, shocked that no one knows who he is, quickly agrees. And thus begins the story of One Punch Man, an action-comedy that follows an eccentric individual who longs to fight strong enemies that can hopefully give him the excitement he once felt and just maybe, he’ll become popular in the process.
2 Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry / Chivalry of a Failed Knight
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Silver Link., Nexus
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Romance, Ecchi, Fantasy, School
Synopsis
There exist few humans in this world with the ability to manipulate their souls to form powerful weapons. Dubbed “Blazers,” these people study and train at the prestigious Hagun Academy to become Mage-Knights; among the students is so-called failure Ikki Kurogane, the sole F-rated Blazer. However, when the worst student in the academy sees Stella Vermillion, an A-ranked Blazer who also happens to be a princess, naked, she challenges him to a duel with dire stakes—the loser becomes the slave of the winner. There’s no possible way that Stella can lose, right?
Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry follows the story of Ikki as he tries to prove his strength to a world that believes him to be the weakest, all the while gaining new friends, wisdom, and experience.
3 Gakusen Toshi Asterisk / The Asterisk War
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: A-1 Pictures
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Romance, School, Sci-Fi, Supernatural
Synopsis
In the previous century, an unprecedented disaster known as the Invertia drastically reformed the world. The powers of existing nations declined significantly, paving the way for a conglomerate called the Integrated Empire Foundation to assume control. But more importantly, the Invertia led to the emergence of a new species of humans who are born with phenomenal physical capabilities—the Genestella. Its elite are hand-picked across the globe to attend the top six schools, and they duel amongst themselves in entertainment battles called Festas.
Ayato Amagiri is a scholarship transfer student at the prestigious Seidoukan Academy, which has recently been suffering from declining performances. Through a series of events, he accidentally sees the popular Witch of Resplendent Flames, Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld, half-dressed! Enraged, Julis challenges him to a duel for intruding on her privacy. After said duel is voided by the student council president, Ayato reveals that he has no interest in Festas. Instead, he has enrolled in the academy to investigate the whereabouts of his missing elder sister. But when a more devious plot unravels, Ayato sets out to achieve victory, while being surrounded by some of the most talented Genestella on the planet.
4 Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai / AntiMagic Academy 35th Test Platoon
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Silver Link.
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Action, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Military, Romance, Supernatural
Synopsis
In a world plagued by magical dangers and threats, there exist special warriors—known as Inquisitors—who are tasked with non-violently preventing these threats and nefarious actions. The Anti-Magic Academy is a specialized school built to educate and train these Inquisitors, which splits its students into small squads in order to train them to work together. Among these talented squads is the 35th Test Platoon, also known as the “Small Fry Platoon” due to its low ranking and incompetent members.
However, everything changes when Ouka Ootori, a powerful yet rebellious former Inquisitor, is forced into joining due to her tendency to break rules and committing a serious violation: the killing of a witch. Tempers flare upon her arrival, as she clashes with their clumsy captain Takeru Kusanagi and argues with the rest of the squad over her views on witches. This eclectic group has a long way to go if they wish to succeed and climb the ranks at the Anti-Magic Academy: they must first set aside their differences and come to work together as a team.
5 Ore ga Ojou-sama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken / Shomin Sample
- Episodes: 12
- Studios: Silver Link.
- Source: Light novel
- Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance, School
Synopsis
Kimito Kagurazaka is a commoner with a fetish for men’s muscles—or at least that’s the lie he must keep telling if he wants to keep himself out of trouble at the elite all-girls school, Seikain Academy. Kidnapped by the school under the assumption that he prefers men, Kimito is made to be their “commoner sample,” exposing the girls to both commoner and man so that the transition to the world after school is not jarring. Threatened with castration should his sexual preferences not match the school’s assumptions, Kimito keeps up the facade to protect his manhood.
But there are eccentric individuals around every corner who begin to make Kimito’s life even more difficult. Among them are Aika Tenkuubashi, a social outcast who blurts out whatever comes to mind; Hakua Shiodome, a young genius; Karen Jinryou, the daughter of samurai who is obsessed with defeating Kimito; and Reiko Arisugawa, the perfect student who has delusions of marrying Kimito. Along with the commoner himself, these four girls make up the Commoner Club, which attempts to teach the girls more about life outside the school, while Kimito gradually learns about the odd girls surrounding him.
Which of these 2015 anime have you watched?
Seasonal anime of the decade posts
2014 2015
2016 2017
2018 2019
*Write-ups sourced from MyAnimeList
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