2019 was a fantastic year. However, with the hundreds of new anime that came flooding out of Japan, you might be wondering which of these are this year’s cream of the crop. With that in mind, out of the dozens upon dozens I watched, here are the five best anime I saw in 2019.
But before we get into it, two self-imposed ground rules:
- All shows must have finished their run in 2019. As I think it’s important to judge a show in its entirety, only completed series will appear on this list. Thus, currently airing shows like Sword Art Online: Alicization: War of Underworld, that are still far from finishing, will have to wait till next year for their shot.
- Movies, OVAs, and specials won’t appear on this list–though movies have already gotten their own best of list.
*Note: Entries are listed in alphabetical order.
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Carole & Tuesday
Genre: Music, Slice-of-Life, Idol
Studio: Bones
Number of episodes: 24
Premiere date: April 11, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: In the not so distant future, a young woman abandons her pampered-yet-lonely existence and heads to the big city with nothing but a suitcase and her guitar. At the same time, a poor orphan, recently fired from yet another dead-end job, plays her keyboard on the street, ignored by all. Soon, these two will meet and, through their music, will forever change the face of Mars.
Why you should watch it: For all its sci-fi trappings, Carole & Tuesday is a story of the inherent loneliness of the human soul and how we struggle against it. It’s about overcoming the boundaries that separate us–be that race, class, or sexuality.
Yet, what makes the anime stand out is that it uses music to deliver this message. Each song the various characters perform is a peek into their respective souls–what drives them to be who they are. But more than that, these are actually catchy songs–ones you could imagine topping the charts today. This adds believability to the anime that keeps it grounded–making you believe it could happen–and, in the process, making its message feel all the more profound.
Watch it if you like: Cowboy Bebop, Macross
Where to watch: Netflix
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Dr. Stone
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Survival
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Number of episodes: 24
Premiere date: July 5, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: One day, a mysterious light covers the earth turning all of humanity to stone. 3700 years later, scientific genius Senku awakens from his stone cocoon to find a world where even the ruins of civilization are long gone. For months, it’s all he can do to stay alive but when his friend is also revived, Senku finally has the manpower to begin his ambitious plan to revive humanity and take technology from the stone age back to the modern age in one single generation.
Why you should watch it: This anime is surprisingly educational. It shows step by step how Senku uses real science to make increasingly complex inventions–despite starting at a technology level of zero. It’s fascinating to see what he can make–and how each new invention builds on the previous ones. Or to put it in a way people from my generation will understand, imagine Bill Nye in the apocalypse and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect in Dr. Stone.
Outside of the science, you have a thrilling story of survival in a world unfriendly to humanity. From animals to the environment, everything presents a real danger to our heroes. However, their biggest threat is exactly the one you’d expect–the other humans they encounter in this new “stone world.”
Watch it if you like: The Martian, 7Seeds, Death Note
Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation (dub), AnimeLab (AU/NZ)
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These Second
Genre: Space Opera
Studio: Production I.G
Number of episodes: 12
Premiere date: September 26, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: The Galactic Empire and Free Planets Alliance have been at war for 150 years. Now two young tactical geniuses, Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li, have appeared. If they would have been born on the same side, the war would soon be over. Yet such is not to be. Instead, their battles across the stars will one day become legend.
With the Alliance’s failed invasion of the Empire, both sides have limped back home. But no sooner has this occurred then the emperor dies and the Galactic Empire finds itself on the verge of civil war. Sensing his chance, Reinhard makes his play for the throne. Meanwhile, in the Alliance, the political corruption has reached the point where a civil war of their own is brewing. The only real question is which side Yang Wen-li will choose.
Why you should watch it: This, the second season of Die Neue These, uses our lead characters to explore the battle between politics and ideals by putting them in mirroring situations. Reinhard lives in a dictatorship full of corruption and mismanagement. He has decided that the only way to change things is from the top–by taking power himself and cutting out the cancer. Yet, as the path to his goal requires more and more reprehensible actions–exactly the kinds of things he is fighting to reform–will he be able to carry on and reach his goal with his soul intact?
Yang Wen-li, on the other hand, lives in an equally corrupt democracy–yet still believes in the ideals behind it. He, like Reinhard, has the capability to take power himself and force change. However, this means he’d become a dictator–everything he believes to be wrong–in the process. But as the evils of his society continue to mount, will he be able to stick to his moral code?
Add to the political intrigue a good amount of space battles and rocking music from Hiroyuki Sawano and you have the makings of a remarkable series–one that’s perhaps even more relevant now than when it was originally written. And by the end, you’ll likely start to realize the sad truth: there’s no such thing as “heroes.”
Watch It If You Like: Macross/Robotech, Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers, The Heroic Legend of Arslan
Where You Can Watch It: Crunchyroll, Funimation
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O Maidens in Your Savage Season
Genre: Coming-of-Age
Studio: Lay-duce
Number of episodes: 12
Premiere date: July 6, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: The girls of this high school book club have one thing on their mind–and its the one thing their not supposed to be thinking about: sex. Yet, no matter how they try to avoid it, it keeps invading their high school lives.
One girl finds that she is becoming more and more attracted to her childhood best friend. Another is trying to break into the world of pro-writing as “a high school girl who writes erotic fiction”–despite her lack of experience. Still, another is just jealous because no one has shown any interest in her sexually and thus looks down on those who are in happy relationships as “crude” or “vulgar.” Thus the girls turn to books to better understand sex, love, and the changing feelings within themselves–making them even more confused. But at least they have each other as they try to work their way through this thing called puberty.
Why you should watch it: Being a high school girl is a crazy paradox. Society tells you that you’re supposed to be a pure, innocent flower yet you have these crazy hormones messing with your mind. Boys are allowed (perhaps even expected) to be horny monsters but girls who act similarly are “sluts” and treated as “dirty”–not only by men but other women as well. Worse still, there’s no one around to guide young women through this at school and books are no help.
This anime perfectly captures the chaos of this time and, in the process, creates a story full of high school romance drama that feels painfully real.
Watch it if you like: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea, Kiznaiver
Where to watch: HIDIVE, Muse Asia
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Vinland Saga
Genre: Historical Fiction
Studio: Wit Studio
Number of episodes: 24
Premiere date: July 8, 2019
Non-spoiler plot summary: As the year 1000 AD comes and goes, Danish Vikings ravage the British shoreline and the King of Denmark begins his plans for a complete conquest. Meanwhile, a young boy named Thorfinn dreams of glorious battles from his small farm in a tiny village in inhospitable Iceland. But little does he know that he will soon find himself on a quest for revenge that will span nearly a decade and across countless battlefields.
Why you should watch it: Vinland Saga is an amazing piece of historical fiction. Smack dab in the middle of the Middle Ages, this anime shows the beginning stages of an empire that, during its time, would be only rivaled in power by the Holy Roman Empire. It’s full of people, places, and battles that all really happened. And while it might not seem like it at first, it’s actually a story deeply tied to the history of America 500 years before Columbus (and all that came after).
But it’s far more than just a historical documentary: it’s also a personal story that focuses on the everyday lives of people during the time–and how those lives were upended by the Viking invasion. From villager, to soldier, to prince, we see how the war affects each one. Moreover, we see how their powerlessness at what they’ve lost drives them on to achieve the unimaginable–or die trying.
Watch it if you like: Berserk, The Heroic Legend of Arslan
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
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