Each year, literally hundreds of new anime come pouring out of Japan–and 2018 was no exception. But with so many, it can seem impossible to know which of them is worth your time. So with that in mind, out of the dozens upon dozens I watched, here are the five best anime I saw this year.

But before we get into it, two self-imposed ground rules:

1. All shows must have finished their run in 2018. 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 that are still far from finishing will have to wait till next year for their shot.
2. 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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Bloom into You

Genre: Lesbian Romance

Studio: TROYCA

Number of Episodes: 13

Non-spoiler plot summary: Yuu is a teenage girl in love with the idea of love. She reads romance manga, listens to romantic music, and dreams of her own grand romance. But when she’s finally confessed to, she finds that she feels nothing. Now months later, Yuu has accepted that she is simply unable to be in love–no matter how much she wants to be.  

Its then that Yuu encounters Touko, the most popular girl in school–and a girl well known for turning down every love confession. Believing she has found a kindred spirit, Yuu reveals her inability to fall in love to Touko. Yet, Touko’s reaction is far from what Yuu anticipated: Touko announces that she’s falling in love with Yuu. Thus begins the mystery of why Touko is in love with a girl who can’t love her back.

Why you should watch it: Bloom into You dives deep into the mindset and worries a of person who finds out that he or she might be asexual or aromantic–and more generally, the struggles anyone faces when they discover that they aren’t “normal.” And just when Yuu thinks she may have found someone going through the same process, she is instead caught up in a lesbian romance–despite the fact that she is neither emotionally involved or sexually interested in Touko. Yet, upon seeing  through Touko’s perfect girl facade, she is compelled to play along with the relationship.

Touko is a girl struggling with her own identity. To everyone except Yuu, she appears perfect–effortlessly able to do anything and everything. But in front of Yuu, she is able to let the cracks show and reveal the real her struggling underneath. The problem is, Touko doesn’t like the person underneath and wants nothing more than to be who she pretends to be. Hers is a story of self-discovery and the importance of self worth. It explores the old adage, to truly love others, you must first learn to love yourself.

Watch it if you like: Sakura Trick, Citrus

Where to watch: HIDIVE

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Devilman Crybaby

Genre: Ultraviolent, Japanese Superhero

Studio: Science Saru

Number of Episodes: 10

Non-spoiler plot summary: When shy high schooler Akira’s childhood friend, Ryo, suddenly reappears after years away, Akira eagerly accompanies his friend on his mission to capture evidence of real-life demons on film. In the bloodbath that follows, Akira finds himself possessed by the demon Amon. Yet, instead of being taken over, he finds that while he has all the powers of a demon, his human heart remains. Neither fully devil nor man, he takes the name Devilman and fights alongside Ryo to stop the demons feeding upon mankind.

Why you should watch it: When the original Devilman manga came out in the 70s, its extreme violence and dark story made it stand out to the point that it remains an iconic fixture of the Japanese popular consciousness even 40 years later. Crybaby doesn’t shy away from the sex and violence of the original–rather it embraces and expands on it, even as it brings the story into the modern age. A large part of this modernization is giving the director’s chair to Masaaki Yuasa, a man who’s unique visual style makes this an anime that stands apart from both standard Western and Japanese animation while incorporating features of both.

But be warned, Devilman Crybaby is not an easy anime to watch. It is not a happy-go-lucky story where the heroes are invincible and the good guys always win. Rather, it is a parable about the futility of war, the insanity of murder, and the weakness in the human soul that we must all try to overcome.

Watch it if you like: Parasyte: The Maxim, Blood-C, Tatami Galaxy, Devilman

Where to watch: Netflix

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Dragon Ball Super

Genre: Fighting

Studio: Toei Animation

Number of Episodes: 131

Non-spoiler plot summary: Four years after the end of Dragon Ball Z, the world is at peace–and Goku and his friends are still struggling a bit to find their place in it. But little do they know that new adventures lie on the horizon. Deep in space, the God of Destruction awakens from his slumber. In hell, one of Goku’s old villains plots his escape. In an alternate future, Trunks is his world’s only line of defence against a man long thought dead. And at the nexus of all universes, the god of all existence sits bored, dreaming of something to bring excitement to his omnipotent soul.

Why you should watch it: Dragon Ball Super is all you’re expecting and more. It’s got crazy battles, a dynamic cast of heroes and villains with over-the-top powers, and a story that builds on over three decades of history. But that doesn’t mean that everything is more of the same.

Many battles (especially those in the later half) are unlike any Goku and Co. have fought before; they can’t be won by simply powering up to a new level of Super Saiyan or by throwing a spirit bomb. Even the episodes between the major arcs stand out. Most are character pieces that serve to flesh out our heroes in new ways–like a series of in-depth looks at how each performs as a father to his young child.

In the end, Dragon Ball Super takes the entire franchise up a notch, updating an anime classic with modern day, thematic storytelling.

Watch it if you like: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z

Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation, AnimeLab (AU/NZ)

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Megalobox

Genre: Cyberpunk Sports

Studio: TMS Entertainment

Number of Episodes: 13

Non-spoiler plot summary: In a future where Megaloboxing (boxing with the aid of a robotic exoskeleton) is the most popular sport, a young, nameless boxer makes his living by working fixed matches in the mob-controlled slums that surround a thriving, high-class metropolis. After losing to the world champion in a once-in-a-lifetime underground match, he decides to defy the mob and put it all on the line for a rematch. But, first he’ll have to earn his chance by climbing to the top of the professional ranks. Then and only then will he be able to face the champ at the biggest event of them all: Megalomania.

Why you should watch it: Megalobox may be centered around a sport, but what it’s really about is the human drama surrounding the three principal characters: Joe (the boxer), Nambu (his manager), and Sachio (his trainer). Each of these three is a disillusioned outcast, trying to eke out a meager existence in the slums. However, surviving isn’t living. And while alone they have no chance to escape their individual fates, together they have a chance to achieve so much more–if only they can overcome their own respective personal traumas before they are destroyed by them.

The story is also big on the consequences of the various characters’ actions. Every choice–especially the morally dubious ones–come back to haunt our heroes, even if its half-a-dozen episodes later. It serves to build excellent tension–especially when combined with all the new challenges that keep popping up.

Oh, and the cyberpunk boxing action isn’t half bad either.

Watch it if you like: Ashita no Joe, Rocky, Creed

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

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Violet Evergarden

Genre: Steampunk, Slice-of-Life

Studio: Kyoto Animation

Number of Episodes: 14

Non-spoiler plot summary: Emotionless child soldier Violet awakens in a hospital to face two world-altering truths: 1) that both of her arms, after being injured to the point of amputation, have been replaced with automail prosthetics and 2) that the war is over. Uncertain what to do, and unable to contact her former commanding officer for new orders, she starts working at a local post office. There she encounters a group of women ghostwriters tasked with turning the true emotions of any client–be they illiterate peasant or educated royalty–into letter form. It is then that she decides to become one of these women who understand emotion so well–because perhaps then she will be able to understand the final words her commanding officer said to her: I love you.

Why you should watch it: Violet Evergarden is the story of a broken girl. Born for nothing but war–trained to follow orders and kill–she is left without a guiding light in a world at peace. So she sets off on an internal journey to discover the one thing she wants to understand but doesn’t: the feeling of love.

Each episode deals with the people Violet encounters in her work. Like her, each is dealing with either love or loss–or both at the same time. The war’s scars are numerous and as Violet helps people heal theirs she is able to become aware of–and start healing–her own.

Watch it if you like: The Ancient Magus Bride, Kino’s Journey

Where to watch: Netflix

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