With 2013 coming to a close in a year were we were graced with such fine animes like Attack on Titan or Kill la Kill, etc. so Escapist what is the best new anime this year. My answer is Kotoura-san it?s just so sad and who doesn?t love slice of life anime.
Poll: Best new anime of 2013
- Thread starter WWWLUCIFERCOM
- Start date
Recommended Videos
![[Kira Must Die]](https://eg-forums-escapist-data.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/data/avatars/l/68/68539.jpg?1620622912){kind=avatar}
I have a few favorites this year.
Kill La Kill- I'm a big fan of this group, and this is probably the most fun I had with an anime this year.
Aku no Hana- I don't care what everyone else thinks, I absolutely loved it, and is tied with Kill La Kill as my favorite anime of the year.
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!- A lot of people found this too depressing, but I thought it was hilarious, even though I can relate a lot to the main character, but because I can see a lot of myself in her I can find it funny.
Monogatari Second Season- I'm a big fan of the Monogatari series, and this season is up there with Bakemonogatari. Each story arc is solid, and the story really takes some drastic and surprising turns that you wouldn't expect.
Chihayafuru Season 2- Loved the first season, and loved this one. Who knew a simple card game can be more intense than fighting titans?
Attack on Titan- While not my favorite of the year, I still enjoyed it immensely, and can see why this would be the anime of the year.
Madoka Magica Movie 3: Rebellion- While I'm not seeing this until a weeks from now, I can say with full confidence that there's a 99.9% chance that I will love it.
Kill La Kill- I'm a big fan of this group, and this is probably the most fun I had with an anime this year.
Aku no Hana- I don't care what everyone else thinks, I absolutely loved it, and is tied with Kill La Kill as my favorite anime of the year.
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui!- A lot of people found this too depressing, but I thought it was hilarious, even though I can relate a lot to the main character, but because I can see a lot of myself in her I can find it funny.
Monogatari Second Season- I'm a big fan of the Monogatari series, and this season is up there with Bakemonogatari. Each story arc is solid, and the story really takes some drastic and surprising turns that you wouldn't expect.
Chihayafuru Season 2- Loved the first season, and loved this one. Who knew a simple card game can be more intense than fighting titans?
Attack on Titan- While not my favorite of the year, I still enjoyed it immensely, and can see why this would be the anime of the year.
Madoka Magica Movie 3: Rebellion- While I'm not seeing this until a weeks from now, I can say with full confidence that there's a 99.9% chance that I will love it.
I guess I'm bias to vote Kill La Kill since that is the only anime I have watched out of the list (before you say Attack on Titan, that anime isn't really my thing).
Kill La Kill, bitches! 
It's so ridiculous and absurd that it's totally awesome.
It's been a while since I've watched anime and it's a good one to get hooked to.
It's so ridiculous and absurd that it's totally awesome.
It's been a while since I've watched anime and it's a good one to get hooked to.
I'd go with Beyond the Boundary. I wasn't sure I would enjoy the show after its first episode, but everything past that has been incredibly gripping and it is probably the only show of the year I spend all week waiting for. I sure hope the last couple of episodes don't disappoint.
I have seen also bits of both Attack on Titan and Kill la Kill, but neither show has really appealed to me. Log Horizon and Golden Time have been enjoyable, and I remember enjoying parts of some comedy show I can't remember the name of. I've had mixed feelings about other shows like Strike the Blood and Diabolik Lovers, but I haven't been following them lately to see if they improved. There's a few others I want to watch, but I can't imagine that they'll beat Beyond the Boundary.
I have seen also bits of both Attack on Titan and Kill la Kill, but neither show has really appealed to me. Log Horizon and Golden Time have been enjoyable, and I remember enjoying parts of some comedy show I can't remember the name of. I've had mixed feelings about other shows like Strike the Blood and Diabolik Lovers, but I haven't been following them lately to see if they improved. There's a few others I want to watch, but I can't imagine that they'll beat Beyond the Boundary.
I haven't watched that much new anime this year due to being busier with work and what not but from what I have seen,probably Silver Spoon or Free!. Free! ended up being a pretty good sports anime with that fan service as a nice bonus and Silver Spoon captured the feeling that the original manga had that made me fall in love with it.
Honorable mention goes to Golden Time,I'll wait till it ends before I can fully judge it,and Diabolik Lovers,for it's high discomfort factor.
EDIT: Completely forgot about the Devil is a Part-timer. Really funny show brought down by a very obvious romance that really annoyed me.It's just damn good and I'd rate it above Free!.
Honorable mention goes to Golden Time,I'll wait till it ends before I can fully judge it,and Diabolik Lovers,for it's high discomfort factor.
EDIT: Completely forgot about the Devil is a Part-timer. Really funny show brought down by a very obvious romance that really annoyed me.It's just damn good and I'd rate it above Free!.
Strictly speaking of anime that came out this year, I've seen Kill la Kill, Suisei no Gargantia, Watamote, and Attack on Titan. Kill la Kill takes this easily for me. Let's see...
- the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic, especially with the way it syncs with what is happening on the screen
- the low budget of the visuals is easily overcome by the art style which is full of well framed shots, personality, and well-done symbolism
- fanservice by itself I usually find annoying, but it's pretty equal-opportunity here and so over the top that it's funny, and it actually works with the themes of the show
- despite appearing "dumb", there is a lot of substance under the surface that I can appreciate, and I can elaborate in detail what I mean by that if asked
- the characters are great all across the board to the point where I can't even pick a favorite, and the amount of female characters who are both strong and significant is praiseworthy
- it's not just lacking in moeblobs, you could almost call it the antithesis of moe
- while some of the humor goes over my head (much of it is based on Japanese double meanings) there is usually a point in each episode where I bust out laughing
- the pace is very fast and the plot actually fucking moves places, and there has only been a single filler episode to speak of
- it's unpredictable while giving you enough glimpses at things that are still to come, so you can theorycraft the whole week and still have your expectations defied
- it doesn't take itself too seriously, and straight faced no-fun storytelling that is far too common these days is getting almost oppressive
- the premise of a badass delinquent girl fighting a super powerful fascist student council in a sentient stripperific outfit to avenge her father with a giant half scissor is amazing
So yeah, I love it on many levels and I'll gladly defend it. I have some issues with it for certain, especially with the earlier episodes which had some pretty uncomfortable moments and an odd sense of humor, but it has only gotten better and better since than. It's satisfying and fun. #animeissaved #basedtrigger #hypelahype
Attack on Titan is good, but "good" is the highest praise I can give it. Watamote, while often funny, just hurt too much for me to watch at times. Watching Tomoko embarrass herself the way she does is a physically painful experience. Suisei no Gargantia I appreciate for being one of the first pieces of visual sci-fi to tackle post humanism and Chamber is the best bro in the entire galaxy, though I wish CGI was used less for the visuals.
- the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic, especially with the way it syncs with what is happening on the screen
- the low budget of the visuals is easily overcome by the art style which is full of well framed shots, personality, and well-done symbolism
- fanservice by itself I usually find annoying, but it's pretty equal-opportunity here and so over the top that it's funny, and it actually works with the themes of the show
- despite appearing "dumb", there is a lot of substance under the surface that I can appreciate, and I can elaborate in detail what I mean by that if asked
- the characters are great all across the board to the point where I can't even pick a favorite, and the amount of female characters who are both strong and significant is praiseworthy
- it's not just lacking in moeblobs, you could almost call it the antithesis of moe
- while some of the humor goes over my head (much of it is based on Japanese double meanings) there is usually a point in each episode where I bust out laughing
- the pace is very fast and the plot actually fucking moves places, and there has only been a single filler episode to speak of
- it's unpredictable while giving you enough glimpses at things that are still to come, so you can theorycraft the whole week and still have your expectations defied
- it doesn't take itself too seriously, and straight faced no-fun storytelling that is far too common these days is getting almost oppressive
- the premise of a badass delinquent girl fighting a super powerful fascist student council in a sentient stripperific outfit to avenge her father with a giant half scissor is amazing
So yeah, I love it on many levels and I'll gladly defend it. I have some issues with it for certain, especially with the earlier episodes which had some pretty uncomfortable moments and an odd sense of humor, but it has only gotten better and better since than. It's satisfying and fun. #animeissaved #basedtrigger #hypelahype
Attack on Titan is good, but "good" is the highest praise I can give it. Watamote, while often funny, just hurt too much for me to watch at times. Watching Tomoko embarrass herself the way she does is a physically painful experience. Suisei no Gargantia I appreciate for being one of the first pieces of visual sci-fi to tackle post humanism and Chamber is the best bro in the entire galaxy, though I wish CGI was used less for the visuals.
I can't decide between a couple so I'm just going to name them all that were really good.
Noucome- An anime that doesn't try to be any better than it is. A silly romantic comedy that is one of the few anime to ever make me laugh out loud
GJ-Bu- hilarious anime set in one room. Loved all of the female characters in it.
Haganai Next- My favorite anime series and a hilarious show with some unexpected drama that actually works. Really glad the girl I want to win is looking good (I just realized she is my avatar.)
Golden Time- Each episode keeps me on the edge of my seat on what's going to happen to the MC, his GF, and his ex-Lifetime friend (female).
Noucome- An anime that doesn't try to be any better than it is. A silly romantic comedy that is one of the few anime to ever make me laugh out loud
GJ-Bu- hilarious anime set in one room. Loved all of the female characters in it.
Haganai Next- My favorite anime series and a hilarious show with some unexpected drama that actually works. Really glad the girl I want to win is looking good (I just realized she is my avatar.)
Golden Time- Each episode keeps me on the edge of my seat on what's going to happen to the MC, his GF, and his ex-Lifetime friend (female).
I would definitely have to give it to Samurai Flamenco. It was very lighthearted and fun to watch, and then there was a HUGE twist from out of nowhere and it's only picked up steam. I strongly recommend this show, it's definitely becoming one of my favorites ever.
I went for Attack on Titan. Not only is it my favorite anime of 2013, it is in my top 3 anime of all time along with Death Note and Sword Art Online. It is just so freaking good and I want more!
There are several others that I'm enjoying right now too.
Kill la Kill - so ridiculous it's awesome. And its actually pretty well written and the characters have surprising depth.
Golden Time - I'm not usually a fan of romantic shows but this one has me hooked for some reason.
Strike the Blood - Not as good as the shows above but it's fun to watch. An interesting take on modern vampires and demons.
Infinite Stratos 2 - The second season is just as hilarious and ridiculous as the first, although I feel like the quality of the writing has improved notably. Tatenashi is awesome!
I know I'm cheating her a bit as the first episodes aired in 2012, but Shin Sekai Yori is fascinating. I'm only 7 episodes in but it's the first show I've watched in a while that actually disturbed me and made me uncomfortable. Which I love for some strange reason.
I still plan to watch Log Horizon, Beyond the Boundary and Arpeggio of Blue Steel but I haven't got to them yet.
There are several others that I'm enjoying right now too.
Kill la Kill - so ridiculous it's awesome. And its actually pretty well written and the characters have surprising depth.
Golden Time - I'm not usually a fan of romantic shows but this one has me hooked for some reason.
Strike the Blood - Not as good as the shows above but it's fun to watch. An interesting take on modern vampires and demons.
Infinite Stratos 2 - The second season is just as hilarious and ridiculous as the first, although I feel like the quality of the writing has improved notably. Tatenashi is awesome!
I know I'm cheating her a bit as the first episodes aired in 2012, but Shin Sekai Yori is fascinating. I'm only 7 episodes in but it's the first show I've watched in a while that actually disturbed me and made me uncomfortable. Which I love for some strange reason.
I still plan to watch Log Horizon, Beyond the Boundary and Arpeggio of Blue Steel but I haven't got to them yet.
I went with other, I think Log Horizon is amazing with Attack on Titan being a very close second.
There are actually quite a few on my list that I actually have yet to watch for 2013 but, as it sits right now I go with Log Horizon.
There are actually quite a few on my list that I actually have yet to watch for 2013 but, as it sits right now I go with Log Horizon.
Not Attack on Titan. The animation was excellent, but I couldn't watch past the first episode because, once I saw that 3D maneuver bullshit, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was the stupidest thing I've ever seen. I just could not take it seriously at all, which is a really bad thing 'cuz Attack on Titan is supposed to be serious.
I love Kill la Kill, though. There are some stupid moments, but unlike Attack on Titan, it does not take itself seriously at all. When it gets dumb, it knows it and revels in it. It becomes completely ridiculous at times, but that's the intention. That's the difference between something that's ridiculous and awesome and ridiculous and stupid.
Monogatari Second Season just continues doing what Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari did, and I adore it. It has a very specific brand of weirdness that is absolutely captivating. I can't even describe it; it's just amazing. It's off-the-wall craziness sometimes, sometimes it's just subtler, more subdued weirdness, sometimes it's serious and philosophical, all while keeping a strange and unique art style that looks absolutely beautiful.
Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary) is another excellent series. Beautiful animation, and a great story. Characters are nice, too, and the combat is phenomenal.
Going back to the spring season, I HAVE to bring up Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko, or The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat (Henneko for short). It was unexpectedly excellent. The story was outstanding, and the characters were pretty good, too. Also, Tsukiko got a cameo on the Daily Show. Here's a screenshot, for anyone interested:
The MVP of the summer season was Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi, or Sunday Without God. I've seen it described as the closest thing in the summer season to an anti-Attack on Titan. It's deep and emotional, with compelling characters, excellent art, complex conflicts and a wonderful story.
I really can't decide between all of these. They're all so completely different that it's hard to judge which is best.
Honourable mention goes to Hyperdimension Neptunia: the Animation. It's a fun, cute little anime based off of a fun, cute little game series. It's not particularly great, but it's on a different level than other fanservice-y comedy series for its setting and self-aware parody-style humour. It's pretty ridiculous sometimes, which I appreciate. Plus, I'm a huge Neptunia fan, so I enjoyed watching the anime. Give it a look, if it seems interesting. Just don't go into it expecting something amazing.
Other 2013 series I've seen:
- Devil Survivor 2: I don't know how to feel about this one, actually. It tread into "Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy", but it had its moments. The ending was kinda lackluster, too. Overall, okay, but pretty meh.
- Haiyore! Nyarko-san W: I laughed, but I was decidedly meh about this one, too. It had its moments, and I might watch a third season, but it definitely wasn't one of my favourites.
- Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (second season): The first season was definitely better. It dropped most of the compelling themes from the first season and turned into an okay, but not great, romance series with a poor resolution.
- Yuyushiki: Meh. Schoolgirl-style slice of life comedy. I laughed, but I didn't get too into it. Pretty generic, all things considered, but it was cute.
- Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen: Loved the art. The rest was good, but not great. I enjoyed it.
I love Kill la Kill, though. There are some stupid moments, but unlike Attack on Titan, it does not take itself seriously at all. When it gets dumb, it knows it and revels in it. It becomes completely ridiculous at times, but that's the intention. That's the difference between something that's ridiculous and awesome and ridiculous and stupid.
Monogatari Second Season just continues doing what Bakemonogatari and Nisemonogatari did, and I adore it. It has a very specific brand of weirdness that is absolutely captivating. I can't even describe it; it's just amazing. It's off-the-wall craziness sometimes, sometimes it's just subtler, more subdued weirdness, sometimes it's serious and philosophical, all while keeping a strange and unique art style that looks absolutely beautiful.
Kyoukai no Kanata (Beyond the Boundary) is another excellent series. Beautiful animation, and a great story. Characters are nice, too, and the combat is phenomenal.
Going back to the spring season, I HAVE to bring up Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko, or The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat (Henneko for short). It was unexpectedly excellent. The story was outstanding, and the characters were pretty good, too. Also, Tsukiko got a cameo on the Daily Show. Here's a screenshot, for anyone interested:
The MVP of the summer season was Kami-sama no Inai Nichiyoubi, or Sunday Without God. I've seen it described as the closest thing in the summer season to an anti-Attack on Titan. It's deep and emotional, with compelling characters, excellent art, complex conflicts and a wonderful story.
I really can't decide between all of these. They're all so completely different that it's hard to judge which is best.
Honourable mention goes to Hyperdimension Neptunia: the Animation. It's a fun, cute little anime based off of a fun, cute little game series. It's not particularly great, but it's on a different level than other fanservice-y comedy series for its setting and self-aware parody-style humour. It's pretty ridiculous sometimes, which I appreciate. Plus, I'm a huge Neptunia fan, so I enjoyed watching the anime. Give it a look, if it seems interesting. Just don't go into it expecting something amazing.
Other 2013 series I've seen:
- Devil Survivor 2: I don't know how to feel about this one, actually. It tread into "Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy", but it had its moments. The ending was kinda lackluster, too. Overall, okay, but pretty meh.
- Haiyore! Nyarko-san W: I laughed, but I was decidedly meh about this one, too. It had its moments, and I might watch a third season, but it definitely wasn't one of my favourites.
- Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai (second season): The first season was definitely better. It dropped most of the compelling themes from the first season and turned into an okay, but not great, romance series with a poor resolution.
- Yuyushiki: Meh. Schoolgirl-style slice of life comedy. I laughed, but I didn't get too into it. Pretty generic, all things considered, but it was cute.
- Rozen Maiden Zurückspulen: Loved the art. The rest was good, but not great. I enjoyed it.
This year has been a really good year for anime so I find it hard to pick any one as "Best of 2013" but here's a bunch I enjoyed in particular:
Golden Time- I feel like the author has trouble working with her own characters here but seeing a RomCom not set in High School is really refreshing.
Love Lab- I don't really know why I enjoy this show so much but it's more or less just a bunch of High School girls trying to fiigure out how to get boyfriends and getting up to nonsense.
Monogatari Series Second- I think that what this series did best was its heavy focus on Shinobu in the first half. Shinobu is one of the most interesting characters in anime to me, she has a lot of internal and external conflicts with the MC, Araragi yet they still manage to have this relationship that's nothing short of enviable.
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru - My Teenage RomCom SNAFU- Really enjoyed the cynical MC of this show because he reminds me so much of myself when I was around his age and thought I was some special snowflake. I very much liked the art and animation of this one as well.
Unbreakable Machine Doll- This show has delivered unto us one of the greatest miracles of the Universe. And her name is Yaya. I want a Yaya. Also, the show has a pretty decent story and great action scenes.
NouKome- This show came out of nowhere and took me totally by surpriise. I was laughing from the very first episode and its humour managed to be straightforward and consistent throughout the entire show. It's just too bad it's only 10 episodes long.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S- I enjoy the Index universe a lot and Misaka is easily my favourite character from the series so I'm always happy to get a Railgun spinoff.
Special mentions go to Danganronpa: The Animation, Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya, Non Non Biyori and Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui.
My "Most Overrated Show of 2013" award is a very clearcut answer though.
Attack on Titan- Terrible art, cheap animation, worst CG animation I've seen since 2004, characters that are utterly unbearable, story is tripe, characters die for the sake of dying and if the Titans can just walk through the walls then why don't they do that all the time? Oh and let's not forget that the author has admitted himself in public that he doesn't even know where his story is going and that he keeps changing the ending. It's a real "baby's first Grimdark" kind of show. And western audiences gobble up grimdark stuff like it's going out of fashion, which explains its nearly unfathomable popularity over here.
Golden Time- I feel like the author has trouble working with her own characters here but seeing a RomCom not set in High School is really refreshing.
Love Lab- I don't really know why I enjoy this show so much but it's more or less just a bunch of High School girls trying to fiigure out how to get boyfriends and getting up to nonsense.
Monogatari Series Second- I think that what this series did best was its heavy focus on Shinobu in the first half. Shinobu is one of the most interesting characters in anime to me, she has a lot of internal and external conflicts with the MC, Araragi yet they still manage to have this relationship that's nothing short of enviable.
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru - My Teenage RomCom SNAFU- Really enjoyed the cynical MC of this show because he reminds me so much of myself when I was around his age and thought I was some special snowflake. I very much liked the art and animation of this one as well.
Unbreakable Machine Doll- This show has delivered unto us one of the greatest miracles of the Universe. And her name is Yaya. I want a Yaya. Also, the show has a pretty decent story and great action scenes.
NouKome- This show came out of nowhere and took me totally by surpriise. I was laughing from the very first episode and its humour managed to be straightforward and consistent throughout the entire show. It's just too bad it's only 10 episodes long.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S- I enjoy the Index universe a lot and Misaka is easily my favourite character from the series so I'm always happy to get a Railgun spinoff.
Special mentions go to Danganronpa: The Animation, Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya, Non Non Biyori and Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui.
My "Most Overrated Show of 2013" award is a very clearcut answer though.
Attack on Titan- Terrible art, cheap animation, worst CG animation I've seen since 2004, characters that are utterly unbearable, story is tripe, characters die for the sake of dying and if the Titans can just walk through the walls then why don't they do that all the time? Oh and let's not forget that the author has admitted himself in public that he doesn't even know where his story is going and that he keeps changing the ending. It's a real "baby's first Grimdark" kind of show. And western audiences gobble up grimdark stuff like it's going out of fashion, which explains its nearly unfathomable popularity over here.
I really can't choose between Attack on Titan and Kill la Kill just because I love both equally for different reasons. I enjoyed the over the top nature of Kill la Kill but Attack on Titan had some great Unintentionally hilarious moments such as the titan expressions. I just remember laughing my ass off at so many moments that were supposed to be serious but made for dark comedy gold. I guess Kill la Kill because I enjoyed it for what it was trying to be.
