Best 5 Anime from 2016

The 2017 Winter anime season is starting up, but before we get into it! It's time to see which 5 anime from the many good shows of 2016 are the Top 5 Anime. Some difficult choices had to be made, but if your pick isn't on the list. Let me know!

Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Synopsis : Natsuki Subaru is an ordinary high school student who is lost in an alternate world, where he is rescued by a beautiful, silver-haired girl. He stays near her to return the favour, but the destiny she is burdened with is more than Subaru can imagine. Enemies attack one by one, and both of them are killed. He then finds out he has the power to rewind death, back to the time he first came to this world. But only he remembers what has happened since.

PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvhgOe9BY5A

AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=11370

Thoughts : Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu feels like the love child of KonoSuba and All You need is Kill. A funny, gory, fantasy setting anime with some edge of your seat scenes, initially. Later on Re Zero had some extremely cruel scenes and as a viewer you even end up hating Subaru for a while. Great voice acting and characters really made this well worth the watch.

           Sakamoto Desu ga?

Synopsis : The story follows the daily life of the "coolest" high school student, Sakamoto. As soon as he transfers to his new school, he attracts the attention of not just his class but the whole student body, and his jealous classmates' attempts to bully him repeatedly backfire and instead make Sakamoto look cooler.

PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc2JV9n741U

AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=11881

Thoughts : If laughter is what you need. Sakamoto Desu ga? Has it in spades. Sakamoto Desu ga? never managed to not surprise me in some random way. Great visuals, good jokes and interesting cast of characters make for a fun watch. One could complain that there wasn't any "character development" or main plot line. But trust me, Sakamoto Desu ga? more than makes up for that with humor.

Boku dake ga Inai Machi

Synopsis : Fujinuma Satoru is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his classmate Hinazuki Kayo.

PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8tTxuO1oIY

AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=11292

Thoughts : Boku dake ga Inai Machi, also known as ERASED, was generally good throughout it's running. It had an interesting premise, even though the mystery was a bit easy to figure out, it still kept me entertained. Strong emotions pulse through the veins of ERASED as you follow Satoru's hard battle to change the past so he can save his future. 

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Synopsis : When Haruhiro awakens, he's in the dark. He doesn't know where he is, why he is here, and where he came from. Around him there are several men and women who have the same circumstances. Haruhiro and his companions find themselves in a game-like world called Grimgar and must form a party, cooperate, and learn new skills to survive the harsh environment together.

PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii2-zqoB-ww

AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=11712

Thoughts : While KonoSuba was easily the funnier of the "stuck in a fantasy world" anime this season. Grimgar had the far bigger impact. Both emotionally and visually. Even though Grimgar features some fanservice, it's not over the top. The choice of music really matched the dark theme of Grimgar well. And with the battles always being life and death, the last few episodes were quite rough.

Durarara!!x2 Ketsu

Synopsis : Half a year after the turmoil that rocked the entire city of Ikebukuro - Peace has once again returned to the city and people are living each day normally. The high school students enjoy their days of youth as the strongest and most dangerous man of Ikebukuro works diligently. The informant plots (or plans) a new scheme and the headless rider is pursued by the cops as she rides through the night... But soon this normal will be cut short by the abnormal. Slowly but surely, the unknown will seize the city and face an all new storm.

PV : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQb_pwA4Zso

AniDB : https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=10867

Thoughts : Durarara!!x2 finally comes to a close with Ketsu. A great big cast of unique characters big enough to fill a theater with outstanding animation and music. Some really great dark humor and a tinge of romance. Makes for an unforgettable Anime experience in Durarara!!x2 Ketsu.

And that concludes the list, I know quite a few "expected" titles in there, but I'm sure you are also surprised as to why some are missing ;) Let's hope 2017 is filled with great anime!