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These Were The Most Enjoyable Anime Shows In 2017

2017 wasn’t the flashiest year in terms of anime. At least not for me. But I will say there were some surprising shows that shocked me.

And others I’ll never forget for years to come. And even the rest of my life.

Here are the 18 most enjoyable shows I watched in 2017.

If you have more to add, throw them in the comments.

 

1. Rokudenashi

Glenn Radars Rokudenashi

English name: Akashic Records Of Bastard Magic Instructor.

Rokudenashi starts out with Glenn Radars running into 2 of his soon-to-be students.

After a little comedy and silliness here and there, the anime makes its goal clear: educate students on how to become mages, and better understand magic.

In between this goal is action, comedy, slightly dark episodes and some pretty slick dialogue (dubbed version).

And the early thought-provoking episodes (1 & 2) were a nice introduction I appreciated a lot.

 

2. The Ancient Magus Bride

The Ancient Magus Bride Elias And Hatori

The truth is: I haven’t finished watching this show yet. But I know a good anime when I see it, even if it’s unfinished.

The Ancient Magus Bride’s most impressive highlights aren’t the plot or story. For me, it’s the visuals.

It reminds me of the visuals in Snow White With The Red Hair. Gorgeous, pretty, breathtaking and slick as a black leather jacket.

I’m sure many fans will agree with this, too.

 

3. Alice & Zouroku

Alice And Zouroku Family

Alice & Zouroku’s the most underrated series of the year (2017).

Is the story original? Not at all, but it doesn’t need to be either.

What I loved most about this anime (besides it’s Seinen genre) is how it blends dark and cheerful themes together.

it felt more like a slice of life series to me. And yet at times, it feels like a psychological/mystery anime.

It’s these elements I love. And it’s why I give it 8/10.

 

4. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

Miss Kobayashis Dragon Maid Anime

This seems to be a favourite in the anime community. And it’s no wonder I loved it so much.

Why? Because Kyoto Animation is the studio behind it.

The best animes I’ve watched are courtesy of Kyoto Animation Studios. I like their flavour and style, especially with their character visuals.

And Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid has become a top slice of life series for me.

No IFS, BUTS OR MAYBES about it.

 

5. Recovery Of An MMO Junkie

Recovery Of An Mmo Junkie Game Anime

Again, I haven’t watched the entire series yet. I’m a busy guy, and only a small part of my time is spent watching anime.

So what I did was watch an episode or 2 (I do this with lots of anime to keep up with trends), and I fell in love from episode 1.

It feels like a better version of – and you thought there was never a girl online? Except that Recovery of an MMO junkie doesn’t rely on stupid Ecchi, harem cliches.

It’s a nice addition to the “video games” genre of anime.

 

6. Masamune Kun No Revenge

Masamune Makabe Masamune Kun Revenge

I thought this was the funniest anime of 2017. The inner dialogue of Masamune Makabe (main character) had me dying of laughter.

And unlike most romance (or harem) shows I’ve seen, this anime did a good job.

And I’d definitely watch it again.

 

7. In Another World With My Smartphone

In Another World With My Smartphone Characters

If you’re like most people you’ll roll your eyes to this anime series. Personally, I think fans took it too seriously.

The main character is accidentally killed by god, and brought back to life in another world… With a new and improved smartphone.

He’s even granted abilities that make him OP (overpowered). But to me, the ridiculousness was fun to watch.

And the harem stomps on any other harem I’ve seen, in terms of pacing, quality and story.

 

8. Fate Apocrypha

Fate Apocrypha Anime

Another anime I managed to finish. Even in the beginning, it was enough to understand it’s quality.

I love the Fate series in general, with Fate Zero being my #1 favourite. But Fate Apocrypha is in league with it.

And from what I’ve seen, it’s an anime that deserves a shout-out for one of 2017’s best.

 

9. Interviews With Monster Girls

Demichan Anime

Demi-Chan (Japanese name) focuses on demi-humans. And their struggle to fit in alongside normal human beings.

As a mature anime series (Seinen), it does a good job of avoiding stupid fan service and cliches that make you yawn.

The comedy on the other hand is subtle but good enough to keep you entertained. It’s a unique series in its own right.

 

10. New Game!

New Game Anime Characters

New Game stands out for me because of its story and focus.

It focuses on Aoba Suzukaze, an 18 year old girl whose dream is to create games for a living.

After being hired by Eagle Jump, those dreams are slowly fulfilled. With hardships along the way.

It paints a slightly realistic image of working in the games industry while highlighting comedy to sweeten things up. And it has a nice tender feeling to it.

 

11. Kino’s Journey (The Animated Series)

Kinos Journey 2017

I’ve watched Kino’s Travels, which is the original predecessor to Kino’s Journey (2017).

While the anime has lost some of its original spark, it’s been replaced with a different feeling. And I welcome it.

If you enjoy the thought of an anime series about travelling the world, you’ll fall in love with Kino’s Journey.

 

12. Animegataris

Anime Gataris

I haven’t watched it all yet, but from what I’ve seen so far it seems interesting.

From what I gather it’s an anime… about anime. And each character represents different characteristics seen throughout anime.

Animegataris is an OK series and not too shabby.

 

13. Sakura Quest

Sakura Quest Sanae And Yoshino

I loved Sakura Quest so much. It’s a refreshing slice of life series based in a Japanese village: Manoyama.

And what do I love most? NO fan-service!

Being an anime filled mostly with female characters, and few men, it would be a walk in the park to add corny fan service.

But they refrained from that and instead created a masterpiece story that’s chilled and easy to follow.

Definitely one of the most underrated shows of 2017.

 

14. Classroom Of The Elite

Classroom Of The Elite Zuzune Ayanakouji And Kikyo

A surprisingly dark series for a school/slice of life anime.

Unlike most school/slice of life series, Classroom Of The Elite touches on psychological topics. And the dark behaviours of humans who will do whatever it takes to succeed.

I’d like a season 2 because it stood out for me among the crowd of look-alike animes in 2017.

 

15. Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale

Kirito And Asuna Ordinal Scale

Was SAO: Ordinal Scale the best SAO anime yet? No, not even close.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it more than most anime I watched in 2017 though.

SAO: Ordinal Scale was decent, and a nice addition to the SAO universe.

It’s basically a step forward from SAO (especially in terms of in-game technology).

 

16. Little Witch Academia

Little Witch Academia Episode 1 2

Little Witch Academia is one of those shows you’d wish you watched as a kid.

It has the type of animation for it, there’s NO fan service, and the quality is so polished. Seriously, I haven’t watched such a good anime in a long time.

Considering it’s made by the same creators of Kill La Kill, it shouldn’t be a surprise. That’s why it’s so unique and fresh.

 

17. Gamers

Gamers Anime Aguri And Amano

Gamers from the very beginning is hilarious. And that’s what hooked me into the series from start to finish.

It takes romance, mixes it with misunderstandings, adds some gamer references, and then blends it all with comedy.

I think it did a good job mixing it all together. The result is entertaining and fun to watch if you’re looking for a good laugh.

 

18. My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia Izuku Ochako Mei Hatsume 1

Maybe you were wondering why this anime hadn’t shown up yet. Well, here it is.

My Hero Academia is a cut above anime these days. So that’s the first highlight worth mentioning.

And when you get into the story, the action, and how well it’s played out, it’s hard not to be impressed by the level of effort and creativity.

I expect good things from My Hero Academia in 2018 and beyond.

What 2017 anime did you like the most?

There were a lot of anime that aired in 2017. I’m one person, so there’s no way I could watch them all.

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