Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen

Studio: MAPPA
Premiered: Fall 2020, Winter 2021
Episodes: 24
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Shounen

Follows standard shounen story boarding, but still delivers an entertaining plot with quirky characters.

Rating: 7.6/10 (8.66 MAL)

Heike Monogatari

The Heike Story

Studio: Science SARU
Premiered: Fall 2021
Episodes: 11
Genre: Historical, Drama

Unique and compelling retelling of a Japanese epic that progresses at a disorienting high speed.

Rating: 7.7/10 (7.77 MAL)

7. Wonder Egg Priority

Wonder Egg Priority

Studio: Cloverworks
Premiered: Winter 2021
Episodes: 12
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Psychological

Despite the indecisive and last minute finale born from scheduling issues within Cloverworks, the anime original, Wonder Egg Priority, imparts an impactful story of four girls attempting to undo suicides in a fantasy world. Shining bright is Ai Ohto, whose rocky progression from a shut-in to a leader capable of maintaining relationships and shouldering trauma, raises her to be one of the captivating protagonists of the year. Although there are moments in the series that cast suicide in a flippant manner, Ai’s development paired with beautiful animation and imagery envoke a vivid and harrowing narrative.

Rating: 7.7/10 (7.8 MAL)

6. Horimiya

Horimiya

Studio: Cloverworks
Premiered: Winter 2021
Episodes: 13
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life

Horimiya’s cliched beginning – a popular girl and ostracized boy being brought together through unusual circumstances – playfully conceals the subsequent realistic story, which is devoid of the stereotypical dramatic moments that only exist to further the plot. The natural relationship built between Hori and Miyamura, as well as those with the surrounding cast are hearteningly infectious and can resonate with any audience. The second half of the show widens its scope and successfully absorbs the viewer into developments within side characters, however is also one of the few flaws to the show. A longer season or sequel was necessary with the level of content backloaded since the twirling speed at which the story progresses leaves Hori and Miyamura’s finale as slightly impersonal.

Rating: 7.8/10 (8.2 MAL)

5. Odd Taxi

Odd Taxi

Studio: OLM, P.I.C.S.
Premiered: Spring 2021
Episodes: 13
Genre: Mystery

Odd Taxi stood out as a rookie anime original project for its director and writer by neatly delivering an intricate crime drama within 13 episodes. The story is filled with enough details for a rewatch, however occasionally grapples with subtlety even upon first viewing in moments such as a premature reference to the grand reveal. Nonetheless, the storyboarding is done masterfully and balances a breadth of unique characters. Despite a bulky artstyle, each of these characters are distinctively personified through an outward theriomorphic appearance, and, for the most part, are naturally developed. This progresses into a satisfying conclusion when each path converges to pause in unison during the leaping climax before again progressing in separate directions, emphasizing chance, destiny, and the fleeting strings that connect us all.

Rating: 8.0/10 (8.8 MAL)

4. Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon S

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S

Studio: Kyoto Animation
Premiered: Summer 2021
Episodes: 12 (+13 Previous)
Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Fantasy

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon was significant as Kyoto Animation’s TV return following the 2019 arson attack, whose 36 victims included the original series director. Unsurprisingly in the forefront was KyoAni’s signature animation that captures every detail and emotion with supreme vibrance and fluidity. The story, which follows a set of dragons adjusting to life in Japan, naturally builds upon season one by only introducing two new cast members, but on occasion settles for repetitive gags instead of side character development. However the spotlighted relationships in season two, especially between Tohuru and Elma, masterfully blend comedy and conflict to impart paramount themes of tackling prejudice, self-identity, and community. Overall the shift in tone leaves behind a genuine feeling to Kobayashi’s everyday life despite the fantastical setting.

Rating: 8.1/10 (8.4 MAL)

3. Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 1 and 2

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Part 1 and 2

Studio: Studio Bind
Premiered: Winter 2021, Fall 2021
Episodes: 11, 12
Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Drama

Mushoku Tensei tells the story of Rudus Greyrat, who, in usual isekai fashion, is a hikiNEET reincarnated into a medieval magic-based world. Despite being the protagonist, Rudus periodically becomes one of the show’s shortcomings by relapsing into perverse behavior for the sake of comedic effect. This undermines the serious character development devoted to him, and is in contrast to the surrounding cast, who are enjoyably developed as characters independent of being a device for Rudus’s story. This is especially evident in part two, when the viewer is ultimately and unforgivingly confronted with this uncommon effort within the genre. The natural feeling that these supporting characters foster paired with the smooth and emotion-capturing animation builds an infectious sense of adventure sustained throughout the season. The opening song also assists in creating an immersive experience by uniquely playing over compilations of the region the party is traveling through, in lieu of a standard repeating video. Overall, these elements lay a foundation to the story’s structure that does not default to a routine fairy tale end goal, such as defeating the demon lord. Instead it threads together the hard-fought triumphs and inevitable defeats as Rudus is given a second chance at rebirth to overcome his traumatic past and learn to live earnestly.

Rating: 7.5/10 (Pt. 1) 8.6/10 (Pt. 2) (8.4, 8.8 MAL)

2. Sonny Boy

Sonny Boy

Studio: Madhouse
Premiered: Summer 2021
Episodes: 12
Genre: Coming of Age, Psychedelic, Mystery

Sonny Boy sends 36 students adrift through a void world born from the creative freedom given to its director, Shingo Natsume. The consistent artistic style of the show is flat and bold, but bewilderingly manages to carry depth that commands sincere appreciation for even its still moments. Supporting the visuals is the sound design, which excels in creating a deeply immersive sensation powered by the use of silence in both an eerie and intimate manner. In fact the sound design feels so natural that, aside from the end of the show, any use of background music becomes unintentionally distracting. Sonny Boy’s story itself is loosely fragmented and often bends the sense of time. Seemingly years elapse over picturesque or absurd landscapes as a character concludes a single monologue. Despite this disorientation, each episode individually packages a coming-of-age lesson through metaphor, and uniquely challenges the viewer to discover and frame it for themselves. As a result, there is a deeper connection to the encompassing themes of departure and continual change as the characters converge and diverge without real impetus, and appreciation for the self versus the unabating randomness and absurdity of life despite the rules that govern it.

Rating: 9.0/10 (7.7 MAL)

1. Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season

Attack on Titan: The Final Season

Studio: MAPPA
Premiered: Winter 2021
Episodes: 16 (+59 Previous)
Genre: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

The commencement of the final season of one of the most widely recognized animes did not feel like a denouement, but a fresh start to an expanded world. As such, the season premiere balloons the story’s worldview and abruptly establishes several new characters following a purposefully disorienting time skip. However, in a testament to the excellent storytelling, the episodes weave these sudden new elements into an absolute place in the world, slowly etching into the previously dogmatic perceptions of the story’s core characters. This unfolds the season’s major theme of repetition of and retribution for past sins, and is a distinctive change in message that greatly elevates the final season above the previous three. The start of the final season was also the transition of animation studios from WIT to MAPPA, which was not without its difficulties. Several inconsistent character designs, uninspired methods of displaying emotion, and the unblended use of CGI for the titans often broke the illusion of otherwise enchanting moments within MAPPA’s tense and darker scenes. Yet the story outshines these production blemishes and leaves a season of heart-pounding, brutal, and action-packed moments that erupt with its opening song. Shingeki no Kyojin easily nominates a protagonist and antagonist of the year and is the best anime of 2021.

Rating: 9.2/10 (8.9 MAL)