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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

My Favorite Anime

I get asked, "What's your favorite anime?" a lot. It's probably the worst question someone could ask an anime fan. It's just way too hard to pick one to be the best anime. It may be easy to some people, but for me it's just not possible because I love a lot of different anime for different reasons. It's just not a fair question for me. I usually answer by either naming an anime I grew up with like Inuyasha or just say I can't answer. If I were to answer their question it would be really long. They would pretty much get a lecture, it's that long. But it's easy to answer with a blog than talking about it in person.

So here it is, my favorite anime! I'll be naming all my favorite anime from each genre, excluding movie with Studio Ghibli as an exception. Yes, that's how it has to be. Like I said previously I can't name one anime because all my favorites has something to offer that the others just don't have. This list does not have any reflection on the manga. There will be no spoilers in this.
Let's get started!

Action
Kaze no Stigma

The action completes the series as a whole. Fights usually involve elemental powers which is a plus for me. It has other great qualities as an anime that blends in well with the action, nothing seemed forced.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/1691/Kaze_no_Stigma

Adventure
Inuyasha

Inuyasha is a great adventure series. The anime is long, with a total of 193 episodes (not including the movies). Many people complain about the number of episodes but I find it enjoyable because an adventure is supposed to be long. You can see the characters develop and grow throughout the journey. 
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/249/InuYasha

Drama
Full Moon wo Sagashite (Full Moon)

Full Moon is an emotional roller-coaster. At times you're happy, then sad. It's like a light switch. I would find myself smiling proudly when the main character got on stage to sing, and then I would cry when circumstances just didn't go her way. You get invested in the main character and hope for the best for her.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/122/Full_Moon_wo_Sagashite

Economical
Spice and Wolf

I had to make up this genre because a lot of anime have been following pursuit of this series, so it deserves its own genre. This anime makes you think in a way that you're trying to predict what the characters are going to do. The two main characters are basically trying to play the trading market. It's almost like they're playing a game. It's very entertaining and a breath of fresh air due to its uniqueness.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/2966/Ookami_to_Koushinryou

Fantasy
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Fullmetal Alchemist had two series. This is the second one, the one that follows the author's original intent. The first one was rushed, making it feel flawed in my opinion. But no matter which series of Fullmetal Alchemist you watch the fantasy is the same. It's a world of science and magic. Things begin to happen that are way beyond one's imagination. It's a fun series with a dark side.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/5114/Fullmetal_Alchemist:_Brotherhood

Historical
Rose of Versailles

This classic shoujo series brings the French Revolution to life. I was never a history buff and history was one of my worst subjects in school, yet I got to enjoy history through anime even though it was stretched out.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/338/Rose_of_Versailles

Horror
Another

I have a weird sense of humor. I find anime horror to be hilarious and cool. Another has a bunch of deaths in it but leaves you wondering the real cause of it all. The deaths are very creative too. For those of you who are reading this but don't like anime there's a novel for Another, so you should check it out.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/11111/Another

Inspirational
Kaleido Star

I made up another genre. It needs to happen though because so many anime have made me wish that I stuck through some clubs/activities in childhood. Kaleido Star is my favorite of them all (even though Glass Mask is right behind this one). Watching the main character try her hardest to get what she wants and works at it leaves me feeling very inspired.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/427/Kaleido_Star

Magical Girl
Tokyo Mew Mew

My reason for giving Tokyo Mew Mew this spot is because it's a magical girl series that would make sense. Every other magical girl series has some magical, fictional creature that bestows girls with powers. In Tokyo Mew Mew the power are given to the girls due to science. I like that difference and it brings a refreshing concept to the magical genre.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/687/Tokyo_Mew_Mew

Mech
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed

Out of all the gundam series I have to choose Mobile Suit Gundam Seed. It's not over kill like the other series. It has a bunch of action, mech fights, and really cool gundams (shout out to Strike Freedom), but it also focuses a lot on the government struggle and the drama between the characters. I haven't seen Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny yet, so what I said is only based on the first one.
And to those who say there are more mech anime than just gundam, you are correct. But I don't find any of those appealing besides Gurren Lagann, but it still has some problems for me. And not only that, but the gundam series made what the mech genre is today.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/93/Mobile_Suit_Gundam_Seed

Psychological
Jigoku Shoujo (Hell Girl)

Psychological can make me think, but it shouldn't leave me hanging without some kind of resolution. That's what most psychological anime do to me, but not this one. Hell Girl is very psychological and doesn't need to use the excuse of being artistic to justify its meaning like some anime do. This anime really makes you think about the good and the bad in people. And I only suggest season one of the anime. The others kind of take a nose dive.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/228/Jigoku_Shoujo

Romance
Fushigi Yugi

This anime gets my heart beating so fast, it's crazy! It's not a typical high school love because it takes place in ancient China. So time-travel plus romance equals amazing! This anime will make you happy, sad, and angry (this can happen all at the same time). It's great to watch and you won't miss out on anything from it's manga counterpart because it follows the exact story.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/123/Fushigi_Yuugi

Samurai
Rurouni Kenshin

There's nothing like a great samurai story. It's historical, it's fun, and you can learn a lot about Japan from it. Rurouni Kenshin is the ideal samurai story. Not only is it a classic anime but it has even inspired Japanese film. 
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/45/Rurouni_Kenshin:_Meiji_Kenkaku_Romantan

Slice of Life
Nana

The title Nana comes from the names of the two main characters. They have the same name yet are total opposites. If you're looking for a slice of life anime this is it. These two girls live in an apartment together, so you get to see how they interact with one another and how they have changed each other's lives. 
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/877/Nana

Studio Ghibli
Howl's Moving Castle

Studio Ghibli films have become a genre for many anime fans. They bring concepts to their stories that no one anime can bring. My favorite is Howl's Moving Castle (with Spirited Away as a close second, too close). I feel this movie is very under appreciated. This movie keeps my attention and has me on my toes. You'll appreciate Howl's Moving Castle more with each watch. 
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/431/Howl_no_Ugoku_Shiro

Supernatural
Chrno Crusade

This anime brings a lot to the table, not just supernatural. But the supernatural parts are what brings this anime to the front of the list. It deals with demons, powers, magical contracts, spirits, religion, and a lot more. This anime excites me and has me on the edge. It's a must watch.
More info: http://myanimelist.net/anime/60/Chrno_Crusade

I hope you enjoyed my list. I totally stretched this list out but there's just way too many anime I like. Sorry if your favorite anime wasn't on here, but that's why it's called "My Favorite Anime." If you'd like to take a look at other anime that I've seen you can go to my profile from myanimelist here: http://myanimelist.net/profile/goddess05991

Also follow me on instagram: https://instagram.com/japantherapy/

Thanks for reading. See you next time!