From new hits like Dandadan to the return of powerhouses like Blue Exorcist and Black Butler, 2024 was a great year for anime. There are a lot of shows that I unfortunately never got around to watching (I started my first salaried job in January and my free time has drastically dwindled – a tragedy, I know), but I did manage to knock out 3 movies and 24 series. Here’s how they stack up against each other!
NOTE: I intended to include the following anime in this ranking, but unfortunately haven’t had the chance to start watching them: A Sign of Affection, Delicious in Dungeon, The Grimm Variations, Oshi no Ko Season 2, How I Attended An All-Guy’s Mixer, and Yakuza Fiancé. If I am able to squeeze any of them in by the end of the month, I will edit this ranking to add them. I have marked any anime that I haven’t finished watching in their entirety by the publication of this list with an asterisk (*) (but I only included anime that I’m at least 50% of the way through).
27. Shaman King: Flowers
Shaman King was one of the first anime I ever watched back in elementary school, so I was stoked when they announced the 2021 remake of the series. Unfortunately, this remake crammed more material into even fewer episodes, making it a fast-paced mess with barely any depth. The sequel was equally disappointing. It doesn’t even end on a cliffhanger: it just randomly ends, and there is no word on if there will be more episodes. I’ll also never get over the fact that the protagonist’s parents, who were the protagonists of the previous series and therefore characters I literally grew up with, were only 15 when he was born, and nobody seems to bat an eye about them being such young teen parents.
26. Fluffy Paradise
In 2023, Farming Life In Another World was my feel-good isekai anime for the year; in 2024, Fluffy Paradise was that anime. It was more plot-driven than I expected (I thought it would be more episodic with a fluffy-creature-of-the-week rather than a monster-of-the-week), which gave it more substance.
25. Mr. Villain’s Day Off
This was another adorable, feel-good anime. I loved that we got to know not just the eponymous villain, but also the Power Ranger ripoff heroes he was fighting against. However, there were two subplots (one about Santa and one about a cherry blossom tree spirit) that I wasn’t at all interested in; I would have much preferred if those scenes were replaced with more footage of the villain or the heroes.
24. Gushing Over Magical Girls
I’m embarrassed to even admit that I watched this, because when I first started it I didn’t realize it was quite so, um… saucy (although the poster to the right probably should have given it away). But I really liked the main character, and the premise was really funny, so I stuck with it till the end end just did my best to overlook the gratuitous nudity. I can’t pretend I’m not looking forward to the second season.
23. Bucchigiri?!
I didn’t have much motivation to keep up with this anime weekly. I found the protagonist pretty annoying, I absolutely HATED his love interest, and most of the comedy wasn’t really my sense of humor. But the interesting side characters kept me invested, and I’m glad I ended up staying with it because the plot picked up significantly by episode 7. This would have ranked dead last on this list based on the first half of the series, but I enjoyed the second half enough to say I definitely didn’t hate it.
22. Oblivion Battery
Amnesia has to be my least favorite trope ever, but my love for sports anime and voice actor Mamoru Miyano convinced me to give this anime a shot even though the main character having amnesia is the main premise. It’s not the best sports anime I’ve ever seen, but it was relatively funny and the story was unique. I’m honestly surprised it’s been approved for a second season, though.
21. Blue Lock vs. U-20 Japan*
I have always disliked the style of 3D computer animation (which is why I could never get into the show RWBY). I’ve noticed it creeping into more and more anime lately, and it was so prominent in this season of Blue Lock that I feel it negatively impacted the overall quality. Practically every shot involving legs (and there were lots of them, seeing as this anime is about soccer) was in this style, and they even occasionally included it within the same frame as the 2D animation. For example, I specifically remember one clip where two characters are animated normally but then two background characters jog by in 3D. At that point, just don’t include the two joggers at all! As for the story, it was about what you’d expect for a sports anime: single soccer matches stretched out over several episodes.
20. Delico’s Nursery
At first, it felt like this anime couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. The comedy conflicted with the elegant animation and therefore wasn’t landing, and the lore was full of holes. By the end, however, they managed to tie most loose ends together to create a coherent and interesting narrative. I still wish they had given a more in-depth explanation of the mechanics of the world (what exactly is the treaty between the humans and vampires? Why can this world’s vampires eat normal food instead of needing to drink blood?) and shown us a little more of what it’s like at the school all vampires are required to attend as teenagers.
19. given: Hiiragi Mix
I was skeptical about how much could be accomplished with a mere 70 minute runtime, and unfortunately I was right to worry: the movie ends abruptly with almost nothing being resolved. I know the sequel movie was released in Japan within the year, but we’re going to have to wait at least several more months to see how the story continues in the United States. At first I was intrigued by the dynamic between the new couple that this movie introduces; however, their relationship quickly falls victim to the toxicity and dubious consent that often plagues BL anime. This was especially disappointing because those upsetting tropes are missing in this anime’s two main couples.
18. Blue Lock Movie: EPISODE Nagi
I debated whether or not I should include this movie in my ranking, since it’s technically just a recap of the first season (which finished airing last year but was not included in my 2023 ranking because it started airing in 2022); however, I decided it was worth mentioning since telling the story from a different perspective meant almost entirely brand-new footage. As someone who hates re-watching things but also has a terrible memory, this movie was the perfect refresher before the aforementioned second season. But it feels a little unfair that out of the massive Blue Lock cast, Nagi is the only character to get his own movie, especially since we already saw his backstory in the main anime.
17. The Witch and the Beast
I feel the same way about this anime as I do about the movie Oddity (which ranked 26 out of 35 in my 2024 movie ranking): it could have been amazing if only they had given us more. The exact nature of the curse placed on the main character is never made clear, and they fit a surprising number of story arcs into just 12 episodes. Since the original manga is ongoing I’m keeping my fingers crossed that there’s still hope for a second season.
16. Love Live! Superstar!! Season 3
Love Live! is one of my comfort anime, and out of the four different series Superstar is easily my second favorite (the #1 spot goes to Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, although its second season ranked a mere 16 out of 21 in my 2022 anime ranking). Unfortunately, a lot of parts of this season were distractingly illogical. You’re telling me not a single first year student applied to join the club that won the country’s biggest school idol competition? And that an internationally renowned music academy randomly canceled a study abroad program overnight? And that everyone was able to recognize who the “center” was in a group of 8 girls despite her not having any more solos than any of the others or wearing a unique outfit? Yet I’m still ranking this season as high as I am, because there’s nothing more healing than the power of music and (slightly Sapphic) friendship.
15. Twilight Out of Focus
One of my least favorite types of romance stories are slow burns: I’m super impatient and want the couples to get together right away. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by just how quickly the relationships developed in this BL anime. I suppose it makes sense, considering each couple was only given 4 episodes (or fewer in the case of the third couple), but it still caught me off guard. I would have liked to see a little more of the non-focal couples in the backgrounds of the other couples’ arcs, considering all the characters are in the same club together, but I didn’t hate that the focus was entirely on one couple.
14. Dandadan
I have conflicted feelings about this one. On the one hand, the animation is awesome, the transformations are badass, the comedy is (usually) very funny, and the relationship between the two main characters is adorable. However, on the other hand, I just can’t overlook how much emphasis this series puts on the genitals of high school kids. The sexualization of minors has been a major issue in anime for a very long time now, and the popularity of this series shows that this depravity continues to go unpunished.
13. Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions Season 2
My main concern with the first season last year was that they kept teasing a deeper plot without developing it. My wish was mostly granted, as we learned more about the eponymous character’s past and the criminal organization that’s targeting him, but it’s clear that the story still isn’t complete. That makes me a little nervous since the first two seasons were released in back-to-back Octobers yet we’re already in 2025 and Season 3 hasn’t even been confirmed yet. Anyway, I liked that Season 2 continued to stick to an episodic sort of style but also spent more time developing the plot than its prequel.
12. Tadaima, Okaeri
The omegaverse is my guilty pleasure, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard there would be a new anime that takes place in the world of Alphas, Omegas, and Betas. Tadaima, Okaeri (translated as Welcome Home on Crunchyroll) was what I would call tooth-rotting cute. There was drama, yes, but it was mostly just two young men being head-over-heels in love with each other and living in domestic bliss with their adorable babies. However, I was confused about the rules of this world. In all of the omegaverse manga, manhwa, and fan fiction I’ve consumed, Alphas and Omegas are always the dynamics that go together and it’s extremely rare or even taboo for Alphas to be with other Alphas or Omegas to be with other Omegas. Yet in this anime, for some reason people are expected to date and marry people with the same secondary gender and Alpha x Omega couples are actually frowned upon. It’s also implied at one point that anyone can give birth, even male Alphas, which makes no sense. But I digress.
11. Wind Breaker
A tough guy with a heart of gold is my favorite character trope, and the entire cast of Wind Breaker fits that description. This is the second anime on this list about a school made up entirely of delinquents (the other being Bucchigiri?!), but this one stands out in that the cast aren’t delinquents for the sake of fighting and breaking stuff and causing trouble: on the contrary, they’re delinquents for the good of their town. Wind Breaker really drives home the concept that there’s nothing more badass than protecting those weaker than you. Seeing the ostracized protagonist be immediately accepted at his new school and watching him gradually bring down his walls is just so heartwarming.
10. Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf
Shaman King wasn’t the only anime from my childhood to receive a remake this year. Fortunately, the new version of Spice and Wolf was far better than Shaman King Flowers. I admit I found all the economics a bit boring and over my head, but it was always exhilarating to watch how Lawrence and Holo finessed their way out of situations that could have left them bankrupt. One of my favorite things about this anime is how the romance between the two main characters isn’t the focal point, and instead we watch their relationship develop gradually and organically. I also absolutely loved seeing how a pagan god navigated a world now dominated by the Church.
9. Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc
This short season contained a lot of training montages reminiscent of the first season, and I didn’t like the pacing of the first season for this very reason, so I was disappointed to see the return to this format. Still, this franchise never fails to be captivating. These 8 episodes show us a little more about the abilities of the legendary Hashira and give us the tragic backstory for one that we hadn’t seen much of yet. Plus, the twist that happens in the finale is so wild that I’m still in shock about it and can’t believe it happened.
8. Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle
To be honest, I don’t love the decision to end the Haikyuu!! story with two movies rather than a final season or two. There’s so much content left to cover from the manga that it’s inevitable that the movies will either be too rushed or cut out a lot of details. Based on the perfectly reasonable pacing of The Dumpster Battle, my guess is it’s going to be the latter situation. This is definitely going to upset the manga readers; however, in my case, I never ended up finishing the manga, so I won’t even know exactly what I’m missing. Haikyuu!! has always done a great job with making you root for teams other than the protagonists, and this movie took that even further by being from the point of view of one of the main rivals.
7. Suicide Squad Isekai
Look, I’m a simple woman: I love Harley Quinn, and I think dragons are cool. So give me Harley Quinn with a pet dragon and I’m more than happy. The premise of this anime was admittedly bizarre, yet it somehow worked out perfectly fine. The trailer misleadingly made it seem like the story would focus on The Joker and Harley when in reality we barely see any of The Joker – which was a pleasant surprise for me, since I’ve never been a fan of his toxic relationship with Harley. The MAX series Harley Quinn got me attached to Clayface while the live action movie The Suicide Squad (2021) made me love King Shark, so I was delighted to see these characters play significant roles in this show as well.
6. Whisper Me A Love Song
Whisper Me A Love Song just might be the wholesome GL anime I’ve been seeking for years now. Although we do see a bit of jealousy happen, it’s not enough to be considered toxic, and the girls aren’t sexualized in the slightest. I’m not a fan of love triangles, but fortunately the relationships in this anime are far more complex than that: A is in love with B, but C (who is the older sister of B’s best friend) secretly has a crush on A without knowing that D is in love with her, and B joins a club with E who is in a band with the girlfriend of D’s childhood rival. I know I made that sound really complicated, but trust me, the show makes it work masterfully. This anime is basically gender-swapped given, right down to the dark-haired love interest being in a band.
5. Black Butler: Public School Arc
I was just starting my sophomore in high school the last time Black Butler released a new season, so for this season to come out when I’m three years out of college with a salaried job feels so surreal. Even putting nostalgia aside, this franchise continues to be top-notch. The school setting brought a completely new vibe from the previous installments, yet the dark, supernatural mystery tone persists. The Ancient Magus Bride experienced the same change last year, but I felt like Black Butler transitioned much more successfully. (It did feel a little bit like a Hogwarts AU fan fiction, though.)
4. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
The #1 anime on my 2022 ranking was Sasaki and Miyano. Cherry Magic follows in its footsteps as a squeal-inducingly sweet BL that lacks the harmful tropes that have plagued the genre for so many years. The main couple in this series is so open and honest with each other, owning up to their shortcomings and addressing any misunderstandings that happen between them. The secondary couple is adorable as well. This show has the happiest ending you could ask for in a romance anime, and I’m super sad that there’s almost definitely not going to be a second season.
3. Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga & Beyond the Snow Saga
Since Crunchyroll has both of these seasons listed under S3 rather than as seasons 3 and 4, and they both aired in 2024, I’m going to rank them together for simplicity’s sake.
Black Butler wasn’t the only anime to make an unexpected comeback in 2024. Blue Exorcist came back after a 7-year hiatus with not just one, but two new seasons. Shimane Illuminati Saga and Beyond the Snow Saga introduced a new major organization, and with it new characters such as Lucifer (not to be confused with Rin and Yukio’s father, Satan; shoutout to the otome game Obey Me! for teaching me that Lucifer and Satan are not actually the same entity!). We also learned about two major female characters’ pasts, and saw the return of a character that hasn’t had a speaking role since the 2012 movie. Unfortunately, I already knew about the shocking betrayal that was one of the major twists of Shimane Illuminati Saga because I had accidentally spoiled myself way back in high school while reading that character’s Wiki page. (That’s one of the major downsides of having so many years between the release of the manga and the anime adaptation of those chapters: the chances of encountering spoilers are so much higher.)
2. My Hero Academia 7*
My Hero Academia has become so mainstream that I’m almost embarrassed to claim it as one of my favorite anime (I’ve stopped telling people it’s my favorite after one of my high school students told me it’s “mid”). But my love for this series just won’t die! I stopped reading the manga at the point in the story where season 6 left off, which meant season 7 was the first time I was watching the anime without already knowing what was supposed to happen next. The series has gotten a lot heavier and darker than it was at the start, and this season really showcases that change in tone via violent fights and multiple major character deaths. I knew this would be the case thanks to spoilers on Tik Tok (tag your spoilers, you life ruining heathens!!!) and it’s for this reason that I admittedly procrastinated starting this season until it had already finished airing. I’m so glad I finally ripped the band-aid off and started watching it, though. The answer to a question that has gone unanswered for several seasons (and therefore years) was finally revealed, and we are drawing closer to the conclusion of a battle that will decide the fate of the entire world. Chills!!!
1. Beastars Final Season
Anyone who hasn’t seen Beastars may write it off as furry bait; however, I can assure you that it is a masterpiece with a surprisingly deep and complex plot. I have been eagerly looking forward to a new season for three years now, and it did NOT disappoint. This season dives deeper into the reality of interspecies relationships: not just herbivore/carnivore relationships like we’ve already been exposed to with main characters Legoshi the wolf and Haru the rabbit, but also reptile/mammal relationships. I can’t wait to see what the second part of the finale brings us, hopefully later this year!