Every December I do a bunch of Top 5 lists, just to talk about some of the things that I’ve found this past year and to see if they make it to the top of some of my other lists for the future. This year, I’m going to focus more on what I’ve watched this past year or at least gotten into more to see how they stack up, a bit easier said than done since 2020 has been a long year, so I don’t remember all the anime that I watched to start the year.

5 – Toradora

A cute anime about two classmates who form an accidental friendship. Ryuji freaks everyone out because of how intense he looks, and Tiaga is tiny but makes up for it by being fierce. Will this unlikely duo be able to find happiness in their life or will fate conspire against them? This anime is just cute and a feel good anime that is not super new, but definitely worth checking out. The story is predictable but in a good way and the two main characters are just extremely enjoyable.

4 – Fire Force

Fire Force is more of a standard anime, I would say, in a lot of ways, but it’s still a lot of fun. Spontaneous human combustion is a thing, and when people combust they turn into monsters. There is a special series of Fire Forces who deal with these fires, and these people tend to have powers as well. Fire Force 8, where Shinra, the main character, ends up, is a bit different than the rest. While all of them fight fires and investigate the phenomena of spontaneous human combustion, Fire Force 8 has been tasked with investigating the other Fire Forces in hopes of finding out what secrets they might be hiding.

3 – Fruits Basket

Now, this one isn’t one that I purely watched in 2020. But there was a new season, and Fruits Basket has been climbing up my anime rankings. This is another feel good anime, or at least a peaceful feeling anime. It isn’t about the over the top action, instead it’s about the Chinese Zodiac animals and how they work in the real world, and about Tohru Honda who finds out their secret and it is taken into their family. I think that this anime just gets better as it goes and as the world that they are creating, which is basically just the normal world, grows and is fleshed out. The characters are very likeable and it just works.

2 – Food Wars!

And now we’re back to an anime that is just completely goofy. Food Wars! is about food, and being the best and most creative chef possible. Soma transfers into the most prestigious culinary school in Japan where food wars happens, and he doesn’t make himself any friends by saying that he’ll end up at the top of the class. Much absurdity ensues from there as this school has a weird student hierarchy, even odder personalities and teachers, plus multiple tests and challenges focused on getting people to fail out of the school. I really enjoy this one even with all of the fan service in it.

1 – Sword Art Online – Alicization Part 1

Finally, the best thing I watched thus far this year, and I’m sure that I’ve missed some anime along the way, is Sword Art Online Alicization. There is more of it out, but it’s not on Funimation yet. This continues the world and story that was created throughout the first two seasons of Sword Art Online and through the movie. It still focuses around the same characters, but the twist on what is happening is really good. I think that it successfully takes what could feel like a premise where they are just stretching it out for its popularity and sticks with a really good story. Sword Art Online I think when I do a Top 10 Anime overall list sometime next year will have creeped even closer to the top of that list, it is just consistently good.

What are some of the best anime that you’ve watched this year? I can think of two, A Wise Man’s Grandchild and Gun Gale Online (the SAO spinoff) that I wouldn’t consider that good that I’ve watched, but it’s been a long year and I don’t remember them all.

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