Could 2021 be the best year of anime? 

I think it’s safe to say that this year had a HUGE lineup of great anime, especially in the first half. With one banger series after another, it seemed like the “To Be Watched” list wouldn’t stop expanding. It will be tough to determine which could be the “Anime of the Year”  as there are many candidates.

As I spent my junior year at home doing remote learning, I also spent some (maybe too much) time watching a good chunk of anime that was released this year. There were several incredible series, and it is difficult to narrow them down to a small list. Although I did not watch every single one (due to time constraints, interest, and me being human), I think I’ve seen enough to build a list of a few that I personally enjoyed (in no particular order):

• Mushoku Tensei
• Quintessential Quintuplets (season 2)
• Fruits Basket: The Final
• ODDTAXI
• Tokyo Revengers
• To Your Eternity
• Ranking of Kings
• Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (season 2)
• Komi Can’t Communicate
• BEASTARS (season 2)
• The Duke of Death and His Maid
• Moriarty the Patriot (part 2)
• 86
• Kemono Jihen