Let’s admit it, we probably all have at least one anime we return to every year, if not more often, but who doesn’t love new content to change it up? 2015 was a great year for new anime, but with so much coming out lately, it’s pretty hard to keep up with it all. We don’t want you to miss any quality anime, so here are seven of the best anime that might have slipped under your radar last year.
Did we miss any new anime that really stood out? Excited about any new anime for this year? Sound off in the comments!
One-Punch Man
One-Punch Man seemed to come out of nowhere in 2015, becoming one of the most popular anime of the entire year. The story centers around a young man, Saitama, who can defeat any enemy using just one punch who defends a city constantly bombarded with attacks from destructive monsters. Although the premise sounds simple enough, Saitama’s struggle to obtain the respect of his peers, who view him as a phony, is central to the narrative and creates an interesting dynamic to the currently overblown superhero genre.
Digimon Adventure tri.
WE GOT MORE DIGIMON! WE GOT MORE DIGIMON! Alright, now that I’ve got that out of my system, WE GOT MORE DIGIMON! This new series of films is a direct sequel to the two original Digimon series, with main character Tai and his Digimon Agumon back in the center of the plot. Tai is now in high school and life is fairly normal now, that is until a Kuwagamon begins wreaking havoc upon the digital world, and thus Japan as well. Once again, Tai must rise to the occasion to the save the day, but not without all of his old friends from the original series that we grew to know and love. This new series of films is just as nostalgic as they need to be while also GIVING US MORE DIGIMON!!!!!
Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt
Cowboy Bebop was awesome, wasn’t it? As much as we’d love to get a sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt may be the closest we can get for now. Now, I know what you’re thinking, how can Gundam ever resemble Cowboy Bebop? Thunderbolt is a four-part OVA that takes place concurrently with the original Mobile Suit Gundam and centers on the rivalry between the Jazz-playing Ace Pilot Io Flemming and the evil Zeon federation’s best sniper, Daryl Lorenz. Io’s carefree attitude make him an enviably smooth character, not unlike Cowboy Bebop’s Spike. Mobile Suits have also honestly never looked as good as in Thunderbolt, plus the beautifully animated action scenes that dominate the OVA are paired nicely with smooth Jazz tracks that will make any Gundam (or Cowboy Bebop) fan’s jaw drop.
Overlord
Admit it, at least once in our lives we have abandoned all other responsibilities for an MMO. Well, what would happen if you were logged into your account the day said MMO’s servers were shut down, only, instead of the gaming going offline, you became a part of the gameworld? This is the basic premise for Overlord, a short, but incredibly interesting series that feels like The Matrix and Record of Lodoss War somehow begot a child named Overlord. Before I reveal anything else though, just go check it out for yourselves, trust me.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Two Gundam entrees on one list!?? Blasphemy! Despite years of okay-to-mediocre series (I’m looking at you Mobile Fighter G Gundam), Iron-Blooded Orphans comes along and turns the series we’ve come to know into one of the most brutal, and honest, military anime I’ve ever witnessed. Mikazuki Augus is a teenage soldier on Mars who takes control of the Gundam Barbados when his adult superiors get out of Dodge to avoid attacks from the mysterious security force Gjallarhorn. After surviving this first task, Mikazuki must travel with the newly formed Tekkadan, a Private Military Company of teenage boys from Mars, to escort a political revolutionary back to Earth, a path riddled with pirates and Gjallahorn forces. Harsh, sincere, and outright sad, Iron-Blooded Orphans is as a gritty as Gundam gets, but that’s why it’s so engaging.
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins is the fantasy anime that we deserve and need right now. Taking place in a magical version of Brittania, the series follows the Princess Elizabeth as she attempts to locate and recruit The Seven Deadly Sins, a band of outlaw knights, in order to save the kingdom from an internal takeover by The Holy Knights of the kingdom. As it turns out, the Sins are just as dangerous and mysterious as the stories claim, except for the fact that they’re absolutely hilarious. The Seven Deadly Sins is one of those shows that is able to find the perfect balance between action and comedy, as the progression of the story never suffers from its comedic detours. After you’re done binge-watching this on Netflix, and ultimately laughing and crying until you can’t anymore, you can catch up with the Manga in time for the second season, aimed for a release sometime this year.
Assassination Classroom
If you’re a sucker for hilarious anime, then Assassination Classroom, then this show will be your best friend. One day, two-thirds of the moon suddenly disappears and a mysterious sentient octopus appears, stating that he will destroy the Earth in one year if he’s not killed before then. What is he going to do in the meantime? Teach middle school, of course! Armed with the only weapons capable of killing their teacher, the struggling students of 3-E must rise to the occasion. Despite the fact that their teacher can move at mach 20, their biggest struggle is the fact that Koro Sensei (as he’s affectionately called) is the best teacher these down-and-out students have ever had. Assassination Classroom is the perfect example of how to blend comedy and drama without feeling too stuffed. It’s a show with a lot of heart, especially through the undying devotion Koro Sensei has for his students, that will make any educator, or student of a good educator, cry. So, if you’ve ever had an amazing teacher and really, really enjoy hilarious anime, you should check out Assassination Classroom, possibly 2015’s best new anime.
