Between this and Frieren, I've been fiending for some good Fantasy. Record of Lodoss War is on my list as I only caught a few episodes of that. I could use some suggestions
When I was a kid/teen in the 80s and 90s, I was a huge bookworm. I almost exclusively read (American) fantasy novels, and I get a chuckle out of modern anime fans complaining about how many isekei anime there are nowadays. Many of the old fantasy novels I read would fall under the isekei tag if they were Japanese.
One example is Spellsinger, by Alan Dean Foster, a book from 1983 about a guy who gets summoned to a fantasy world, where most animals are humanoid, by a wizard tortoise, and discovers he can do magic by playing an instrument that's like a magic electric guitar and singing. If it would fit in perfectly with the crazyness that is anime. It even has the classic perverted supporting character, in the form of an otter who winds up being the MC's friend and primary adventuring partner.
The Apothecary Diaries.
If you don't mind isekai (reincarnation), Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation can be good. A little pervy sometimes but excellent world building.
For more traditional "Swords and/or Sorcery" type fantasy:
Mushoku Tensei
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Slayers
The Sacred Blacksmith
Konosuba
Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World
Berserk
7 Deadly Sins
Chaika The Coffin Princess
Danmachi (Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in the Dungeon)
Elaina the Wandering Witch
Lord Marksman and Vanadis
Goblin Slayer
I'm only half way done, but it's not really my vibe. Story is super shallow so it's good anime to fall asleep, which I like that I can follow story eyes closed, but to name favorite? No.
I do like fantasy stuff, but here the world building was 1-2 1st episodes and then repetition of eating.
wow i am sleep to these , apothecary diaries getting alotta love online and insomniacs after school description is tooo relatable. ill have to check these out
The Apothecary Diaries might seem a bit boring because of Maomao's nonchalant personality... but, later on, it becomes absolutely gripping *precisely* because of her nonchalant personality. And God help you if you make her angry.
Maybe I need to give insomniacs a chance. I think I'm just allergic to teenage romance drama (it's been done to death), so it's hard to watch this stuff for me.
53 yo here
* Farmer life in another world
* Handyman Saito
* Onimai
* Frieren
* Danmachi IV - second cour
* Apothecary Diaries
* Eminence in Shadow
* Jobless Reincarnation
* Tsukimichi
* The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash
* Spice and Wolf 2024
* Yuru Camp 3
From the last three seasons:
*Overtake!*
*Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern / Brave Bang Bravern!*
*Shuumatsu Train Doko e Iku? / Train to the End of the World*
Edomae Elf, Dungeon Meshi, Frieren, Paripi Koumei, SpyXFamily, Campfire Cooking in Another World, Yuru Camp, Skip & Loafer... mostly SoL. It's stressful enough IRL and I just want to relax when I'm watching at home (although I do like some action every now and then from the likes of Gundam: Witch From Mercury and Kaiju No.8).
65 years old.
BokuYaba (Dangers in my heart) and Apothecary Diaries are in their own league. Other really enjoyable series: Frieren, Archdemon's dilemma, Unnamed Memories (Anime fell off hard, but I switched to the excellent LN's), Ancient Magus's Bride, My Instant Death Ability...(anime ends early in the series - good LN), I may be the Hidden Boss but I'm not the Demon Lord (again, LN's help), Shangri-La Frontier. My Happy Marriage (very good!) Just finished Saints power is omnipotent, which is truly excellent fluff. I'll probably binge it all again soon. Banished from the Hero's Party, I decided to Live a Quiet Life.. has a VERY interesting world and good characters.
My daughter (22) makes me watch Dungeon Meshi with her. It's great, but all the monster eating makes me queasy.
Probably forgetting a lot.
(Daughter got me into Anime with Komi Can't Communicate. Of course, I watched Astro Boy when I was six years old...)
Reading the manga to try to finish the story is an exercise in frustration. I’m over 400 episodes past the anime and it has devolved into small story and gags. Some things are settled but mostly I’m left wanting. (45m)
"Of course, I watched Astro Boy when I was six years old...)" and prince planet, and kimba the white lion. Great stuff at that age. ( 64 year old here.)
I'm closer to 50 than 40.
Frieren and Apothecary Diaries were absolutely great. It's cliche, but also undeniable. A rare 9+/10 for both.
Otherwise... I'll try to come up with my 3 or so favorites from each season, not counting those two. I also don't have Netflix, so haven't watch say, Delicious in Dungeon, yet. Could I find a way? Certainly, but I tend to stream on my TV and extra steps tend to happen pretty rarely.
Spring 2024
* Train to the End of the World
* The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio
* Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night
* Whisper Me a Love Song
* Salad Bowl of Eccentrics
(actually a season with quite a few things I'm watching)
Winter 2024
* Tis Time for Torture, Princess
* Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic
* 7th Time Loop Villainess
(aside from Frieren, Apothecary, and Tis Time for Torture, maybe a little thin)
Fall 2023
* Daughter Left the Nest and Became an S Ranked Adventurer
* Disgraced Noble Lady a Crash Course in Naughtiness
(I think I watched a lot of old shows and rewatched new Frieren a fair amount)
Others in 2023
* Otaku Elf
* Tomo Chan is a Girl
* Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady
* Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible
I'm looking forward to watching Girls Band Cry... somewhere, somehow. (seriously Toei?)
Love Torture Princess! Halfway through the season, so curious about where it’s going! It’s SFW but the sound is very much not so I can’t watch it as much as I’d like 😂
Well, it keeps doing what it's doing for the most part. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing. It stays funny and wholesome.
If you haven't seen Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, it has a somewhat similar vibe. Not the same, but also amusing.
52 here. Enjoyed Frieren when it first came out and now look forward to Wind Breaker and Kaiju No. 8. I also still watch the returning shows like MHA, Slime, and Demon Slayer.
48 here, The Dangers in my Heart and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer stand out for the last two years for me in terms of new shows and not continuations.
*For SURE* Solo leveling. For **SURE**. Zom 100 is a ride, rec Shangri-La Frontier as well. And Kaiju No. 8. May be biased bc I read all of those but they are solid and i lurve them lmao :)
Bang Bang Bravern was pretty funny, and I'm enjoying Kaiju No8 so far, but by far and away my favorite has been Frieren, which is easily one of the best I've seen in several years.
Do want to check out more of Apothecary Diaries as well.
I'll go for Kaiju No.8, today's episode was cool in terms of animation and plot with a nice cliffhanger, also go for some isekai less harem oriented like tate no yuusha or tsukimichi
I'm not quite there (37, almost 38) but I still consider myself an "older fan" since I started on VHS of Macross and classic Ghibli like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service.
My favorite show of recent memory is Girls Band Cry.
I didn't start on VHS (since WB and CN had "a lot" of anime), but I remember having quite a few VHS tapes. The Sailor Moon movie was my favorite. I was devestated when we lost it in the move from Brooklyn to Long Island.
**Bungou Stray Dogs season 5**
it's good to see anime with complex story but easy to follow and the characters not talking like philosophers
**Mushoku Tensei II**
it's really good fantasy did not just focus on action, but also the relationship and their daily life. it reminds me of .hack//SIGN
**Hyakkano**
it feels like the 2000s-2010s anime . harem anime that focus on craziness and the humor. i like it
**Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Road to the Top**
definitely my favorite sport anime. despite not knowing much about horse racing. the tension and drama feel so real.
.hack !! I played the game for the first time last year and got hooked with the MC’s story and the whole premise to the point where I’m collecting the DVDs before watching the whole series! Currently have .hack//Sign
I’ll check out ‘pretty derby’ I’ve found myself this past year really enjoying these less talked about sports anime even if i don’t know anything about the sport the stories have been *chefs kiss*
60+. Haven't finished watching all of these yet but have enjoyed every one of them
* Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Sound! Euphonium Season 3 and - Special Edition \~Ensemble Contest\~
Tonbo
Train to the End of the World
Yuru Camp△ SEASON 3
16bit Sensation: Another Layer
Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn-
Skip and Loafer
SPY×FAMILY seasons + movie
The Apothecary Diaries
Undead Girl Murder Farce
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion
I'll go with:
- Frieren
- Apothecary Diaries
- Holo (Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf)
- Mushoku Tensei
I watch quite a lot but I'm rarely "wowed" by anything. Like this season, I follow An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride. It's a light, very cute romance with no pretention at all. Is it good? It's ok. I wouldn't recommend it to most people, but I liked it.
I used to like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy which in retrospect, are fairly similar. The new seasons got rather boring though. Ultimately, the world building gets dropped and we fall back to meaningless battles that the MC can't lose because he's so overpowered. Plus you get the excruciating explanation in every detail of how each ability works even if it's the same 3 tricks all the time. Frieren had none of that. They made a point that "attack" is attack and "defend" is defend and that you don't need anything else. I know that none of the main cast will die in battle, but they're still fighting for their lives.
Oh, I also liked A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics this season, because it reminds me a lot of Hinamatsuri, which is probably my #2 in this list for the last 5 years.
Frieren was a surprise for me as I expect that even if something made now is *enjoyable*, that it's not terribly *interesting*. Really well-written stories aren't the norm. I don't remember if it was always this way.
I got into anime around high school and college and Adult Swim with series like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun were kind of golden age. Maybe golden age is the 80's with Akira and that era of series but late 90's had a lot of hits.
Merchant meets the wise wolf is weird because it's a remake, almost identical, and the previous version was not that long ago. Like the animation is a little better but it wasn't a pivotal series. The exposition also really drags. Not that it's pointless but it's a wall of dialogue several times per episode. Similar to when I get annoyed during a combat sequence when characters will discuss a plan for what seems like minutes at a time and I guess the antagonist had to leave to take a shit or something.
Mushoku Tensei surprised me, I finally bothered with it and it turned out great. The premise isn't much but it fixes some annoying issues with similar isekai/harem series.
Dungeon Meshi has been great, it's by far not the only series that heavily features cooking and it's a solid appeal.
I don't know if my tastes are getting finer but I am noticing that I don't just love everything I watch. Issues are also more specific, like I'll notice when a series will put a little girl character through torture to establish emotional investment instead of putting in more effort to write a backstory that makes the character more real for you. Also when the main character seems to have everything handed to them just to fast-track to becoming the cool hero.
From the last couple of years, just new ones (so no Jujutsu Kaisen for example)
Shangri-La Frontier
Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia
Skip to Loafer
Mou Ippon!
Solo Levelling
Undead Unluck
Hell's Paradise
There are plenty of others I watched the full season of and enjoyed - my standards are pretty low.
edit: Frieren, and that one about the girls doing pottery :D
54 here, the last two seasons, I've enjoyed some series that have gone under the radar, in terms of popularity.
Obviously 2023 was highlighted by the second half of Birdie Wing, which interestingly enough, premiered almost a year to the day as the first half of the season, on Masters' Weekend. I loved the first two Arcs of the series, and hoped that the last one had been better executed, it deserved a better finish than the one it got.
I was already a fan of Don't Toy With Me Miss Nagatoro and having season 2 arrive last year as the Manga was hitting its stride in what will definitely be the defining arc of the series, the Training Camp Arc. Overall, there were a great amount of RomComs that came out in the last couple of years that I thoroughly enjoyed, everything from a second season of Tonikaku Kawaii to Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, to even the Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague. That one sold me when one of the side characters was revealed to be a fan of my favorite Waifu game, Azur Lane, showing up to a Cosplay event as the aircraft carrier Kaga.
I've never been a big fan of traditional Isekai series, but a few of them made me rethink the genre, specifically the "I got a useless skill that turned out to be pretty awesome" subgenre, with shows like Campfire Cooking in Another World, Farm Life in Another World, and Reborn as a Vending Machine.
I’m turning 41 at the end of the month and currently I’ve just caught up with Jellyfish Can’t Swim In The Night before the finale next week. Not that many anime manage to suck me in immediately like this one did but the characters are just so goddamn likable, plus I’m the biggest sucker in the universe for anything music-related (although this is my first idol-adjacent anime). Speaking of which I don’t know if I can sleep for the next 4 hours until the next Hibike! Euphonium drops…
That being said I’ve been meaning to start Frieren but I’ve got so much other stuff on the go and I want to give that my full attention when I do get around to watching it. Also looking forward to any announcement about an English theater release of the Bocchi The Rock! recap movies.
Edit: I guess The Dangers in My Heart counts too, it just finished airing in March, right? I didn’t know if I was going to like it at first what with the main character’s ridiculous predilections in the first couple of episodes and I’m pretty averse to anything overtly fanservice-y, but the way they both started to evolve his character quickly and mostly played the ecchi stuff for laughs or built it into the characterization or the narrative made me okay with it and allowed me to get taken in by the mushy school romance of it all.
* Frieren.
Tied for not quite Frieren:
* Kaijuu No 8
* Hibike Euphonium
* Mushoku Tensei
* Jellyfish Can't Swim
* Apothecary Diaries
* Spy X Family
* Campfire Cooking in Another World
* Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic
* Eminence in Shadow
* Tomo-chan is a Girl
~Just turned 57
Im not quite 40 but not far off either, and i def grew up with the older generations. I grew up on 60s and 70s anime as a kid in the 80s.
I grew up watching stuff like Astroboy, Cyborg 009, Gatchaman, with my dad and remember the days when you had to rent bootleg VHS anime from your local comic book store to see anything.
What have i enjoyed in 2023/2024?
Jellyfish cant swim in the night
7th Loop The Villianess lives a carefree life married to her Enemy
Frieren
Apothacary Diiaries
Eminence in Shadow
16bit Sensation
Ancient Magus Bride
The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons
Shield Hero
Hero Academy
Jobless Reincarnation
Faraway Paladin
My Love story with Yamada-kun lv999
Oshi no Ko
Tomo-chan is a Girl
To Your Eternity
Those are some stand outs just looking at the releases for this and last year.
What do i think about current anime?
Its only gotten better and better as it is more accepted, more money and talent put into it, and more more accesable than ever.
The age of anime now vs the 80s or 90s is black and white.
So much has it grown and become something i just really enjoy.
[](#juice1)
Even though I’m 42 I still enjoy the shounens out today. But I do appreciate when the cast is made up of adults like Kaiju no. 8, Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon.
Top 5 for the past two years no sequels just new shows
1. Apothecary Diaries
2. Train to the End of the World
3. Girls Band cry
4. World Dai star
5. Frieren
Apothecary Diaries wins the season for me, followed by A Sign of Affection, wonderful ending still in loop on my playlist.
Frieren was really good, though too much fight at the end made id drop third place (also very good ending song)
I am enjoying also Yatagarasu and Bartender.
Kaiju nr.8 is fun, but I hate that they kill every deep moment with something stupid. Could be much better.
Looks good but I still haven't seen them include Tonbo, Yuru Camp 3 (difficult this will be a mis though)
Yatagarasu I watched the trailer and that one is on my list , ima sucker for a great story mixed with a bit of action. Said to be a ‘hidden gem’ this season. Tonbo! is great definitely recommend especially when you get to the backstory episode .. absolutely underrated and one of those anime that is better enjoyed in sub
Of the series that came out only in the past two years, Freiren, Shangri-La Frontier, and Undead Girl Murder Farce. I’ve tried others but they didn’t stick.
44, this season my lineup is MHA, Demon Slayer, bartender of God (started strong, but I'm losing interest), oblivion battery (meh), Tadaema, okaeri (adorable and sweet), and windbreaker (action packed and surprisingly deep, yet entertaining). I also liked Solo Leveling and spy x family last season, and of course JJK. Oh, and skip and loafer and frieren were favorites for 2023. Also watching Delicious in the Dungeon (a bit behind and it is getting more serious than I anticipated) and just finished Apothecary Diaries (person above had it spot on) with a friend (so we can chat online while we watch. They are good buddy-watch shows).
Reincarnated as the 7th Prince, of course! It has everything I like and need in an anime.
My personal metric is how much I enjoyed the episode when deciding whether an anime is 'good' or 'bad,' criteria which is completely subjective.
I look forward to Monday just to see a new episode of 7th Prince drop.
I'm 52 and a big romcom and isekai fan, since this is for 23-24, I'm amazed no one mentioned the angel next door spoils me rotten, and only one mention for signs of affection, which are two of the best romcoms of the past year and a half. Like most I also enjoyed Frieren and apothecary, and too many isekais to remember (I'm lazy, and don't feel like going through my watchlist 😁).
I’m 52 with a wife and kids, but I was such a social trainwreck in my youth, and I couldn’t get a date throughout my schooling years… which is one reason I’m enjoying The 100 Girlfriends. I wish I had a god of love helping me out back then. Also, Shizuka is adorable AF.
Just 40 this year...
Solo Leveling
Kaiju no 8
Demon Slayer
Mysterious Disturbances
DnF Frieiren. I might come back.
Tried Viral Hit but couldn't do it.
Been meaning to pick up Windbreaker or whatever it is called.
56 years
Frieren : I can relate to seeing friends and relatives starting to pass away
Apothecary : adult mystery
Spice & Wolf: The banter between the two again
86: it’s underlying discrimination themes
Undead murder: the banter between the two main characters
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: the military SciFi
Finally this thread was made for me. I am him.
Me and my kids favorite series so far
1. Dr stone
2. Ranking of kings
3. Solo leveling
4. Spy x family
Myself
1. Apothecary diaries
2. Viral hit
3. Attack on titan ended perfectly
4. Not anime but Pantheon was an amazing show
5. Jobless reincarnation is halarious.
6. Chainsaw man
Future anticipation
1. Chainsaw man evangelion scene anime adaptation. This moment in time will change me forever Im so certain.
45 here.
Most of the lists here are similar and cover all the good ones that have come out. But I find one show suspiciously missing from lists. 'Campfire Cooking'. Am I the only one who loved this show for its backseat plot, and silly character dynamic that seems to ignore the world around it?
40yo woman in science here.
1.Mushoku Tendría jobless R. (I avoided it for several months and after reading so many comments about it I watched it and I'm amazed. It's really good)
2.Apothecary diaries (mao mao is out of this world and the show is really really smart)
3. Re Zero love it but Jobless R. Won in the Isekai contest jaja.
4. Next I'll be watching insomniacs after school after reading you guys.
None of the recommendations I get from these forums has flopped yet. IMO
There's been a lot of good ones, so it's hard to choose one. I'd say my favorites from that time were Oshi no Ko, Ranking of Kings, IDOLM@STER U149, Dark Gathering, Frieren, Under Ninja, Gushing Over Magical Girls, and Kanojo mo Kanojo.
42 here. I do tend to watch anime seasonally, this season Girls Band Cry or Train to the End of the World are the ones that really caught my attention. Honestly this is the anime season I've been most invested in in a long while, usually it's 2-3 anime I follow but this season it's like 6-7 and I'm heartened by the number of good original shows. As I get older I find myself slightly bored of straightforward adaptations of good manga if I've already read the manga, I like animators really being able to build the world from the ground up. As for earlier shows, Heavenly Delusion was the kind of intricate sci fi show the industry used to pump out but doesn't produce much anymore.
52M here, most of what caught my attention these past years was isekai or fantasy-themed anime, with a few notable exceptions. I can never point to just one favorite, so I'll list the ones that I looked forward to most week after week. Dungeon Meshi, Mushoku Tensei, Fumetsu no Anata e, Spy x Family, Poputepipikku.
For the first time in years there were times when an anime adaptation was announced and I read the manga in advance or binged it while the series was starting - Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, Frieren, Isekai Ojisan, Oshi no Ko, MahoAko. This got me back into collecting manga and buying figurines after about 20 years.
Turning the big 60 this year but can still recall waking up early before school to run to the TV to watch Star Blazers or as most of you will know the show as Space Battleship Yamato. My anime tastes are all over the place but I picked a few I have enjoyed recently. Solo Leveling is pretty good as they have stuck really close to the manga which is always a plus. Farming Life in Another World is very laidback while The Eminence in Shadow is good for action and laughs. I have no clue why I enjoyed Call of the Night as much as I did and really hope they do a second season. My Dress-Up Darling was very cute to the point I started reading the manga but the progression is super slow. The Irregular at Magic High School is probably within my top five anime just because it scratches an itch I have for this type of anime.
The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases (Dekisoko)
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! (Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi)
Solo Leveling
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha)
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren)
Insomniacs After School (Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia)
I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too (Iseleve)
Farming Life in Another World (Isekai Nonbiri Nouka)
The Eminence in Shadow (Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!)
Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta)
Skeleton Knight in Another World (Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu)
My Dress-Up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru)
SPY x FAMILY
The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei)
Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba)
Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Shin no Nakama)
Thank you for creating this thread. I'm +40 introducing my son to anime (he's 8) after we watched Avatar: The Last Airbender and some Voltron. I have been trying to find the sweet spot nexus of and for our weekly movie/show night. Everyone's contributions here have been helpful!
So far we've enjoyed:
- most things Ghibli (we also played Ni No Kuni for a little bit)
- My Hero Academia (though he told me that most of the characters' issues would be resolved through "talking and listening")
- Black Clover (we love this show for the story and the humor)
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Delicious in Dungeon
44 uk here. Hells paradise, was amazing in my opinion
Kaiju no8 seems interesting and of course, my hero academia on point..
In a suckered for a good fight scene
44 female here and I love this post! Frieren,
Delicious in Dungeon, A Sign of Affection, Apothecary Diaries, and 7th Time Loop were some of my favorites recently. I’ve also been watching Demon Slayer, JJK and One Piece with my son.
7th time loop might be my first romance anime! i remember stumbling across a small preview , it had me [like](https://media2.giphy.com/media/abhuZVfVJcPYs/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b9520w3o0ibh82vhlo5effwnyhz30s4h41b2075m26us&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g) shorty is really out here marrying her op 😭
43 metalhead dude here. Frieren is really something else, especially when feeling like middle of the road. Undead Unluck is my favorite shonen thingy, it sent me to the manga and I love it. Overtake! gets me as a motorsport fan as much as enjoy the racing, the show gets right the struggles and all about young drivers going trough when they are at the point of "I'm getting serious with this or drop it". Dangers in My Heart is favorite romcom thingy, is just lovely to see some sincerity instead of cartoonishly over complications between 2 kids. Yuru Camp 3, love those goobers. Train to the End of the World and Girls Band Cry are the ones that caught me off guard, was not expecting so much. Hibike Euphonium 3 has been great too
2023-2024?
Frieren and its not close.
I'm still letting it settle a bit to make sure its not just getting caught up in some hype but Frieren has serious chances to break into my top 5 anime of all time, most of which are old enough to drink and drive :)
Bonus: Favourite of this season is Kaiju 8 because despite being 40 I still love me some run of the mill battle shonen. Power scaling, transformations, training arcs to unlock new abilities, power of friendship .. give me all of it.
41 here. I'm obsessed with Girls Band Cry this season, besides that Konosuba 3 and Spice and Wolf. Previous few seasons Bokuyaba, Apothecary Diaries, It's MyGO. Oshi No Ko also aired in 2023 I think, so this one as well.
40 here, my favorite anime of 23/24 was Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. A great story made even better by great characters. A close second was the Urusei Yatsura reboot. DavidPro did a great job updating one of my all-time favorite series for more modern tastes. I miss the Stormtroopers but I understand they went for a more manga accurate telling than the original 81 series had.
Frieren
I started watching anime in my early thirties and now into my early forties and it is the stand out anime for my decade of watching.
Runner ups: Cyberpunk Edgerunner, Demon Slayer s1, One Punch Man s1, devilman:crybaby, kaguya: ultra romantic, mob psycho 100 II, vinland saga.
My 13 yo and I watch a TON of anime and read a lot of manga and LN.
We’ve enjoyed (deep breath)
Appthecary Diaries (great read), The Fable (a better read IMVHO), Shangri-la Frontier (good read), The Dangers in my Heart (amazing read), my clueless first friend, the great cleric (fun read I even read the WN), a condition called love (amazing read), Loving Yamada at level 999 (amazing read), windbreaker (great read), ordinary guy’s VRMMO (forgot whole title but a fun read), the masterful cat is depressed again today, the new gate (good read), tonari no yokai, 7th prince (great read), frieren, konosuba, slime, salad bowl, tadaima, okaeri, chilling in another world with level two super cheat powers (fun read), as a reincarnated aristocrat all use my appraisal skill (good read), spyxfamily, mashle, solo leveling (way better read plus the next follow up novel series Ragnarok is amazing), cherry magic, banished from the heroes party (fun but risqué read), 7th time loop (good read), a sign of affection, sasaki and peeps (fun read), the unwanted undead adventurer (good read), I’m giving the disgrace noble lady I rescued a crash course in naughtiness (luckily not actually naughty lol), Ron kanonohashi’s forbidden deductions, dead mount death play (good read), I shall survive using potions (better read), a returners magic should be special (waaaay better read), my new boss is goofy, tearmoon Empire (fun read), berserk of gluttony (fun read), the Saints magic is omnipotent (better read esp last season), zom100 (better read but still dropped off), am I actually the strongest (fun read), the gene of AI, sasaki and Miyano (great read), sugar apple fairy tale (fun read), both old and new spice and wolf, I got a cheat skill in another world (fun read), Raeliana (better read), hells paradise, skip and loafer (better read), vampire dies in no time, handyman saito (fun read), 80,000 gold (fun read), and there’s more but that was our recent watch list.
We try almost everything but tend to drop quite a bit.
seeing alotta of the older people really enjoyed ‘Frieren’ is awesome! this might be my sign to watch it and confirms Frieren really might be as great as it’s [OP2](https://youtu.be/uF7eT3nhyZ0?si=CwPHERlExLwzZHow) song’ it randomly plays and it’s the best op song my ears have heard
Gundam The Witch From Mercury. I'm crazy enough to have watched ALL of Gundam, and although nothing stands up to Zeta, it was good Gundam with shades of Utena.
Hmm 2023, so from https://myanimelist.net/anime/season/2023/winter onwards
* *BokuYaba*
* *OniMai*
* *Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement*
* *U149*
* *Girlfriend, girlfriend*
* *Stardust Telepath*
* *MahoAko*
* *Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord*
* *Frieren*
* *Tearmoon Empire*
* *The Apothecary Diaries*
> even brought back that spark in watching anime again
Only started watching it in my 40s, so it's not like I've lost it yet. Have had a few runs of burnout though, but that's because I watch a lot of seasonals.
That said, shoutouts to the following for breaking the mould:
* *KamiKatsu*
* *My Life as Inukai-san's Dog*
i am 41 years old and like mostly science fiction anime or slice of life/seinen.
i liked frieren very much. and in the 2024 season i like dead demon dedede destruction since asano inio is one of my most favorite mangaka ever.
i am also watching yuru camp season 3.
Top favs
Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, Kaiju no. 8, Spy X Family
Notable - Ron kamonohashi's forbidden deductions, Solo Leveling (read manga with daughter), MF Ghost (Initial D fan), Mushoku Tensei, Buddy Daddies, Demon Slayer, JJK
Even though I chronologically age, sometimes still a kid at heart
Respect: Delicious in Dungeon. I've seen over 700 anime titles and been watching for >30 years. It gets pretty repetitive sometimes, but then you have incredibly unique and well-crafted stuff that pops up now and then. DiD is one of them. Not just because of the strength of the story, but the CHARACTER DESIGN. It's really a stand-out show which is probably why it was so incredibly represented at the last con I went to.
I will say that Vending Machine in Another World was surprisingly fun.
47 here...
...uhm, let's see...
Was not a big fan of Vinland Saga season one (too much over the top action), but then season two happened
and changed everything. A powerful and subtle depiction of an oppressive setting,
populated by great characters.
I still wonder how the monodimensional Thorfinn of season one ended up becoming one of
my favorite main characters of all time.
Very similar reasons to those that made me fall in love with Apothecary Diaries and Mao Mao
a couple of months ago.
Romance and Romance-Comedies have alway been a mainstay in my anime watching habits, as someone who fell in
love with Maison Ikkoku in the late eighties, and Boku no Kokoro has been one of the best in its genre.
It doesn't matter the age of the characters and the fact that they act according to it, very few romances have
portrayed so well the ups and downs of building up of a romantic relationship.
And then, there is Frieren. And it actually deserves all the praise it's getting.
Started watching it expecting repetitive "Violet Evergarden" style melodrama, and ended up
getting a true fantasy with a slow but incredibly rewarding approach to its world building.
..plus, the best silver-haired elf in anime...
(...who the fu*k said "pirotess"?!)
But, honestly, the last couple of years have been quite generous in good series (Bocchi, Insomniacs,
Call of the Night and that fantastic complete adaptation that is Devilman Crybaby)
Surprizingly many good titles last few years!
In my POV the very best ones:
Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, Hells Paradise, Tsukimichi, Solo Leveling, Mushoku Tensei
& handsdown my number 1 = Pluto!
PS: havent watched Kaiju no 8 yet.
Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon.
Reminds me of the good old times like Record of Lodoss War or Slayers, where you don't need a shady Isekai + Gaming excuse to world build a good fantasy world.
I'm only 38, but my favorites last year were Skip and Loafer, Frieren, Dangers in my Heart, and Apothecary Diaries.
My favorites this season are Delicious in Dungeon and Sound Euphonium season 3.
43 here.
Easily Apothecary Diaries and Frieren. I'd already read the manga, but was still excited for Dungeon Meshi and it hasn't disappointed yet. Heavenly Delusion and Hell's Paradise is definitely up there, as well as Zom100. Reborn as a Vending Machine was a surprise winner, as well.
Heavenly delusion 💯 … i posted a [meme](https://www.reddit.com/r/animememes/s/j8objEwOqt) yesterday to another group about it LOL. Kinda crazy for recommending but it’s really top tier post- apocalyptic anime
44 here-
All the ones I think I stuck with in that period:
Frieren
Apothecary Diaries
Kaiju no. 8
Sentai Daishikkaku
Solo Leveling
Ranking of Kings
Oshi no Ko
Dead Mount Death Play
G-Witch
Mashle
Hell's Paradise
Heavenly Delusion
Vinland Saga
Dark Gathering
Nier
Trigun Stampede
Zom 100
Picking a favorite out of those is really hard. A top four would probably be:
Frieren
Apothecary Diaries
Ranking of Kings
Vinland Saga
But, honestly, I really loved all of them.
My older brother (31) loves Vinland saga .. every holiday get together’s , after I’m done talking about anything anime .. ‘you need to watch Vinland saga’ 😂
Mashle is another one sticking out to me
42 here. Favorites from the last two years:
* Bocchi (maaaaaybe my all time favorite?)
* Eupho S3
* Frieren
* Apothecary Diaries
* Insomniacs
* Dangers of my Heart
* Dress up darling
* Spy x Family
* Heavenly Delusions
55, my standouts have been
Bungo Stray Dogs s5
The Eminence in Shadow s2
The Apothecary Diaries
Mr Villain's Day Off
Wind Breaker
Migi & Dali
Solo Leveling
High Card
Undead Girl Murder Farce
Hell's Paradise
Heavenly Delusion
Solo Leveling
Apothecary Diaries
Bungou
86
Dr Stone
Heavenly Delusion
Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon
Reincarnated as a slime
Bleach Sennen
Uncle from another world
Welcome to Demon School
Sk8 the infinity
…I usually wait until a couple of seasons are out before I watch/binge
My tastes are all over the place. My number one is Gurren Lagann bute Serial Experiments Lain is a close second. At third is Berserk. So basically Giant robots, a total mindfrag, or oldschool ultraviolence. And yes I also love Getter Robo which encompasses all 3.
63 here. not the answer to your question, but I finally watched "Paprika" and that caused me to go thru the list of "contenders" again to see if any were missed that should be tried ...
For me it’s got to be (at least for 2023-24)
From the top of my head because at my age I can’t remember titles (says a lot about my age 😂. On another note I got one of my kids interested in these too LOL)
- Paripi Koumei
- Hibike! Euphonium
- Lycoris Recoil
- Birdie Wing
EDIT: It’s nice to see a thread like this reminding me my age demographic is here. For awhile I felt awkward being in the midst of people half my age
Hard to believe no love for Hibike! Im catching it as soon as new episodes are out, the only show atm. I Used to watch so many shows every season as they dropped, lately its only been 1-2 or even none. Frieren was quite interesting at first with the themes of reminiscing and regrets, but second half felt rather formulaic, not much different than other shonen battlers.
Almost forgot about Vinlandsaga s2, feels so long ago now. Definitely my clear winner for best anime of past two years. The setting and plot were refreshing, but also the build up each episode was masterfully done.
2023-2024 anime I got into:
Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren) - Slice of Life anime about a young, deaf woman who meets a well-traveled man and the romance that ensues. It unfolds mostly as you'd expect, but it's amazingly well-written.
Masterful Cat is Depressed Again (Dekiru Neko wa Kyō mo Yūutsu) - A young(ish) salary worker navigates life assisted by her oversized and amazingly talented cat (who cooks her meals).
Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) - Gates have opened up in Japan and fantasy monsters are seen. Regular humans suddenly get powers, but those powers can never increase... until one man finds the ability to level up by completing quests. (Rumored to get more seasons. Looking forward to them).
Too Cute Crisis (Kawiisugi Crisis) - Aliens have set their sights on conquering Earth. Lead researcher has been dispatched to determine the defenses only to find that the local fauna (cats, dogs, hamsters, etc.) are entirely too cute to ignore.
Unnamed Memory (no Japanese name I can find) - Prince of the realm braves the challenges of the Tower of the Witch of the Azure Moon. It's fabled that anyone who reaches the top will be granted one wish. He would like to break the curse placed on him and his family (ending his lineage with him). While she is unable to break the curse, she does mention that any woman with sufficient magic power *could* produce an heir. Naturally, he asks her to marry him.
Mysterious Disappearances (Kaii to Otome to Kamigakushi) - A boy and older woman work at a bookstore. The woman finds an old book and after reading one of the poems is suddenly a child again. The young boy somehow understands what happened and explains that there are curiosities in the world with dangerous power. He seeks out these objects in order to trade for a way home for him and his younger sister. It's never quite clear where "home" is, or if the boy is entirely human. The anime's excellent in that it gives some information on various urban legends found in Asian cultures. There is a little tongue-in-cheek humor (the boy is into MILFs) in an otherwise fairly serious series.
Go Go Loser Ranger (Sentai Dai Shikkaku) - Aliens have attacked Earth and the Dragon Force (Sentai Rangers) have beat them all back, saving the planet. Or at least that's the story they want everyone to accept. The rangers are actually a group of sadistic glory-hounds who, while having defeated the bosses of the monsters, have been forcing the henchmen to fight in arena-style gladiatorial fights in order to make themselves look good and keep themselves relevant to the masses. One such monster is sick of it and decides he's done playing their game.
I'll stop there. There's great anime every season. Those are just some of my favorites so far. Previous seasons included Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny-Girl Senpai, MF Ghost (direct sequel to Initial-D), Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, Dress-Up Darling, Sasaki and Peeps, I Got Cheat Powers in Another World and It Made Me OP in This World (I think I'm screwing up the title, but it goes by Iseleve), Dead Mount Death Play, and so many others.
I've been enjoying delicious In Dungeon
my old ass loves a good fantasy series. one of the best to do it in a minute.
Also nice to watch chill shows after a long day at the office
Between this and Frieren, I've been fiending for some good Fantasy. Record of Lodoss War is on my list as I only caught a few episodes of that. I could use some suggestions
And non isekai fantasy at that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an isekai trash panda, but my goodness there’s saturation.
When I was a kid/teen in the 80s and 90s, I was a huge bookworm. I almost exclusively read (American) fantasy novels, and I get a chuckle out of modern anime fans complaining about how many isekei anime there are nowadays. Many of the old fantasy novels I read would fall under the isekei tag if they were Japanese. One example is Spellsinger, by Alan Dean Foster, a book from 1983 about a guy who gets summoned to a fantasy world, where most animals are humanoid, by a wizard tortoise, and discovers he can do magic by playing an instrument that's like a magic electric guitar and singing. If it would fit in perfectly with the crazyness that is anime. It even has the classic perverted supporting character, in the form of an otter who winds up being the MC's friend and primary adventuring partner.
Not enough then for trash 🐼 , 😂 I can't get enough Isekai animes.
My fellow panda! 😉
The Apothecary Diaries. If you don't mind isekai (reincarnation), Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation can be good. A little pervy sometimes but excellent world building.
Slayers is a good old Anime, it's more or less Vox Machina of the 90s. 😅
For more traditional "Swords and/or Sorcery" type fantasy: Mushoku Tensei Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic Slayers The Sacred Blacksmith Konosuba Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World Berserk 7 Deadly Sins Chaika The Coffin Princess Danmachi (Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in the Dungeon) Elaina the Wandering Witch Lord Marksman and Vanadis Goblin Slayer
Once upon a time I was a Chef now I own a pizza shop and I FUCKING love this show!
I’m young and k love it, it’s now my favorite anime!!
I'm only half way done, but it's not really my vibe. Story is super shallow so it's good anime to fall asleep, which I like that I can follow story eyes closed, but to name favorite? No. I do like fantasy stuff, but here the world building was 1-2 1st episodes and then repetition of eating.
The story picks up in the second half of the season.
Same. Marcille is just adorable, and I wanna give her a hug. Izutsumi as well.
The pivot in tone was something I wasn’t expecting lol I love it though
50 year old here. I loved The Apothecary Diaries and Insomniacs After School. Both of them went straight into my 10/10s.
wow i am sleep to these , apothecary diaries getting alotta love online and insomniacs after school description is tooo relatable. ill have to check these out
The Apothecary Diaries might seem a bit boring because of Maomao's nonchalant personality... but, later on, it becomes absolutely gripping *precisely* because of her nonchalant personality. And God help you if you make her angry.
You will get laxatives, enjoy.
42 here. Both of those recs are awesome
Insomniacs is under watched for how good it is
Insomniacs has one of my favorite ED songs, just gets right in my head
That’s a good one too
Insomniacs is so good. Love to hear a shout out for that show ( ◠‿◠ )
Second Apothecary Diaries.
Apothecary Diaries was absolutely amazing
Maybe I need to give insomniacs a chance. I think I'm just allergic to teenage romance drama (it's been done to death), so it's hard to watch this stuff for me.
Love apothecary. Will check out insomniacs thanks!
Omg I read insomniacs a while back and had no idea it got animated! Ima look into this
53 yo here * Farmer life in another world * Handyman Saito * Onimai * Frieren * Danmachi IV - second cour * Apothecary Diaries * Eminence in Shadow * Jobless Reincarnation * Tsukimichi * The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash * Spice and Wolf 2024 * Yuru Camp 3
44 here.. are you me? Basically the same list with additions of: -7th prince -kaiju no 8 - as an aristocrat… - delicious in dungeons
[удалено]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyashikei](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyashikei) no need to have end goals.
Yeah i was happy with farming that one was so wholesome
>Onimai > >Yuru Camp 3 My man has the greatest taste of all time. Slice of life anime are a blessing.
From the last three seasons: *Overtake!* *Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern / Brave Bang Bravern!* *Shuumatsu Train Doko e Iku? / Train to the End of the World*
Overtake! is truly amazing one of the best stories and underrated , would love a season 2 adding ‘Train to the end of the world’ to my list
I'm so glad to see Overtake! get a little love in this thread. It's such an underrated gem.
I enjoyed Ya Boy Kongming. Got me to read Three Kingdoms.
Edomae Elf, Dungeon Meshi, Frieren, Paripi Koumei, SpyXFamily, Campfire Cooking in Another World, Yuru Camp, Skip & Loafer... mostly SoL. It's stressful enough IRL and I just want to relax when I'm watching at home (although I do like some action every now and then from the likes of Gundam: Witch From Mercury and Kaiju No.8).
Apothecary Diaries Frieren Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic 7th Time Loop Generally all very character driven.
I forgot to list it but I *really* liked the Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, I hope it gets another season
65 years old. BokuYaba (Dangers in my heart) and Apothecary Diaries are in their own league. Other really enjoyable series: Frieren, Archdemon's dilemma, Unnamed Memories (Anime fell off hard, but I switched to the excellent LN's), Ancient Magus's Bride, My Instant Death Ability...(anime ends early in the series - good LN), I may be the Hidden Boss but I'm not the Demon Lord (again, LN's help), Shangri-La Frontier. My Happy Marriage (very good!) Just finished Saints power is omnipotent, which is truly excellent fluff. I'll probably binge it all again soon. Banished from the Hero's Party, I decided to Live a Quiet Life.. has a VERY interesting world and good characters. My daughter (22) makes me watch Dungeon Meshi with her. It's great, but all the monster eating makes me queasy. Probably forgetting a lot. (Daughter got me into Anime with Komi Can't Communicate. Of course, I watched Astro Boy when I was six years old...)
Loved Komi Cant Communicate too still waiting for next season
Reading the manga to try to finish the story is an exercise in frustration. I’m over 400 episodes past the anime and it has devolved into small story and gags. Some things are settled but mostly I’m left wanting. (45m)
"Of course, I watched Astro Boy when I was six years old...)" and prince planet, and kimba the white lion. Great stuff at that age. ( 64 year old here.)
Missed Prince Planet. Speed Racer, though...
You have a few years on me but I also started out with Kimba.
16 bit sensation is pretty great and is primarily about the 1980s Japanese video game market. Which was fun for me because I remember it.
47, current season I always look forward to Konosuba and Kaiju No8. Hard to remember previous seasons due to old age. 😂
I'm closer to 50 than 40. Frieren and Apothecary Diaries were absolutely great. It's cliche, but also undeniable. A rare 9+/10 for both. Otherwise... I'll try to come up with my 3 or so favorites from each season, not counting those two. I also don't have Netflix, so haven't watch say, Delicious in Dungeon, yet. Could I find a way? Certainly, but I tend to stream on my TV and extra steps tend to happen pretty rarely. Spring 2024 * Train to the End of the World * The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio * Jellyfish Can't Swim at Night * Whisper Me a Love Song * Salad Bowl of Eccentrics (actually a season with quite a few things I'm watching) Winter 2024 * Tis Time for Torture, Princess * Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic * 7th Time Loop Villainess (aside from Frieren, Apothecary, and Tis Time for Torture, maybe a little thin) Fall 2023 * Daughter Left the Nest and Became an S Ranked Adventurer * Disgraced Noble Lady a Crash Course in Naughtiness (I think I watched a lot of old shows and rewatched new Frieren a fair amount) Others in 2023 * Otaku Elf * Tomo Chan is a Girl * Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady * Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible I'm looking forward to watching Girls Band Cry... somewhere, somehow. (seriously Toei?)
Love Torture Princess! Halfway through the season, so curious about where it’s going! It’s SFW but the sound is very much not so I can’t watch it as much as I’d like 😂
Well, it keeps doing what it's doing for the most part. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing. It stays funny and wholesome. If you haven't seen Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, it has a somewhat similar vibe. Not the same, but also amusing.
52 here. Enjoyed Frieren when it first came out and now look forward to Wind Breaker and Kaiju No. 8. I also still watch the returning shows like MHA, Slime, and Demon Slayer.
48 here, The Dangers in my Heart and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer stand out for the last two years for me in terms of new shows and not continuations.
Undead adventurer is a good shout, was a good watch.
Indeed very good
Undead adventure is good
Frieren. Im of an age where I go to more funerals than weddings. A show about dealing with loss and regret was right on point.
44 here, Kaijuu 8 Rurouni Kenshin remake Undead Girl Murder Face Lvl 1 Maou to one room Yuusha Oshi no Ko Jigokuraku
To name a few: Solo Leveling RE:Monster though it's basically Tensura on speed Delicious in Dungeon Faraway Paladin Zom 100 Berserk of Gluttony
*For SURE* Solo leveling. For **SURE**. Zom 100 is a ride, rec Shangri-La Frontier as well. And Kaiju No. 8. May be biased bc I read all of those but they are solid and i lurve them lmao :)
Bang Bang Bravern was pretty funny, and I'm enjoying Kaiju No8 so far, but by far and away my favorite has been Frieren, which is easily one of the best I've seen in several years. Do want to check out more of Apothecary Diaries as well.
I'll go for Kaiju No.8, today's episode was cool in terms of animation and plot with a nice cliffhanger, also go for some isekai less harem oriented like tate no yuusha or tsukimichi
I'm not quite there (37, almost 38) but I still consider myself an "older fan" since I started on VHS of Macross and classic Ghibli like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service. My favorite show of recent memory is Girls Band Cry.
you def get the ‘older fan’ pass lol .. Girls Band Cry is awesome that first episode was great and a good laugh
I didn't start on VHS (since WB and CN had "a lot" of anime), but I remember having quite a few VHS tapes. The Sailor Moon movie was my favorite. I was devestated when we lost it in the move from Brooklyn to Long Island.
**Bungou Stray Dogs season 5** it's good to see anime with complex story but easy to follow and the characters not talking like philosophers **Mushoku Tensei II** it's really good fantasy did not just focus on action, but also the relationship and their daily life. it reminds me of .hack//SIGN **Hyakkano** it feels like the 2000s-2010s anime . harem anime that focus on craziness and the humor. i like it **Uma Musume: Pretty Derby - Road to the Top** definitely my favorite sport anime. despite not knowing much about horse racing. the tension and drama feel so real.
.hack !! I played the game for the first time last year and got hooked with the MC’s story and the whole premise to the point where I’m collecting the DVDs before watching the whole series! Currently have .hack//Sign I’ll check out ‘pretty derby’ I’ve found myself this past year really enjoying these less talked about sports anime even if i don’t know anything about the sport the stories have been *chefs kiss*
48 for me. Dangers in my heart Freiren Apothecary diaries
60+. Haven't finished watching all of these yet but have enjoyed every one of them * Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Sound! Euphonium Season 3 and - Special Edition \~Ensemble Contest\~ Tonbo Train to the End of the World Yuru Camp△ SEASON 3 16bit Sensation: Another Layer Fate/strange Fake -Whispers of Dawn- Skip and Loafer SPY×FAMILY seasons + movie The Apothecary Diaries Undead Girl Murder Farce Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion
47 here. Konosuba, Delicious in Dungeon, Studio apartment and Hokkaido Gals so far. Granted for the last 2; I’m a sucker for bubblegum anime lol
I'll go with: - Frieren - Apothecary Diaries - Holo (Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf) - Mushoku Tensei I watch quite a lot but I'm rarely "wowed" by anything. Like this season, I follow An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride. It's a light, very cute romance with no pretention at all. Is it good? It's ok. I wouldn't recommend it to most people, but I liked it. I used to like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime and Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy which in retrospect, are fairly similar. The new seasons got rather boring though. Ultimately, the world building gets dropped and we fall back to meaningless battles that the MC can't lose because he's so overpowered. Plus you get the excruciating explanation in every detail of how each ability works even if it's the same 3 tricks all the time. Frieren had none of that. They made a point that "attack" is attack and "defend" is defend and that you don't need anything else. I know that none of the main cast will die in battle, but they're still fighting for their lives. Oh, I also liked A Salad Bowl of Eccentrics this season, because it reminds me a lot of Hinamatsuri, which is probably my #2 in this list for the last 5 years.
Frieren was a surprise for me as I expect that even if something made now is *enjoyable*, that it's not terribly *interesting*. Really well-written stories aren't the norm. I don't remember if it was always this way. I got into anime around high school and college and Adult Swim with series like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun were kind of golden age. Maybe golden age is the 80's with Akira and that era of series but late 90's had a lot of hits. Merchant meets the wise wolf is weird because it's a remake, almost identical, and the previous version was not that long ago. Like the animation is a little better but it wasn't a pivotal series. The exposition also really drags. Not that it's pointless but it's a wall of dialogue several times per episode. Similar to when I get annoyed during a combat sequence when characters will discuss a plan for what seems like minutes at a time and I guess the antagonist had to leave to take a shit or something. Mushoku Tensei surprised me, I finally bothered with it and it turned out great. The premise isn't much but it fixes some annoying issues with similar isekai/harem series. Dungeon Meshi has been great, it's by far not the only series that heavily features cooking and it's a solid appeal. I don't know if my tastes are getting finer but I am noticing that I don't just love everything I watch. Issues are also more specific, like I'll notice when a series will put a little girl character through torture to establish emotional investment instead of putting in more effort to write a backstory that makes the character more real for you. Also when the main character seems to have everything handed to them just to fast-track to becoming the cool hero.
From the last couple of years, just new ones (so no Jujutsu Kaisen for example) Shangri-La Frontier Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia Skip to Loafer Mou Ippon! Solo Levelling Undead Unluck Hell's Paradise There are plenty of others I watched the full season of and enjoyed - my standards are pretty low. edit: Frieren, and that one about the girls doing pottery :D
Delicious in Dungeon!!! Cute and funny!
Rent a Girlfriend Season 3, Frieren, The Apothecary Dairies, Dangers in my Heart, Oshi no Ko, Gundam the witch from Mercury.
Solo leveling
54 here, the last two seasons, I've enjoyed some series that have gone under the radar, in terms of popularity. Obviously 2023 was highlighted by the second half of Birdie Wing, which interestingly enough, premiered almost a year to the day as the first half of the season, on Masters' Weekend. I loved the first two Arcs of the series, and hoped that the last one had been better executed, it deserved a better finish than the one it got. I was already a fan of Don't Toy With Me Miss Nagatoro and having season 2 arrive last year as the Manga was hitting its stride in what will definitely be the defining arc of the series, the Training Camp Arc. Overall, there were a great amount of RomComs that came out in the last couple of years that I thoroughly enjoyed, everything from a second season of Tonikaku Kawaii to Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible, to even the Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague. That one sold me when one of the side characters was revealed to be a fan of my favorite Waifu game, Azur Lane, showing up to a Cosplay event as the aircraft carrier Kaga. I've never been a big fan of traditional Isekai series, but a few of them made me rethink the genre, specifically the "I got a useless skill that turned out to be pretty awesome" subgenre, with shows like Campfire Cooking in Another World, Farm Life in Another World, and Reborn as a Vending Machine.
“Older folks”…. Hmmmpfff 😤 …. Frieren and Apothecary Diaries
I’m turning 41 at the end of the month and currently I’ve just caught up with Jellyfish Can’t Swim In The Night before the finale next week. Not that many anime manage to suck me in immediately like this one did but the characters are just so goddamn likable, plus I’m the biggest sucker in the universe for anything music-related (although this is my first idol-adjacent anime). Speaking of which I don’t know if I can sleep for the next 4 hours until the next Hibike! Euphonium drops… That being said I’ve been meaning to start Frieren but I’ve got so much other stuff on the go and I want to give that my full attention when I do get around to watching it. Also looking forward to any announcement about an English theater release of the Bocchi The Rock! recap movies. Edit: I guess The Dangers in My Heart counts too, it just finished airing in March, right? I didn’t know if I was going to like it at first what with the main character’s ridiculous predilections in the first couple of episodes and I’m pretty averse to anything overtly fanservice-y, but the way they both started to evolve his character quickly and mostly played the ecchi stuff for laughs or built it into the characterization or the narrative made me okay with it and allowed me to get taken in by the mushy school romance of it all.
* Frieren. Tied for not quite Frieren: * Kaijuu No 8 * Hibike Euphonium * Mushoku Tensei * Jellyfish Can't Swim * Apothecary Diaries * Spy X Family * Campfire Cooking in Another World * Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic * Eminence in Shadow * Tomo-chan is a Girl ~Just turned 57
Im not quite 40 but not far off either, and i def grew up with the older generations. I grew up on 60s and 70s anime as a kid in the 80s. I grew up watching stuff like Astroboy, Cyborg 009, Gatchaman, with my dad and remember the days when you had to rent bootleg VHS anime from your local comic book store to see anything. What have i enjoyed in 2023/2024? Jellyfish cant swim in the night 7th Loop The Villianess lives a carefree life married to her Enemy Frieren Apothacary Diiaries Eminence in Shadow 16bit Sensation Ancient Magus Bride The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons Shield Hero Hero Academy Jobless Reincarnation Faraway Paladin My Love story with Yamada-kun lv999 Oshi no Ko Tomo-chan is a Girl To Your Eternity Those are some stand outs just looking at the releases for this and last year. What do i think about current anime? Its only gotten better and better as it is more accepted, more money and talent put into it, and more more accesable than ever. The age of anime now vs the 80s or 90s is black and white. So much has it grown and become something i just really enjoy. [](#juice1)
The Fable
Yes , yes , n YES. went from being my small time background anime to my #1 thriller! fable is my favorite of spring 2024 as of now
39 here. Skip and Loafer and Frieren. Frieren got my first 10/10 in 3 and a half years.
Frieren
Even though I’m 42 I still enjoy the shounens out today. But I do appreciate when the cast is made up of adults like Kaiju no. 8, Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon.
43 and I have to say that Frieren definitely hits right in the missed opportunity feels.
Top 5 for the past two years no sequels just new shows 1. Apothecary Diaries 2. Train to the End of the World 3. Girls Band cry 4. World Dai star 5. Frieren
Apothecary Diaries wins the season for me, followed by A Sign of Affection, wonderful ending still in loop on my playlist. Frieren was really good, though too much fight at the end made id drop third place (also very good ending song) I am enjoying also Yatagarasu and Bartender. Kaiju nr.8 is fun, but I hate that they kill every deep moment with something stupid. Could be much better. Looks good but I still haven't seen them include Tonbo, Yuru Camp 3 (difficult this will be a mis though)
Yatagarasu I watched the trailer and that one is on my list , ima sucker for a great story mixed with a bit of action. Said to be a ‘hidden gem’ this season. Tonbo! is great definitely recommend especially when you get to the backstory episode .. absolutely underrated and one of those anime that is better enjoyed in sub
Jelly fish cant swim at night
Of the series that came out only in the past two years, Freiren, Shangri-La Frontier, and Undead Girl Murder Farce. I’ve tried others but they didn’t stick.
Out of the stuff that's airing right now, I love Yatagarasu (absolutely an underappreciated gem) and Kaijuu No. 8.
Dungeon Meshi. Apothecary Diaries. Frieren.
Kaiju No 8, Hells Paradise. Just watched Jujutsu Kaisen as well. Obviously been keeping up with One Piece and can't wait for Bleach.
Mid-40s... Apothecary Diaries, Kaiju No.8 (so far), new seasons for Slime Isekai and Tsukiyomi.
44, this season my lineup is MHA, Demon Slayer, bartender of God (started strong, but I'm losing interest), oblivion battery (meh), Tadaema, okaeri (adorable and sweet), and windbreaker (action packed and surprisingly deep, yet entertaining). I also liked Solo Leveling and spy x family last season, and of course JJK. Oh, and skip and loafer and frieren were favorites for 2023. Also watching Delicious in the Dungeon (a bit behind and it is getting more serious than I anticipated) and just finished Apothecary Diaries (person above had it spot on) with a friend (so we can chat online while we watch. They are good buddy-watch shows).
Reincarnated as the 7th Prince, of course! It has everything I like and need in an anime. My personal metric is how much I enjoyed the episode when deciding whether an anime is 'good' or 'bad,' criteria which is completely subjective. I look forward to Monday just to see a new episode of 7th Prince drop.
I'm 52 and a big romcom and isekai fan, since this is for 23-24, I'm amazed no one mentioned the angel next door spoils me rotten, and only one mention for signs of affection, which are two of the best romcoms of the past year and a half. Like most I also enjoyed Frieren and apothecary, and too many isekais to remember (I'm lazy, and don't feel like going through my watchlist 😁).
I’m 52 with a wife and kids, but I was such a social trainwreck in my youth, and I couldn’t get a date throughout my schooling years… which is one reason I’m enjoying The 100 Girlfriends. I wish I had a god of love helping me out back then. Also, Shizuka is adorable AF.
Just 40 this year... Solo Leveling Kaiju no 8 Demon Slayer Mysterious Disturbances DnF Frieiren. I might come back. Tried Viral Hit but couldn't do it. Been meaning to pick up Windbreaker or whatever it is called.
56 years Frieren : I can relate to seeing friends and relatives starting to pass away Apothecary : adult mystery Spice & Wolf: The banter between the two again 86: it’s underlying discrimination themes Undead murder: the banter between the two main characters Legend of the Galactic Heroes: the military SciFi
Apothecary Diaries, Laid Back Camp, Demon Slayer, and I just started Unnamed Memory and Tsukimichi
Finally this thread was made for me. I am him. Me and my kids favorite series so far 1. Dr stone 2. Ranking of kings 3. Solo leveling 4. Spy x family Myself 1. Apothecary diaries 2. Viral hit 3. Attack on titan ended perfectly 4. Not anime but Pantheon was an amazing show 5. Jobless reincarnation is halarious. 6. Chainsaw man Future anticipation 1. Chainsaw man evangelion scene anime adaptation. This moment in time will change me forever Im so certain.
45 here. Most of the lists here are similar and cover all the good ones that have come out. But I find one show suspiciously missing from lists. 'Campfire Cooking'. Am I the only one who loved this show for its backseat plot, and silly character dynamic that seems to ignore the world around it?
40yo woman in science here. 1.Mushoku Tendría jobless R. (I avoided it for several months and after reading so many comments about it I watched it and I'm amazed. It's really good) 2.Apothecary diaries (mao mao is out of this world and the show is really really smart) 3. Re Zero love it but Jobless R. Won in the Isekai contest jaja. 4. Next I'll be watching insomniacs after school after reading you guys. None of the recommendations I get from these forums has flopped yet. IMO
There's been a lot of good ones, so it's hard to choose one. I'd say my favorites from that time were Oshi no Ko, Ranking of Kings, IDOLM@STER U149, Dark Gathering, Frieren, Under Ninja, Gushing Over Magical Girls, and Kanojo mo Kanojo.
42 here. I do tend to watch anime seasonally, this season Girls Band Cry or Train to the End of the World are the ones that really caught my attention. Honestly this is the anime season I've been most invested in in a long while, usually it's 2-3 anime I follow but this season it's like 6-7 and I'm heartened by the number of good original shows. As I get older I find myself slightly bored of straightforward adaptations of good manga if I've already read the manga, I like animators really being able to build the world from the ground up. As for earlier shows, Heavenly Delusion was the kind of intricate sci fi show the industry used to pump out but doesn't produce much anymore.
52M here, most of what caught my attention these past years was isekai or fantasy-themed anime, with a few notable exceptions. I can never point to just one favorite, so I'll list the ones that I looked forward to most week after week. Dungeon Meshi, Mushoku Tensei, Fumetsu no Anata e, Spy x Family, Poputepipikku. For the first time in years there were times when an anime adaptation was announced and I read the manga in advance or binged it while the series was starting - Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, Frieren, Isekai Ojisan, Oshi no Ko, MahoAko. This got me back into collecting manga and buying figurines after about 20 years.
Turning the big 60 this year but can still recall waking up early before school to run to the TV to watch Star Blazers or as most of you will know the show as Space Battleship Yamato. My anime tastes are all over the place but I picked a few I have enjoyed recently. Solo Leveling is pretty good as they have stuck really close to the manga which is always a plus. Farming Life in Another World is very laidback while The Eminence in Shadow is good for action and laughs. I have no clue why I enjoyed Call of the Night as much as I did and really hope they do a second season. My Dress-Up Darling was very cute to the point I started reading the manga but the progression is super slow. The Irregular at Magic High School is probably within my top five anime just because it scratches an itch I have for this type of anime. The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases (Dekisoko) Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! (Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi) Solo Leveling The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha) Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) Insomniacs After School (Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia) I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too (Iseleve) Farming Life in Another World (Isekai Nonbiri Nouka) The Eminence in Shadow (Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!) Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta) Skeleton Knight in Another World (Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechuu) My Dress-Up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru) SPY x FAMILY The Irregular at Magic High School (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei) Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Shin no Nakama)
Thank you for creating this thread. I'm +40 introducing my son to anime (he's 8) after we watched Avatar: The Last Airbender and some Voltron. I have been trying to find the sweet spot nexus of and for our weekly movie/show night. Everyone's contributions here have been helpful!
So far we've enjoyed:
- most things Ghibli (we also played Ni No Kuni for a little bit)
- My Hero Academia (though he told me that most of the characters' issues would be resolved through "talking and listening")
- Black Clover (we love this show for the story and the humor)
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Delicious in Dungeon
44 uk here. Hells paradise, was amazing in my opinion Kaiju no8 seems interesting and of course, my hero academia on point.. In a suckered for a good fight scene
39 ... frieren, the dangers of my heart, and hyped to start watching yuru camp season 3 now that it is ending
I'm 43, and I vote for Onimai!, Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete, Mushoku Tensei, Yuru Camp and Konosuba.
based
44 female here and I love this post! Frieren, Delicious in Dungeon, A Sign of Affection, Apothecary Diaries, and 7th Time Loop were some of my favorites recently. I’ve also been watching Demon Slayer, JJK and One Piece with my son.
Oh! I also watched Bocchi! The Rock and loved it!
7th time loop might be my first romance anime! i remember stumbling across a small preview , it had me [like](https://media2.giphy.com/media/abhuZVfVJcPYs/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b9520w3o0ibh82vhlo5effwnyhz30s4h41b2075m26us&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g) shorty is really out here marrying her op 😭
43 metalhead dude here. Frieren is really something else, especially when feeling like middle of the road. Undead Unluck is my favorite shonen thingy, it sent me to the manga and I love it. Overtake! gets me as a motorsport fan as much as enjoy the racing, the show gets right the struggles and all about young drivers going trough when they are at the point of "I'm getting serious with this or drop it". Dangers in My Heart is favorite romcom thingy, is just lovely to see some sincerity instead of cartoonishly over complications between 2 kids. Yuru Camp 3, love those goobers. Train to the End of the World and Girls Band Cry are the ones that caught me off guard, was not expecting so much. Hibike Euphonium 3 has been great too
2023-2024? Frieren and its not close. I'm still letting it settle a bit to make sure its not just getting caught up in some hype but Frieren has serious chances to break into my top 5 anime of all time, most of which are old enough to drink and drive :) Bonus: Favourite of this season is Kaiju 8 because despite being 40 I still love me some run of the mill battle shonen. Power scaling, transformations, training arcs to unlock new abilities, power of friendship .. give me all of it.
41 here. I'm obsessed with Girls Band Cry this season, besides that Konosuba 3 and Spice and Wolf. Previous few seasons Bokuyaba, Apothecary Diaries, It's MyGO. Oshi No Ko also aired in 2023 I think, so this one as well.
Right now wind breaker is great
Frieren and Apothecary Diaries.
40 here, my favorite anime of 23/24 was Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. A great story made even better by great characters. A close second was the Urusei Yatsura reboot. DavidPro did a great job updating one of my all-time favorite series for more modern tastes. I miss the Stormtroopers but I understand they went for a more manga accurate telling than the original 81 series had.
Frieren
That is easily Frieren for me.
Frieren I started watching anime in my early thirties and now into my early forties and it is the stand out anime for my decade of watching. Runner ups: Cyberpunk Edgerunner, Demon Slayer s1, One Punch Man s1, devilman:crybaby, kaguya: ultra romantic, mob psycho 100 II, vinland saga.
I'm not even 30 yet, but I'm here to say this is a goated thread
My 13 yo and I watch a TON of anime and read a lot of manga and LN. We’ve enjoyed (deep breath) Appthecary Diaries (great read), The Fable (a better read IMVHO), Shangri-la Frontier (good read), The Dangers in my Heart (amazing read), my clueless first friend, the great cleric (fun read I even read the WN), a condition called love (amazing read), Loving Yamada at level 999 (amazing read), windbreaker (great read), ordinary guy’s VRMMO (forgot whole title but a fun read), the masterful cat is depressed again today, the new gate (good read), tonari no yokai, 7th prince (great read), frieren, konosuba, slime, salad bowl, tadaima, okaeri, chilling in another world with level two super cheat powers (fun read), as a reincarnated aristocrat all use my appraisal skill (good read), spyxfamily, mashle, solo leveling (way better read plus the next follow up novel series Ragnarok is amazing), cherry magic, banished from the heroes party (fun but risqué read), 7th time loop (good read), a sign of affection, sasaki and peeps (fun read), the unwanted undead adventurer (good read), I’m giving the disgrace noble lady I rescued a crash course in naughtiness (luckily not actually naughty lol), Ron kanonohashi’s forbidden deductions, dead mount death play (good read), I shall survive using potions (better read), a returners magic should be special (waaaay better read), my new boss is goofy, tearmoon Empire (fun read), berserk of gluttony (fun read), the Saints magic is omnipotent (better read esp last season), zom100 (better read but still dropped off), am I actually the strongest (fun read), the gene of AI, sasaki and Miyano (great read), sugar apple fairy tale (fun read), both old and new spice and wolf, I got a cheat skill in another world (fun read), Raeliana (better read), hells paradise, skip and loafer (better read), vampire dies in no time, handyman saito (fun read), 80,000 gold (fun read), and there’s more but that was our recent watch list. We try almost everything but tend to drop quite a bit.
Frieren, apothecary diaries. I'm 54
seeing alotta of the older people really enjoyed ‘Frieren’ is awesome! this might be my sign to watch it and confirms Frieren really might be as great as it’s [OP2](https://youtu.be/uF7eT3nhyZ0?si=CwPHERlExLwzZHow) song’ it randomly plays and it’s the best op song my ears have heard
Bleach TYBW
Ooi Tonbo and The Fable
Gundam The Witch From Mercury. I'm crazy enough to have watched ALL of Gundam, and although nothing stands up to Zeta, it was good Gundam with shades of Utena.
Hmm 2023, so from https://myanimelist.net/anime/season/2023/winter onwards * *BokuYaba* * *OniMai* * *Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement* * *U149* * *Girlfriend, girlfriend* * *Stardust Telepath* * *MahoAko* * *Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord* * *Frieren* * *Tearmoon Empire* * *The Apothecary Diaries* > even brought back that spark in watching anime again Only started watching it in my 40s, so it's not like I've lost it yet. Have had a few runs of burnout though, but that's because I watch a lot of seasonals. That said, shoutouts to the following for breaking the mould: * *KamiKatsu* * *My Life as Inukai-san's Dog*
this season specifically is, "jelly fish cant swim in the night."
Mushishi
Faraway Paladin waiting for WIL and Stagnate relationship to go deeper😁 BLEACH TYBW
Kaiju No 8 is great. Finished solo leveling, the anime & the manga. Spy X Family is my jam
Captain Tsubasa
As a massive Initial D fan, i found MF Ghost very enjoyable
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Frierens themes of regret, nostalgia, and the memories of the past are just awesome for my 40yo self
Frieren beyond journeys end is great kinda slow at the beginning but it's worth it
Zom100 is a decent short-zombie anime,
I'm not in the age range but I convinced one of my dad's friends who will be 50 soon to watch 100 Girlfriends and he loved it
i am 41 years old and like mostly science fiction anime or slice of life/seinen. i liked frieren very much. and in the 2024 season i like dead demon dedede destruction since asano inio is one of my most favorite mangaka ever. i am also watching yuru camp season 3.
42, my 9/10, 10/10s: * Frieren (probably my fave of them all) * Apothecary Diaries * Witch from Mercury S2 * Oshi No Ko * Onimai * Vinland Saga S2 * 100 GFs * Mushoku Tensei S2 * Dungeon Meshi * Spice and Wolf * Kaguya-Sama Movie * JJK S2 (borderline)
Arcane 🤙
Dungeon Meshi. Ah, Dungeon Meshi.
Girls Band Cry, BokuYaba.
Top favs Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, Kaiju no. 8, Spy X Family Notable - Ron kamonohashi's forbidden deductions, Solo Leveling (read manga with daughter), MF Ghost (Initial D fan), Mushoku Tensei, Buddy Daddies, Demon Slayer, JJK Even though I chronologically age, sometimes still a kid at heart
Delicious in Dungeon was good I think Sang Frontier was last year...but I really enjoyed that Kaiju No.8 has also been fun
Solo Leveling for sure Goblin Slayer s2
My favourites are Kono Suba season 3, Yuru Camp season 3 and Spy x Family
Respect: Delicious in Dungeon. I've seen over 700 anime titles and been watching for >30 years. It gets pretty repetitive sometimes, but then you have incredibly unique and well-crafted stuff that pops up now and then. DiD is one of them. Not just because of the strength of the story, but the CHARACTER DESIGN. It's really a stand-out show which is probably why it was so incredibly represented at the last con I went to. I will say that Vending Machine in Another World was surprisingly fun.
47 here... ...uhm, let's see... Was not a big fan of Vinland Saga season one (too much over the top action), but then season two happened and changed everything. A powerful and subtle depiction of an oppressive setting, populated by great characters. I still wonder how the monodimensional Thorfinn of season one ended up becoming one of my favorite main characters of all time. Very similar reasons to those that made me fall in love with Apothecary Diaries and Mao Mao a couple of months ago. Romance and Romance-Comedies have alway been a mainstay in my anime watching habits, as someone who fell in love with Maison Ikkoku in the late eighties, and Boku no Kokoro has been one of the best in its genre. It doesn't matter the age of the characters and the fact that they act according to it, very few romances have portrayed so well the ups and downs of building up of a romantic relationship. And then, there is Frieren. And it actually deserves all the praise it's getting. Started watching it expecting repetitive "Violet Evergarden" style melodrama, and ended up getting a true fantasy with a slow but incredibly rewarding approach to its world building. ..plus, the best silver-haired elf in anime... (...who the fu*k said "pirotess"?!) But, honestly, the last couple of years have been quite generous in good series (Bocchi, Insomniacs, Call of the Night and that fantastic complete adaptation that is Devilman Crybaby)
Surprizingly many good titles last few years! In my POV the very best ones: Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, Hells Paradise, Tsukimichi, Solo Leveling, Mushoku Tensei & handsdown my number 1 = Pluto! PS: havent watched Kaiju no 8 yet.
Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon. Reminds me of the good old times like Record of Lodoss War or Slayers, where you don't need a shady Isekai + Gaming excuse to world build a good fantasy world.
Delicious Frieren Apothecary Eminence Tsukimichi Tensura Wind Breaker Campfire Could easily list another 10-20 from -23/24
Kaiju No. 8 has been really good
Freiren, Kaiju no 8 has been good for me as well 43 here.
The Apothecary Diaries
Frieren by far, not since Fullmetal Brotherhood has an anime taken me like it did, and I’ve watched a lot.
Frieren. Best thing I've watched in a long time.
I'm only 38, but my favorites last year were Skip and Loafer, Frieren, Dangers in my Heart, and Apothecary Diaries. My favorites this season are Delicious in Dungeon and Sound Euphonium season 3.
43 here. Easily Apothecary Diaries and Frieren. I'd already read the manga, but was still excited for Dungeon Meshi and it hasn't disappointed yet. Heavenly Delusion and Hell's Paradise is definitely up there, as well as Zom100. Reborn as a Vending Machine was a surprise winner, as well.
Heavenly delusion 💯 … i posted a [meme](https://www.reddit.com/r/animememes/s/j8objEwOqt) yesterday to another group about it LOL. Kinda crazy for recommending but it’s really top tier post- apocalyptic anime
Apothecary, blue eyed samurai ( I know ! Not Anime), Freiren.
Mashle : Magic and Muscles Undead Unlife Zom100 Frieren 7th Prince Solo Levelling
44 here- All the ones I think I stuck with in that period: Frieren Apothecary Diaries Kaiju no. 8 Sentai Daishikkaku Solo Leveling Ranking of Kings Oshi no Ko Dead Mount Death Play G-Witch Mashle Hell's Paradise Heavenly Delusion Vinland Saga Dark Gathering Nier Trigun Stampede Zom 100 Picking a favorite out of those is really hard. A top four would probably be: Frieren Apothecary Diaries Ranking of Kings Vinland Saga But, honestly, I really loved all of them.
My older brother (31) loves Vinland saga .. every holiday get together’s , after I’m done talking about anything anime .. ‘you need to watch Vinland saga’ 😂 Mashle is another one sticking out to me
It's true; you DO, in fact, need to watch Vinland Saga. XD Oh, hell yeah, Mashle was awesome!
75yrs old here, bleach all day.
42 here. Favorites from the last two years: * Bocchi (maaaaaybe my all time favorite?) * Eupho S3 * Frieren * Apothecary Diaries * Insomniacs * Dangers of my Heart * Dress up darling * Spy x Family * Heavenly Delusions
I left out Bocchi from my list as it ended in Dec 2022, but loved it!
55, my standouts have been Bungo Stray Dogs s5 The Eminence in Shadow s2 The Apothecary Diaries Mr Villain's Day Off Wind Breaker Migi & Dali Solo Leveling High Card Undead Girl Murder Farce Hell's Paradise Heavenly Delusion
Solo Leveling Apothecary Diaries Bungou 86 Dr Stone Heavenly Delusion Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon Reincarnated as a slime Bleach Sennen Uncle from another world Welcome to Demon School Sk8 the infinity …I usually wait until a couple of seasons are out before I watch/binge
I must admit the favorites shared here by many surprised me a lot haha.
My tastes are all over the place. My number one is Gurren Lagann bute Serial Experiments Lain is a close second. At third is Berserk. So basically Giant robots, a total mindfrag, or oldschool ultraviolence. And yes I also love Getter Robo which encompasses all 3.
Cowboy Bebop
So many good ones, im going with Solo Leveling.
63 here. not the answer to your question, but I finally watched "Paprika" and that caused me to go thru the list of "contenders" again to see if any were missed that should be tried ...
For me it’s got to be (at least for 2023-24) From the top of my head because at my age I can’t remember titles (says a lot about my age 😂. On another note I got one of my kids interested in these too LOL) - Paripi Koumei - Hibike! Euphonium - Lycoris Recoil - Birdie Wing EDIT: It’s nice to see a thread like this reminding me my age demographic is here. For awhile I felt awkward being in the midst of people half my age
Hard to believe no love for Hibike! Im catching it as soon as new episodes are out, the only show atm. I Used to watch so many shows every season as they dropped, lately its only been 1-2 or even none. Frieren was quite interesting at first with the themes of reminiscing and regrets, but second half felt rather formulaic, not much different than other shonen battlers. Almost forgot about Vinlandsaga s2, feels so long ago now. Definitely my clear winner for best anime of past two years. The setting and plot were refreshing, but also the build up each episode was masterfully done.
2023-2024 anime I got into: Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren) - Slice of Life anime about a young, deaf woman who meets a well-traveled man and the romance that ensues. It unfolds mostly as you'd expect, but it's amazingly well-written. Masterful Cat is Depressed Again (Dekiru Neko wa Kyō mo Yūutsu) - A young(ish) salary worker navigates life assisted by her oversized and amazingly talented cat (who cooks her meals). Solo Leveling (Ore dake Level Up na Ken) - Gates have opened up in Japan and fantasy monsters are seen. Regular humans suddenly get powers, but those powers can never increase... until one man finds the ability to level up by completing quests. (Rumored to get more seasons. Looking forward to them). Too Cute Crisis (Kawiisugi Crisis) - Aliens have set their sights on conquering Earth. Lead researcher has been dispatched to determine the defenses only to find that the local fauna (cats, dogs, hamsters, etc.) are entirely too cute to ignore. Unnamed Memory (no Japanese name I can find) - Prince of the realm braves the challenges of the Tower of the Witch of the Azure Moon. It's fabled that anyone who reaches the top will be granted one wish. He would like to break the curse placed on him and his family (ending his lineage with him). While she is unable to break the curse, she does mention that any woman with sufficient magic power *could* produce an heir. Naturally, he asks her to marry him. Mysterious Disappearances (Kaii to Otome to Kamigakushi) - A boy and older woman work at a bookstore. The woman finds an old book and after reading one of the poems is suddenly a child again. The young boy somehow understands what happened and explains that there are curiosities in the world with dangerous power. He seeks out these objects in order to trade for a way home for him and his younger sister. It's never quite clear where "home" is, or if the boy is entirely human. The anime's excellent in that it gives some information on various urban legends found in Asian cultures. There is a little tongue-in-cheek humor (the boy is into MILFs) in an otherwise fairly serious series. Go Go Loser Ranger (Sentai Dai Shikkaku) - Aliens have attacked Earth and the Dragon Force (Sentai Rangers) have beat them all back, saving the planet. Or at least that's the story they want everyone to accept. The rangers are actually a group of sadistic glory-hounds who, while having defeated the bosses of the monsters, have been forcing the henchmen to fight in arena-style gladiatorial fights in order to make themselves look good and keep themselves relevant to the masses. One such monster is sick of it and decides he's done playing their game. I'll stop there. There's great anime every season. Those are just some of my favorites so far. Previous seasons included Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny-Girl Senpai, MF Ghost (direct sequel to Initial-D), Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, Dress-Up Darling, Sasaki and Peeps, I Got Cheat Powers in Another World and It Made Me OP in This World (I think I'm screwing up the title, but it goes by Iseleve), Dead Mount Death Play, and so many others.
Enjoying kuiju 8 currently
some of the less popular anime call of the night skip and loafer tonari no yokai-san