For me, 2024 had a lot of solid anime that I enjoyed watching but not many that I had strong feelings about. As a result, compiling a list of memorable moments was a bit harder than usual. Like theses lists are usually hard because I have too many choices, this year not so much. Nevertheless, there were some cool things that happened and we’re going to talk about them. Let me know your favorite moments, and we’ll see you in 2025.

The Dragon of Osaka

Yakuza Fiance Episode 1

I’m still having trouble trying to understand what this show is, but it became slightly more clear during the climax of episode 1. Main girl Yoshino seemed like a “normal” anime protagonist until she walks into class with a bag of cash, claiming to have sold her kidney. Suddenly we realize she has some kind of latent Yakuza energy that makes her, and the whole series, a lot more interesting.

Real Super Robot

Brave Bang Bravern Episode 1

It’s crazy that three of our favorite shows this year were not even officially streaming at the start of their respective seasons (Girls Band Cry, this, and Thunderbolt Fantasy season 4). The lack of hype for a show like Brave Bang Bravern only sets up for a big surprise though, and this first episode sure caught us off guard. The twist of having a Super Robot crash a Real Robot show is fun, but it really hits the moment the main character Isami realize’s Bravern’s theme music is actually playing, in universe. That type of silliness held up through most of the series, making Bravern really fun to watch.

Hot Single Moms are in Your Area

365 Days to the Wedding Episode 8

For a series with a generic office romcom premise, 365 Days to the Wedding can be surprisingly insightful in exploring different types of relationships. In this example, a desperately single co-worker goes on a date with a single mom and realizes he’s not emotionally ready for marriage and children. There’s no happy, cliche romcom ending where they work things out, just a hard life lesson. That’s just how real life goes sometimes.

This is Why You Watch 3 Episodes

Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Episode 3

Without question, I would have dropped Orb if not for the stunning twist in episode 3. I don’t want to spoil details, I’ll just say it showed me this series was much more ambitious than I first thought. I don’t think it lived up to that ambition moving forward, but this moment really caught my attention.

How Deep is Your Sadness?

Mayonaka Punch Episode 4

Mayonaka Punch starts out as lovable dirtbag comedy which I love, but I was really excited after watching episode 4. Fu’s Showa-era flashback is a bittersweet side story and the best episode of the series, but it also opened up the possibility to see the other immortal vampires in different time periods and explore different moods for the show. Unfortunately they never tap into this idea again (I wanted to see an episode with Tokage and her yakuza boyfriend, dammit!), and I think they really should have.

Nina Goes Home

Girls Band Cry Episode 10

Evil anime parent redemption stories have existed since the beginning of time, so it’s refreshing when we get one that handles it with some nuance. Nina’s trip back home strikes a balance between helping us understand why her father did the things that drove her away while also still acknowledging he was wrong. In the end, their relationship is not entirely “fixed” but at least Nina leaves knowing her parents love her. If you’ve ever had a complicated relationship with a family member then you can probably relate, and that relatability is one of the many things that makes Girls Band Cry so good.

Could This Be Some Kind of Demonic Artifact Made with Heretical Sorcery?

Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 4 Episode 4

An old man in a wuxia puppet show pulls out a literal modern day M134 minigun which is countered by another old man with a mech. I don’t think it’s possible to make better entertainment than this.