5th Annual GBAD AOTY Results: We're So Excited To See You!!!!!!!

Remember, even the best anime is still anime; anime is still terrible.

--@bigjeffrey (R.I.P.)

Duders and Dudettes of Giant Bomb, welcome one and all to this relatively minimalist presentation of the 5^th annual Giant Bomb Anime Discussion vote for 2016 Anime of the Year! This was the year of the exclamation point! Multiple exclamation points!! One of the shows on this list even had eight of them!!!!!!!! Another had three!!! We’re really excited to see the results, so let’s get down to it!

[Note to all past and present English teachers: I am so sorry, please don’t break my writing hand. One of these days I'll write an actual blog post that isn't about this kind of poll.]

This time around 67 of you voted, plus 2 tossed-out troll votes, bringing us to a very nice total. Congratulations to those of you who voted, and hello to the lurkers out there who didn’t vote but are looking forward to the Top 10 list for recommendations on what to watch.

As before, votes were weighed depending on their placement on each ballot: first place gets 5, second place gets 4, third place gets 3, fourth place gets 2, and fifth place gets 1. If there are any ties among the weighted vote, the entry with the most unweighted votes wins. If there are still ties after that, then the tied choices share the ranking. Though titles and quote excerpts might have been edited for clarity, the votes for each show remain unchanged.

10) Haikyu!! (Season 3)

A kid scrapes together a sports team from otherwise reluctant students at their school. Though they face some troubles early on, they get it together and fight all the way to the championship. It is a classic sports story, but done with a boys’ volleyball team, and done very well.

9) KonoSuba (a.k.a. “Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo”)

After a nerd from our world dies trying to save a girl from a truck, he finds himself in another fantasy world, where suddenly the knowledge that was useless to him now makes him the greatest hero in his new life!

Actually, KonoSuba is more like the story of an irredeemable shithead, stuck in an adventuring party with three girls who drive him (and everyone else) insane, as they try to earn enough money to live a carefree lifestyle and incidentally end up having to fight the Demon King and his minions along the way. Surprisingly funny show that has caught on fire over here, to the point where the light novel and manga adaptations are making their way stateside.

Rather than presenting a dark, horror filled world in peril, that is in dire need of shining protagonists to save them, Konosuba presents a relatively peaceful world with a party of completely terrible (personality and in terms of adventuring ability) adventurers. --@hunter456285

8) Keijo!!!!!!

On one hand, it’s a great sports show featuring teamwork, determination, and fighting against incredible odds stacked against oneself to rise above the challenge and take home the trophy. On the other hand, this story takes place in an alternate universe where butt-sumo is serious business and humans can twist their bodies into MC Escher-esque shapes to knock out their competition. The ultimate distillation of shounen battle tropes packed into the butts of various types of anime girls.

After reading that summary, you should be able to guess whether or not you will like this show.

Keijo!!!!!!!! is the most fun I've had watching anime in a long time. --@slay3r1583

7) Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

This one’s a bit difficult to explain, as Rakugo is a very Japanese style of comedic storytelling. Also, very few people seem to remember a different anime featuring rakugo performers as cute girls. However, in the sense that it provides a window into realistic adults dealing with each other as the main character seeks redemption both in his life and in his apprenticeship to a master of rakugo storytelling, it is a great show for those who prefer a slower-paced story.

A dense series featuring a uniquely Japanese sensibility to storytelling, unfortunately it's not something that's going to click with everyone. Subtle and detailed, those who enjoy reading between the lines will no doubt find this period piece worth the investment. --@zomgfruitbunnies

I had 0 expectations from this show and was immediately hooked on the first episode. It takes an insanely good voice actor to pull [off] a Rakugo performance in an animated medium. Hell, I didn't even know what Rakugo was before watching this show and now I really want to learn more about it. Watch this if you have any passing interest in the craft of voice acting. --@peregrin38

6) My Hero Academia

With more Western comic influences, My Hero Academia is the story of a boy who joins Professor Xavier’s Academy for Gifted…er, U.A. High School to train and battle with others who have special Quirks that can be harnessed for good, or evil. Despite being a powerless person at the start, the main hero slowly works his way up the ranks with help from an old mentor who gifts him the power of friendship. I’m only half-joking about that.

Oh hey will you look at that! You can make a light-hearted hero anime where the protagonist isn't as exciting as a cardboard box. --@zombiepie

My Hero Academia however builds a character that the viewer can become emotionally invested in, a boy who genuinely has a dream that is out of his reach due to factors out of his control. It is this slow journey, where he has to EARN (not handed, thus giving huge payoff) his power and acceptance by other heroes and the consistency between his personality and his actions that I found enthralling. --@hunter456285

HALFTIME!

To break from the Top 10 list for a moment, let's take a moment to honor Makiko Futaki. A longtime animator at Studio Ghibli, Futaki collaborated with Miyazaki on several films. Her last work before passing away in May 2016 was When Marnie Was There.

It's a good reminder that, as awesome and prolific as studio heads might be, they are nothing without the staff of hard-working animators behind them.

Back to the show, let's wrap it up with the Top 5.

5) ERASED (a.k.a. “Boku Dake ga Inai Machi”)

The story of a struggling manga artist who can shift back in time to help prevent disaster before it strikes must prevent the biggest disaster of his life: elementary school! Also, a serial killer who killed three of his classmates, and his own mother years later. Though this show got a bit of flak for having everything tie together a little too neatly by the end, it was still an interesting drama throughout. The show also featured a few actors more skilled in live-action roles than traditional anime voice-over roles, but they still gave very good performances for their respective characters in the anime.

4) Yuri!!! On Ice

A sports drama and romance story centered around figure skating, featuring a shy Japanese boy and his Russian rival/mentor who like each other very much as they aim for the top. The animation leaves a bit to be desired (especially in the later half of the show), but Yuri!!! on Ice has won the hearts of both anime fans and figure skaters alike, including actual US champion figure skater Johnny Weir:

3) Re:Zero

The Yang to the Yin of KonoSuba in this Top 10 list. Re:Zero is another story of a boy from our world who is tossed into a fantasy world and has to survive, but focuses on the idea of respawning after death in such a game world. Think of how terrifying/depressing it actually might be to go through that experience over, and over, and over, like in the manga “All You Need Is Kill” (or the movie “Edge of Tomorrow” if you want to see a Westernized version of the story with a happier ending).

Even so, much like other protagonists of this type of setting, our hero uses the knowledge gained from each time loop to do a bit of save-scumming, until he can earn some steadfast allies and search for a way back to his own world.

Re: Zero is a modern day classic. It will be talked about for years to come and I am glad I got to watch it while it was airing. --@daveyo520

2) JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable

Once again, the JoJo Bros push their franchise within striking distance of the podium, but not quite #1 yet.

The fourth story arc of the long-running JoJo series, and the one that supposedly provided a big influence for the plot of Persona 4. This one stars the third JoJo trying to hunt down both his younger half-uncle and a serial killer in a town half-full of people with their own Stand powers and a mythical bow-and-arrow that can supposedly create more. Unlike previous series, most of these Stand users are not looking for a fight and just want to live their live free of annoyances, but the musical references of the 80s and early 90s just continue to pile up, as do the dead bodies.

Jojo the only anime where time travelling David Bowie can be a bad thing --@kanpeki

#1 in my heart: Flip Flappers

The dazzle, the spectacle, the sheer amount of painstaking work that this show must have taken to have such colorful animation. It’s the story of two very best friends who end up travelling to different wonderous dreamworlds called “Pure Illusion,” with references from Miyazaki to Mad Max, in search of wish-granting crystals. Sure, the overarching story might be a little thin, but the rest of the show is so great that…

…wait, Flip Flappers just missed the Top 10? This is a travesty! It’s the Russian hackers! They’re everywhere somehow!

Okay, fine, we’ll finish with the real winner of the voting.

Presenting the official unofficial GBAD 2016 Anime of the Year

1) Mob Psycho 100

From the same mind that brought you last year’s winner One-Punch Man comes the new champion: an action-packed comedy featuring a very plain-looking boy who has an incredible hidden power. Enter Mob, so named because he is drawn like a background (“Mob”) character at first glance. Where OPM’s Saitama was able to punch his problems away while trying to be respected as a hero, Mob psychics his problems away while trying to be seen as a good, popular person.

Sure, he might quietly be one of the most powerful people on the planet, but Mob keeps trying to better himself every day without using his powers. Strangely enough, Mob is kept on the straight-and-narrow by a very crooked individual: fake exorcist for hire Arataka Reigen. Though his skills may be more suited for being a chiropractor, Arataka constantly teaches Mob to only use his powers for good, and never on other humans, though Arataka himself has no problems swindling them.

Of course, in contrast to OPM, the artwork is a bit simpler, to keep it more in line with that of the original webcomic. That doesn’t mean there aren’t epic battles or dramatic scenes to be found in this show, but the animation has a little more “budget” feel to it. However, that’s just a minor qualm in an otherwise fantastic show.

In sum, Mob Psycho 100 is your winner for 2016’s Best Anime of the Year, and well worth your time while you wait for the next season of One Punch Man to premiere.

One Punch Man but actually consequential […] Mob Psycho 100 has the same brand of humor, but also some heartfelt looks at feelings of inferiority and the importance of healthy emotional support. It has all of the silly potential that OPM did, but it takes it to a much more vulnerable place - and one that transcends the shounen tropes of "I want to be stronger." --@peregrin38

Mixing a distinct visual style with sharp, fluid animation, Mob Psycho is a feast for the eyes. One can knock it for the uninspired story or shallow characterization, but there's no denying this series is one hell of a fun trip. --@zomgfruitbunnies

Thank you all for making it to the end of this post! The raw vote totals are posted below, and the extra question responses will be addressed soon. Please pick up your chairs, toss any extra exclamation points in the marked bins on your way out, and feel free to leave a message in the comments about how perfect I am or why your show should have won.

I agree, Flip Flappers was better than Mob. Though Mob Psycho 100 was better than One Punch Man.

I am glad Re:Zero at least made the top 3. I loved it so much.

Glad to see that Mob won. If nothing else it certainly had the best opening/opening song.

Good to see that 1 other person voted Gundam Thunderbolt with me and I'm happy to see that at least Haikyuu and Rakugo made the top 10.

Also, shoutout to the person that voted for Tonkatsu DJ Agetarou.

Dude, I was the other person that voted for Gundam Thunderbolt! That was a rad mini-series and one of the highlights of the whole Gundam franchise, at least from me it was.

Clearly, I was the only one who voted for Snow White. This series not making it into the top ten is a goddamned travesty, I tell you!

As always, thanks to @dochaus for putting this up.

LULUCO WAS ROBBED

Cool results overall, from my top 5 Re:Zero, JoJo, and Konosuba made the top 10. Konosuba half surprised me because while I really had liked the beginning of the web novel I'd gotten bored with it a few dozen chapters in. Yet the anime managed to keep me thoroughly entertained throughout. It is also nice to have a parody of the hundreds of "another world" stories that have been coming out the past couple years. Re:Zero is both quite special on its own merits, but also where Konosuba parodies the "another world" setting, Re:Zero says "I'm going to take that tired setting and remake it from the ground up with something so awesome and different that it is almost unrecognizeable for something in that setting." JoJo is a show I experienced in total in 2016; took me a couple tries to get into it but by the time I got into the second arc I was hooked. It has a really awesome oldschool feel that really stands out these days.

Technically by the time I'd submitted my list I hadn't watched any of 2016's Monogatari offerings but since then I've seen the two Kizumonogatari movies that came out last year. They have kind of a different style than the previous Monogatari offerings; you can tell that Shaft really outdid themselves here and finally we know the events of what transpired before the rest of the series happened (Monogatari is told in a non-chronological order).

I kind of wish that instead of putting Arslan Senki on my list I'd put The Art Club Has a Problem! since really Arslan's second season was kind of underwhelming, and Kono Bijutsu-bu was a fun relaxing ride. But fortunately someone else came through and at least it showed up on some results :)

Still I was somewhat surprised that only 3 of my top 5 were in the top 10 here; obviously we all have our own tastes but I probably should try and work harder at getting over my distaste for sports shows (though I've mostly gotten through Suzuka atm). I should at least give Mob Psycho a shot; it wasn't really on my radar since I'd bounced off Onepunch-man, but well worth a shot.

On another note, what I've realised is that 2016 was a year that a lot of shows I've liked based on novels have had said novels actually start getting official western releases, which is exciting. Light novels are a fun dumb Japanese twist on the fun dumb YA thing - well most of them anyway (Vampire Hunter D and Monogatari would beg to differ), but I've sought out the source material in a way I hadn't in a couple years. I've read the first couple novels in Re:Zero now, which are pretty great. Kizumonogatari and Bakemonogatari: Part 1 are also pretty great, surprisingly since people thought they couldn't get translations that would do them justice. Konosuba's web novel is something I tried quite a while ago and while it underwhelmed me, maybe when the light novel version comes out soon I'll be more into it. Manga was always a weird thing for me because I read them too fast and don't appreciate the drawings enough, but novels take me a bit more time to sink my teeth into.

I'll make an exception for JoJo though, I'm highly considering ordering those awesome hardcover volumes as they come out, and eventually pick up where I left off in the part 3 scanlation. Weird I thought I was done with physical copies of stuff but there's always something fun about opening up an actual book.

Good job community, we got it right this year.

The anime adaptation of my favorite JoJo part, Yuri AND MOB PSYCHO MO FUCKING 100 - What a YEAR!!

I need to watch more anime. These lists help make me think about which animes I should watch, if I watched more anime. I shall add Flip Flappers to my mental list of animes I should watch.

Thanks for taking your time! I'm happy most of the shows in my top 5 made it onto the list, I think the only one that's not up there is Lupin III. That show is in such a weird position, with its odd release dates. Positively surprised Keijo!!!!!!!! is up there, that show made me grin and laugh every episode with its butt versions of shonen special moves. For runners up, last year had a lot of shows that I thought were flawed, but still awesome in their own right. Kabaneri encapsulates that more than any other for me. It was so cool during the action scenes, but the interpersonal drama was kinda contrived and the last arc is an awfully frustrating watch. I'd still watch the previous episodes again any time.

I'm not a big fan of My Hero Academia, but this is the scene that makes me okay with it being on the list. I would link a Japanese VO with English subs, but those all get taken down. There's always this though.

Last year didn't have a huge mainstream hit like One Punch-Man. Erased is the one that got my non-anime watching friends to check it out, but they weren't ecstatic about it by the end. I'm happy Mob Psycho 100 still took the top spot. It's great, and while the concept isn't as marketable, I think the story is a lot better than OPM. I was expecting Re: Zero from the comments in the anime thread and Yuri!!! On Ice for shows I've heard most other anime-watching friends(all female, shipping tumblr nerds) talk about. This list makes the current season seem even better, since two of last year's top shows(KonoSuba and Rakugo) currently have their second season airing.

PS. Eight exclamation points for Keijo!!!!!!!! and the fourth Jojo for part four of Jojo.

I was taking a closer look at the list and I just realized I was the only person that voted for Lupin III Part 4. I understand that it is technically a 2015 show but it came out officially in English this year on Crunchyroll so I was hoping more people would have voted for it. The show was definitely in my personal top 5 this year.

Thunderbolt Fantasy also deserved more love... :(

I thought I did too, but I guess I could have changed my mind and forgot. My top five now would be Lupin, Kejio, Mob, Konosuba and Jojo.

@redhotchilimist: @lentfilms: re-checking the raw results, there was one vote for Lupin, and another who included it as an honorable mention but apparently decided not to put it on their ballot. Admittedly, that situation was kind of weird as it aired in 2015 but didn't get licensed stateside until a year later, but I didn't get asked about it so it slipped my mind. Mea culpa.

Also, I'll try editing the info as provided to me recently to reflect that there are eight exclamation points in Keijo!!!!!!!! and not six as I was led to believe, and that the third JoJo is not exactly looking for his half-brother.

I'm pleasantly surprised that all five of my picks cracked the top ten. Maybe I'm more mainstream than I care to admit. I just like watching cool stuff that makes me happy. If that makes me a jerk then so be it. Those top two definitely feel like the right two above all else. I feel like I've been pushing for Haikyuu! for the past couple years in the thread so I'm glad to see at least a few more people watching it and seeing how terrific it is. Although season 3 is what is listed some the season 2 episodes that aired last year were phenomenal. I'm still amazed that the one romcom I ended up liking last year was Yuri!!! On Ice. I think that just barely edged out Keijo!!!!!!!! on my list so some exclamation point algebra might be in order. Never thought I'd see the day where I chose gayness over dat ass.

I'm baffled by the popularity of Re: Zero because it just didn't click with me. I don't like this mishmashed approach to high fantasy where it just takes a bunch archetypal moe girls from dating sims and gives nearly all of them magic or abilities that might as well be magic. And arbitrarily adding gratuitous violence is suppose to make these awful character designs okay? Just no. I realize I'm in the minority there so whatever. I actually liked what I saw of the first few episodes of ERASED but I decided I wanted something a bit lighter in tone at the time. I intend to finish it but I'm just not in the head space for it at the moment.

The only thing I didn't watch at all in the top ten is that Rakugo show. Sounds good so I'll have to keep that one in mind. I have zero desire to watch Flip Flappers, sorry. Other than that nice job on the write up @dochaus.

I know it's kinda, sorta, mostly not an Anime, but holy shit Thunderbolt Fantasy was so cool.

Someone already said it, but its the 4th Jojo this time around, not the 3rd. And hang on....

This one stars the third JoJo trying to hunt down both his half-brother and a serial killer

Did I miss something? Josuke's half brother? What? Is this mistakenly referring to Jotaro? who 1.) is his Uncle Nephew, and 2.) he isn't hunting him down, they are allies.

Is this something from Part 8? I'm still reading Steel Ball Run, I only know Part 8 also stars a "Josuke Higashikata" so maybe there was a mixup here? Or I could've just missed this, and i'm an idiot. I'll accept that.

Oh, and I too loved Flip Flappers. (And Sakamoto!) (Danganronpa V3 was alright too! Kind of a Cop-out at the end there with Kyoko, but I still liked it alot!)

I wish I had voted! I'll try and remember next year!

I'm still not sure where the best place to (legally, of course) watch My Hero Academia. It's not on Crunchy Roll, right?

idk how you came to that conclusion at all, Mob Psycho had the best animation of 2016 alongside like Hibike and Luluco. If you're valuing line density over the portrayal of motion you're looking at animation wrong.

Funimation

@vikingdeath1: The OP is aware of the mistake I believe. Josuke is Joseph's son and Holly's half-brother therefore he's Jotaro's half-uncle? So then Josuke's mom Tomoko is Jotaro's step-grandmother I guess.

Yay, gonna bookmark and catch up. Cheers guys!

FLIP FLAPPERS SHOULD BE #1

Can't really argue with this list, though I didn't watch anything below #6. The way people have been talking about Konosuba have made me add it to my queue though, once I catch up with Tiger Mask W (WHICH IS GREAT).

@dochaus I think this is the second year your "#1 in my heart" show was one of my personal favorites (last year's was Ninja Slayer I think?), so props for that. Flip Flappers was so, so good and no one else I talk to about anime watched it/would watch it and it really bummed me out.

The further I get from having watched Re:Zero the less I think of it. I also blame that a bit on reading the first two novels which, much like the Log Horizon novels, do this thing of constantly reminding you of how attractive every female around the main character is and it's pretty grating (especially when phrases like "They'd be more attractive if they smiled more" get used more than once). Also something about Subaru's dialogue in particular seems insane in written form, whereas it didn't bother me in the anime.

I wish I liked My Hero Academia as much as other people did. Going by the comments in the list I guess it breaks down to me just not liking the protagonist very much. Going into knowing that he got powers made the first 4/5 episodes feel like kind of a slog and I dunno, the constant mention of him having "worked" for his powers and "earning" them isn't really something I wholly agree with either. I generally preferred One-Punch Man's take on Western superheroes.

I feel the need to give a special shout-out to my personal number one show, Assassination Classroom. The second season of this show nailed everything it when for top to bottom and it bums me out that it seems like no one watched it. I feel like what a lot of people got out of MHA I got out of this, with Nagisa being one of my favorite shonen protagonists in a long time, and Koro-sensei also being a top character for me this year. The way it works are bunch of real, heartfelt lessons through "assassination training" is amazing and it may have been my most emotionally effecting show in the year. If you didn't watch it, or dropped it at some point, I implore you to try it/give it another chance.

Thunderbolt Fantasy was also the best action this year, anime or otherwise.

Also, this seems like it was actually a pretty good year (or at least Winter season) for gay representation in anime? Given the very spotty track record of it, having Yuri!!! on Ice, Flip Flappers, and even Sound! Euphonium (which actually paid off it's seemingly half-assed non-relationship thing VERY well) was pretty cool.

Happy to see Konosuba make top 10. It's my surprise enjoyment of the year.

Thanks for organizing all this, and for the great write-up. That said, were there really no votes for WWW.WORKING!!? That's a shame :(

The end credits song is 100x better. Fight me.

I didn't have a chance to watch Mob Psycho before the voting (otherwise I probably would have put it as my number 2), but it was a fantastic ride and a good choice for the winner.

(Not the right choice, obviously, as Re:Zero blew everything out of the water, but a good choice.)

DAYS was by far my favorite anime from this past year, probably because I played soccer in high school and I have a deep love for Kuroko's Basketball. The only show I would remember to watch each new episode when it came out. So dumb, yet so good.

ERASED was also one I really liked and the only one I was able to get other people into. I still don't understand why some people hate the ending so much.

Re:Zero was good as well, but I felt like the second half dragged on because Subaru's an idiot.

I didn't end up getting around to most of the stuff this past year, but maybe I'll get back to some of them soon since there seems to be only 2 or 3 shows I'm actually interested in this season.

So glad (but not too surprised) to see Mob take number one, along with My Hero Academia, and Re: Zero being on here. They were my favorite three aside from the one that I was pleasantly surprised to see on here.

Shouwa Genroku is a great, gripping story that wouldn't normally be done in anime, since it doesn't need the fantastical visuals that come with the medium so often. It isn't even the type of story that I would normally try watching but I'm really glad that I did, and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who might have missed it. Here's hoping for a second season.

Also Flip-Flappers has been on my "to watch" list since it started airing, and I really need to fix that.

Looks like I get to say "I told you so" to myself.

Flashback to 27 days ago:

@bonsai said:

Wait, you do know that the second season just started airing this season, right? GET ON THAT SHIT, DUDER!

Late to the game. I was following your Twitter, DocHaus, but I guess I didn't do a good job plus I had to extend the voting period back in Anime Vice. Been so busy trying to get votes assertively. 67 voters in Giant Bomb - that's pretty great. I wish I can get at least 40 folks back in AV to vote.

I haven't been in Giant Bomb lately so I don't know the general anime demographics. I do know Giant Bomb doesn't have a battle forum like Anime Vice so that means Shonen and Seinen shows with lots of action and power levels aren't as favored highly in Giant Bomb. And for some reason, we have a high intake of ecchi fans in Anime Vice. I'm not too sure about Giant Bomb's sex drive for ecchi shows. It seems both communities have a huge drive for ecchi considering KonoSuba and Keijo made it in the top 10.

Surprised Flip Flappers was #1. I thought My Hero Academia, Mob Psycho 100, or ERASED will be #1 in Giant Bomb going by general hype in various anime news outlets and social media excluding Yuri on Ice which is popular on social media but most sites I seen except Crunchyroll (I think. Correct me if I'm wrong) don't put Yuri on Ice as #1.

I do admired your blog as you have a fun, comedic writing. It's an entertaining read. I possess no talent for humor. I don't even try it.

@aegon: I'm still regretting not putting Kono Bijutsu-bu on my list, since then I've thought about how the season of Arslan Senki that came out this year wasn't nearly as good as the first one.

@takashichea: Mob Psycho 100 was #1, Flip Flappers was #1 in @dochaus's heart.

Welp didn't get to vote but glad Haikyuu made it on here since that's the only one that I was able to watch on the list. Barely been able to keep up on shows but at least I've got stuff I can look forward to...to be added to all the other shows that I'm looking forward to (like Mushishi... ;_;).

@belegorm:

Oh I misread his blog. Thanks for correcting me.