Fall 2012 #Anime – My Favourites
Anime: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Episodes: 25
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Shounen
Awhh, yeah! Today, we’re starting off on a good note. We have the first season of Magi. The Labyrinth of Magic. I’ve watched this multiple times and each time I’ve enjoyed the Anime more and more. To me, it had that rewatch factor and was definitely one of the highlights of 2012, which was a POWER year for Anime. 2012 was also the year where I thought Anime was at it’s best, at it’s peak. There were so many good Anime being aired throughout that year, and Magi was one of them for sure.
Dispersed around the world, there are several bizarre labyrinths hiding incredible treasures within them. These mysterious places, known as “Dungeons,” are said to be the work of Magi, a class of rare magicians, who also help people build their empires by guiding them to a dungeon. Djinns, supernatural beings that rule over the labyrinths, grant successful conquerors access to their immense power and choose them as potential king candidates to rule the world.
Written by MAL Rewrite of MyAnimeList.Net
Having spent life in isolation, Aladdin, a kind and young magician, is eager to explore the world upon finally leaving his home behind. He begins his journey only accompanied by his mentor Ugo—a djinn that Aladdin can summon with his flute. However, Aladdin soon becomes friends with the courageous Alibaba Saluja after causing the destruction of a local merchant’s supply cart. In order to pay for the damages, Alibaba suggests that they attempt to conquer the nearest dungeon, taking the first step in an epic adventure that will decide the fate of the world itself.
Anime: Psycho-Pass
Episodes: 22
Genre: Action, Police, Psychological, Sci-Fi
Like a few of the other Anime on this list, Psycho-Pass is on the longer side with 22 episodes to its name. It was so good, that it was even granted a second season, which I also watched. What I loved about this Anime was the art style, the action scenes and the psychological aspect of the Anime. All combined into one great and fantastic Anime in Psycho-Pass.
Justice, and the enforcement of it, has changed. In the 22nd century, Japan enforces the Sibyl System, an objective means of determining the threat level of each citizen by examining their mental state for signs of criminal intent, known as their Psycho-Pass. Inspectors uphold the law by subjugating, often with lethal force, anyone harboring the slightest ill-will; alongside them are Enforcers, jaded Inspectors that have become latent criminals, granted relative freedom in exchange for carrying out the Inspectors’ dirty work.
Written by MAL Rewrite of MyAnimeList.Net
Into this world steps Akane Tsunemori, a young woman with an honest desire to uphold justice. However, as she works alongside veteran Enforcer Shinya Kougami, she soon learns that the Sibyl System’s judgments are not as perfect as her fellow Inspectors assume. With everything she has known turned on its head, Akane wrestles with the question of what justice truly is, and whether it can be upheld through the use of a system that may already be corrupt.
Anime: Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
Episodes: 12
Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Drama, Romance, School
Chuunibyou has always been just that one Anime where you were like “what’s going on? Why are they acting like this”, or “What actually is happening here?” but loved it all at the same time. The randomness to this Anime somehow leads to a little story is one of the strong points of Chuunibyou. To me, it’s an Anime where you’re meant to have fun watching, something this Anime does well at.
Everybody has had that stage in their life where they have thought themselves to be special, different from the masses of ordinary humans. They might go as far as seeing themselves capable of wielding mystical powers, or maybe even believe themselves to have descended from a fantasy realm. This “disease” is known as “chuunibyou” and is often the source of some of the most embarrassing moments of a person’s life.
Written by MAL Rewrite of MyAnimeList.Net
For Yuuta Togashi, the scars that his chuunibyou has left behind are still fresh. Having posed as the “Dark Flame Master” during his middle school years, he looks back at those times with extreme embarrassment, so much so that he decides to attend a high school far away where nobody will recognize him. Putting his dark history behind him, he longs to live a normal high school life.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t escaped his past yet: enter Rikka Takanashi, Yuuta’s new classmate and self-declared vessel of the “Wicked Eye.” As this eccentric young girl crashes into Yuuta’s life, his dream of an ordinary, chuunibyou-free life quickly crumbles away. In this hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy who just wants to leave his embarrassing memories behind, the delusions of old are far from a thing of the past.
Anime: Shinsekai yori
Episodes: 25
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural, Drama
Like Psycho-Pass, Shinsekai yori, I thought was one of the best Anime to air during 2012. It leans on the mystery, horror, and drama aspects so well it’s almost masterful. When I watched this Anime, I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what happened next, and was always looking forward to the next episode. Although this Anime was a long series by today’s standards, all shows pretty much in that 12 – 13 episode range. This Anime does well at using it’s series length to its advantage. It was able to develop more of a story, and was able to provide a lot more detail something you don’t typically get now in 12 episodes.
Following a sudden outbreak of psychokinesis in 0.1% of the population, a rapid transformation swept the world. The godlike ability to manipulate matter remotely turned many power wielders to violence, inciting a long period of upheaval. Finally, after a chaotic era shaped by the rise and fall of oppressive regimes, the psychic humans were able to achieve a fragile peace by isolating their society, creating a new world bound by complex rules.
Written by MAL Rewrite of MyAnimeList.Net
In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children.
Shinsekai yori tells the unique coming-of-age story of Saki and her friends as they journey to grow into their roles in the supposed utopia. Accepting these roles, however, might not come easy when faced with the dark and shocking truths of society, and the impending havoc born from the new world.
Anime: Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Episodes: 24
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Slice of Life
A lot of people, when I first saw this Anime, told me that it was the successor to Toradora! which aired in 2008. Now I’ve seen both, and they’re both extremely well done for what they try to accomplish story-wise, which is to have their two main characters who have no connections at the start, slowly begin to understand each other, and eventually come to the point where they have a deep affection towards one another. However, for the purposes of this list, I liked Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo a lot more because I thought it’s development of its characters over the 24 episodes was extremely well done and well paced too. It’s a textbook romance Anime and I’m always a sucker for romance.
When abandoned kittens and his good conscience force second year Sorata Kanda to move into Suimei High School’s infamous Sakura Hall, the satellite dorm and its eccentric, misfit residents turn his life upside down. The decidedly average Sorata finds it difficult to fit in with the bizarre collection of dorm residents like Misaki, an energetic animator; Jin, a playwright playboy; Ryuunosuke, a reclusive programmer; and Chihiro, the dorm manager, art teacher, and party girl.
Written by MAL Rewrite of MyAnimeList.Net
Sorata’s friend Nanami, a second year student and aspiring voice actress, pushes him to find new owners for the many cats so that he can quickly move back into the regular dorms. However, his desire to escape Sakura Hall wavers when the pet-like and infantile second year Mashiro Shiina, a world-class artistic savant looking to become a mangaka, transfers in during the spring trimester and quickly latches onto him.
Supported by each other’s quirks, Sorata and Mashiro come out of their shells and trigger change in the lives of those around them. Based on the light novel series of the same name, Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo explores the fine threads connecting talent, hard work, romance, and friendship with its ensemble cast.
Anime: Bakuman. 3rd Season
Episodes: 25
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Shounen
Last but certainly not least, we have the last season of Bakuman. To me personally, having watched all the seasons, I thought that the third and final season was a fitting end to what was a great Anime. I don’t think that there will be an Anime as good as Bakuman, when it comes to Anime about the hardships and the struggles of making a Manga that everyone will like. What Bakuman was able to accomplish over it’s three seasons I believe is unmatched and will be that way for a long time. Story development, character development, the art all continuously grew and got better as the Anime went on, all of which, was something that made this Anime great.
Onto their third serialization, manga duo Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi—also known by their pen name, Muto Ashirogi—are ever closer to their dream of an anime adaption. However, the real challenge is only just beginning: if they are unable to compete with the artist Eiji Niizuma in the rankings within the span of six months, they will be cancelled. To top it off, numerous rivals are close behind and declaring war. They don’t even have enough time to spare thinking about an anime!
Written by MAL Rewrite of MyAnimeList.Net
In Bakuman. 3rd Season, Muto Ashirogi must find a way to stay atop the colossal mountain known as the Shounen Jack rankings. With new problems and new assistants, the pair continue to strive for their dream.
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