To complement the annual list of readers’ favourite anime titles, KAORI Nusantara has also created another list of the most notable anime of a year chosen by KAORI staff. After two years of absence, the staff selection list finally makes it return this year, but with some changes.
Starting from this year, the list is not produced from gathering votes from the staff into an ordinal best of list. But the KAORI R&D Division has determined a number of thematic categories, and the staff from the Newsline division, The Indonesian Anime Times (English-language KAORI website) division, and the Social Media division to choose one best anime titles for each category from the anime series that finished airing between January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The categories are: Most Hilarious Anime, Most Dramatic Anime, Most Hot-Blooded Anime, Most Moe Anime, Most Relaxing Anime, Most Educational Anime, Guilty Pleasure Anime, Dark Horses/Underdogs, and Most Booming Anime. In addition, the staff can also choose Epic Moments, Sad Moments, and Most Nonsensical Moments from the anime aired in 2018. Through these categories, we hope we can portray the diversity of anime that aired in 2018, and capture the various experiences these anime series could provide.
Read more: Anyone Can Claim to be Number One
We are aware that there are still shortcomings in the transition to the new format. Therefore, other than sharing your opinion about the anime titles we have chosen this time, you can also provide criticism and suggestions in the comments to improve this (not) awards in the future.
Now, here are the 2018 anime selected by the KAORI Nusantara staff! But please be aware that there may be spoilers for some titles, especially in the “moments” section.
- This page: Most Hilarious Anime and Most Dramatic Anime
- Page 2: Most Hot-Blooded Anime, Most Moe Anime, and Most Relaxing Anime
- Page 3: Most Educational Anime, Guilty Pleasure Anime, Dark Horse/Underdog Anime, and Most Booming Anime
- Page 4: Epic Moments, Sad Moments, and Most Nonsensical Moments
Most Hilarious Anime Category
Comedies that amuse and make us laugh out loud.
Chio’s School Road (Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro)
Naufalbepe (KAORI Newsline)
In the monotony of our daily life, we may have dreamt for it to suddenly turn into an exciting “adventure.” Chio-chan turns a very simple premise, namely “going to school” into a very funny sitcom anime. Who’d have thought that going to school can involve prowling the rooftops like an assassin from Assassin’s Creed, or how getting out of public toilets can be like Snake from Metal Gear Solid. This anime turns monontonous daily situations into unanticipated hilarity.
Asobi Asobase
R Ikhsan (KAORI Newsline)
At first, I thought this anime would only present children’s play time. However, it exceeded my expectations. The story brings me back to my school days full of innocent and dumb jokes, but with a “darker” side. I think they are crazier than children their age supposed to be. The jokes in the show could be dangerous to apply in real life. So for those of you who watches this anime, please don’t try them at home.
Garupa Pico Bang Dream
Karim Ibrahim (KAORI Newsline)
I just became a fan of Bang Dream! In mid-2018 and has been actively playing the mobile game. Garupa Pico serves as a filler until the second season airs. Although the duration is short and with an animated chibi versions of the characters, I like how the joke fits with the variety of the characters’ personalities in each band.
Last Period ~The Story of an Endless Spiral~
Halimun Muhammad (The Indonesian Anime Times)
Adapted from a mobile game made by Happy Elements, turns out this anime uses game mechanics as the source of its jokes, including, of course, the gacha system used to get new party members. Even though I myself don’t play games like this, but I can still laugh at the way this anime depicts the “endless spiral” (as the title suggests) of being addicted to gacha.
Hinamatsuri
Bramantyo Wibisono (Social Media)
Honestly, Hinamatsuri is one of the anime that can make me burst out laughing every time I watch an episode. Hina’s innocence and strange powers makes a perfect fit. Whenever I had a backlog (because I hadn’t caught up with anime for more than a week, while may watch list in a given season is fairly large), I always put Hinamatsuri first so I could have a fun time before getting into heavier shows.
Most Dramatic Anime Category
Anime that touches and stirs up emotions.
Violet Evergarden
Karim Ibrahim (KAORI Newsline)
Though the first two episodes felt rather flat, I like how the main character develops over time as she brings meaningful changes to the people she helps. Besides that, I also like the stunning graphics and soundtrack, especially with the opening song titled Sincerely.
Rezky Amelia (Social Media)
There is always a moment that brings tears or joy. The series is just dramatic and I like it.
A Place Further than the Universe (Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho)
Tanto Dhaneswara (KAORI Newsline)
A story of teenagers on a journey to Antarctica, the narrative does not directly lead us to the South Pole. But the anime builds its drama gradually through the characters of Kimari, who wants to enjoy her youth and Shirase, who wants to find the whereabouts of her mother who was lost in an expedition there. After we met Hinata and Yuzuki who had their own problems, then get the drama of friendship among teenagers and their determination to go to Antarctica together with al the challenges. Supported by the direction, animation, and and score and insert songs, the show just feels natural in depicting their journey of self-discovery.
Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles (Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san)
Naufalbepe (KAORI Newsline)
The story of Koizumi and ramen, in my opinion, is quite dramatic. Each episode always shows the intimacy between ramen and Koizumi, regardless whether its near or if the distance requires her to take the train for the sake of her love for ramen.
“Why climb the mountain? Because there is a mountain there – George Mallory.
“Why climb the mountain? Because there is ramen there “- Koizumi.
Tada Never Falls in Love (Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai)
R Ikhsan (KAORI Newsline)
The anime is pretty much a romcom from the first to sixth episodes, but that changed when Alex-kun began to communicate his feelings to Teresa. We start to see a tug-of-war between Tada and Teresa who at that time were already feeling comfortable with each other. And it gets more dramatic when Charles came from Luxembourg to learn about Teresa’s situation in Japan. For those who like romance across different social status, this is one of the best titles in 2018.
DARLING in the FRANXX
Halimun Muhammad (The Indonesian Anime Times)
It’s not hard to see that DARLING in the FRANXX is an anime full of interpersonal conflicts that stir up the emotions of its teenage characters. But another noteworthy point is how as an anime in the lineage of Evangelion, there is a technological framing to the drama. The presence of mecha in this anime represents how interpersonal relations, relations with society, and relations with the world have become inseparable from technological mediation, opening a space for viewers to think about the influence of technological mediation that has blurred the boundaries between personal and public spheres of relations.
Citrus
Bramantyo Wibisono (KAORI Newsline)
The drawback of anime adapted from manga, especially with romance genre, is there are spoilers lurking around. But even though I have seen many spoilers from the manga version, I still get a strong sense of drama every time I watch the episodes of Citrus, even though I myself do not read the manga.
