Yu Alexius

I am Yu Alexius. I talked about Chinese anime (donghua), Japanese animations; sharing anime reviews, updates, and recommendations.

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The Top 20 Anime Shows of 2018 from Yu Alexius Team

Hey guys, the year-end is actually here and I am actually at a night shift right now (while writing this post) – thus I’ll spend the New Year at my workplace tonight. It had been a great year for Yu Alexius team with both great days and tougher times, and we are back for another year-end list featuring the best anime series of 2018. It’s been an amazing and marvelous ride, and 2018 simply gave us so many anime moments worth to remember.
Yu Alexius' Anime of the Year - 2018: My Hero Academia Season 3
Yu Alexius’ Anime of the Year – 2018: My Hero Academia Season 3
Now, let’s take a dive on knowing the Top 20 anime shows of 2018 as choosen by our team. First of all, this list is based on the collective thoughts of several members of Yu Alexius team. This list does not represent the opinion of the entire anime community but a portion of opinions that we thought the anime community should take a glimpse and to see the beauty of these anime titles. Nonetheless, the list is consist of various anime shows from different genres and share us a lot of interesting stories. We also had our best Chinese anime of 2018 joined the list while the remaining 19 titles were part of the mainstream Japanese animation.
Let’s the the list with:

20. Cells at Work!

Banana Fish
This is a very unique and generic anime at the same time. Cells at Work! is an educating anime about how our body systems works but also embedded the cliche mundane story and relationships among different characters. Cells at Work! is a genuine anime with pretty interesting and unique concept – it educate the viewers but at the same time didn’t leave a single second to be infected by boredom which makes the anime an exciting ride.

19. Banana Fish

Banana Fish
This anime thrives in how well-written its story is despite of having a pretty common plot and deviating factors from the general norm of the community. It’s able to keep the attention of the viewers throughout the 24-episode long journey. The entire trip is filled with action, drama, suspense, and ambiguously exciting relationship between the two main characters.

18. Tokyo Ghoul:re

Tokyo Ghoul:re
I am a big fan of Tokyo Ghoul series and as much as I am disappointed with how studio Pierrot butchered the Tokyo Ghoul:re’s anime adaptation, I couldn’t simply have this anime out of the list. There’s jsut so much emotions, thrill, drama and action mixed up altogether in this 2-cour anime series. The quality of the animation is quite satisfying, the characters design too, except for the pacing of the story which is really fast with too many scenes from the manga having cut-out. Nonetheless, a redeeming factor of Tokyo Ghoul:re is Katharsis – it’s heart-wrenching and emotionally ecstatic opening theme sang by T.K. which is also listed as the best anime opening of 2018 by our team.

17. Golden Kamuy

Golden Kamuy

I simply love how unique and extreme this anime is. Golden Kamuy tells us more than just crazy humor and plain action. Instead it is educating in a sense that we are learning about Ainu culture, and stuff. It’s like embracing a certain part of Japanese culture and tradition.

16. After the Rain

After the Rain

If there’s anything that I could say about After the Rain is that it deviate from the cliche teenage romance and also shown us a different side of love. It is pretty entertaining and interesting which gave us a colorful ride during its entire run.

You may also check our list of must-watch anime in romance genre if you’re craving for more cheesy stuffs after having a heavy dosage of After the Rain.

15. Steins;Gate 0

Steins;Gate 0
Under the standards of the anime community, Steins;Gate 0 is already well-accepted and it’s definitely one of the most critically-acclaimed anime title of the 2018 and is on par with its predecessor. It tells an alternate story of the original Steins;Gate plot, and it’s just as phenomenal as the first Steins;Gate anime that hit us miraculously way back in 2011 due to its unique approach to Sci-Fi story. This 2018, we are truly lucky to have Steins;Gate 0 as part of this wonderful year.

14. OVERLORD II/III

OVERLORD II/III
I have mixed emotional opinion towards Overlord that I am more critical with it than its first season which I really loved. But knowing how its story is written and side details from the light novel, the confusing part of the anime is justifiable. Animation-wise, the quality is there and it is top-notched. Overall, Overlord is always an over-bearing anime which I believed perfectly described Ainz Ooal Gown and his minions from the Tomb of Nazarick – making Overlord a unique entity among its peers in the same genre.

13. A Place Further than Universe

A Place Further than Universe
Personally, I am not a big fan of the anime but it give us a different sense of adventure. This anime tells us a captivating and well-written coming of age story fitted with top-notched visuals and soundtrack. A heavy dosage of emotions can be felt throughout the series reverberating through the pacing of the story, and the friendship between the characters. I think A Place Further than Universe is an anime that could heal one’s heart and soul.

12. Tada Never Falls in Love

Tada Never Falls in Love
This anime is nothing spectacular but adorable. It simply awakened the teenage spirit in our heart. It reminds me a little of Blue Spring Ride. It is like a story from a fairy tale that gave us a magical ride with a heartwarming narration that makes us want to fall in love again. Tada Never Falls in Love might be a little bit cliche but it definitely gave us a satisfying story on which many of us could connect.

11. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
One thing I could say about this anime and its main character – Rimuru Tempest is that they are pretty generic but what makes them stand out is that they are satisfying. Yes, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a pretty common anime with plot that exist in any other anime shows but it is always up for its viewers satisfaction and entertainment. I believed that there’s no such thing as dull moments in the anime and it’s filled with so many cliche from an adventure-action fantasy anime yet in a light and relax mood.

10. Sword Art Online: Alicization

Sword Art Online: Alicization
Entering our 10th place is one of the biggest anime title of 2018 and that’s no other than the third season of Sword Art Online titled – Alicization. It had been a fascinating experience to see the usual gang back in action and the quality of the animation and visuals were even top-notched. Somehow what makes me bother losing some interest in the anime is its rather boring cliche of dialogue. I think the anticipation of the fans for action and excitement were overwhelmed by these common conversations and plot that appeared in the story when Kirito and Eugeo finally entered the capital. Nonetheless, a very good factor of Sword Art Online III is its awesome set of music.

9. Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer

The gory stuff, the violence, the action – these are only few things that made Goblin Slayer an exciting and mystrious anime. Though there are some dull moments, I thought Goblin Slayer stays true to itself as an ambiguously adventure anime. It doesn’t make any difference from any other MMORPG game-related anime but there’s something unexplainable in its presence, or so I thought – possibly something philosophical.

8. Skilled Teaser Takagi-san

Skilled Teaser Takagi-san

This adorable and truly heartwarming anime will make you feel like a younger version of yourself in a world filled with too much innocence and youthful impulses. Skilled Teaser Takagi-san is an entertaining anime on which it feels like watching the two main characters competing against each other but not with violence but with their emotions on which the first one to fall in love could be both the winner and loser.

What’s even exciting is that Skilled Teaser Takagi-san had been renewed for another season and is slated to return on July 7, 2019 as part of the summer anime lineup.

7. Laid-Back Camp

Laid-Back Camp
A relaxing anime that gave us a new definition for the word – CAMPING. Laid-back Camp had show us an inspiring way to unwind and relax through certain activities (hobby) on which we could meet people along the way and changed our lives for the better. It looks pretty simple in the surface but what truly matters is how well it captured our attention and talked to our hearts.

6. The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Ten Commandments

The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Ten Commandments

The second season of The Seven Deadly Sins had been nothing but fun all throughout its entire run this year. It was filled with action, and the usual Seven Deadly Sins humors all wrapped up together to bring an intense shounen vibe. The anime is never short when it comes to exciting fight scenes and surprises, not to mention that Seven Deadly Sins season 2 had some of the most fascinating anime soundtracks of the year.

5. Darling in the FranXX

Darling in the FranXX
It might be just another cliche anime story with too much emphasis on the relationship of men and women. Darling in the FranXX thrives in how surprising its plot is despite of following a pretty standard mainframe of story.

4. Attack on Titan 3

Attack on Titan Season 3
The highly anticipated return of Eren Jaeger in the third season of Attack on Titan had been a great ride despite of having less actions this season compared to the first two seasons of the anime. However, what makes this season important is that it connects the past two seasons into the future on which the story shall move, and it was done beautifully – unveiling long overdue secrets that somehow still shocked us in the end. Nevertheless, Attack on Titan season 3 is a satisfying journey that simply showed us the right way to its denouement.

3. Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden

Aesthically beautiful and beyond, Violet Evergarden is everything that meets the eye – eloquence animation, top notched visuals and heartfelt music. The anime gives off the feeling of an entirely different league – an anime that goes beyond the normal standard of any anime that we had seen. If the story may not be a little bit boring at some point, Violet Evergarden definitely has no competition on becoming the anime of the year.

Although the anime had been almost over, Violet Evergarden is coming back for some more projects stated in the following news:

2. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation

Our team had choosen Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation as the best Chinese anime of 2018 and there’s no other title that comes closer to it. A top-notched animation with too much attention to details and pretty decent narration and execution of the story which makes the whole ride a worthwhile experience. This anime is actually on par with other high quality animation from Japan and is above the average standard if compared with today’s mainstream anime.

In fact, the 2nd season of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation had been green-lit this 2019 as some of the interesting news about it that you may check out are as follows:

1. My Hero Academia 3

My Hero Academia Season 3

I have My Hero Academia at ranked 8 at Yu Alexius’ Top 20 anime of 2017 and it definitely rise on top this year due to undeniable advancement on its story. I rarely seen a shounen anime that put too much emphasis on the character’s emotions that it could actually make the viewers felt it. That is the situation with Midoriya, and Bakugo from My Hero Academia – 2018 had witnessed on how epic their journey had been this year. Animation-wise, My Hero Academia season 3 is actually better than its previous 2 seasons and both the fight scenes and drama were top-notched and creatively executed.

That ends our list of Top 20 anime of 2018, which one is your favorite? Furthermore, which anime that aired this 2018 do you think is the best anime title of the year? Please let us know by leaving a comment below. Cheers and happy new year!

Last Updated on February 22, 2021 by Yu Alexius

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  • Yu Alexius

    Code name: Yu Alexius is an ambiguous entity who loves to talk about anime and Chinese animation in general. An insatiable soul from the Pearl of the Orient, a frustrated writer and a Houtarou Oreki wanna-be. He is a piece of a lunatic and everything crazy.

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