My Top 10: Anime of the Decade

I already did anime of the decade last year but I was lazy and I actually focus more on OVA and movies in that one instead of TV series. Having said that, I am completely right with my choice of anime show and I adamantly stand by it.

This list, just like previously, is not ranked. Instead, this list consists of anime that doesn't necessarily top the chart when it was debuted nor was popular but it has a profound effect on me as an animetard and molded me to become the kind of anime fan that I am now.

Samurai Champloo (Spring 2004)

(c) hibiki

I have always been fascinated with Samurai theme ever since I watched Samurai X. Samurai Champloo was the first anime DVD that I bought. I have no freaking idea what it was about when I bought it. I know it has samurai in it and that's all my knowledge of the show was. I bought it because I thought that the theme was right and the art style was definitely something fresh. This was before I've seen Cowboy Bebop, mind you. So I watched it and was totally fell for Mugen. The way the story was told definitely something that I have never seen before. It set up quite a high par for any other anime that I want to spend my money on.

The best thing is, or rather a misfortune, I bought Samurai Champloo DVD three times. The first DVD I bought was lost during the moving to our new house. So I bought another one. My dad borrowed it and took it with him when he was working off-shore in China. He lost it. So I had to buy the DVD for the third time and this time around it is off limit to anyone. The DVD is definitely one of my prized possession.

Thanks to Samurai Champloo I got interested with other anime from Shinichiro Watanabe and that was how I ended up loving Cowboy Bebop, Mitchiko e Hatchin and Ergo Proxy. I love the dark story with lots of dorama I guess.

Bleach (Fall 2004)

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=90533

I am no longer watching the anime. Just a loyal fan to it's manga but I plan on catching up to the anime some time soon. You see, I watch anime far in between before Bleach made it's debut. I bought anime DVD occasionally and most of the anime I watched was the one on national television which pretty much were just the 90's anime most of the time. It was like they had the Dragon Ball series on repeat.

It was only after I discovered Bleach that I know what an avid fan really is because I obviously become one in no time at all. Lets admit that the Soul Society arc led us to believe that Kubo Tite is a genius. I just couldn't get enough of Bleach.

It was this series that sparked my interest with manga. Before that I never bother. Through Bleach, I got to know some of the most amazing people I have ever met through facebook. Bleach unites us. It is because of Bleach too that I started taking real interest with other anime. That was how my obsession with anime started. I started downloading anime in chunk one after the other. It just so happened during that time I have just started working from home which mean I had plenty of time to spend on my new found hobby. I marathon any anime that had my interest. Some were great, some were not so much. This is how I learned about what genre I love and dislike and it has thought me a lot. Through Bleach I also started my figures collection and becomes not only obsessed with the whole show but of my shipping as well. I started writing fanfics and despite how many years it has been I still only write Bleach fanfics. I can't immerse myself with other series or characters like I can with Bleach. I've tried once but it turned out to be so superficial I abandoned it.

So you see, there was a lot of first with Bleach. Despite of the shit that Kubo trolled us with after the Soul Society arc, I am still a fan of this series to this very day otherwise it won't have it's own category in this blog. It would be a very sad day for me when Bleach eventually comes to an end. Thank goodness it is not for at least another 2 years :)

Genshiken (Fall 2004)

(c) kio shimaku

If Bleach made me an anime fan, Genshiken thought me what being an otaku is all about. It made me fall in love with the culture I guess. It opened my eyes of what it means being an otaku in Japan and how it was seen from a foreign point of view. It also introduced me to Akihabara, cosplaying and doujinshi. It made me aware of the conventions that I never thought exist. A place for all tards to gather around? It makes me want to go to at least one convention and after all these years, I finally managed to go to one this year. Above all else I learned that you do not mess with an otaku for any reason at all.

When I saw this, I was at the point in my life where I don't really know what I want to do with my life and pretty much content with the fact that I am a borderline hikikomori. I was totally unsociable. I only go out when I needed to and at one time had not had a conversation with real life person for almost a month. I locked myself in a room doing nothing but watch anime, reading manga, writing fanfics and occasionally tend to my workload. This continues for almost 4 years. It was awesome as fuck.

I kicked myself sometimes when I thought of the decision I made to actually get my life together for a change. Curses!

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (Fall 2004)

(c) Robographer

I am truly aware of how Gundam fans perceived this show, especially that of SEED fans. They thought it was a phailed attempt. Shit it may be for others but this is the show that truly made me interested in mecha. My like or dislike for a show is strongly stemmed on whether or not I enjoy the story and the characters. Even though I think highly of SEED but Kira and Cagalli pissed me off so much I found myself raging at it most of the time.

I might fell for this show for all the wrong reason but it doesn't changed the fact that I thought the characters were far more awesome when they get into their Gundam. I have already fangirling about this show before so I'm not going to do it again here.

I am still not a big fan of mecha. I still can't name all the gundam even if you pointed a gun to my head but thanks to Destiny, I have learn to appreciate it a little bit more.

Gintama (Winter 2004)

(c) kaninn

Do noted that I saw Gintama after I watched Bleach. I was expecting a shounen anime but was presented with something that was totally whacked I couldn't help but fall in love with it. This is the anime that set the par for comedy for me. The randomness just totally blew me away. I have said over and over again that this show is THE GREATEST GAR SHOW ever. Gin has fought with aliens, the authority, your grandmother, you named it he has done it. Not to mention that thanks to Gintama, I fall hard for Tomokazu Sugita. I never paid attention to seiyuu before but because of this show, I am slowly turning into a seiyuu fag.

So imagined how sad and in rage I was when I found out that Gintama has come to an end. I mean seriously, I have never been so worried about my sanity like I was then. I thought it was another scam of theirs but the anime fandom was buzzing about the truth in it, I was left flabbergasted. Around the same time, they announced the movie date so that helped ease my trouble mind a little. I kept rewatching the old episodes to keep me a tad sane. Then earlier this month Glo came bearing the good news. The world is okay again and I am no longer tempted to do homicide.

I know that this does not sound significant to you but think of it this way. If someone asked you what is your favorite anime of all time, and this or that anime popped up instantly in your head, you know that it got to mean something to you. I have always trust my guts and there is no way I'm gonna turn my back on it now.

Gintama has helped me with all sorts of life problems. It has become my source of power to put my depression away and move on with life. I think I have become a stronger person because I can laugh my problems away watching this show. It doesn't necessarily solved my problems but it made me realized that these problems are not worth crying over for, that life is actually worth living :)

Sensitive Pornograph (Winter 2004)

If you have paid any attention, you know that yaoi is like my guilty drug. It all started when I came across this particular show. This show started my obsession with BL/yaoi. Before I knew what happened, it has taken over my life. LOL sounds so dramatic but it is the truth. I become bolder. Exploring about sex in general (only in theory of course) and accepting few things that surprised even myself. Words won't do justice but I'm gonna leave this one at that. I doubt GAR men can handle what's on my mind most of the time >=3

Honey and Clover (Spring 2005 & Summer 2006)

(c) chika umino

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not good with romance or relationship but the irony is I am a sucker for romace if it is done right. That's why my fanfics always turned up with romance theme in it. Not shoujo though (because I dislike shoujo) but romance. There's a difference.

Before Honey and Clover, I don't usually picked up anime with such theme. I thought that if I want drama, then I just watched all the Japanese drama that I have in my possession. But I am glad that when I decided to start watching romance theme, I started with this particular show. It just left me in awe with it's mind blowing craft. From the story telling, to the comedies and the dorama. It tells real story with real characters. That was the most appealing side of this show in my opinion.

This show has become the gateway anime for shows with similar theme like Lovely Complex and White Album.

Honey and Clover made me realized that my friends were not at fault when we drifted apart. It just part of having a life is all about. We don't always get what we wanted but it's either we cherished the moment we had that counts. It allowed me to remember all the good times me and my friends had instead of why we didn't regularly get in touch with each other anymore.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Spring 2006)

(c) sugimasa

I never thought that I would see the exact copy of myself (minus the Godly power) in anime. When I first saw Haruhi, the realization just smacked me right in the face and made me into an overnight fan of her and this show. I am just as obsessed with Kyon like Haruhi is obsessed with him. Sometimes it is scary and thrilling to realized how similar our taste and personality are.

Back in high school, people (mostly girls) generally don't want to be friends with me. I'm cool with that. I have my own set of friends (just like Haruhi has her SOS Brigade members) to keep me happy an entertained during my school years. The same happened when I got into college. After that I just don't give a fuck anymore and became a borderline hikikomori.

I am constantly want to try out something new. Always planning the next big things in my life or just do something that I have never done before. I graduated with an IT degree. Work for about 8 months before I got bored with the shit. Then I started writing and it opened up to an endless world of adventures for me from motorsports to anime and everything in between. After that I started learning how to make dresses out of boredom and end up with a business under my belt. Now I'm in an advertising business slashed event management where I got to mingle and hang out with local artists and such. The passion last for about a year and a half and I am already bored with it. I have mega project in my mind for next year and if it comes to fruition, then I'm saying goodbye to this glamorous life. See what I mean? I need someone who can keep up just like Kyon is with Haruhi.

I guess this show have the most profound effect on me more than any other anime because of the similarities, for better or for worse.

Btw, the movie was freaking amazing. I'm just saying.

Kara no Kyoukai and Mnemosyne (Winter 2007)

(c) hara takehito

I know that both of these shows are not TV series. One is a 7 parts movie and the other is an OVA but I have to include them in this list because of the simplest reason. Both of the female protagonists are very strong women who knows what they want and are not afraid to achieve their set goals despite of all the obstacle, especially when it comes to romance and relationship. Thanks to this, I realized that an ordinary love story just won't work for me which is why I won't settle down until I found my Shiki/Mikiya or Rin/Apos kind of romance. Crazy is me.

Kannagi and Hyakko (Fall 2008)

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=438240

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=65947

Needless to say that these shows featured moe characters. I always thought I hate moe shits but shows like these proved that I'm pretty shallow when it comes to moe. I like moe when it is funny and the story presented was intelligent. What I hate is the kind of moe who took us for a fool and thought that a bunch of girls sit around having tea after school is great. I mean Hyakko is about a bunch of girls having fun at school too but they managed to make the show entertaining and engaging through their characters' depth.

I also found out what my favorite studio production is through Kannagi. A1-Pictures have brought me a number of enjoyable anime. They are coming up with Fractale for Winter and it got a noitaminA time slot. That I think speak for itself. I am turning into a studio fag as well because I will watch whatever this studio will throw at me.

And that is the end of my list. But before I conclude this list, allow me to make a special mention to one more OVA anime that has tickle my funny bones and allowed me to enjoy profanities like I have never enjoyed it before.

Detroit Metal City (Summer 2008)

because it made this kind of fanart possible and no one can feel offended :P

Phew what a decade it has been. Hopefully my passion for anime will continue for another ten years so that I can do the same shit when it comes to the end of 2020.

Posted in: anime freak, bleach, detroit metal city, genshiken, gintama, haruhi suzumiya, honey and clover, Hyakko, Kannagi, kara no kyoukai, mobile suit gundam, samurai champloo, shiken, top10, yaoi