With the summer season coming to an end, we wanted to look back and recap the best anime that finished airing this past season. It was a bit more difficult to choose this time around as there were a lot of shows that deserved a spot in the Top 10. From Hanebado to Steins;Gate 0, it has been a shocker of a season with many series which didn’t have any initial hype making the final cut in our list.
Included in this list are the anime leftover series from Spring that spilled into Summer and series that have already ended Summer. So in descending order, here are the Best of Anime Summer 2018.
Top Ten of Spring 2018
10. Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger
Sirius the Jaeger tells the story of Yuliy whom is apart of a group of people known as the “Jaegers” and are asked to hunt vampires in the Imperial Capital in the 1930s. The series’ take on vampires and werewolves based in this time frame is an interesting concept and makes for a great story. The characters of the series are very much likable as some of them are quite quirky to say the least.
This action choreography is a feast on the eyes as it feels life-like and smooth to watch. P.A. Works have done a great job of animating the series and provide great art direction. Despite its great concept together with good action scenes, however, the story is slightly weak with the ending being slightly questionable. Either way, the series is good watch, although it will take awhile for a global release as this was shown exclusively on Netflix Japan first.
9. Hataraku Saibou
This is an educational series that depicts the cells in our body as your standard anime kawaii characters and teaches us how they interact with each other cells. This crazy concept threw everyone for a wild ride (particularly the Platelets) into a frenzy. But slowly, the viewers got some real insight on how the human anatomy and its cells work in tandem when an outbreak occurs within our bodies.
There’s not much of a cohesive story but rather short takes on how the body reacts when the human body is having a cold, or when outside bacteria or viruses enter the human body. These sort of stories or situations make it an episodic experience for the viewers and it is joyful to watch these cute and quirky characters do their job. Have a crack at this show, you might find out some useful information about your body!
8. Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight
Each time a new idol series comes up, there always the cliches: cute idol girls, great music and dance choreography. But this series is not your typical idol anime series; this is a theater idol girls series. And this is not just your typical theater idol girls series either, as by the end of episode 1, viewers would have been perplexed at what they have they have witnessed.
The character design to the art animation and quality is top notch work by Kinema Citrus and backed by Bushiroad, who recently completed the critically acclaimed Made in Abyss. Story-wise, it was super intriguing as nine theater girls fight their way to become a Top Star and earn their revues. Do check out this series as it is probably the most underrated one this season.
7. Planet With
Satoshi Mizukami has always wanted to animate and create a series that would be able to show off his wacky and creative design, and he most certainly did that with Planet With. This mecha, action, sci-fi anime series is one of the most bizarre, ridiculous, and most creative series this season.
The music, the animation and art direction was magnificently executed although the CGI mecha scenes could have been done better. However, the story and characters involved were the main attractions of the series and each episode brought much hype and gave this series a spot on our top 10 list. Alas there were much more better series out there. Give this a go if you are into mecha and sci-fi series as this will blow your mind.
6. Asobi Asobase
What could go wrong with three girls who form a club play Japanese past-time games together in school? Absolute hilarity and at times really awkward and crazy scenes. This is the basic premise of Asobi Asobase. This comedic series really hit home for a lot of viewers for their crazy antics in the classroom.
Each episode takes on an episodic structure, telling the tales of one Japanese past-time game per episode that the girls would need to play out, each to a varying comedic and suspenseful effect. The light-hearted art and animation direction shows how light and easy it is, while some of the music will keep viewers wanting more. If you’re into light-hearted and good fun slice-of-life school comedy, this might be the show for you.
5. Overlord 3
All hail Supreme Lord Ainz-sama! What would we do without our ever-forgiving and benevolent leader Ainz Owl Gown and the Great Tomb of Nazarick? This new season of Overlord shows us how Ainz-sama tries to manipulate the political and military landscape of some of the neighboring kingdoms around Nazarick.
New characters enter the fray and some older characters reprise their roles and made heavy decisions, making this entry of the series really one the best. Save for some of the CGI that left more to be desired, we got to see many good action scenes that chilled the hearts of many. If you are into fantasy Isekai series, then Overlord is a great watch.
4. Boku no Hero Academia 3
Last year Boku no Hero Academia pushed the limits with Plus Ultra-style and conquered all. This year the series pushed it even further with not only a new season, but also a movie and a video game! Maybe because of that, it felt that even though the story and characters are still remarkable, the art and animation quality felt lacking compared to season 2.
Despite that, the series is largely enjoyable to watch and is still a treat for viewers. The highlights were definitely the turning point halfway through the series which affected many characters especially All Might and Deku, and the end of this season which sets up a big arc for the upcoming season 4 next year. It definitely leaves us excited for what comes next!
3. Grand Blue
There are not many series that highlight diving as a sport and watching this show brings out the beauty and wonders of the ocean. The series portrays Iori Kitahara as he moves to the ocean Izu City and begins his new college life staying at his uncle’s shop named “Grand Blue”. He is then later conscripted to join the college diving club. With the beautiful ocean, beautiful women and hunky guys, what could go wrong?
The characters are all lovable and the comedic essence of the story makes this series even more enjoyable. The reactions of these characters are all priceless. Iori and friends also have great chemistry among them and it propels the story even further. The art style and animation is perfect for a slice-of-life diving series. All in all, Grand Blue is definitely a great series to watch. Also did I mention the amount of booze that is in the show?
2. Steins;Gate 0
Steins;Gate 0 follows up on the critically acclaimed Steins;Gate series as it branches off from one time point of the series to explore the events stemming from the Beta Attractor Field. We see that Okabe does his best to try and fix the timeline that has been fractured and tries to find a way to bring back Kurisu.
The story is still very much the same mystery, drama, sci-fi, thriller and it is a great story. There were many moments in the series that caught viewers off guard including the character designs, which have undergone some changes since Steins;Gate. But this change is a good change. Overall, it is a great series to watch if you are into time paradoxes and sci-fi drama, and especially if you were a fan of the original Steins;Gate.
1. Shingeki no Kyojin 3
The best of the season goes to Shingeki no Kyojin 3 and what a season this has been! The revelations that were made this season have been massive. After the massive revelation at the end of Season 2, Eren spends this season figuring out where his story will lead while other characters take the spotlight in this season’s plot.
The story has a ton of great action and and new characters that enhance and propel the story even further. The art style and animation is even crispier than ever, and did I mention how great the action scenes were? It amazes me every time on how WIT Studio manages to bring the best out of the series. With how Shingeki no Kyojin season 3 ended, we will expect many huge changes for the next season.
Honorable Mentions
Harukana Receive
This show has a pretty interesting premise and a good take on beach volleyball. If you look past the layer of fan service that the series have to offer, the series does a good job of portraying beach volleyball as a technical sport. The art and animation quality is really clean especially coming from a small studio in C2C.
The light-hearted story and competitive nature of the sport makes it a clear contrast to each other and also blends together just well enough. Though we could say that the characters are a tad bit bland but at least they were inspiring and wholehearted in playing the sport they love. Harukana Receive is a good sports series to watch and chill to.
Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shouko no Dorei Majutsu
Another season, another Isekai show, but this time the main character is a Demon Lord. The story starts off like any Isekai as our main character, Takuma Sakamoto is transported to another world as the Demon Lord. Thus the start of the Demon Lord journey and his new harem. But the show is much better than just your average Isekai harem series.
The story depicts the Demon Lord as a sort of anti-hero as he uses his powers for the ’greater good’. At the same time, the characters are all interlinked in one way or another. The series tries its best to make everything feel tangent with a cohesive story but it is kind of let down by its forced fan service. Still, it is still a good Isekai series to watch.
So that was our Top 10 Best Anime of Summer 2018. Think you have an anime that deserve to be within the Top 10 or even Number 1? Please let us know down in the comments!
