It’s hard to make an anime of the decade list. I watched way too many anime and there are a lot of good ones. I’ve loosely ranked things into a few categories, from pretty darn great to best.

The sole rating criteria is how much I personally liked them. Also, if I had made this a week ago, it probably would have been different, so take the exact rankings with a grain of salt.

Amazingly, my blog has been around since 2011….

Honorable Mention

Angolmois, Animegataris, Astra Lost in Space, Date A Live, Genshiken Nidaime, Guilty Crown, Hataraku Maou-sama, Ika Musume, Kemurikusa, Koutetsujou no Kabaneri, Kuma Miko, Kuromukuro, Love Lab, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, O Maidens in Your Savage Season, One Week Friends, Punch Line, Shingeki no Bahamut, Tsuki ga Kirei, Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen, Vivid Strike!, Yoru no Yatterman, Yuru Camp

Great

Bakuon!!
I laughed really hard.

Ben-to
Eating at the grocery store is war.

Boruto
Let’s just take a moment to marvel at the fact that we live in a universe where something like Boruto exists and is currently over 130 episodes. And that it has made it on my anime of the decade list.

Bubuki Buranki
I’m not sure anyone else even realized this show existed. I loved it.

Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism
I’m probably the only person who liked this but the fanservice was great.

Cheating Craft
The best anime China has ever produced.

Dagashi Kashi
Oh my god those faces.

Daimidaler
Possibly the wildest twist halfway through of any show on this list.

Danganronpa 3
I still find it hard to believe this worked, with the crazy format. But it was great.

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge
I’m probably the only person who would put this on their anime of the decade list but it deserves it.

Garo
Dark, very ambivalent characters, one of the best fantasy shows of the decade. Too bad all the sequels sucked.

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
This show is wild.

High School DxD
One of my favorite fanservice shows.

Hisone to Maso-tan
Maso-tan~~~~~

Hitsugi no Chaika
I honestly don’t know why I like this so much. I think the sense of humor just gets me maybe.

Hyouge Mono
I still have two seasons left to finish which I’ve been holding out on, but even from the first season it deserves a place on this list. Probably higher once I finish.

Imouto sae Ireba Ii
Hot accountant.

Just Because!
Best angsty teenage drama of the decade.

Level E
Super funny.

Little Witch Academia
Revolution of the proletariat.

Keijo!
Best sports anime I’ve ever watched.

Kuzu no Honkai
Everyone is scum. Obviously, I loved it.

Monogatari Series
I admit that I thought the Monogatari Series was dumb and pretentious. Actually, I still do, because it is. But the Kaiki arc finally let me appreciate this show. Kaiki arc was amazing and this stupid show makes this list based entirely on that arc.

Nagi no Asukara
I guess this is my favorite PA works show. I thought it would be about cute girls doing cute things, but it turned out to be dramatic and have some amazing romance. Cool setting.

orange
Great portrayal of the relationships between a group of friends as they look at their selves from the past.

Re: Zero
I’ve appreciated this more the longer it’s been since it aired. Even after the isekai craze, this is still one of the best. Mainly because the main character is so awful, and also suffers so much, you really hope he’ll be able to redeem himself. Can’t wait for the sequel.

Rokka no Yuusha
Yes the ending was awful but it was such a fun ride I don’t care.

Sakamichi no Apollon
Jazz, friendship, romance… what a show.

Samurai Flamenco
GUILLOTINE GORILLA

So Ra No Wo To
I love anything post-apocalytpic, this was a great take on that where it was actually pretty cheerful.

Taboo Tatoo
The main character is named Bluesy Fluesy. Evil is hot.

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge
Can’t believe I nearly dropped this after the first episode. It’s so cute.

Tsurezure Children
Soooo adorable.

Ulysses
Fuck you all and your shit taste, this was a great anime, no I’m not sorry.

UN-GO
Great mysteries.

Excellent

ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka
Pastries, bureaucracy, and revolution. This ended up not being at all what I expected.

Aho Girl
What a great short. That girl is such an idiot, these poor people who have to deal with her.

Angel Beats
Possibly the only Key anime I ever liked? Was funny.

Aquarion EVOL
Holes.

Asobi Asobase
It was funny, the kids are awful.

Beastars
Haven’t even finished yet but it still deserves a place on this list.

Eromanga Sensei
This is how you do fanservice. It was hilarious.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar
Loved the grim take on MMO isekais.

Hinamatsuri
Nowhere near the level of the manga. Still drop dead hilarious.

Madoka Magica
Had a huge impact. Gorgeous artwork, great twists.

Megalo Box
I never thought I would like an anime about boxing.

Mob Psycho 100
Reigen. Oh my god.

SSSS.GRIDMAN
Loved the art style and the pacing, and how everything comes across so half-assed like the villain. Also those thighs.

Sengoku Collection
See the link for my episode guide. Some were dull, and some were among what I consider the best episodes of anime ever made.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu
Truly epic, showcasing an entire life.

Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho
I want to go to Antarctica.

Stein’s; Gate and Steins; Gate 0
I love this time travel / parallel worlds shit. Great shipping too.

Tsuritama
One of the most quirky and beautiful shows ever made. Top notch artwork and probably the best music of anything on this list.

Amazing

Cross Ange
I was pretty harsh on this when it was airing (because, it was awful). But I had a heck of a time watching it. Yeah, I think it was one of my favorite shows of the decade, despite the fact that I gave it an F. And that it deserved an F. Now Mahouka, on the other hand…

Dororo
This really grew on me as it went on. I thought it would be a monster of the week thing. And it sort of was. But wow.

Hibike! Euphonium
Yes, they’re gay.

Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou
This is a perverted harem show but whatever it’s one of my favorites. I love the robot girl.

Gatchaman Crowds
Felt more and more prescient as the decade went on.

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tenshi-tachi no Renai Zunousen
Very accurate depiction of high school romance.

Kemono Friends
HOW WAS THIS SO GOOD??!!!

Kill la Kill
Wild, great animation, kind of nonsensical but who cares, it had this great mythos going.

Killing Bites
There is a snake man with two dicks.

Kono Subarashii Sekai no Shukufuku wo!
This was hilarious, some of the most memorable characters of the decade. All pieces of shit.

Ore Twintail ni Narimasu
TWINTAILS ARE JUSTICE.

Oregairu
First season was fine, but the second… Wow. Absolutely blew me away.

Princess Principal
The name is so so stupid and yet… why was this so great? I really need to rewatch it.

Sabagebu
I died laughing.

Senki Zesshou Symphogear
FUCK THE MOON. Just to give you a taste, this show involves a girl fighting through pop music while rolling around on skates wielding death scythes. I can’t explain any better how great this is, you just have to watch it.

Shiki
This was terrifying.

Shimoneta
One of the most thoughtful shows ever made about pornography.

Shirobako
Exploring the joys of the working world…

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryouko
Cute and funny and terrifying.

Star Driver
One of my favorite mecha shows. Epic.

Thunderbolt Fantasy
Most chuunibyou shit ever, it was glorious. Not even animated but whatever.

Uchouten Kazoku
Gorgeous, gorgeous show. Thought-provoking and fun.

Vinland Saga
Savage and highly entertaining with tons of twists, I did not see where this was going.

Best

Gamers!
Oh wow this killed me. I died laughing. And the shipping is absolutely bonkers in this. Some 12-dimensional chess going on in this romcom.

Golden Kamuy
Shit this was epic. Also fuck all of y’all, that bear was fine.

Gundam Build Fighters
ALL MY SHIPS FUCK YEAH!!!!!!! But seriously, how the fuck was a show transparently designed to sell toys so amazing???

Houseki no Kuni
MY BROKEN ROCKS

Hourou Musuko
Oh damn this was good. And that art-style… Loved the subject matter and how it developed the characters.

Hyouka
Easily some of the best character development in any anime. And in a show about high school kids solving stupid mysteries of all things. Also gorgeous.

Katanagatari
This wrecked me, both from choking on my laughter and drowning in my tears.

Knights of Sidonia
Best harem anime. Also the brutal sci-fi stuff was good.

Made in Abyss
What a tearjerker. Cruel and cute, it wrecked me up.

Mawaru Penguindrum
Wow did I have fun blogging this and making up shit about the symbolism and what is going on. But yeah, it was amazing. So much fun, so wild, and heartbreaking too.

Nichijou
Funniest comedy of the decade, easily. Gorgeous art.

Planet With
Spirit Circle anime when? But this was still amazing. Very thought provoking in such a short time frame. Also very moving. And yeah, this author’s aesthetic is great.

Prison School
May not be for everyone but yes it is for me. Can’t believe this got an anime adaptation at all, much less such an amazing one. Absolutely hilarious (but also trash).

Shin Sekai Yori
Easily the best sci-fi / fantasy mystery show of the decade. Dives all into the setting, establishes this feeling of mystery and terror, and comes to a satisfying conclusion. And that one dream episode… damn….

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
One of the funniest things I’ve ever watched. They are so pathetic. This is in my opinion one of the most under-appreciated shows of the decade.

Tatami Galaxy
I watched this just after I finished college and have to say it had an impact on me. Loved the idea of exploring the different possibilities, and ultimately reaching the conclusion you have to accept the choices you’ve made.

Valvrave the Liberator
Yes it was stupid. Oh god it was stupid. But damn it if it wasn’t one of the shows this decade I had the most fun watching. I loved to make fun of it, but really, I had so much fun watching this and I think I should do it again soon.

Fabulousness

AKB0048
Open yourself to fabulousness and, ultimately, entertainment. My favorite show of the decade. It was wild, fun, heartbreaking, thoughtful and, ultimately, entertainment.