2021 was a fantastic year for anime lovers. With so many exciting, action-packed and all-around good anime, “weebs” (I use this word affectionately) are naturally the first ones to know what animes will be released and which ones need to be added to the “must watch” list. The world of anime is constantly evolving every season, though there hasn’t been a huge change in the environment, the interest in anime has drastically increased and continues to rise thanks to more accessible ways of watching these shows.
It seems that more various anime have been reaching wide audiences in a lot more places. We may be living in a decade of anime, and 2021 is one of the most hype and exciting years. With the pandemic happening for two years, anime has become a comfort for those who are working and studying at home.
There were so many great options for last year’s list of anime, so without further ado, here are the top 10 best anime that were released in 2021.
Kimetsu No Yaiba season one had been one of the greatest hits of anime in 2019. With millions of fans across the globe, it rose up to number one and has been nominated as one of the best animes of all time. In the second season, they took an unconventional approach. Instead of airing a full season of new episodes, they split the season into two parts. In the first part, they aired 10 episodes of the Mugen train arc, which is a re-edit of the movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Mugen Train.
The second part though is the continuation of the main storyline which is the Entertainment District arc. This is a new arc with new episodes that’s a continuation after Mugen Train. It’s no surprise that the Mugen Train movie would get a high rating because of its successful screening and impressive scenes. Season two is still ongoing and there will be more surprises awaiting the anime fans. One thing’s for sure, the District Arc so far has been a worthy follow-up to season one of Kimetsu No Yaiba.
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the breakouts of anime that continued to be on the top until 2021. The main character, Yuji Itadori, is a schoolboy with a good heart who, one day, eats an actual finger of a demon called Sukuna. After eating said finger, Itadori gets taken by Gojo Satorou who later becomes his mentor.
For most anime fans, Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best shonen anime ever released. It’s not like the typical anime where characters are being overpowered. Jujutsu Kaisen starts with Itadori being a weak individual who after eating the demon’s finger begs for the demon to save him.
The show might start a bit slow as it really explains everything, but later on, pays off to those anime lovers who spend more time watching it. One other thing is that the three characters are well represented and act more like siblings who pick on each other.
The first part of the final season of Attack on Titan starts with a time skip where big revelations happen about the past. It also revealed the world that lies beyond Paradis Island. This anime has a unique plot where you should expect the unexpected. As usual, there were massive battles, new characters, and tragic deaths. As the first part ends, it will leave you itching with lots of questions and the excitement of the approaching second part of the final season.
Isekai anime has been one of the most popular genres since “Sword art online” started. While the Isekai type of anime is being developed, a new series has been introduced, the Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. The series is about a 34-year old underachiever, who dies of an accident and reincarnated in a new world as a baby.
Mushoku Tensei is actually rising the ranks of one of the best animes in 2021 because of its unique and wholehearted approach to the genre. Being reborn as Rudy, the main character is yet to set on an exciting adventure that would test his courage at a young age.
Tokyo Revengers was one of the most anticipated anime of 2021. The main character, Takemichi who works as a part-timer in a bookstore has been hit by a train and was magically transported 12-years into the past. Before, he was a 14-year old cry baby delinquent. But, given the chance, he was determined to carve a better path into his future. Things started to change when he came across Toman (Tokyo Manji Gang) where he met Mikey and Draken.
He also used this opportunity to save his girlfriend, Hina from the tragic death caused by the Tokyo Manji Gang. Throughout the series, Takemichi travels back and forth from the past to the present with the help of the younger brother of Hina. But, everything started to get complicated as soon as he came back from his first journey as he found out that the future becomes twisted when he changes something from the past.
Tokyo Revengers is a perfect combination of heartfelt drama and high-octane action, where viewers are always filled with excitement every release of the episode.
Like all other sports anime, SK8 The Infinity features beautiful friendships, rivalries, and many more. The “S” competition is filled with excitement where skaters experience intense racing. With Adam being the primary antagonist, the anime becomes more interesting and unique.
Netflix’s Baki may have had a slow start compared to the classic release. However, when it comes to action, Netflix always delivers promising results. For Baki fans, it’s somewhat nostalgic as they recreate this series with new animation and an action-filled storyline. Be that as it may, the baseline plot never changed in this season. Baki is still aiming to be the top fighter to beat his father.
One of the most awaited anime recreations is the Shaman King. It’s been nearly 20 years since Shaman King finished airing in 2002, but the anime has gained more supporters since then. It was then followed by the manga which ended in 2004 after its six-year serialization at 32 volumes.
The good thing about this adaptation is that most of the 2001 series’ cast returned, making it more interesting and exciting for the fans of Shaman King. The results are promising and the plot is almost the same as the original. With its popularity and success, the show might cover the entire manga in its series.
This is also one of the most anticipated anime of 2021. That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is downright binge worthy and has gained millions of followers after its success during the first season. Anime fans are itching to see what the second season of this series has to offer, and it didn’t disappoint them. Rimuru is set to be one of the strongest demon lords to unite all races.
My Hero Academia continues to be one of the most popular anime in the world right now. Since season 1 the primary character, Midoriya, has shown a great potential of becoming the number 1 hero in the series. Season 5 has some of the most memorable scenes and unexpected happenings that leave its audience teetering on the edges of their seats.
There were so many good anime that were released in 2021. The animes above, which may or may not be everyones top picks, are surely on the list of the top on every article you can read online. So, if you wanted to relax and enjoy the day and watching anime is your comfort zone, perhaps enjoy some of these binge-worthy anime that came out last year. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
See also: Top 5 Animes That Will Always Be Binge Worthy
See also: Best Female Lead Anime on Netflix
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