This year saw plenty of adaptations of old manga as well as sequels to series which we’ve been crying out for. Let’s review which anime climbed their way out of the ranks to become the twenty highest-rated shows of 2015!
Counting down the top 20 anime of 2015 by their MAL scores as of the date of publication. The criteria are the anime must have started airing in 2015 and any DVD special episodes have been discounted.
[external_link_head]Mục Lục [hide]
- 1 Top 20 to 11
- 2 20: Prison School
- 3 19: Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story!!)
- 4 18: Durarara!!x2 Shou
- 5 17: Working!!!
- 6 16: Junjou Romantica 3
- 7 15: Baby Steps 2nd Season
- 8 14: Kamisama Hajimemashita◎
- 9 13: Non Non Biyori Repeat
- 10 12: Diamond no Ace: Second Season
- 11 11: Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!)
- 12 Top 10 to 2
- 13 10: Death Parade
- 14 9: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season
- 15 8: Owarimonogatari
- 16 7: Noragami Aragoto
- 17 6: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Stardust Crusaders 2nd Season (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
- 18 5: Shokugeki no Souma
- 19 4: Kuroko no Basket 3rd Season
- 20 3: Haikyuu!! Second Season
- 21 2: One Punch Man
Top 20 to 11
20: Prison School
19: Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story!!)
MAL Rated 8.19, Ranked #312
Aired Spring 2015
Produced by Madhouse
Watch on: Crunchyroll, AnimeLab
Ore Monogatari!! is a saccharine shoujo romance with a twist: main character Takeo is by no means your typical bishonen character. He’s tall, extremely buff, with a face that only his mother could love-until Yamato comes along, that is!
18: Durarara!!x2 Shou
17: Working!!!
16: Junjou Romantica 3
15: Baby Steps 2nd Season
MAL Rated 8.25, Ranked #249
Aired Spring 2015
Produced by Studio Pierrot
Watch on: Crunchyroll
The second season of this tennis anime shows Eiichirou striving to become a professional player. While the other token tennis anime might be more famous, Baby Steps is probably more realistic in terms of actual gameplay.
14: Kamisama Hajimemashita◎
13: Non Non Biyori Repeat
12: Diamond no Ace: Second Season
11: Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!)
Top 10 to 2
10: Death Parade
MAL Rated 8.39, Ranked #158 | Aired Winter 2015 | Produced by Madhouse
A series which expands upon the world we only caught a glimpse of in its predecessor, Death Billiards, the short film created for Anime Mirai. This anime forced its viewers to confront both the dark and lighter sides of human nature and asked us whether a person can (or should) be judged by the actions they take when pushed to the brink.
9: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season
MAL Rated 8.48, Ranked #108 | Aired Spring 2015 | Produced by ufotable
The epic conclusion to Unlimited Blade Works ended on a high note, ultimately topping its previous movie adaptation. First-time watchers will be shocked by the surprise twists which season two throws at them.
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Daisuki, AnimeLab
8: Owarimonogatari
MAL Rated 8.51, Ranked #98 | Aired Fall 2015 | Produced by Shaft
The latest installment of the controversial Monogatari series joins the rest of its brethren amongst the higher-ranked anime out there. Owarimonogatari was not without its critics but its final scoring suggests that there are plenty more fans than there are haters.
Watch on: Crunchyroll, Hulu
7: Noragami Aragoto
MAL Rated 8.60, Ranked #69 | Aired Fall 2015 | Produced by Bones
Following on from the first season, Aragoto pursues the Bishamon arc from the manga and teases with the promise of delving into the mystery which surrounds the masterless Nora spirits. Where season one deviated from the source material to introduce an original character, Aragoto mostly cleaves to the manga’s original plotline.
Watch on: Funimation, Hulu, AnimeLab
6: JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Stardust Crusaders 2nd Season (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)
MAL Rated 8.62, Ranked #57 | Aired Winter 2015 | Produced by David Production
Stardust Crusaders steps past its previous seasons to become the most well-received in its series! The crazy, zany action and explosive fights continue on from where the first season left off.
Watch on: Crunchyroll
5: Shokugeki no Souma
MAL Rated 8.69, Ranked 44 | Aired Spring 2015 | Produced by J.C. Staff
This anime blazes into fifth place with its intense plotline and strong character development. While the series is undoubtedly about Souma Yukihira and his quest to become the number one chef of his year, we are also drawn into the personal stories of those whom he meets on his journey.
Watch on: Crunchyroll, AnimeLab
[external_link offset=2]4: Kuroko no Basket 3rd Season
MAL Rated 8.70, Ranked #38 | Aired Winter 2015 | Produced by Production I.G.
Kuroko no Basket slips into fourth place despite waning overall popularity. Season three continues to follow the story of Kuroko and the basketball team of Seirin High as they make their way through to the Winter Cup.
Watch on: Crunchyroll
3: Haikyuu!! Second Season
MAL Rated 8.88, Ranked #16 | Aired Fall 2015 | Produced by Production I.G.
Haikyuu!! slams into third place with its follow-up to an inconsistent first season. After the team’s loss, they rally together to pursue a chance to go to Tokyo. But a new place comes with a new set of opponents…
Watch on: Hulu, Crunchyroll, AnimeLab
2: One Punch Man
MAL Rated 9.06, Ranked #11 | Aired Fall 2015 | Produced by Madhouse
Punching its way to second place is One Punch Man! This anime gained immediate popularity for its gag humour and fresh approach to the superhero genre. Instead of an everyday guy on a quest to become a hero, we have Saitama: an established, self-proclaimed “hobby hero” who can defeat almost every monster he meets with a single punch. A twelve-episode season was too short to show any character development for our protagonist, so here’s to hoping that a second season is in the pipeline!
MAL Rated 9.15, Ranked #4 | Aired Spring 2015 | Produced by Bandai Namco Pictures
Capping off this countdown is, of course, Gintama! This series enters its third season this year and remains as popular as ever. Its comical gags and lack of any respect for the fourth wall will surely leave you in stitches!
If you thought 2015 was amazing, why not check out some other banner years of anime?
Here are some of the best so far:
Top Anime 2014
Top Anime 2013
Top Anime 2012 [external_footer]