- [Dan Casey] Today's episode of Explainiac is brought to
you by Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
These were the 2010s
They were a slow decent into swirling chaos,
non-stop vitriol and boring dystopia.
They were made better by two things:
dunking on boomers and anime.
And these are the best anime of the decade.
(upbeat intro music)
Welcome to Explainiac, I'm Dan Casey and on today's episode
we're gonna look back at the last ten years
and determine with scientific accuracy the very best anime
of the decade.
These are presented in no particular order
rather they are just the best of the best.
Now I'm going to include a full version of this list
including where you can stream it or buy it on Nerdist.com
But in the meantime just know that if you disagree with
this list You're wrong.
Because I consulted the top minds in the field and
that's just how this type of thing works.
(clapping)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
The true beauty of JoJo's bizarre Adventure and
its decade spanning quest to defeat vampires, cyborg Nazis
and all manner of people with obscure music references
for names
isn't its exquisite animation or its beautiful man-fighting
brutal battles or even its bomb ass music.
Its that you truly could not predict a single plot twist
if you tried.
Oh and also the fact they have a character named
Robert E. O. Speedwagon
honestly anime of the millennium is more like it.
My Hero Academia.
Now clearly Martin Scorsese's never watched an anime
or else he might be singing a different tune about
super hero stories.
My Hero Academia is a perfect blend of earnest heroism
aspirational world building and unforgettable characters.
It's basically like Marvel meets Harry Potter in
the best way possible.
It's the new gold standard in shounen storytelling
giving equal weight to emotional beats and ass kicking.
And in a world that can so often feel hopeless
it's a shining beacon of light.
Also that shining might be from the United States of Smash
god that (beep) slaps so (beep) hard.
Puella Magi Magica Madoka
The quintessential magical girl anime it manages to both
flip the genre on its head and feel like a solid metaphor
for this whole god forsaken decade.
Madoka is dark, it's daring, surreal
it'll make you think twice about the next time
someone tries to make a deal with you.
Especially if that someone is a small cat-like creature.
Honestly this anime is why I'm a dog person.
Also they're just better.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Now losing a loved one affects us all in different ways
but it's much harder to move on when you find yourself
plagued by visions of the deceased.
That's exactly what happens to Jinta Yadomi
when his childhood friend Menma passes away.
Her death left a rift in their friend group
but now they must come together once more
to put her spirit to rest.
And you must come together with a box of tissues
to dry the inevitable flood of tears that will be
erupting from your eyes because Jesus Christ
it's a sad one guys, buckle up.
You're gonna cry.
Assassination Classroom
Now everyone has at least one teacher that
changed their life forever.
And for the students at class Class 3-E at
Kunugigaoka Junior High it's Koro-sensei.
He's this giant yellow alien who gives his students
a unique challenge, if they can't kill him by
the following year he's gonna destroy the planet.
What follows is a surprisingly affecting series for a show
that's about a giant smiley faced monster teaching
pre-teens the art of assassination but hey
that's anime in a nutshell.
You know, that, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I can't do it again
new decade, new me.
It's a good show though.
(upbeat music)
One Punch Man
Now much like Excel Saga did for anime in the late 90's
One Punch Man does so for today's anime.
It expertly skewers, deconstructs and makes fun of
modern anime tropes.
Its story of a superhero that can defeat an enemy
with a single punch is laugh out loud hilarious
and features some of the most bad-ass fights ever animated.
And most importantly, it brought awareness to the medical
condition of having a butt-chin so big they should legally
require a pair of pants.
That wretched little boy.
The Promised Neverland
One of the most expertly constructed psychological
thrillers in recent memory, The Promised Neverland
is a show that sinks its claws deep into your soul
and doesn't let go until its wild ride comes
to a shocking conclusion.
Its story of orphans slowly uncovering a terrible secret
about their existence is a slow burn that erupts into
a raging inferno and simply cannot be missed.
It'll also make you think twice about the next time
you meet a particularly precocious kid.
What are they up to? What did they know?
Megalo Box
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ashita no Joe
one of the greatest sports anime of all time
they made another of the greatest sports anime of all time
Megalo Box.
It's a cyberpunk story of a junkyard scrapper fighting
his way through the brutal bloodsport of
mech assisted boxing.
It's stylish, heart-wrenching and beautifully animated.
And when you throw in a killer soundtrack
Well you have a total knockout of a series.
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Now anime is full of of romantic comedies but unfortunately
most of them straight up chug ass
and not in the way you might be hoping.
Kaguya-sama: Love Is War is not only hilarious
but will get you genuinely invested in the romantic
lives of its two leads as they each try to outsmart
the other in this emotional game of cat and mouse as
they try to get the other one to confess their love first.
It's a simple concept brilliantly executed
so whatever you do, make sure you swipe right on this
and you'll live happily ever laughter.
(laughs)
Ah Christ.
(Sighs)
Steins;Gate
Time travel stories with a genuinely device to facilitate
said time travel are my favorite kind of time travel stories
I mean look, Back to the Future has that dumb-ass car
the Delorean, the Hot Tub Time Machine has its titular
hot tub time machine and Steins;Gate has a microwave
attached to a cell phone that can send texts back in time.
No you're not having a stroke, I said it has a microwave
attached to a cell phone that sends text messages
back in time!
It's an unforgettable story of a mad scientist, murders
most foul and a race against time to prevent to
prevent world war 3.
And I mean honestly, What more could you ask for
from an anime?
A phone booth that some weird doctor travels around in
with a bunch of inters that they recruit across the
space-time continuum?
That lasts for more than fifty years
on a publicly funded broadcast network?
Now that sounds implausible.
Demon Slayer
I dare you to watch one episode of Demon Slayer and
not walk away impressed.
Some of the slickest animation in ages anchors a heartfelt
story about a young man who overcomes great tragedy
to do exactly what the title promises.
Slay some (beep) demons!
From the meticulous monster design, to its pulse pounding
battles to the earnest emotion that permeates every episode
Demon Slayer is a sterling example of what we should expect
from a modern anime.
Style and substance and that absolute dumb-ass Zenitsu.
I mean look, nothing's perfect but hey it's pretty close.
God that character sucks.
Your Name
Makoto Shinkai's star-crossed love story isn't just
inspiring unexpected The Rise of Skywalker fan theories
it's inspiring period thanks to its artistry,
photorealistic art style and grounded sci-fi storytelling.
Equal parts Freaky Friday, The Lake House
Highschool Romance with a twist of sci-fi added
for good measure.
Your Name is a beautiful journey from start to finish
that'll put you through the emotional wringer.
And honestly it's all worth it.
Just follow that red ribbon of fate to a fantastic film.
And there ya have it folks, the best anime of the decade
now look, I'm sure I left off your favorite series
I mean hey, I left off a bunch of my favorites too
that's the way these things work so...
I dunno before you go off being like
"Wah I can't believe you didn't include this on there"
why don't you just tell me what would be on your list
that seems more constructive and
I'd rather read that than you being like
"I can't believe this wasn't on here!"
Look, it's a long decade, let's close it out on a good note.
So why don't you let me know in the comments below
and give me a thumbs up while you're there.
Thanks again to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for sponsoring
today's episode.
You play Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan who narrowly escaped
the purge of Order 66 following the events of
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
On a quest to rebuild the Jedi order you must pick up
the pieces of your shattered past to complete your training
develop new powerful force abilities and master the art
of the iconic lightsaber all while staying one step ahead
of empire and its deadly inquisitors.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is available now on
Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
(outro music)