Top 5 favorite anime of mine.

Get to know the artist part. 2

Going out to conventions, and photographing some of the best cosplays, if you can tell, anime has been a pillar of my life. I started watching anime in the summer of 2004, though I must admit; watching Sailor Moon in the 90s count as anime, so let’s say since the 90s!!! Picking just 5 titles for this list of my favorite anime was a bit difficult, but there is so much good anime out now lately, I really didn’t know what to pick. I took several things into consideration when choosing 5: Did the anime leave its mark on the culture in a meaningful way? Did they influence the industry and genre? And, of course lastly, did I just like that series? Here are my top 5 favorite anime.

Deadman Wonderland

I was a bit intrigued with this anime because it tells a story about a young boy named Ganta, who is accused of killing his classmates. Ganta is placed on trial as a suspect. Due to evidence rigged against him, he is sentenced to death at Deadman Wonderland, a prison that doubles as a theme park. The concept of the plot was really good, that is until they canceled the anime, leaving the series with a cliffhanger which I'm not a fan of. While I understand their reasons for canceling the anime, there is a lot of good action, cool looking powers and techniques and LOTS of gore. Plus, the anime thrives at displaying it in a brutal manner.

FullMetal Alchemist

I believe that the holy trinity of anime during the 2000s were Dragonball (at its peak) Naruto, and then there was Full Metal Alchemist. This anime was about two brothers trying to bring back their mother. However that turned out unsuccessful. Instead, Edward Elric loses his leg, while his brother Alphonse gets deconstructed. Edward sacrifices his right arm to retrieve Alphonse's soul, binding it to a suit of armor. The series explores social problems, including discrimination, scientific advancement, political greed, brotherhood, family, and war. Not to knock the other two anime’s I highlighted, but Full Metal Alchemist was more than just action. It was all about learning about everyday life.

Kill la Kill

Kill la Kill is one of the most outlandish and obscene anime that I ever watched. The series was about a transfer student named Ryuko Matoi who searches for her father's killer. However, she winds up in a confrontation with Satsuki Kiryuin, the student council president of Honnouji Academy, and her mother Ragyo Kiryuin's fashion empire. Aside from the lusty and provocative scenes, Kill la Kill finishes strong from beginning to end. My take on the anime as a whole is about belonging somewhere in a society where it makes life difficult to fit in anywhere. In addition, I loved the series for its uniqueness and antifascist undertones.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass is the lunacy of an anime that is set up in an alternative universe where the nobles of all Europe fled to the American colonies and ruled there from that time. It was about two princes, Lelouch Lamperouge and Suzaku Kururugi, aiming to reshape and rebel against the governmental structure of Japan. The series overall has a lot of layers. The one takeaway from it was the path between sacrifice and happiness. Certain characters played their role of sacrifice to fit the role of Lelouch’s plan. In other words, life is about the choices we have and trade-offs that we accept.

Chainsaw Man

Chainsaw Man is everything that I wanted Deadman Wonderland to be about. To have a consistent plot that is straight-forward, and to not omit scenes that would have been in the manga. It is why it has grown to be on my best 5 anime list. Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, an impoverished young man who makes a contract that fuses his body with that of a dog-like devil named Pochita, granting him the ability to transform parts of his body into chainsaws. The anime points out that sometimes your friends could become your enemy, while rivals could grow into being a friend.

For the anime I have listed above, I realize that for at least one of them I made criticism of. Just because an anime is in my top 5, it is not without fault or critique. But what are your top five? Is it one of the anime above? Let me know in the comments.