Top 10 Anime of Winter 2020

Bottom line – all mobile games are evil, and if you aren’t careful, they might rope you into a city-wide battle royale, where the only way to survive is to ensure you’re the one left standing. Like many protagonists before him, Kaname finds himself unwittingly pulled into said killing game with only his wits and a newfound ability to create objects to keep him alive. At least he’s learned from his predecessors and immediately hooked up with a psychotic waifu with plenty of in-game experience and a serious case of love at first sight. While the formula isn’t anything new, it is a barrel of fun, mostly due to Shuka impaling contestants left and right with those chains of hers.

First things first; Somali is a precious piece of starlight and must be protected at all costs! In a world where humans have all but been eradicated, a lone child is discovered by a golem of the forest, who decides to escort her across the monster-filled landing order to reunite her with the last fleeting tribes of humanity. While the exotic landscapes and designs of the creatures are mesmerising, the real treasure here is the budding relationship between the seemingly emotionless golem and an innocent girl who already views him as her father. Be warned, your heart will melt.

Dabbling in the occult is always going to yield unexpected consequences, though we doubt Yashiro thought that invoking an ancient spirit would lead to her becoming the assistant to a mischievous yet insightful entity duty-bound to maintain order between humans and the other side. Who also happens to live in a toilet. With a dash of darkness spread across its hilarious high school hijinks and the blossoming friendship between our mis-matched pair, this one is a real charmer.

Time to head back to school again, only this time with a brand-new addition to the class. Taking all the meta comedy that made the first season such a hit, the return of the likes of Subaru, Kazuma, Ainz Ooal Gown and Tanya has been a delight so far, blending together school antics with their own personal brand of humour, especially now that Naofumi and the rest of his companions have rolled up on campus. And yes, watching him deflect deadly baseballs with his shield is as awesome as it sounds.

While the original escapades of Madoka and her companions remain at the pinnacle, this alternative tale regarding an entire city filled with witches, magical girls and mystery has turned out to have far more polish that we thought. The idea of magical girl factions and internal conflicts, the reveal of a different version of Kyubey, as well as the nature of Inoha’s wish and how it resulted in her losing all recollection of her sister is pretty fascinating. Throw in those classic trippy visuals, and this is shaping up to be a worthy companion piece to the Urobutcher’s magnum opus.

Spirits, mythical creatures, and the cheeky, endearing relationship between a goddess of wisdom and a chill lad feared by the underworld. Say hello to the decade’s newest occult detective thriller. After becoming a mediator between the world of humans and creatures beyond the boundary, Kotoko finds herself a new partner in the form of the laid-back Kuro, whose body appears to be poison to anything otherworldly. The only thing more intriguing than their investigations is the rather steamy attraction developing between the two (at least from Kotoko’s perspective).

Insanity. That’s the only word to describe this incredible medley of butchery, magic and cannibalism. Living inside of a downtrodden city known as the Hole, the residents are nothing more than playthings to the sadistic magicians who come in and out to practise their twisted spells…at least until they find themselves running into Caiman – a bulky dude with a lizard’s face, a mysterious stranger living in his throat, who just happens to be immune to magic and looking for the sorcerer who stole away his memories. When your first episode ends with a gag involving someone’s face getting accidentally peeled off – you know you’re in for quite a ride.

We’ve waited and waited for Misaka to get her time back in the spotlight, and now we’ve got it. In what’s already shaping up to be a more fulfilling Index experience than Index Season Three, the Railgun and her buddies have found themselves competing in their very own sports festival arc, all the while dirty dealings go on in the background. As expected, we’re bound to get plenty of slice of life shenanigans combined with the shocking action that comes from one of Academy City’s strongest espers. Though most of all we’re just hoping one of her adorable clones takes home the gold.

Oh Masaki Yuasa, how we’ve missed you. The maestro has once again graced us with a new project, one that serves as a love letter to anime as an artform. Fuelled by their love of animation (and making a buttload of money from it) three friends endeavour to create their own anime. Not only are our main trio eccentric in all the right ways, not only do we get to witness the Yuasa’s signature visual style in all its glory, but we also get to see the characters’ imagination literally come to life. Watching every idea of theirs manifest isn’t only entertaining, but beautifully pays homage to the medium that we’ve all come to adore.

The hype could not be more real for the return of the Flightless Crows, and while we’ve yet to see them work their magic inside a tournament setting in this season, the lead up to the upcoming nationals could not be more monumental. We have Kageyama taking on a training camp for Japanese hopefuls at the world level, while both Hinata and Tsukishima are currently following in the footsteps of Ushijima to try to perfect their skills. Heartfelt and atmospheric, what promises to be a true return to form for Karasuno has thus far made for one of winter’s most wholesome viewing experiences.