I thought I would wait until 2007 was over before compiling this list. This list was drawn from all anime series that I watched that aired in 2007. This includes series aired entirely within 2007, series which started in 2007 and are carrying over to 2008, and series which started in 2006 and carried over to 2007.
By my count, this totals to 23 anime series for me, and I’ve narrowed it down to a list of 10 (actually, narrowing it down to about 8 was the easy part. Tacking on 2 more shows was the hard part). So, without further ado, here is the Top Anime of 2007 (warning – spoilers may lie ahead):
#10 Genshiken 2
This is a series that I watched most of (I think I got through episode 10 before it got licensed) and was a pretty solid 2nd-tier show I thought. It’s pretty funny from start to finish (heck, even the opening is) and I think would be enjoyable for most people who saw the first series.
#9 Mokke
Another pretty solid 2nd-tier show, Mokke is a pretty, shall we say relaxing, watch. It’s not quite as jello-inducing as sketchbook, but it has much more of a laid back feeling than most shows do. Toss on top of this a nice story about a pair of sisters who have to deal with supernatural spirits and solid storytelling and you’ve got yourself a good show.
#8 Myself; Yourself
The first of two “out of nowhere” series, Myself; Yourself is a series I almost didn’t watch, but ended up doing so since the fine people over at m33w were subbing it. This ended up being a surprisingly good show filled with twists that keept you on your toes. There may be some loose ends in this series, but it is overall pretty good.
#7 Idolmaster Xenoglossia
Idolmaster tops off a rather lackluster Spring season for me, and is the only show from that season that cracked the top 10 (granted, I only watched 4). I’m not one for mecha anime, so to see one which actually held my interest through 26 episodes is a pretty good feat. I think one reason is because this show seemed rather unique, at least to me. Yes, it’s similar to Evangelion in the sense that the machines have some sort of soul, but it’s more softer in Idolmaster than harsh like in Evangelion. Also, I think that the characters, and not the mecha, also helped drive this series forward and up.
#6 Minami-ke
The second “out of nowhere” series, the first top-tier series, and another series which I very nearly didn’t watch, Minami-ke ended up being a good random-hilarity series. There aren’t many series that can utterly lack a plot line and be successful. Azumanga Daioh tried and succeeded. Lucky Star tried and, for the most part, failed. Now, don’t get me wrong, Minami-ke is quite a different animal from Azumanga, but it’s still a good laugh from pretty much start to finish.
#5 Blue Drop
The top 5 in the list get into the heart of the top-tier shows of the year, and Blue Drop was certainly a treat to watch. One of two Greek Tragedies on the top 10 list, Blue Drop was great to watch, seeing how the main characters, Mari and Hagino, expand their relationship (both romantic and otherwise) under the backdrop of an eminent alien invasion. Probably the big thing that separates this from the top 4 is that I think the animation is kind of lacking from Blue Drop, but the storytelling makes up for it.
#4 CLANNAD
The only show on the list which may grace the 2008 list, CLANNAD has thus far been great to watch, as we’ve gotten through the story arc of 1 girl and are well into the story arc of a 2nd girl as we continue to unwind the mystery in this series. Add on top of the great storytelling by Key the fantastic animation of KyoAni, and you have one of the best shows of the year.
#3 ef – a tale of memories
Ef was clearly the prize of the just-concluded Fall season shows as it presented a story which is somewhat unusual for anime based on visual novels: multiple stories involving multiple males. In fact, three separate couples come out of this show, which each girl having her own unique and compelling story. A mysterious and well told (and well animated!) story gives ef the third spot on the list.
#2 Kanon
Like it’s fellow Key-KyoAni show, Kanon is a cross-year show. This one started in 2006 and finished up in 2007. Kanon quite possibly embodies the perfect visual novel-turned-anime show, with nearly perfect animation and a compelling story from start to finish. This would easily be the #1 show of the year, but only if one other show hadn’t aired, and that’s…
#1 School Days
Could any other show finish in the #1 spot but School Days? This show made waves in so many ways. First off, you had the male lead in the running for lamest male lead in an anime ever. Second, it’s rare that you actually get a harem show where the guy actually scores, much less which no fewer than 8 girls. Third, they creators of the show actually went through with the bloody ending, and we didn’t just get one, but two bloody endings, and memorable ones at that (“there’s no one inside” anyone?). Finally, this show will forever be remembered with the Nice Boat incident.
Yes, School Days must be the clear top show of 2007.
Also, did anyone else notice that all the top 4 shows are all visual novel-turned anime series?
While I’m not blogging this series, I am watching it. This was a series which, when I read about it, I both had doubts and hopes about it, but I overall didn’t have a good feeling, and unfortunately the first episode didn’t help alleviate those feelings.
Anime Review – Myself; Yourself: 78.9%
The Essentials
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Episodes: 13
Released: October 2, 2007 – December 25, 2007
Based On: Myself; Yourself dating sim by Yeti
Director: Yasuhiro Kuroda
Produced By: Dogakobo
US Distribution By: N/A
Major Japanese Cast
Sana Hidaka: Shinnosuke Tachibana
Nanaka Yatsushiro: Ami Koshimizu
Syūsuke Wakatsuki: Takehito Koyasu
Syuri Wakatsuki: Yukari Tamura
Aoi Oribe: Tomoko Kaneda
Asami Hoshino: Mai Nakahara
Hinako Mochida: Ayumi Murata
Yuzuki Fujimura: Megumi Toyoguchi
Major English Cast
N/A
Scores
Animation: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Story: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Music: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 9/10 (x 2 = 18 pts)
English Dubs: N/A
Gut Score: 8/10 (x 5 = 40 pts)
Total: 150/190 (78.9%)
Review
Myself; Yourself is about a boy, Sana, who returns to his hometown after being away for 5 years to attend high school. Before he left, Sana was friends with Nanaka, who was a gifted piano player and whom Sana liked, Syusuke and Syuri, who are twins, and Aoi, his cousin. When he returns, he finds that many things have stayed the same with his old friends, but that many other things are different, especially in regards to Nanaka.
Myself; Yourself somewhat suffers from a split personality, and on multiple fronts.
First off, while some parts of the story were well written and executed very well, other parts of the story just seemed to be stuck in for the sake of being stuck in, and story arcs had a tendency to end with plot twists, which is nice as it keeps one on your toes and doesn’t make thing predictable, but having so many twists creates the tendency to have each twist outdo the last, causing them to become increasingly over the top. Also, more plot holes than I would have liked were left open in the end.
Second, while the animation is, generally, OK, the character designs are, to put it simply, bad. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what’s wrong, but I just didn’t like them.
The one part of the series which I think helps left it up more than others is the depth of the characters and their interaction with each other. While the behavior of a couple characters was kind of annoying (Aoi in particular), most of the main characters behaved in a way which made the series better.
Ultimate, I think this series is generally worth watching, as it has a uniqueness which separates it from other shows like it. However, I think Myself; Yourself is a bit of a hit-or-miss show.
First Watched: October – December 2007
Do I Own: No
Do I Recommend: Yes