Crymore.net’s Top 9 Bestest Animes of the Fall 2012 Anime Season

This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.

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Top 9 Bestest Animes of the Fall 2012 Anime Season

Every now and then there comes about an anime season that airs in the fall of 2012.

This is that then. …and that now.

 

 

9. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

So we’re gonna act like threatening to rape someone makes them the ideal romantic partner if the person making the threat is smart and hot, right?

why wont anyone anime rape me

Crunchyroll Anime Reactions

Okay, just wanted to clear that up before I launched into the enjoyable parts of the show.

 

Yep, the enjoyable parts…

 

Hold on, they’re around here somewhere…

 

 

Hm.

 

Just gotta keep looking, I guess. I’m 12 episodes in and I haven’t found them yet, but I’m sure I will.

Consider this rank a placeholder in the interim. I mean, there’s gotta be a reason everyone likes this show so fucking much, right?

 

 

8. Ixion Saga DT

If you like seeing guys get kicked in the nuts, you’re gonna love this show. If not, avoid. Me, I’m quite partial to this sort of highbrow comedy.

I’d like to say more, but that’s really all there is to the show.

Ixion Saga DT in a nutsack
Ixion Saga DT in a nutsack

Anime!

 

 

7. Teekyu

A laugh a minute for a two-minute show is still pretty good.

Teekyu

The comedy comes from the show being intentionally ADHD, which is because it only has a minute-thirty of actual content per episode and it wants to get as much in there as it can.

It’s some crazy shit, but I fucking like it because I can’t pay attention to

Teekyu best anime

You can finish the entire series off in 20 minutes with your brain completely turned off. That’s not a diss, though. Unlike every other super short anime out there, there is value in watching this besides just padding out your MAL “animes seen” score.

It’s genuinely entertaining and that’s why it gets my seven spot.

 

 

6. Kamisama Hajimemashita

A legitimately good shoujo? Oh Japan, you did get me what I wanted for Christmas!

[Anime-Koi] Kami-sama Hajimemashita - 10 [E3CFA54B].mkv_snapshot_16.32_[2012.12.23_17.43.18]

Shoujos are generally built on the strengths of the main characters’ relationships and that (usually) requires good characters that you wanna root for.

[Anime-Koi] Kami-sama Hajimemashita - 09 [3C732FC1].mkv_snapshot_19.58_[2012.12.23_17.44.24]

Speaking of~ Tomoe and Nanami: best couple.

Wait a sec…

Fuck!

I’ve fallen into the trap that all shoujos lay: it’s impossible to praise them without turning the praise into a fucking tumblr page. All right, let’s fix that.

 

 

6. Kamisama Hajimemashita (for realzz this time)

[Anime-Koi] Kami-sama Hajimemashita - 08 [FFFFC7B0].mkv_snapshot_16.58_[2012.12.23_17.57.02]

So this cock-conquering lass is Nanami Momozono. A woman on a mission to get more balls under her control than a Pokemon master.

By the end of this season, Nanami has three sluts lined up, all begging for her to peg them like a goddamn Battleship board.

But this lady deity ain’t got time for that shit.

[Anime-Koi] Kami-sama Hajimemashita - 11 [38135AA8].mkv_snapshot_15.15_[2012.12.23_18.06.50]

She’s too goddamn busy being a goddamn god to care about having some meat for supper. And as she gets more humans and demons to pray for her protection, she becomes stronger and stronger, steadily increasing her harem size.

Cuz that’s just how she fucking rolls.

Nanami dont take no shit

And that’s pretty much it. Kamisama is a slice-of-badass-life anime which is why it’s #6 on my list.

 

 

5. Psycho-Pass

It’s all about that cour-1 conclusion.

Spoiler for

[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 11 [FDE8B4BB].mkv_snapshot_20.00_[2012.12.23_14.39.50]

[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 11 [FDE8B4BB].mkv_snapshot_20.02_[2012.12.23_14.40.10]

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[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 11 [FDE8B4BB].mkv_snapshot_20.05_[2012.12.23_14.40.24]

[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 11 [FDE8B4BB].mkv_snapshot_20.06_[2012.12.23_14.40.51]

[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 11 [FDE8B4BB].mkv_snapshot_20.06_[2012.12.23_14.40.38]

[Commie] Psycho-Pass - 11 [FDE8B4BB].mkv_snapshot_20.07_[2012.12.23_14.42.53]

Fucking top-tier.

…Wait, am I supposed to be convincing people who haven’t seen the show that it’s supposed to be good? Is that the objective of these top-X lists? I always thought they were just literary masturbation of the lowest form.

But fine. It’s good. If you aren’t convinced by that explanation, that would be a shame. Cuz you’re probably missing out on something enjoyable. Probably~

 

 

4. Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!

Chuu2 doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a disapproving glance at the concept of “growing up”? Is it a subtle dig at its fanbase of otatard manchildren who are stuck in a Peter Pan fantasy land?

[URW]_Chuunibyou_demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_-_04_[720p][D41E2856].mkv_snapshot_06.01_[2012.12.23_15.39.17]

Whatever it is, it’s entertaining.

[URW]_Chuunibyou_demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_-_04_[720p][D41E2856].mkv_snapshot_16.56_[2012.12.23_15.39.40]

Excellent visuals, generally enjoyable character interactions, and instances of high-quality comedy and drama underscore just why this anime is so goddamn popular.

But unfortunately, Chuu2 has issues deciding what it wants to say. And it’s this confusion of purpose that prevents Chuu2 from really… saying anything at all.

 

…Wait, I can’t end it there? But… that was such a great stopping point! Aww fuck, you’re right. I forgot about the Chuu2 hXc fans that will be reading this.

 

Okay, let me fucking explain why “purpose” is important for an anime. Even the most vapid shows say something, even if that something is nothing. Too hard? Fine, lemme examplify this shit with some other high school comedies.

AD

Azumanga Daioh has no real plot, but at least it has a description: it’s a charming high school comedy focused on a group of schoolgirls. That’s what it’s about.

FLCL is a lolrandombanzai darling of 30-year-olds the world over and they will swear to their graves that it’s “a super fucking deep coming-of-age story”. If you believe them, that’s what FLCL stands for.

(Go ahead and vomit:)

 

Point is that with most anime, you can at least pick out something about what its overall message is, even if it’s not a particularly intelligent one. Chuu2 doesn’t really have a cohesive message though, and that’s its main problem.

[URW]_Chuunibyou_demo_Koi_ga_Shitai!_-_04_[720p][D41E2856].mkv_snapshot_11.56_[2012.12.23_15.22.47]

(This is your cue to tell me I “don’t get it”. Entertain me.)

 

 

3. Jormungand – Perfect Order

If the first season was a pointed attempt at being a boring Black Lagoon, then the second season shows exactly why that was such a great decision.

[gg]_Jormungand_-_22_[9B30FB30].mkv_snapshot_20.20_[2012.12.23_15.10.31]

Building off what season 1 started, we start to see how well the cast fits together and exactly what elements make up the world of Jormungand that Koko and her merry band live in. There are significant character developments and the plot starts ratcheting toward its conclusion at a breakneck pace. And it feels right.

Though the final episode has yet to air, with the way Jormungand has been reinforcing its characters, any goddamn thing could happen and it wouldn’t affect the core quality of the show. Many anime live and die by their endings, but Jormungand is so good at its core that it doesn’t fucking matter what happens. It’s so sure of itself — so filled with purpose — that the final episode could be a moe high school girl comedy and it would fit in perfectly.

[gg]_Jormungand_-_22_[9B30FB30].mkv_snapshot_20.58_[2012.12.23_15.11.03]

Taking the first season into consideration, Jormungand is a very slow burn, but Perfect Order reflects its name accurately.

 

 

2. Shinsekai Yori

If you want to see world-building done right, this is a great example. Shinsekai is part of what I’d call the “broken utopia” genre. Much like Psycho-Pass, society in Shinsekai is organized around a central tenet. In Psycho-Pass it was “objective justice”, and in Shinsekai it’s “threat prevention”. Shinsekai is told from the perspective of adolescents who have to deal with the dangers their own society presents, moreso than anything else.

[UTW]_Shinsekai_Yori_-_13_[h264-720p][878BE995].mkv_snapshot_02.28_[2012.12.23_19.04.24]

Shows like Shinsekai live and die by their plots and world development, and Shinsekai ain’t got nothing but life in it. There aren’t many series that are filled with the creativity and thought put into Shinsekai, and that’s reason enough for anyone to give the series a shot. Each episode builds on the last, presenting a very intriguing and interwoven plot.

Going on and on about why Shinsekai is good would only be doing the show an injustice — it represents itself well enough (except for the animation though, cuz they cut the budget after the first few episodes).

[UTW]_Shinsekai_Yori_-_12_[h264-720p][8C640876].mkv_snapshot_07.19_[2012.12.23_18.49.16]

It’s not your typical anime, and that means a lot of people won’t enjoy it (for valid reasons), but if you can stay on the ride you’ll find yourself being whisked away on a trip well worth the fare.

 

Now, Shinsekai is a fantastic anime, but there’s only one other anime this season that can top it, and I’m sure you’ve already guessed what it is.

 

 

1.

Spoiler for

That fucking ninja ostrich episode from Naruto Shippuden.

(I watched it today, so we’re considering it Fall 2012.)

 

Just fucking look at this shit:

Emotional Development

Shino copes with loss

Jokes

Superior naruto jokes

Sexual Tension

Hot Naruto yaoi bishies

 

Drama & Plot Twists

Naruto plot development

And… Ostrich Bukkake

Naruto ostrich covered in jizz

 

It’s true that many shows this season tried to incorporate these five critical elements into their essence. But there is not one anime that does all five of these things as well as that fucking ninja ostrich episode from Naruto Shippuden. And that’s why this ep is the best anime of Fall 2012.

Believe it.

37 thoughts on “Crymore.net’s Top 9 Bestest Animes of the Fall 2012 Anime Season”

      • I did that, too, but you should seriously consider picking it up again. I watched the whole first season in one session and after I suffered through it, I could enjoy Season 2 which is superior by far.

        Maybe kinda similar to Jormungand (depending on this article though I didn’t watch it).

        Reply
        • If you’ve read the manga, the Medaka Box anime doesn’t really add anything. I’m enjoying watching it, but I also have this disease where I don’t have a problem listening to the same song for 12 hours consecutively or watching the same show over and over again.

          The anime adaptation is straight off the pages of the manga, I don’t think it’s worth picking up if you’ve already read it. Especially not the first season.

          Reply
          • Medaka Box is straight up fun, something sadly lacking in most of the shows this Fall Season. I enjoy it the same way I enjoyed shows like Needless. Yeah it’s silly and predictable, but damn if i don’t smile everytime she does her *dashing* pose.

            Reply
  1. >Shoujos are generally built on the strengths of the main characters’ relationships and that (usually) requires good characters that you wanna root for.

    Uh, Sage, I don’t think the ‘for’ is necessary.
    (Ufufu)

    Reply
  2. Yes, I love my lists and retrospectives.

    Put together a post with Naruto as #1 with hilarious screencaps, and phrases like “peg them like a goddamn Battleship board” and you know you’ve done a gj.

    Damn you Sage, now you’ve made me want to pick up Perfect Order (glad to hear it’s better than S1…because that really was a boring Black Lagoon) and Chuu2 :(

    Reply
  3. Teekyuu was a wonderful ADHD fest to behold.

    P.S.
    “Shinsekai is told from the perspective of adolescents who have to deal with the dangers their own society presents presents”
    “presents presents”?

    Reply
  4. There was a definite theme to Chuu2. Last episode pretty much summed it up, and it’s pretty goddamn deep too. Fuck, if that isn’t what you call a “cohesive message” I don’t know what is.

    Reply
  5. Other than the lesbians, I’ve been pretty unimpressed with shinsekai. It just jumps around every ep and well yeah. Weird monsters with weird names. That’s pretty much the whole thing. That, and terrible art+animation. It had a few exciting moments though, but I’d say it’s the worst anime of the season so far. I’ll pull a Sage and give it an 8 though, I liked it at the start.

    Reply
    • I feel like it has a very defined direction with twists in the mix personally. A lot of planning went into the script/original novel from what I’ve seen imo.

      Reply
    • If with SHIt you mean a series that wanted to be serious and funny at the same time and only managed to be stupid and unoriginal, then yes, it was SHIt.

      Reply

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