Anime Tier list (2024)

Hey everyone, here is the awaited tier list! Lets go over a few rules before we start.

• This is entirely my own opinion. More than likely, you will disagree with me on some shows. That is perfectly fine, but remember to keep discussion civil.
• The list is in order within the tiers, so the shows listed at the top of the tier are higher up within that tier.
• I try to have some literary analysis while reviewing anime, but inevitably some of this will come down to arbitrary or general feeling like “vibe” and “cool factor”.
• A couple of shows here are “animations”, not true anime. But I’m lumping them together. Don’t like it? Too bad. Arcane is 99% an anime, it belongs here.
• This is just a short description to not bog down the already long list. If you want more in depth analysis, search through the new posts channel in my discord, or look through my past blogs page here on Medium.

With that out of the way, on we go!

S Tier: (13 entries) Excellent anime that either directly appeal to my interests, or are cinematic masterpieces that are outstanding and awe inspiring. 10/10

• 86. Perfect deep characters, very challenging themes to tackle that are executed so well, a war story which instantly means it appeals to me, and just the best music in anime, period. Kevin Penkin on Made in Abyss is a close second, but Hiroyuki Sawano (yes, the same one from the GOAT Attack on Titan) made this masterpiece of an album.
• Stein;s Gate. Profound, deep, and an incredibly mystery show. Nothing has ever made me want to watch the next episodes so quickly than the middle arcs of Stein;s Gate. If the first couple of episodes were not a tad slow but important, this would be the top show.
• K-On. Very wholesome and the quintessential slice of life show. It is truly about a few high school girls who are bored and need a way to give their life meaning. If you enjoy music, CGDCT, or just want something wholesome to watch, this is THE show.
• Arcane. Argue if it is an anime or not, the show is a cinematic masterpiece. I hate league with a passion because the devs are incompetent, but you cannot deny that their marketing team does amazing things such as Arcane. A true rags to… depression(?) story. I know nothing about the characters other than Caitlyn but I was invested from episode one.
• Made in Abyss. Horrifying to an exceptional level. Even though it seems fun for the first episode or two, do not be fooled. This is one of the scariest anime ever seen, but it also has among the most rich world building at the same time. Truly one of a kind.
• Konosuba. If you hate Isekai like I tend to, this is the perfect show for you. While an Isekai itself, the entire time the themes, characters, and most of the worldbuilding poke fun at Isekai tropes. It also will occasionally just provide a banger arc or character development episode that has no place belonging in something so funny and goofy.
• Suzume. It’s a bit weird, but it’s a Makoto Shinkai film. The supernatural aspect, the character development, and the absolutely stunning background work for this movie is out of this world.
• Weathering With You. Another Shinkai film, but yeah I like most of his work. A lot more somber and depressing compared to some of his other films, but done in such an amazing way. I got the honor to watch this, along with Suzume, in theatres and it was such a treat.
• Love is War. The perfect high school romance, or just general romance. Witty and loveable characters, perfectly executed comedy, and a narrator, which is both rare and adds a ton to the dynamic of the show. I can’t wait for the anime to conclude, and we get a proper sendoff.
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The Cyberpunk universe is so deep, and yet somehow Edgerunners is potentially the best piece of Cyberpunk content out there. Brutal and yet slightly relatable storytelling, excellent animation, and gut wrenching scenes. Perfectly made.
• ODD TAXI. Maybe the weirdest anime I’ve seen that is north of C tier, but it somehow just works. The twist at the final episode is actually insane, please don’t spoil yourself. It is a slow mystery drama, but if that sounds like it is for you, it is so deep and intricate. It is one of those shows where every detail truly matters.
• Apothecary Diaries. A fun mystery. Compared to most mystery, there is only a couple of moments of dread, and most of the time it is a nice hybrid of slice of life and mystery. A comfier show that still gets the brain going and keeps you interested in a political Chinese drama. Super unique.
• Clannad. An old classic. Admittedly the first part of the show is slow and kind of boring with some interesting or nice moments in between. After Story though… bro… it is so sad, so depressing… Also for some brief lore. I literally made my first anime blog to cope with After Story Episode 16. Yes, really. It was that moving.

A+ Tier: (14 entries) Extremely good anime that push the boundaries of the genre. 10/10 or 9/10

• A Certain Scientific Railgun. A really powerful and moving fantasy that has a huge magic and even science system as the name suggests. It goes a bit hard on power fantasy, but I think its one of the best power fantasies I’ve seen. Also accompanied with Index and Accelerator further down in the list, same universe.
• Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. I really love the wholesome, campy feeling Frieren gives me. Just a bunch of people living an adventurer’s life in a fantasy world. And yet it also has deeply profound, epic, and moving moments. Almost everyone knows about it, but definitely a must-watch unless you need action every episode.
• Oshi No Ko. Admittedly the later part of the seasons is a bit on the average side, though they do tackle some deep and unexplored topics in the idol industry. Episode 1 though… what a total masterpiece. Amazing characters and storytelling throughout.
• Spy x Family. Another huge show for wholesomeness, this is just the best modern slice of life for portraying the unique lifestyle of Loid and his family. Also the best “normie” anime if you want to ease someone into the world of anime.
• Chainsaw Man. My singular Shonen representative here (for now!), Chainsaw Man was so good. I do have a slight disdain for high action shows as opposed to balancing it out a bit more, but Chainsaw Man hit that medium for me perfectly. A bit of a zoomer’s intro to Shounen, but sometimes that is exactly what you need. Perfect vibes.
• Bloom Into You. Far and away the best Yuri show. The only negative is that season 1 ended on a cliffhanger and we haven’t gotten a season 2 in 4+ years. Perfectly encapsulates how people find their sexuality and learn to love themselves.
• Samurai Champloo. Such a classic. Hip hop meets a bunch of middle aged Japanese guys going around and gooning in the 1800s? Amazing concept, and it works so well.
• Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Weird, reasonable, stupid, intelligent… this show is a paradox, because all of those words fit. A super brain on show, so be prepared. Balances that out with some oddly wholesome romance and drama.
• Fruits Basket. The lone Shoujo here, Fruits Basket is really fun! Amazing characters, and a very awesome story that sounds like it was an old proverb turned into an anime. I recommend the newer one, as it mostly improves over the older one and also goes further into the source material to finish the story.
• Re: Zero. Amazing storytelling and actually made me like a proper Isekai. There is an arc in the middle of season one that is so bad on purpose, but it is so awful to watch. You need to power through it, you need that willpower. If you have it, watch Re:Zero. If you don’t… unfortunate.
• Lycoris Recoil. For an anime original, Lycoris Recoil knocked it out of the park.
• Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. Is it slice of life? Yeah. Is it a drama? Sometimes. Is it action? Somehow. Really just your one-stop shop for an anime. KyoAni made it all work. A bit on the horny/quirky side given the outfits, but underneath that is a genuinely great show.
• A Silent Voice. I feel like if this show was released in the modern day it would be (unrightfully) canceled. It talks about topics that nobody else would dare to go to. Suicide, depression, bullying, medical drug abuse… it has it all. An amazing movie.
• Komi-san Can’t Communicate. I want to like this so much more. It sort of feels like the writers mixed up what introverts and social anxiety are, and made them into one thing. If you can look past that, it’s good so far but I hear the source material gets a bit worse before it gets better, so the future might be rocky.

A Tier: (14 entries) Very solid anime that are mostly good and lack just a couple of things. 9/10

• Your Lie in April. Beautiful. That’s all, just beautiful. The ending is a bit forced, but it still works, and the character development, the music, and most of all, the vibes… they are all perfectly executed. I do think the ending feels a bit out of place given the themes up until then, but it is what it is. It is absolutely still worth watching.
• Carole and Tuesday. Very relevant to the modern day with AI becoming more popular and prevalent. An awesome story of musicians trying to be known in a world dominated by AI generated music. A sad reality for us in 15–20 years, I think. This show gives me a lot of hope when I am downtrodden from the news about similar topics.
• Kokoro Connect. A fun mystery drama. Its kind of weird because the exact mystery changes with each arc. Keeps things fresh but also loses out on its identity a bit. Great if you need a mystery to watch with a bit of romance.
• Teasing Master Takagi-San. Super wholesome. Despite being about middle schoolers, it feels accurate and portrays middle schoolers well. It is really long though, 3 seasons and either 1 or 2 movies, so be prepared for the long haul, but I highly recommend for a comfy show.
• Bocchi the Rock. K-On but for the zoomers. Way quirkier characters, but in a sense that kind of works. Still has a great focus on band and the struggles of starting out in the music world. All I wish is that season 2 didn’t take so long… one and a half years with almost no news is wild for how successful it was.
• Buddy Daddies. Wholesome show about spies that become dads because they assassinate the parents of the kid. Super fun, a tad depressing at times though.
• Shikimori is Not Just a Cutie. Very underrated romance. Shikimori is one of the best girls, period, and Izumi is a bit of a weakling but manages to avoid being cringe most of the time. Good for him. Give it a try, I really do think Shikimori is a standout amongst the romance genre, but sadly we might not get more since it didn’t sell well.
• Tonikaku Kawaii. Married life as a slice of life is super fun and I’m surprised it isn’t done more.
• Horimiya. Great romance and very relatable characters. Feels a bit more like a friends show than a romance at times though. Hori and Miyamura take a backseat sometimes which can lead to you getting lost. Overall great though, top tier romance.
• Bang Dream. Bang Dream exists in a weird space between K-on/Bocchi, where it is sort of band related, but also sort of… not? It’s hard to describe, but its kind of got more a networking aspect to it, as well as focusing on other bands. Also the animation in season 1 is very jank but fixed in later seasons.
• Lucky Star. The ultimate show about antics. Weebs and normies being friends, and general wholesome slice of life stuff. Great to pass time.
• Konosuba: An Explosion On This Wonderful World. The Megumin spinoff is okay. There is not nearly as much dynamic between characters like in the main series, but it isn’t horrible. And more Megumin is always great.
• Non Non Biyori. Very comfy show about living in the farmland area. I’ve never lived there, but it was still fun to watch and see how different they live compared to city folk.
• Toradora. Debatably the OG good romance. Taiga is a bit too hard on the Tsundere side for my taste, but a classic romance that brings you back to better times.

A- Tier: (16 entries) Still very good, but there are a few more issues compared to A tier, or are not quite high enough quality to warrant A tier. 8/10

• Summer Wars. Very unique movie about hackers as well as a wholesome message about banding together as a family. Feels like an OG disney movie, but matured up and made in Japan. Great stuff.
• Quintessential Quintuplets. So many best girls. Itsuki is my top waifu of all time, and Yotsuba/Miku/Nino are all top tier as well. Fuutaro is also surprisingly decent for it being a harem. But it isn’t a true harem, its just the 5 girls having crushes, not all dating at the same time. Which IMO, saves this show. 5 dating at the same time would be a complete mess.
• Yuru Camp. Very very wholesome and campy. Literally. It is about camping, and finding the joy in camping by yourself and with friends. That combined with an actual portrayal of introverts and extroverts makes this top tier. (Note: Haven’t seen Season 3 yet, next on my to-watch list)
• I Want To Eat Your Pancreas. The name is awful. Watch it anyway. The name is an inside joke, it is not about cannibalism. Sad, happy, depressing, and inspiring at the same time. Illness is no joke.
• Yuru Yuri. One of my OG shows. Despite the name, there isn’t true Yuri, just a bunch of hinting. I’m super biased, but I think this an excellent comedy and general slice of life show. Easy to enjoy and usually makes me laugh, even on repeat watches.
• Release The Spyce. Yuru Yuri, but we have a serious spy drama as the main plot instead of shenanigans. Still wholesome and fun, but blends that nicely with the drama. For a more recent comparison, this is Lycoris Recoil lite version.
• Love, Chuunibyou, and Other Delusions. Really dumb show… but it takes that with stride and actually makes it work. It makes cringe work, that’s… incredible. Solid show if you can put up with minor amounts of cringe.
• Promised Neverland. Season one is so unbelievably good, it has such a perfect mystery and suspense that lasts the whole show, it was genuinely S tier… and then… season 2… For your sake, don’t watch season 2. It ruined an amazing show with a horrible adaptation of the manga, that already was a weird downturn from the first couple of arcs that season 1 adapted.
• New Game! Not to be confused with a certain show in F tier. New Game is about a game company. Very anime-ified and feels a bit cliche at times, but its good fun.
• My Senpai is Annoying. Similar to New Game but just generic office life, with slightly better character antics, and much better side characters. Mainly lower due to only having one season (for now! season 2 is on the way apparently!)
• Isekai Quartet. If you like Konosuba, Re:Zero, Overlord, and/or The Saga of Tanya, this is just bonus content. All of the characters in this show are great, obviously. Has the most “Saturday morning cartoon” vibes of any anime, and I love it.
• Tsuredure Children. Very cool take on a romance story. It follows a bunch of characters and puts them in much more belivable situations than most romance anime. If you want down-to-earth romance, here it is.
• Love Live! School Idol Project. Love live is interesting… idol shows are very unique and a bit over the top sometimes. Maybe I’m just too invested into “feel good” shows, but I love the teamwork that everyone has to show. Might try more love live or idol anime in the future.
• Bunny Drop. It is fun, wholesome, adorable stuff. Adoption stories are always heartwarming to me. Do not read the manga. Do not google the manga exclusive ending. For your sanity. :)
• My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. A very weird romance involving a discord mod and some very normal girls, but it happened. It’s well animated an executed, but the initial idea is kinda lackluster to me.
• Pokemon Concierge. A fun claymation short series! I really hope Pokemon does more of this kind of stuff. More “real life with pokemon” type of projects. It is so fun as an avid Pokemon fan.

B+ Tier: (13 entries) Solid shows but they usually lack something important.

• Your Name. Super hot take right here. Your Name is not all that everyone says it is. The second half is very confusing, and the first half is just okay. Not nearly as cinematic as Makoto Shinkai’s other films.
• Aharen. Quirky show about two dense people and them trying to figure out their feelings towards each other. Nothing new, but a fun take on the romance genre.
• When Will Ayumu Make His Move? If you like or are interested in Shogi, it’s interesting. It doesn’t go in depth, but it has Shogi as a central point of the show at all times. The rest of it is a slightly below average romance, but it needs more time to develop.
• The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. Cursed name, decent show that is fun. A very good slice of life show following an unusually large cast of characters. My favorite girl didn’t win though :/
• Nichijou. A really good comedy that… isn’t for me. If you are a hardcore otaku, you will love this. But I don’t know enough of the Japanese references to laugh at some of the jokes.
• Yuyushiki. Generic slice of life with a unique art style. If you like slice of life, its good. If not, then it’s definitely not for you. A bit overly wholesome but still fun.
• Girl’s Last Tour. A good post apocalyptic show. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, it just shows you 12 interesting episodes and goes on its way. A bit depressing, but it is also about finding joy in the worst situations.
• Zom 100. Started out amazing but production issues and some mediocre arcs at the end dropped it a bit. But a really unique and interesting take on a zombie apocalypse by a new anime studio.
• Gabriel Dropout. It’s fun, Gabriel perfectly embodies us at a young age. Used to be wholesome and happy, now depraved and depressed. Great comedy dynamic. Not enough substance to get it higher though.
• Our Dating Story. Goes places no other romance goes, and I appreciate it for that. But after the first arc, its all downhill as it just repeats the same story again and again, with slightly different outcomes.
• My Dress Up Darling. Everyone loves to rave about this show, I dunno though… the MC is super flakey and flimsy, and Marin feels like the writers wanted to artificially make a girl that is perfect in every way… I know some people are genuinely like her, with the whole cosplay + horny + gamer + fashion thing but it all feels a bit tacked on and not organic.
• Science Fell In Love, So I Tried to Prove it. Redditors try to date, and it… sort of works? Very very quirky, but if you want something unqiue to watch it is a decent one. Prepare for cringe though.
• Plastic Memories. It make me cry, even when I knew it was coming from episode 1… you have to go into this blind, because episode 1 sets up the plot from the start. Every episode is a timer ticking down. It has some pacing and story issues but the beginning and end, oh man…

B Tier: (10 entries) Entries here have an equal amount of pros and cons to them, leading to mixed bags. They are still alright to watch.

• Adachi and Shimamura. Decent Yuri anime. Nothing wrong with it other than being a tad plain at times. But cute and fun to watch.
• The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. Another “fake anime”, it’s okay, I suppose. Witcher Media tends to be bad outside of the games/books, but this was a decent telling of Vesimir and his youth. Solidly “alright” show if you like Witcher stuff.
• Blend S. Its fun, it teases a lot, it doesn’t go anywhere, the usual. The opening is fire though. If you’re bored, its a decent enough watch.
• A Certain Magical Index. A fun series, but the animation is in a super outdated looking style for season 1 and 2, and Index as a character is really annoying, honestly. A bit of a mess, but a good mess. Another fun power fantasy if you want more like Railgun, as this was the OG.
• Mieruko-Chan. Should be a good horror anime. Instead is a subpar horror anime that wants to sexualize the girl as much as physically possible. Fan service is fine but man at least be subtle with it…
• Hundred. Should be a trashy show, but it surprisingly alright at times. One of those “good trash” kind of shows, I was pleasantly surprised.
• DOTA: Dragon’s Blood. I’m super biased towards this show since I’m a Dota player, but yeah… its not amazing. It has its moments, but it is incredibly convoluted and needed about 3 less plot lines to make it into B+/A- range. Also the noses. Why…?
• A Certain Scientific Accelerator. The edgy younger cousin of Railgun and Index. If you like the edge that Accelerator brought in Index, you’ll love this. Kinda cliche story, but its really entertaining to watch the psycho you’ve come to love.
• Girls Und Panzer. Niche, but if you like tanks or the idea of a tank show that is structured like a sports anime, this is for you.
• Seiren. I don’t know what to say about this show other than very generic and a bit bland. Not bad by any means, but it feels like you’ve seen this show 6 other times already.

B- Tier: (11 entries) Now moving into the territory of mediocrity.

• 5 Centimeters Per Second. I didn’t like this Makoto Shinkai series, the character development was pretty bad. The backgrounds are super pretty though!
• High School Fleet. Relatively solid show but just so incredibly niche. For all of my… navy fellas out there? This might be for you. Otherwise it is a subpar slice of life taking place on a ship.
• Kinmoza. Great for the AYAYA meme, but the rest of the show was shockingly plain. Anything unique was just the characters going “Omg it’s British thing! Wow! British! Cool!”
• Aho-Girl. Ultimate brain off show. Watch if you just want mindless comedy.
• Is The Order a Rabbit? Kind of bland slice of life show. A bunch of young girls working a coffee shop is alright I suppose, but it really fits the mold of “trope + unique quality”.
• Hokkaido Gals are Super Adorable. I like Fuyuki and Sayuri a lot, they carry the show. The characters as a whole aren’t bad but holy bad writing, it’s… not good. Brings out the worst of romance/slice of life tropes at times. Also feels like an ad sometimes with how characters go out of character to exclaim their love of food or a certain place.
• Persona 5: The Animation. It’s alright, but you should really just play Persona 5 rather than watch it.
• Sing “Yesterday” For Me. A college setting just like Rent-A-Girlfriend below it here, but it fumbles the story a lot and leaves an undesirable ending. Give it a shot if you want though. Decent middle section of college life and finding your passion themes.
• Rent-a-Girlfriend. Yeah, I’m a Rent-a-Girlfriend enjoyer, sadly… Chizuru carries this show so hard. Ruka is one of the worst characters in all of anime and whatever the guys name is has so many awful, degenerate moments. I do like the college setting, but it goes a bit too hard on being relatable to anime fans in terms of the main guy’s traits.
• Nisekoi. It started out solid but the later half of season 1 and all of season 2 is really bad. Tropes to the limit, cringey dialogue, all of it. Watch it if you’re okay quitting a show part way through, unlike me…
• Love Live! Sunshine!!. Love live is kind of fun to watch in general (to me), but wow, I really did not like about half this cast. Very peculiar show in my opinion. Cool setting for an idol anime though!

C+ Tier: (5 entries) Has a redeeming quality or two but mostly negatives.

• Trinity Seven. Horny to the maximum. The weapons are girls, the deadly sins are girls, everything is a girl. Omega horny. But kinda fun, underneath it all. Edgy as well, so be prepared.
• Stein;s Gate 0. Stein;s gate is so good, but the prequel is… bad. They could’ve done this same concept so many different ways… kind of sad to see, from something that was such a masterpiece.
• Magical Sempai. Weird show but kind of fun to watch.
• Love is Like a Cocktail. Fun show but has a total run time of like an hour, maybe less. So just keep that in mind. But fun to watch!
• SSSS Gridman. I don’t like Mecha. This was me attempting to get into mecha. I still didn’t like it, but it was better than I thought and I will give a few other Mecha shows a try in the future.

C Tier: (4 entries) As the kids say, “Mid”.

• Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten. Some people love this show (shoutout to Ravi), but I found this show extremely slow paced. 70% of the show takes place on the guy’s couch, like what? To me it just felt like couch talk: the anime.
• A-Channel. Generic slice of life that has a snail’s pace. I like slice of life, but watching this series made me feel how other people see most slice of life. Slow, boring, doesn’t go anywhere. Unless you want your 50th slice of life show, you probably don’t need to watch it.
• Love Lab. Very generic romance. Has a couple interesting ideas, but eh. Very trope-y.
• Beyond the Boundary. It’s alright, I suppose. The ending sucked and made absolutely no sense before the movie that released a year or two later. But it’s KyoAni, so there is some decent moments in there.

C- Tier: (5 entries) Cringe, poorly executed, or both.

• Citrus. A uh *ahem* interesting show at first… but then the step sisters try to do things the step sisters shouldn’t do… just a very awkward and embarrassing show to watch.
• Girlfriend, Girlfriend. Guilty pleasure… *sigh* It’s so bad but it’s like a car wreck, I can’t look away. The main character is VERY dumb, do not try to reason anything he does. Most headstrong idiot of all time.
• How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift? If you want motivation to work out (both in the literal and suggestive sense), perfect show for you. But strictly reviewing this show… so many weird things that just don’t need to be there. Fun girls, horribly written show, good at getting you to workout if you need that.
• The Devil is a Part Timer. Season 1? Solid 8/10, great stuff. Season 2? Horrible. 2/10, drags a B+ show all the way down here. If you want something funny from the early 2010s, just stick to season 1. Season 2 is such a mess.
• Love, Election, and Chocolate. Could not tell you what this show is about. Its like, a weird student council anime I think. I could go back and look but I don’t really want to. I think I watched this because there was a cute girl in the main cast but otherwise, just really weird.

D Tier: (4 entries) I watched this either without proper research, or my expectations were significantly subverted. I did not drop the show, but it was a slog or a very lackluster experience.

• Japan Sinks: 2020. Really cool and well done episode one, but the animation quality for the rest of the episodes was bad, the story telling was pretty bad, the final episode was horrendous. Unless post apocalyptic shows are really your thing, avoid it.
• Sakura Trick. You like girls kissing? This show’s only good moments are girls kissing each other. Anything else is horribly done. Watch at your own risk. Might be better to watch a compliation on Youtube.
• Komori-San Can’t Decline. I don’t know why I watched this. I was bored in a summer where my power went out and was looking for short anime to download to watch when it happened. Why this one, I don’t know. It isn’t horrible, but its really weird.
• Miru Tights. Very fetish-y and I wasn’t expecting it to be. If it’s for you, then that’s cool. It’s not for me.

F Tier: (2 entries) Anime that were bad enough that I dropped the show, when I almost never do so. The premise seemed okay, but it ended up being cursed or unbearable.

• Gamers!: Interesting-ish premise but they made almost every main character the most annoying and infuriating character possible. Needs to be a brain off show, but even then it pissed me off and was a huge waste of time.
• My Life as Inukai-San’s Dog. Disgusting. Horrible. Awful. Genuinely sickening. I thought this was a guilty pleasure show for me, but nuh uh. Absurd fetish show that is just so bad. Avoid at all costs.

Phew, that was a lot…

If you didn’t see the show here, its because I haven’t watched it yet! Thanks for reading this huge monster of a blog!