What makes an anime great? Is it a new twist on a trending trope, depth of concept, art style, or do we all simply have similar preferences? Maybe it's a culmination of these traits. Whatever the case, it's' clear that a great anime lingers far beyond its release date.
The 2010s have come to an end, and a new era of anime begins. Trends have come and gone, art styles have changed, and tropes have been overplayed. From ultimate wholesome levels to action-packed series, Let's reminisce over some of the greatest anime of the past decade and see why they wouldn't fit in today's anime landscape.
10 2010: The Tatami Galaxy
The Tatami Galaxy is raved about for its art style and Groundhog Day trope. Two college seniors repeat their student life over and over again. Each do-over results in a different path in their lives and careers. It's an experiment anime that shows different possible routes for the protagonists.
Back in 2010, this anime was popular for this do-over trope, but it wouldn't gain much notice today. We've seen this trope appear in isekai anime, such a Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World-, where the protagonist wakes up at a certain start point and lives with a chance to change the future based on his actions.
9 2011: Nichijou - My Ordinary Life
Nichijou - My Ordinary Life is a slice-of-life comedy about girls' daily lives. It takes seemingly ordinary life situations and sets them to the extreme. It's a relaxing, feel-good anime that's full of fun and laughs.
One major reason why this anime wouldn't see such popularity today is because of the increase in slice-of-life anime. Recent series such as Chio's School Road follows the ordinary highschool life of a game otaku. Chio's exuberant personality is what makes this show. If not for that, it would have faded in the background, as would be Nichijou's fate.
8 2012 - Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online (SAO) was an instant sensation among the anime community. Although not entirely classified as isekai, it does take place within a different world, that of an MMORPG virtual reality. The concept was praised as genius as fans settled in to watch Kirito struggle to find his bearings in a dangerous new world.
SAO continues to be a crowd favorite; however, its reception would not be as welcome today as it was back in 2012. This is mainly due to the explosion of the isekai trope. Other such "sucked into a game" anime include the recent hit anime Overlord where Ainz - a skeletal avatar - leads creatures in a plan to dominate the world.
7 2013 - Yowamushi Pedal
Let's face it, sports anime is an extreme niche within the genre. This anime is popular in that it follows an otaku that has an interest in cycling. Through well-timed drama and serious heart-to-hearts, this anime thrives.
We've had the pleasure to see this genre expand in the last few years, taking off with the popular series Haikyuu!! Sports anime has carved a place for itself in the anime community, but Yowamushi Pedal would not take the cake today. With sports anime taking center stage, it'll take more than drama and inspiration to hold our attention and interest.
6 2014: Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun follows Chiyo Sakura as she confesses to her crush only to discover his identity as a famous Shoujo manga artist. Nozaki mistakes Chiyo's confession, which leads to her becoming his assistant. This then leads to a whirlwind of antics surrounding the two as they continue to work together and grow closer.
This slice-of-life romance would not shine in the spotlight among today's anime. Besides that romance is becoming fewer and farther between, the "happy for now" trope is not as satisfying as a "happily ever after" trope. With less romance anime on the market, viewers live to see their favorite characters share a happy ending.
5 2015: One-Punch Man
One-Punch Man is an anime that features an overpowered (op) character that, as the name suggests, knocks down enemies with one punch. Saitama is a self-proclaimed hero that does things on his own time and doesn't like anything that's too bothersome. His look itself is more famous than his hero prowess with his bald head and yellow bodysuit.
An op character is an official overplayed trope. It doesn't matter how the character gained the powers or abilities. The fact is, this character is now able to defeat anyone and anything. They can overcome any obstacle. If this trope doesn't bring a huge twist, then it's just the same plotline, and viewers quickly bore with that type of repetition.
4 2015: Death Parade
Yes, another popular anime from 2015, but a lot of hits came out that year making it hard to choose only two. Death Parade is popular for its morbid darkness and sense of morality. Each episode features torturous games to judge the recently deceased. It's an anime that questions the foundations of human nature.
Death Parade was noted for the mystery surrounding the plot and the ethics involved. This anime wouldn't prove as popular today because something is fundamentally "missing." It's not that we specifically know what's missing, but the information of the anime feels incomplete, which leaves a dissatisfactory taste for some. Other's may feel differently on the matter, but we know for sure that monotone characters in a booming isekai trend would push this anime from the front lines.
3 2016: Konosuba - God's Blessing On This Wonderful World
Konosuba - God's Blessing On This Wonderful World is a comedic isekai that features a protagonist that reincarnates into a new world and steadily surrounds himself with beauties as he learns to live in his new environment.
While it does have its place among isekai, it's not one that would work today. It's a prominent display of fan service that comes with a harem trope. This makes the anime lack depth that would otherwise bolster the plot. Not only that, but among those that feature an isekai trope, this anime contained no twist to help keep the viewer's attention.
2 2017: Recovery Of An MMO Junkie
Recovery of an MMO Junkie is an adventure romance anime about a hikikomori - an adult in isolation - that stays inside her apartment and plays Fruits de Mar - a PC game. When the virtual and real-world collide, protagonist Morioka Moriko finds love. It just so happens that this love is also her teammate in her favorite online game.
This popular anime is only a few years old; however, it follows tropes that we've had the pleasure of watching one too many times. Without a bit of twist, this anime may not have made the spotlight at all. It definitely wouldn't make the front lines today.
1 2018: After The Rain
After The Rain is modeled as a forbidden romance, but there's more to the relationship than meets the eye. Akira Tachibana and her middle-aged manager come together in a complicated relationship in which they explore the depths of their past, present, and future.
This anime is closer to the end of the decade, which means it's more up to the times. What sets this anime in the no-fly zone is the age gap - a taboo. This may be one of those anime's whose popularity is based on viewer preference, but it goes to show how those topics that fall out of the normal range are viewed in an unsatisfactory light.