Here's just a short list of some of the best anime I've watched this year... In no particular order


1. Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn)

Kouka, a land which legends say was founded by four dragons, is ruled by king Il. His only daughter Yona's idyllic life in the palace is turned upside down when her cousin (and childhood crush) Soo-won kills her father and usurps the throne. Yona, with the help of her childhood friend and bodyguard Hak, manages to escape and must set out on a quest to gather allies in order to reclaim her place as ruler of the kingdom


2. Nanatsu no Taizai (Seven Deadly Sins)


The kingdom of Leones is protected by the Holy Knights, extremely powerful warriors who are respected as much as they are feared. The strongest and most infamous of the Holy Knights, the Seven Deadly Sins are accused of betraying the kingdom and are forced to flee and disappear from the public eye. Years later, Queen Elizabeth, not believing the story of the Sins treachery sets out to find and gather them back together. Only the Sins are not what they seem... which becomes apparent when she meets the first of the Seven Deadly Sins, a boy by the name of Meliodas who runs a tavern on the back of a giant pig.


3. Assassination Classroom

After destroying most of the moon and leaving it in a perpetual crescent shape, a seemingly alien creature resembling a giant yellow smiley face with the body of an octopus claims he will destroy the Earth in March of next year. Even though no government or military can stand against it because of his inhuman speed (his top speed is Mach 20), Koro sensei, as he calls himself, chooses the worst class of Kunugigaoka Middle School and gives them one condition. They must attend his class, try to figure out a way to assassinate him before graduation and by doing so claim their 10 billion yen reward for saving the world.


4. Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan)

The powerful and warlike kingdom of Pars is ruled by the undefeated and fearsome king Andragoras. His only son Arslan is nothing like his father, weak and peaceful minded he is seemingly destined to be a failure as a monarch.
This all changes when the 14 year old Arslan rides out for his first real battle against the kingdom of Lusitania. Having been betrayed by one of it's generals the kingdom of Pars suffers it's first defeat, king Andragoras is captured and the young Arslan is forced to flee into exile with only the loyal warrior Daryun at his side. It then falls upon Arslans shoulders to gather enough allies and soldiers to try to take back his kingdom from the clutches of the fanatical kingdom of Lusitania


5. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu (Parasyte -the maxim-)

When, one night, worm like aliens called Parasytes invade Earth and start taking over people's brains by crawling through their ears and noses, the life of 17 year old Izumi Shinichi changes forever. A Parasyte tries to invade Izumi's body but, because he is wearing headphones, the creature must attempt to burrow through his hand in hopes of reaching his brain. The Parasyte fails to take over Izumi completely and is forced to reside in his right hand. Adopting the name Migi (meaning right in Japanese), the Parasyte and Izumi, both having retained their individual personalities, form a peculiar symbiotic relationship (if not friendship) and go on to face the other Parasytes who feel threatened by Izumi and Migi's very existance