Top noitaminA Anime

noitaminA is a programing block created in 2005 starting with Honey and Clover. The goal was to bring in the female anime viewers. Over the years I personally think that goal has changed into bringing just great quality shows to the viewer no matter what gender they are aimed at. It is clear that the female aim is still present but it is also very clear that it is not as over bearing as it was in previous years.

I made it a goal sometime ago to watch everything that has aired in this slot. For the most part these anime have always been awesome to watch and I can honestly say I've only really disliked sitting through one of these shows. Here's my top list to date.

Jyu Oh Sei 10/10

This was my first brush with noitaminA anime. Honestly I didn't even know much about noitaminA at the time of watching this. I was mostly like "Ohhh hey a survival anime! I like those!" and dove right in. Jyu Oh Sei is far from most people's favourite noitaminA show, hell it's far from most people's top 10 anime of all time! Which it just happens to place 10th on that list of mine. I was just captivated by the show so much. I enjoyed all the characters, loved the look, and the story has a cute twist to it by the end of everything.

Third and Thor are probably my favourite characters of the series. I can't honestly choose who I like more much to the sadness of my girlfriends because for the most part they are on team Third. This prison planet, Chimera, that these men have come to live on is quite harsh and a great environment for some action. The strange politics of the planet play a very interesting roll in this series as well. The goal of becoming the Beast King is at the top of everyones mind and most will do anything to achieve the glorious title.

House of Five Leaves 10/10

This quiet samurai show is just amazing. House of Five Leaves focuses on many things but the budding relationship between 2 men was quite something. And no not in that totally gay kind of way! Although that could have been fun too

I view Yaichi as a great tragic character yet having Akitsu Masanosuke around helps him in ways I'm sure he didn't even know he needed help with. Both men go through this actually. It's just great!

I know this show is not for everyone. The pacing is terrible at times and honestly the story is rather jumbled. But none the less it found it's way into my heart and I'll forever love it to bits.

 

Honey + Clover 9/10

A lovely slice of school life romance. But yes while this is filled with everything I generally hate, I love Honey and Clover! Why? Because it's not a so typical romance story and it's NOT a so typical school environment.

I have no interest in art or their school for the most part but these characters drew me in because of their passion. I respect passion and trying to find your place in the world and it was all done wonderfully. Along with finding their place in the world we of course get the drama and romance thrown in there too. Seriously love triangles EVERYWHERE! It was great honestly because even if I knew who would end up with who in the end (even though to most it wasn't obvious) there was enjoyment of watching each character get to where they will end up. Happy ending or sad depends on who you were rooting for I suppose. Weirdest OP ever!

Kuragehime 9/10

Otaku come in all forms! The word does not mean "Anime Fan" as most have come to believe in the west. It really means anyone that has a super interest in something. So yes, there are anime otaku, but there are every other hobby otaku out there as well. Kuragehime showcases 5 different otaku and hilariously enough none of them are anime fans! Well I guess the yaoi manga writer counts as an "anime" fan but we never see her so I dunno if that should count.

Every single character in this show was perfect. Even the ones we are clearly suppose to hate. I loved every single one of them and wanted them all to succeed in whatever they were driving towards. Even if that goal was just rent!

 

Nodame Cantabile 9/10

I avoided this show for the longest time. I was afraid that it was going to be too dependent on music and that I'd end up hating it. Thankfully while Nodame Cantabile is completely filled with music and while it does play a very important part in the show, I fell in love with pretty much every single character they threw at me.

Nodame is a quirky girl that finds her way into the heart of a tough hard ass. Not the best of matches but well they do say opposites attract right?! For some reason Nodame and her love Chiaki really reminds me of my own relationship so this is pretty much why it's in the #5 spot. When anime characters can speak to me like that, I LIKE!

 

Bunny Drop 9/10

I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did but Bunny Drop melted my cold heart. It was a slow slice of life show about a single man who takes in a very young child. He has no idea how to take care of a kid but he does so anyway. We get to follow their journey learning about one another and how to cope with their new situation.

This falls into my adult slice of life category. Sure it focused on the girl a lot but it also focused on the adult a lot too. A very nice balance if I do say so myself. I think they could do with more episodes and all but I'm glad they ended it where they did since apparently things change a lot manga wise.

 

Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 9/10

Everyone remembers this anime because once they figured out THAT, they were hooked. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 does a good job in having children in a traumatic situation and doesn't make them too annoying throughout the peril of an earthquake. Sure these ones cried A LOT but honestly if you were diving into this show not expecting that... Well I dunno what to say.

I love just how human this show is. No matter our differences most people when tragedy strikes everyone will end up coming together for the survival of all. This isn't always the case but this show did well in putting some faith in humanity for me at the very least.

 

Hakaba Kitaro 9/10

Spooky comedy is spooky! Hakaba Kitaro takes an old classic and gives it a little reboot. It probably has one of my most beloved OP's ever. Denki Groove is one amazing music group and I'll gush about them more down this list.

Youkai stories are a soft spot of mine because every single one of them is just delightfully strange. Who couldn't love an eyeball father? A ratlike man? Or someone who always walks around with a mask on? I love all these things and a fun filled comedy horror like this does great for a quick bite.

 

 

 

Antique Bakery 9/10

Old men and a bakery? Sign me up! Antique Bakery to me felt like pure fanservice aimed directly at me. I love food, I love old men, I love the restaurant business, oh yeah I tend to like the odd relationship too!

There is an interesting dramatic past to all those that are employed at this bakery and as the anime goes on we learn more and more. I kinda wish by the end of the show there was a better understanding for ALL the characters but I'll let that slide this time since the show was darn entertaining to me.

I WANT TO EAT ALL THE CAKES!!!

No. 6 8/10

I was smitten with No. 6 from start to finish. I didn't honestly know what to expect from it and that's what I loved the most about it. The setting is what drew me in the most. I love futuristic world that have a slum side to them.

If the setting doesn't pull you in I'm sure the characters would. I found all of them to be entertaining in their own strange ways. How each of them choose to survive in this world is quite interesting and how they choose to fight to better themselves is even more interesting.

Sion and Nezumi were a perfect match in more than one way.

 

 

Un-Go 8/10

When mystery and the supernatural come together and make it work you get Un-Go! Quirky characters have always been a thing for me and this show delivers greatly in that aspect. I also really liked that there wasn't one mystery to sink my teeth into throughout the show. We got lots instead and that is what kept me watching week after week. I'd look forward to more if that ever came to be.

 

 

Mononoke 8/10

As a show that was part of another show, Ayakashi below, this was the last story in that show and since it was so good it just had to be made into its very own anime! Which I'm totally behind 100%. Mononoke is what happens when you do a horror right. It has a classy vibe to it that you can't turn your head away from even if you are feeling squirmish to what you are seeing. The artistic look of the show helps greatly with that. They layer texture over texture to pull you in like a work of art.

Also the Medicine Seller is one of the best characters ever!

 

Ayakashi 8/10

Like I stated above Ayakashi - Japanese Classic Horror is a collection of horror shorts. Mononoke being one of them of course but they had 2 other stories as well. Yotsuya Kaidan being the first one about betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge! It's probably my favourite aside from the last one, but since Bakeneko has a full series for me to enjoy I don't like to talk about it too much when speaking of this show. It just feels not fair to the other 2 stories!

The middle story being Tenshu Monogatari was a simple love story with a horror twist of course. I found it to be the weakest of the bunch but still very good. I think it would stand up to a re-watch whenever I decide to do so.

 

Moyashimon 8/10

I'll get this out of the way first. YAY!!! A SEASON 2 AIRING THIS SUMMER!!! This anime is the only one in the noitaminA block to have had a live action series air for it in the noitaminA block. I haven't watched it myself but I know plenty who have and loved it! Maybe I'll dive into it one day when I get on a real life tv series kick again (it rarely happens since I love anime way more). Moyashimon I'll always remember because of those adorable micro-organisms that the main character could see.

WE'LL BREW YOU! WE'LL BREW YOU!

 

Eden of the East 8/10

Oh what can I say about Eden of the East. It was a great mystery that's for sure! The characters were all so great too! Especially Akira Takizawa. Everyone will remember his entry to the anime scene even if they didn't enjoy the show. How could anyone forget a buck naked boy running around America with only an amazing cell phone (that I totally want) and a gun?! My only issue with the boy is his lack of memory. I'm not too fond of characters with memory loss in general so I won't hold it too much against him.

Johnny!!!

 

Paradise Kiss 8/10

There's only one thing that really blew me away about Paradise Kiss. It wasn't the story or the characters or that it was about fashion. Nope. None of that really interested me hilariously enough. Well the characters were pretty great I'll admit. But I saw something that I honestly had never really seen before in anime. I saw people having sex. And it wasn't like in your face gross sex either. It was sweet and tender sex. The scenes weren't very long either which was a good thing.

It's also a great indirect sequel to Gokinjo Monogatari!

 

 

 

Hataraki Man 8/10

This show was pretty much just about a woman working non stop to get the job done. There was absolutely nothing special about it other than it was nice to see another adult slice of life show. I really like slice of life shows when they have a super adult feel to them (if you didn't already get that hint) and Hataraki Man was all about the adult feel.

It also showed just how hard it is to be a woman who wants it all. Love, work, stability. Too bad it's always so hard to achieve all these without getting stressed out to the max!

 

 

Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai 8/10

This started off very strong for me. So strong I had it at a 9. I know being knocked down a peg or 2 when it comes to ratings isn't a huge deal and all but Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai just felt like forced drama by the end of it all to me and I couldn't stand it. It doesn't help that I have a dislike for lots of crying children.

It was a great show to watch with a buddy of mine though. We bounced lots of ideas off of each other about where they were going and which characters were currently pissing us off. I enjoyed that the most while watching this show. It was great for discussions!

 

Fractale 8/10

Fractale MURDERED this time slot!!! LOL!! That's what people were saying after this show finished airing anyway. Those silly heads. This aired around the time when noitaminA started changing their ways a little. I believe they were just testing the waters personally. 2011 was a really fun year for that in my opinion.

Anyway Fractale had a really amazing setting. It's a shame they couldn't pull all the ideas they were trying to go for together in the end but honestly it was still a really fun ride.

 

 

Guilty Crown 7/10

Poor, poor Guilty Crown. Everyone hates you so. But don't you worry! I still have some room in my heart for you even though you decided to break it past the 11 episode mark. Seriously this show started off great. Half way though it kinda went in a strange direction but near the end it picked up a tad but still blew it on the finale. Music and looks are what kept me around for the whole show. I know a lot of others kept up with it for those reasons as well. It helps that I episodically watched the first "good" half and marathoned the last "poor" half.

Maybe not hating this show along with everyone else is a sign that my tastes are evolving again! XD

 

Shiki 7/10

Vampire shows are always hard to get my attention. When they start off as slow as Shiki did though it's even harder. I ended up watching the first 6 episodes of this when it was airing dropped it and waited till the end to marathon it. I don't think I would have survived getting through it otherwise. The pacing in the first half of the show was painful for me. I was however rewarded when it came to the second half.

The style in which this show was done is worth mentioning. It has a very unique look and those hairdo's will make you take a double take at all the characters. Very fun.

 

Tatami Galaxy 7/10

Now this was another adult slice of life but Tatami Galaxy did nothing for me in the end. It went all out into lots of talking and lots of strange looks. The strange look was appreciated though. Generally lots of talkie talkie doesn't bother me since I like political shows and all but I just couldn't relate to what the characters were trying to get across half the time.

 

 

 

 

Toshokan Sensou 7/10

I like strange settings and all and one that has a military air to it is generally really appealing to me. Sadly Toshokan Sensou is honestly just a mess.

Ok so there is this war on books and knowledge apparently in this world. And in order to protect people's freedom to have access to knowledge an army was built to protect books and information... Kinda screams Fahrenheit 451 to you ehh? "Slight" differences sure but I can't help but to make the comparison.

I think if they stuck with this plot the show could have been great but they decided to work on some character romances instead that just felt super out of place to me. I dunno maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind when I watched this or something...

C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control 7/10

Man this show... LOL... C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control was certainly different from the norm. I watched it with a buddy and it's probably the only way either of us could make sense of it all since we could bounce ideas off of one another. We also enjoyed fawning over Mashu and Q.

ADORABLE GIRLS ARE ADORABLE!

Something something economics... Blaa, blaa, blaa.

 

 

 

Genji Monogatari Sennenki 6/10

Genji Monogatari Sennenki  is a famous romance story that has been remade countless times. I personally don't care too much for the story but I appreciate the setting very much. I love historical settings of Japan and China when it comes to story tellings so as far as that goes I was happy with this show. Just wish I cared about the romance.

At least it looked gorgeous!

 

 

 

Black Rock Shooter 6/10

I don't know what to say about Black Rock Shooter honestly... It looked pretty... The fights were great... But anything else it had to offer just wasn't there for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kuuchuu Buranko 5/10

Now... I actually really appreciate this show for what it was doing. Taking a look at the strange behaviours of humans is always interesting. But sadly Kuuchuu Buranko's quirky way of doing this was too much for me to handle. I loved the look of the show and all but I really couldn't handle that nurse with her giant needle. I'm VERY much afraid of needles so every time she'd appear I'd instantly feel sick and a wave of anxiety would consume me.

Denki Groove makes another appearance in this show. Which is by far my favourite part of the show. The OP and ED are among my top favourites when it comes to openings and endings honestly. It might just be my bias towards Denki Groove being totally awesome though!

 

Wandering Son 4/10

Most people will dismiss this list right here and now if they haven't already! HAHA! I feel like I was the only person not to care about these gender confused children. And don't get me wrong here. I love figuring out your sexuality stories but when it revolves around children in the slowest pace possible like Wandering Son did, it just wasn't for me.

I will give it one credit though. I loved the way it looked. I'm a huge fan of artsy water colour pieces so this anime did wonders in that aspect.

 

 

BONUS!!!

It just feels wrong to me to compare a 3 episode TV special to whole series. Sure a lot of those series only have 11 episodes but I still feel it's just not fair. So Thermae Romae is in a category all of its own! I love stories about men doing manly awesome things. Especially when they are a part of history. This TV special doesn't disappoint and it's full of completely hilarious situations. Bathing has never been so much fun! Not even in Bathtime with Hinako & Hiyoko! Although I might be biased here since I LOVE OLD MEN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currently Airing:

Sakamichi no Apollon & Tsuritama currently have the same rating after 4 episodes being 8/10. I hope that Tsuritama might be able to leap up to a 9 and take over the #14 spot if it ends up getting a 9 I think it'll place in the #10 spot. I hope that Apollon won't drop down to a 7 and take over the #17 spot. Time will tell~ Maybe it'll jump up to a 9! I do like music and fish! noitaminA has finally proven to me after all these years that they don't screw around when it comes to music and anime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming:

Robotics;Notes FALL - This one is the third in line for a Science Adventure series of games following Chaos;Head and Steins;Gate. I honestly have no faith in this one and think it will be garbage just like the first one was in this series.

Psycho-pass FALL - Dunno much about this one yet but I have hopes that this will kick ass based on the tease trailer I saw.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous SUMMER - Nice to see another josei making an appearance. I just hope it won't be as lame as the synopsis makes it out to be. Flowers and ghosts oh my! At least it's surely going to be pretty looking.

So yup! That was fun. I'll always look forward to all noitaminA shows no matter what they throw at me!