Decades of vibrant themes, amazing plotlines, gripping characters, and an experience one never forgets, anime has connected people all over the world by sharing the joy of watching a great story not portrayed through real-life actors.With anime, we can go beyond the limits of live-action films and enter a lens of visualizing emotions, settings, and people in a more expressive way since they’re animations. Anime has taken the storm for the past few decades, accumulating numerous jaw-dropping shows but which one is the best of them all.

We’ve been through a lot in 2020 but anime was always there to help ease the transition. Here are the best anime of 2020.

12 Best Anime of 2020

1.Dorohedoro

Our top anime is headed by perhaps the most original of its representatives. “Dorohedoro” takes you to two interesting worlds: one – bright, graceful, where magicians of different stripes live happily, and the other – dark, saturated with dirt and blood, where the victims of the experiments of those same magicians are fighting for survival. We are immediately intrigued by questions: what kind of head is hidden in the throat of the lizard-like protagonist? How did he lose his memory? Who was he before? And where did he get such a love for dumplings?

The series in the manner of Tarantino shows that local heroes have long gotten used to the darkness surrounding them. Bite off a thirteen-year-old girl’s face? A couple of trifles. Arrange a bloody meat grinder at dinner, at the same time turning half of the guests into mushrooms? Yes, even every day. A flush toilet in hellfire? Why not! At the same time, oddly enough, there are no obvious villains in this story. The narrative is divided into two storylines that are constantly intertwined with each other and show conflict on both sides. And all the heroes are so charismatic that it is difficult to decide which side to root for.

The only drawback of the series could be called the use of CGI, but in most cases it also works in a unique style, thanks to which the fights look fresh. And local landscapes are love at first sight. Views of cities, streets, interiors … to say that the color palette and detail of the elaboration are fascinating is to say nothing. The atmosphere of gloomy, but addictive psychedelia in Dorohedoro does not let go, starting with the crazy cooking of dumplings in the opening, and ending with funny credits, after which the hand reaches out to launch the next episode.

2-Kaguya Sama: Love is War 2 

Who would have thought that the anime series, which everyone noticed thanks to the viral dance of one of the characters (just don’t say you didn’t see Chica Dance !), Would turn out to be almost the best romantic comedy in anime of recent years? Meta-comments ironic over the genre, stereotyped situations played with wit, and a group of charming characters simply could not help but fall in love with themselves.

Aki Akasaki’s manga is strong in itself, and the two arcs about Miko and Ishigami, shown in the season, already well combined chaotic comedy with dramatic moments in it. But the animated version goes even further. Here, there are excellent directorial moves, phenomenal work of the voice actor, and many subtle references to pop culture – studio A1 squeezed everything out of the source material. As a result, we got a great season, which promises that it will only get cooler.

3-Deca-Dence

The original anime from the studio NUT confused many with its plot. A post-apocalyptic world, the last fortress of people fighting monsters, a girl who follows in the footsteps of her deceased father … It all looked too much like Attack of the Titans. It was all the more surprising when the series showed its true nature. And the point is not only that in the first episodes everything that happens on the planet turned out to be completely different from what it seemed at first.

“Deca-dance” skillfully manipulates audience expectations. The transforming fortress hits the bosses not with a cannon, but with a huge iron fist. The main characters play up the relationship between teacher and student in an unconventional way. The viewer is shown the conflict from both sides, managing to reveal all the necessary characters in several episodes. While the show turns out to be a rather naive teenage tale about fighting the system, it’s damn nice of the winding path it takes to the finale. Other pluses include good drama, nice original visuals, and amazing combat choreography.

4- Darwin’s Game 

High school student Kaname Suda receives a message from a friend asking for help with a mobile game. Without thinking twice, he downloads the Darwin’s Game application, installs it and finds himself embroiled in a deadly battle for survival. The game is based on the battles of two players, only they take place in reality, and each of the participants in the battle gets some kind of superpower. As a result, the winner earns points that can be exchanged for money, and the loser simply disappears.

5- Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

 It tells the story of high school student Midori Asakusa and her friends – general favorite Tsubame Midzusaki and x um swarm Sayak and Kanamori , – who want to become a member of the school anime mug to make his own anime. What follows is an insane adventure of fortune and failure.

“Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!” Is a disarming tale of teenage ambition spiced with sparkling humor. It has everything for which we love anime – teenage naivety, touching friendship and opposition to the world around us. “Hands off the movie mug!” can be safely called meta-animewhich is filled with references to the main pillars of Japanese animation. More importantly, the TV show penetrates the depths of creativity and brilliantly portrays the creative process on the screen. It was hard to expect anything different from the famous director Masaaki Yuasa (“Devil Man: Crybaby” 2018, “Ping-Pong” 2014) and Science Saru’s animation team . For the picture to be completely clear, it is necessary to remember the great music created by the Japanese rap duo Chelmico and composer Oorutaichi . As a result, we got the most memorable and fun title of the year, which will be included in the best anime of 2020.

6- ID: Invaded

Studio NAZ, previously not known for anything significant, last winter gave out an eerily interesting detective story, where cases are solved in the subconscious of criminals, and the detective himself forgets his identity every time he dives. A kind of anime version of Tarsem Singh’s “Cage”.

Despite all the roughness (in places a weak drawing, faceless secondary characters, the most obvious main villain), the series does not let go until the very end. Despite the ostentatious confusion of what is happening, we are given the opportunity to unravel the mysteries of the first crimes using visual clues. Moreover, the crimes are shown in an adult way, with disfigured bodies and terrifying situations. Gradually, we figure out how the system of immersion in the unconscious works, and learn more about the past of the protagonist. And for once, the clichéd image of a cop who lost his family works great. 

Not only that, ID goes further and manages to make us empathize with the serial killer!

Complementing all this madness is the same reckless soundtrack, most of which is performed by Miyavi. Sometimes it even seems that the entire ID: Invaded is a large collection of his clips. An excellent collection, I must say.

7-Great Pretender

Studio Wit, together with Netflix, released an original anime in the spring about a gang of scammers who steal from bad guys around the world. The authors took a bold step – to make a comedy adventure that combines the trademark eccentric style of Lupine III and the earthiness of Ocean Friends or Scam. And it turned out great! The series is full of tricks and deceit, in the first episodes it takes your breath away from the plot twists and the wildest pace. And after you touching stories of the main characters will drag on and the desire to find out how they will pull off an even larger and more dangerous business.

But the style of the Great Pretender certainly makes it stand out. Each of the four story arcs is filled with its own unique atmosphere and incredibly beautiful visuals. From American pop art in sunny Los Angeles to snowy London in Art Nouveau tones, the picture never stops pleasing to the eye, and the folder for screenshots continues to grow. And all this under the classic for the genre, catchy jazz themes. Let’s not forget about the gorgeous “cat” ending theme for the song Great Pretender by Freddie Mercury, which, one might say, was filmed in this anime.

8-Jujutsu Kaisen

I think you’ve heard this before. A high school student, gifted with incredible physical abilities and the skill of talking with spirits, abandons his usual life to become a powerful warrior under the guidance of an eccentric mentor in a mask. Yes, the tie looks surprisingly familiar. However, this anime is much more interesting than you might imagine. 

Our protagonist, the young man Yuji Itadori , becomes the occasional culprit in big trouble. Now he has to fight an ancient evil that wants to destroy human civilization. No, this is not “Naruto” or “Bleach”! The anime is based on the shonen manga of the same name by Gege Akutami , artfully brought to life by director Song Ho Pak . “Jujutsy Kaisen” is suitable for spectators who are eagerly awaiting the return to the screens of the anime “Demon Slayer” (2019-). The combination of horror, dizzying battles and sparkling humor makes Battle of Magic one of the best anime series in 2020.

9- japan sinks 2020

The Anime tells the story of the Muto family , who are forced to survive after the country was destroyed by a terrifying earthquake. The family is faced with all the consequences of the death of civilization. The post-apocalyptic world is full of dangers that come not only from the environment, but also from people. Byonggang Ho and Masaaki Yuasa have brought the classic romance closer to life. It’s hard to imagine a better time to release a title .

 “ japan sinks 2020” is an ode to the human spirit, to all people who do not give up in the face of impending nightmares. And the title track, written by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto , and the amazing music of composer Kensuke Ushio will sound in your head for a long time. And of course, the TV show hits the best anime of 2020.

10-Akudama Drive

Danganronpa franchise creator Kazutaka Kodaka has long dreamed of going beyond the game format. And his first original anime did not disappoint fans. No matter how trite it may sound, this series is filled with non-stop drive. From the very first minutes, the heroine and I are thrown into the abyss of chaos, where ingenious criminals-akudams (they don’t even have names, only nicknames – for example, Doctor, Fighter or Hacker) gather to rob the “divine symbol” in the form of a shinkansen train.

The unique style of Kodaki is visible in many details: it is the scenery that appears in pieces, and the unique representations of the characters, and funny animal mascots. All this is complemented by the wild spirit of Japanese cyberpunk and first-class action, with severed limbs and a sea of ​​blood. The only pity is that censorship makes you wait for the disc edition. The plot turned out to be surprisingly holistic for a story with such a large set of characters, and the path of the main character, the Fraud, ends in a truly enchanting way.

11-Ishuzoku Reviewers

An anime that blurs the line between ecchi and hentai to such an extent that even real people of culture sometimes could not understand what exactly they were watching. However, the main reason for its popularity, in my opinion, was not this at all, but the fact that it is banally funny. What, no matter how good a comedy can brighten up the evening after endless news about the “crown” and other troubles? Watching “The Observers” is fun and quite pleasant thanks to the adequate graphics, but it is better to lock the door to the room with a key so that someone does not come in at the most inopportune moment. As you already understood, this anime is not recommended for viewing by persons under the age of 18. I recommend to all those who have not reached this age to forget what they read in this paragraph and not remember until they come of age.

12- NekoPara

perhaps the cutest anime of 2020, which is 100% cuteness and another 46% even more cuteness. As you can imagine, this is something very cute, and his name is “Cat Paradise” (NekoPara) . A series created for only one purpose – to make the viewer melt in an armchair from the rays of kindness and cuteness sent to him from the screen. There is only one type of people in the culture who may not like what is happening on the screen – those who are allergic to cats. Although I heard that cat girls are hypoallergenic … 12 episodes, which are recommended to be taken in dosage, one episode per day at most, otherwise there is a risk of heart attack. Be careful.