#6. Bloom into You (2018, Troyca)

Bloom into You’s gorgeous soundtrack evokes the feel of an old-timey romance movie. The show itself doesn’t feel as old-fashioned, but it tells a beautiful, if slightly unconventional, love story.

Yuu Koito is a freshman struggling to understand love, while Touko Nanami is a second-year student who loves Yuu precisely for her inability to love. With meaningful themes and complex characters, this is a great anime that needs a second season.

#7. Asobi Asobase: Workshop of Fun (2018, Lerche)

Asobi Asobase looks like a cute and innocent show about the game-playing “Pastimers Club”, but it’s actually freaking nuts. It’s hard to describe how crazy its characters’ activities and faces can get, so let’s just say that there also lines like “she’s doing her Chinese contortionist shit again”.

Its nutty brilliance is slightly off-set by the less amusing non-game-related segments and the early loss of blond-haired Olivia’s hilarious fake accent.

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#8. Fate/Grand Order: Babylonia (2019, CloverWorks)

From a technical perspective, Babylonia is superb. Clashes between Servants yield magnificently crisp sounds, and the action animation and choreography are no less impressive.

Ushiwakamaru’s fight against the gargantuan Gorgon is an easy standout. Breathtakingly blistering yet comprehensible, it’s a fight that was realized by the contributions of multiple animators, and it serves as a stunning showcase of animation talent in a show already brimming with it.

#9. WWW.Working!! (2016, A-1 Pictures)

When Daisuke Higashida takes on a part-time job at the Wagnaria family restaurant, he finds that his new work life isn’t exactly normal. He meets a co-worker who unintentionally makes lethal chocolates, a usually emotionless girl with a devastating smile, and even the ghost of Saint Nicholas himself.

Wagnaria is populated by a quirky cast, and their comedic and romantic experiences will put a smile on your face.

#10. Stars Align (2019, Eight Bit)

At only 12 episodes, Stars Align tries to squeeze too many family issues into its sports story. While it makes the show feel unfocused and crammed, it deserves points for feeling earnest in highlighting said issues, and its ability to craft tense atmospheres in its characters’ homes is fantastic.

Elsewhere, it imbues its soft tennis matches and memorable ending dance sequence with convincing physicality, while openly approaching LGBT topics with empathy.

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