\nAnswer:<\/strong>
\nAs a result of circumstances and major changes in my personal lifestyle during 2010, I’ve been able to sample a tremendous number of this year’s ongoing anime series, but I’ve watched far fewer of this year’s OVAs and movies. I’ve annually compiled a list of the year’s best anime, focusing primarily on television series. This year I’ll strictly limit my analysis to only TV anime. I haven’t watched every new show this year to completion, and I’m aware that passing judgement on series without comprehensive knowledge of them is a bit unfair. However, I’ll rely on my experience and informed impressions and presume that my observations aren’t too drastically misinformed. Among the 125 new TV and web anime specials and series to debut this year, I’ve been fortunate enough to have watched at least one full episode of 116 of them. My list of 2010 TV & web anime may not be entirely complete, but it should be fairly comprehensive. I counted any debut series or special, and new seasons of established shows that began with a new episode one or had a new, updated series title. Japanese broadcasts including Card Ou Mix Master<\/i>, Saikyo Bushoden Sangoku Engi<\/i>, and Transformers Animated<\/i> were excluded because they’re not Japanese animation. OVAs that got a TV broadcast premiere, including Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail<\/i>, Gundam Unicorn<\/i>, and Tamayura<\/i> were also excluded from consideration. Finally, my evaluation is not based on popularity or what I personally enjoyed most. My aim is to objectively recognize the anime TV series of 2010 that exhibited the most creativity, uniqueness, and artistic integrity. Simply because I can’t rank this year’s shows with clear teirs of quality, I’ll nominate them alphabetically.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.animenation.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/durarara.jpg\" "\\"Durarara!!\\"")
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\nDurarara!!<\/i> ultimately suffered from a variety of loose ends and a subtle but very impactful mid-series shift in tone and narrative focus. The ambitious series was weakened by its over abundance of irrelevant characters and numerous sudden plot twists that stretch credibility. However, the series also enjoyed attractive art design, an engaging primary cast, and a convoluted, engrossing narrative that dared to reject the seemingly mandatory conventions and tropes of contemporary anime. Although not entirely successful, Durarara!!<\/i> deserves praise for being a fun show that dared to be complex in a year dominated by simple and straightforward anime.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nIn recent years, anime including Suzumiya Haruhi<\/i>, Seitokai no Ichizon<\/i>, Sengoku Basara<\/i>, OreImo<\/i>, Angel Beats!<\/i> and Bakemonogatari<\/i> have earned praise and popularity for satirizing and deconstructing the foundation of otaku anime. But no anime thus far has achieved that goal with the incisive artistry of Katanagatari<\/i>. Unlike Suzumiya Haruhi<\/i>, Angel Beats!!<\/i> and their kin that have taken a sledgehammer approach to being satirical, Katanagatari<\/i> was magnificently deft at consistently undermining convention and viewer expectation, so much so that countless viewers probably didn’t understand what the show was actually doing. Dialogue jokes recalled months later, intentionally misleading next episode previews and spoilers mentioned specifically to unbalance the viewer, unexpected plot twists that make absolute sense within the context of the narrative, and anachronistic themes and character personalities that still seem plausible within the narrative all contribute to making Kanatagatari<\/i> possibly the most post-modern of all the contemporary post-modern deconstructive anime.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nOtome Yokai Zakuro<\/i> similarly did a number of very subtle things right. During an era concentrated on making characters identifiable and marketable, Otome Yokai Zakuro<\/i> concentrated on making its characters individual. Subtle artistic nuances like frequently tilting character’s heads slightly to express emotion and periodically illustrating Zakuro with a completely different than usual hair style are small, practically unnoticable things that most contemporary anime carefully avoid doing for marketing concerns. In a stronger year of anime, a show like Otome Yokai Zakuro<\/i> would probably go unnoticed. But in a relatively weak year like 2010, attractive art design, a strong focus on narrative, and effective character development allow Otome Yokai Zakuro<\/i> to rise to the top.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nDespite a great deal of fearful anxiety prior to its premiere, the first and subsequent episodes of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt<\/i> proved to be the most unabashed and shameless fun that anime has been in a dog’s age. Panty & Stocking<\/i> consistently and frequently demonstrated the creativity and aggressive vitality that typifies the very best anime. The show took viewers on a wild and breathtaking ride. Its climax may be shamelessly manipulative, but that’s precisely what viewers have come to expect from the show. The series also serves as a dynamic reminder that Gainax remains the anime industry’s foremost innovator and developer of landmark, groundbreaking anime that defy and establish new conventions.<\/p>\n