RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Best Anime of 2024
By the time you’re reading this, the year 2024 will either be over or about to be over, but what a good it was for anime. From long-running juggernauts like One Piece celebrating its 25th anniversary to Dan Da Dan breaking the Internet, there were plenty of anime that stood out from the crowd this year. It does beg the question, though: who stood out the most? While people can have their own opinions on what constitutes the best, there were plenty of anime that stood out as a whole rather than just one or two moments.
I’m RJ Writing Ink for D&A Anime Blog, and we’re going over my picks for the best anime of 2024. For this list, we will be restricting picks to anime that either premiered in 2024 or began a new season in 2024. Furthermore, that whole season must have aired in its entirety over the year. Sadly, that means that previous entries like One Piece or Mushoku Tensei will not count here. The former has been running continuously for decades while the latter only aired the second half of its second season. Don’t worry, though. They will be appearing in another post. It should also be noted that these are all anime that I have seen, and can form an opinion about.
Solo Leveling
It was almost a year ago when we were introduced to the South Korean power fantasy known as Solo Leveling. Based on the web novel/manwha of the same name, Solo Leveling is set in a version of the world where portals to dungeons filled with resources and monsters have been appearing for more than a decade. Only those with supernatural abilities, called Hunters, can hope to stop the monsters. Unfortunately for Sung Jin-Woo, he’s the weakest Hunter around, a fact that leaves him trapped in a catastrophe that should have left him dead. Instead, this mysterious program called the System saves him, gives him the unique ability to level up via RPG mechanics, and forces him to continually get stronger to stay alive. What follows is Jin-Woo going from being a meek nobody into someone who could become the most powerful Hunter alive.
Calling Solo Leveling South Korea’s answer to Sword Art Online would be an understatement. Like Kirito before him, the story of Sung Jin-Woo serves as a power fantasy for everyone who wishes they could be strong enough to get the most out of life. Whereas Kirito started his journey as a bit of a badass, though, Jin-Woo has to put himself through the ringer to survive the events he’s been forced into. And while some people might see the story as unoriginal, that’s not really the point. The anime looks insanely good, and whether he’s fighting monsters the size of buildings or murderous Hunters, Jin-Woo looks so cool. And this is only the start; I read the entire manwha, and you’re not prepared for what will come!
Ranma 1/2
Dread it, run from it, but no matter what you do, Ranma 1/2 will not stay dead! The third anime series to be based on Rumiko Takahashi’s manga of the same name, Ranma 1/2 is a modern remake for one of the first series to make it big in the West. If you haven’t heard about it or seen the previous versions, here’s the basic plot:
Ranma Saotome is a young martial artist who has the misfortune of being put into an arranged marriage with Akane Tendo, the daughter of an old friend of his father. Their father’s plan is for the two to carry on the Tendo family’s dojo, but there are several problems with this. Firstly, Ranma and Akane grow to quickly dislike each other. Secondly, thanks to his father’s stupidity, Ranma himself has a curse that turns him into a girl. When he gets hit by cold water, he becomes a girl. When she gets hit by hot water, she turns back into a boy. Chaos ensues.
The second of Takahashi’s works to get a remake in recent years, Ranma 1/2 is every bit as crazed and hilarious as its predecessors. Faithfully recreating the original series art style and tone, the series manages to do quite well for itself on Netflix, bringing the classic romcom to a new generation of fans. While some may take issue with the way some things were censored, the series is pretty faithful to what came before it. Plus, it is funny to see Ranma and Akane go from being at each other’s throats to caring about each other, only to be back at each other’s throats again.
My Hero Academia S7
My Hero Academia, the superhero Shōnen series that took the world by storm, returned for its penultimate season, and didn’t waste any time getting down to business. The final battle between the Heroes of Japan and the villains led by All for One and Shigaraki begins in full. As Deku races to defeat Shigaraki before he and All for One can join forces, his friends and allies are forced to fight an all-out war that spans all of Japan. Everyone on both sides is pushed to their absolute limits as the battle to decide the fate of the world rages, and there’s no guarantee everyone will make it out alive.
Say what you want about MHA, but it knows how to create an effective spectacle when it wants to. With the manga having ended this past summer, people were watching to see if this season would live up to the hype. Thankfully, it more or less managed to do this, with the big moments being as epic as they are in the manga, while the more emotional ones maintaining their weight and importance. The one problem is that the season ends right as the climax of the final battle is about to take place, leaving it up to the next season to settle everything. It might just be me, but I was expecting this to be the final season. Then again, it did have to let the manga finish, so it’s understandable why that didn’t happen.
Kaiju No. 8
If you were to combine the Tokukatsu genre with the Shonen tropes of series like My Hero Academia, then the end result would be Kaiju No. 8. Set in a world where Kaiju attacks are a fact of life, the story is about Kafka Hibino, a 32-year old who has tried several times to fulfill his dream of joining the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force alongside his childhood friend…only to fail each time. Before his next and final attempt, though, he winds up the host of a parasite that gives him the ability to turn into a humanoid Kaiju with super strength. Dubbed Kaiju No. 8 by the JAKDF, Kafka has to keep his new powers secret from everyone while he uses them to fulfill his dream, only for another humanoid Kaiju to start causing trouble for him and other new recruits.
I wasn’t joking when I said this show combines Tokukatsu with My Hero Academia. Kafka’s dreaming of joining the Defense Force despite repeated failures and lack of skill are just like how Deku was at the start of his story. The big difference is that Kafka starts the series off far older than characters like Naruto, Deku, and Luffy do, giving him a more mature perspective about life. Beyond the unconventional Shonen protagonist, though, what helps Kaiju No. 8 stand out is how drop-dead gorgeous the animation is. Just look at one of the clips Crunchyroll put on YouTube, and you’ll be blown away at how good everything looks. With a second season on the horizon, it’s clear that the powers that be see promise in this new kid on the block.
The Elusive Samurai
From the creator of Assassination Classroom and the studio that makes Bocchi the Rock and Spy x Family comes this delightful historical fantasy-comedy, The Elusive Samurai. Set 700 years ago in Medieval Japan, the anime tells the story of Tokiyuki Hojo, the heir to the Kamakura Shogunate that governs the country. When one of their retainers betrays and murders his family, though, Tokiyuikihas to go on the run as he works to avenge his family. There’s just one problem: Tokiyuki’s only real skill is a superhuman ability to run and hide.
While he may not fearless or boisterous like many Shonen Jump protagonists, don’t mistake his running for cowardice. One of the main themes to his show is the importance of knowing when to run and fight another day, something that most of the Samurai of his day fail to consider. And when he does stand and fight, he weaponizes his dodging skills to become a nigh-uncatchable menace. Coupled with the gorgeous artwork, fluid animation, and quirky sense of humor, The Elusive Samurai is both one of the best looking anime of the year, as well as one of the best in general.
Dragon Ball Daima
Fans have been waiting for years for the return of Dragon Ball Super, but until then, we can ride ourselves over with Daima. The final project of the late Akira Toriyama, Daima returns the franchise to its roots for its 40th anniversary. Set after the defeat of Majin Buu but before the events of Super, the story begins when Gomah, the new King of the Demon Realm, uses Earth’s Dragon Balls to turn Goku and his friends into kids. With a baby Dende having been kidnapped by Gomah, Goku and the others journey to the Demon Realm on a quest to get him back and return to their proper ages. Along the way, they explore the rarely-seen Demon Realm and gain new friends in the form of newcomers Glorio and Panzy.
It may break my earlier rule due to it carrying over into next year, but Dragon Ball Daima is an exception. With Toriyama’s passing earlier this year making this his final contribution to his creation, it would be disrespectful not to include it. While the series has yet to hit its stride in terms of action, it more than makes up for it by returning to its roots as an adventure comedy. Given how this is the last thing we’ll ever get from Toriyama, though, I’m more than happy to wait for the action to crank up to what fans have come to expect from the franchise.
Dan Da Dan
Our last entry needs no introduction but is getting one anyway, Dan Da Dan. Part supernatural thriller, part romcom, Dan Da Dan revolves around Momo Ayase and Ken “Okarun” Takakura, two teenagers who believe in the supernatural. When the two make a bet to prove whether ghosts or aliens exist, they wind up in a world of trouble. Momo gets abducted by perverted aliens and discovers she has psychic powers, while Okarun gets possessed by a ghost and gains ghost powers…but loses his manhood and balls. Thus, the unlikely pair has to team up to get Okarun’s junk back while also dealing with more aliens and ghosts that are after them.
I normally don’t like to pick favorites on lists like this, but this is the exception: Dan Da Dan is easily the best anime of 2024. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, the characters are lovable and quirky, and the story is absolutely unhinged. As in original FLCL levels of unhinged. Between all this and the sheer amount of gifs and memes to be found, Dan Da Dan easily took my top spot for favorite anime of the year. While the first season ended at a bit of an inconvenient moment, it doesn’t detract from the sheer enjoyment for the entire show. And we don’t have to wait long for a second season; it’s coming July 2025!
