Archbishop Rhea’s second-in-command Seteth can be a bit of a stick in the mud. He’s baffled by Rhea’s insistence on trusting you with so many important matters and is comedically overprotective of his naïve sister Flayn... but, for some reason, he constantly asks you for favors. This has led to fans creating their own “missions from Seteth”, where he begs for your help with issues like Flayn getting griefed on the monastery’s Minecraft server or both of them being trapped in a McDonald’s playplace. Seteth’s voice actor Mark Whitten has even voiced several of them!

The game’s box art features the three house leaders striking poses in a triangle formation above main character Byleth, with Claude hanging upside down with his bow and arrow ready to fire. Of course, since Claude is a trickster and a bit of a troll, fans have decided that he likes hanging upside down at every opportunity just to annoy everyone else. One of our favorites is a fan art by Diyuki where post-timeskip Claude shoves Dimitri and Edelgard’s faces together to force the feuding friends to finally make up.

Speaking of Claude, his memelord reputation grows more and more each day thanks to his English voice actor Joe Zieja. He made his own version of the upside-down Claude meme (doing a handstand while Dimitri and Edelgard’s voice actors hold him up), started a “war” on Twitter after hearing that the Black Eagles were the most popular house, and riffed on timeskip Dimitri’s edgy demeanor by doing an impression of him in silly scenarios. He’s truly a treasure to the Fire Emblem community, and we can’t wait to see what madness he gets up to next.

Inspired by a challenge video invented by K-pop group Red Velvet, Anime Impulse’s YouTube channel held a “sneaky eating challenge” with a handful of voice actors from Three Houses (those of Ignatz, Claude, Dimitri, Dorothea/Shamir, Petra, Ferdinand, Seteth, and Flayn). They had to survive a classroom lecture from “Byleth” while eating as many snacks as possible without getting caught. Highlights include Ferdinand’s VA Billy Kametz inhaling an entire Fruit Roll-up in five seconds, Dorothea’s VA Allegra Clark singing “hoes mad” to the tune of Carmen, and Seteth’s VA Mark Whitten correctly listing all of the saints with a smug look on his face. We highly recommend it!

A fan on Twitter called Coolfest1999 (real name Annie) created an entire fake log of tweets between the students and faculty of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Everything, from the profile pictures to the handles to the typing styles, is spot-on and gut-bustingly funny. We particularly love Claude commissioning a risqué portrait of himself from Ignatz, Raphael drawing his friends, Felix getting banned for threatening Dimitri and Ashe online, and Byleth somehow tweeting from a fish. Check these logs out – they’re endlessly entertaining!

With a title like “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime”, you might expect this anime to be a mindless isekai parody with no redeeming value other than a few good jokes. That’s certainly what we thought at first, but as the story progressed throughout its 24 episodes, it gradually revealed itself to be a wholesome tale about one little slime who builds a thriving community with his newfound friends. We particularly love the detailed worldbuilding (like how each nation Rimuru travels to has different politics, tools, and gossip) as well as the tsundere dragon Veldora who starts him off on his journey in the first place. It’s not exactly an innovative masterpiece that upends the entire genre, but That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is still one of our favorite fantasies in years.

English and Welsh mythology doesn’t tend to get much representation in anime, but The Ancient Magus’ Bride embraces it wholeheartedly. Chise Hatori has always been able to see magical creatures, but the constant isolation from her peers and the loss of her mother have left her as a depressed husk of a person. She sells herself to a magical black market, where a skull-faced magician named Elias takes her under his wing as his apprentice... and bride! Although the storytelling leaves a bit to be desired (especially towards the end), this anime is a must-watch purely for the enchanted settings that Chise explores. Everything, from Elias’ cottage home to the forbidden woods where dangerous fae dwell to the vast dragon hatchling grounds, teems with so much life that you feel just like you’re there with her. We wish we could step through the screen and live in that world ourselves!

Illustrious gamer duo Sora and Shiro find themselves sucked into the world of Disboard, where all conflicts are resolved through games. They quickly take a liking to this new reality and strive to unite its 16 warring races so they can rule over Disboard as gods, but they’ll have to take down everyone in their path with high stakes fantasy games if they wish to make that dream come true. Madhouse crafts a surreal, but beautiful atmosphere with its vibrant use of neon colors that complement our protagonists’ mercurial personalities. Yes, they’re smug and overpowered, but when their victories are this fun to behold, who cares about tactics and power balancing? Oh, and by the way, this anime has JoJo references – enough said.

This comedic take on the isekai genre comes from Natsume Akatsuki, who also wrote the source material behind this year’s wrestling isekai Hataage! Kemono Michi. Needless to say, the man has a solid grasp on fantasy-tinged humor, with a particular emphasis on jokes that are so stupid they wrap back around into being hilarious. KonoSuba follows a group of adventurers who act more like sitcom protagonists or obnoxious D&D players than proper heroes – Kazuma is a sarcastic newbie who’s been freshly imported from the real world after a pathetic death, Aqua is a useless goddess, Darkness dreams of being ravaged by monsters, and Megumin is a chuunibyou mage who refuses to learn any spells other than “explosion”. The combination of their wild personalities makes this anime a blast to watch again and again, so be sure to watch it with friends every chance you get!

Violet has only known combat for her whole life, having been used as a tool of war until she lost her arms trying to save her commanding officer. Now living in a new town with a pair of prosthetic arms, she takes a job as an “Auto Memory Doll” to ghostwrite heartfelt letters for people who can’t do it themselves. She hopes that, by writing down the emotions of others, she can discover what her commanding officer really meant when he said that he loved her... Kyoto Animation has always been known for its gorgeous animation work, and Violet Evergarden is perhaps the pinnacle of their portfolio so far. Every frame captures movement, expression, background, and lighting in such stunning clarity that it looks more like a Makoto Shinkai movie than a 13-episode weekly series. The story itself takes time to pick up steam, but once it does, you’ll need multiple boxes of tissues to get through this beautiful tear-jerker of an anime.

It’s monumentally rare for an all-CGI anime to be considered good, let alone amazing, but Land of the Lustrous defies all expectations. Studio Orange spared no expense making sure that the gem-like people who populate this Buddhism-inspired fantasy world shimmered and sparkled and shattered exactly as they should. The unnatural smoothness of CGI movement actually works in this anime’s favor, creating graceful body movements and breathtaking camera angles that perfectly punctuate this anime’s more intense scenes. When combined with the top-tier voice acting and unique worldbuilding, Land of the Lustrous shines brightly amongst its competition.

Attack on Titan punches up the classic zombie apocalypse story (which was riding high in the early 2010s thanks to The Walking Dead) with steampunk elements, disturbing monster designs, and political intrigue to create a brand-new fantasy world that instantly drew viewers in from the very first episode. Gigantic warped humanoids called Titans terrorize a population of walled-in people, believed to be the last humans on Earth, while they fight back with what little resources they have. The first season was a rollercoaster ride fueled almost entirely by hype action sequences, while the later seasons expanded the world and delved deeper into character motivations. And even though Attack on Titan took some time to develop into a truly fascinating series, the latest revelations from this year’s Season 3 Part 2 have set it up for a well-earned climactic conclusion in 2020.

We’ve seen wholesome isekai, funny isekai, and full-on parody isekai, but what about a dark and disturbing isekai? Re: Zero does for the isekai genre what Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica did for magical girls – it shows what disastrous things would actually happen if a real person lived in that kind of fantasy world. Our protagonist Subaru possesses the power of “Return by Death”, where he can return to a specific point in time whenever he dies in this new environment (just like a save point). But since he feels the excruciating pain of death every time, and he physically can’t tell anyone about his plight, his fun fantasy adventure becomes much more difficult. Re: Zero is best known for its romantic subplots (particularly with the blue-haired oni maid Rem), as well as its copious violence. It’s not flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a unique show that has had a huge impact on the isekai genre for the foreseeable future.

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The Fate franchise has had its ups and downs over the years, especially in terms of its anime adaptations, but Ufotable’s version of Fate/Zero is unanimously considered to be one of the best things ever to come out of the series. Set 10 years before Fate/Stay Night, it chronicles the Fourth Holy Grail War – a no-holds-barred battle royale between ancient warriors who fight for the wishes of their sworn masters. While the story is largely inaccessible to uninitiated viewers, the compelling ensemble cast and gorgeous battle scenes are worth watching all on their own. Saber’s climactic fight against Caster and Gilgamesh is one of the modern masterpieces of action animation, proving that Ufotable should be the choice for all Fate adaptations to come in the future (and maybe some other stand-alone series like Demon Slayer so that non-Fate fans can enjoy their work as well).

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In a decade filled with repetitive isekai trend-chasers, truly original fantasy anime stand out from the chaff. And Made in Abyss – a melancholic tale of two young explorers descending into a massive pit of fantasy monsters unlike anything we’ve ever seen – is perhaps the best of them all. Delver-in-training Riko and her new cyborg friend Reg set out on a mission to find her mother at the very bottom of the Abyss, a mysterious place from which nobody has ever returned. Their struggles with the treacherous environment and hostile fauna lead them to meet a cursed humanoid creature named Nanachi, whose endless quest to put her suffering friend Mitty to rest forms the emotional backbone of the second half of the season. It’s bitter, raw, beautiful, and our favorite fantasy anime of the 2010s.

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The Blue Lions’ route is the best “starter pack” for Three Houses. It features lovable characters with struggles and backstories that tug at your heartstrings, gives house leader Dimitri a fully realized character arc, and doesn’t bother with most of the esoteric lore elements that other routes get into. The battle maps are usually fairly straightforward as well, so it’s perfect for a beginner to get their feet wet with the turn-based strategy gameplay. If you’re only going to play this game once, Azure Moon is the way to go.

The Golden Deer house is full of scoundrels and weirdos, so it makes perfect sense that their route isn’t as concerned with the overarching war plotline as the others are. Instead, it focuses on the history of Fodlan and its neighboring countries, as well as the secrets the church seems to be hiding from the common people. House leader Claude always has something up his sleeve, but he’s a reliable companion who never drags you or his house down. For a chaotic ride through the deeper lore of this world, be sure to play Verdant Wind next.

Edelgard, the house leader of the Black Eagles, is usually the main antagonist of the other routes. She strives for a peaceful, unified Fodlan that dispenses with the discriminatory Crest system and the Church of Seiros, but that noble goal is soured when you realize that she’s willing to cut down anyone in her way to accomplish it. But, if you choose to join her in this endeavor, she simmers down considerably and adopts a more tactical approach (even though she still kills plenty of people). Crimson Flower is best played after at least one of the other routes since it serves as more of an inside look at Edelgard’s perspective rather than a fully fleshed out campaign. Still, the Black Eagles themselves are great characters and this route has some amazing battle maps, so it’s definitely worth playing!

Now that you’ve grown attached to the Black Eagles through Crimson Flower, you can pick back up with their story by choosing to side with the Church of Seiros instead of Edelgard. This route shines a light on main character Byleth’s past, finally giving some closure about where they came from and how they’re related to Rhea and the other church members. It also delves into some of the same lore as Verdant Wind, so it’s highly advisable not to play the two routes next to each other. If you adore the Black Eagles and want a final wrap-up of the story’s loose ends, give Silver Snow a shot.

This sequel to the critically acclaimed Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor is a fascinating look into the psychology of gambling from the perspective of a normal guy caught up in the madness of it all. Kaiji finds himself in crippling debt yet again and ends up in an underground labor camp, doomed to toil there for 15 years unless he can gamble his way back to the surface. Each confrontation feels unique, with clever opponents and new twists to familiar activities. 2017’s Kakegurui attempted something similar, but Kaiji captures the stress and excitement of gambling better than any other show this decade.

Twelve unwitting people enter into a death game where the winner becomes the new god of the universe. Each of them has a diary (usually in the form of a cell phone) that predicts the future in some specific way, which they use to outwit and kill their fellow players. Mirai Nikki is best known for its secondary protagonist Yuno, the ultimate yandere who gaslights her “boyfriend” Yukiteru into abandoning his friends and family to help her win the game. Although the storytelling can be rocky at times, the anime’s novel twist on the standard death game plot as well as Yuno’s sheer star power make Mirai Nikki a must-watch for fans of the psychological genre.

Ping Pong the Animation is ostensibly a high school sports anime, but it eschews almost all tropes of the sports genre to focus on the deeply personal struggles and ambitions of its two main characters. They’ve dedicated their entire lives to table tennis, pursuing greatness and pouring all of their hopes and dreams into tournaments that happen once a year. This series comes from the mind of Masaaki Yuasa, director of Tatami Galaxy and Devilman: Crybaby, so it’s no surprise that the art style is deranged beyond all belief, but the distorted faces and sketchy movements help visualize the intense emotions that Smile and Peco feel during their matches. Keep an open mind and give this anime a shot!

Parasyte updates the classic ‘80s manga of the same name to a modern-day setting, where the increasingly connected world sets the stage for a story about xenophobia and what it means to be human. Alien parasites descend upon the Earth, taking over human bodies and feeding on unsuspecting people. The idea that anyone, whether they’re a total stranger or your own mother, could be a parasite in disguise is what drives the absolute horror of this series. It neatly mirrors how the internet and social media bring us together, but also drag out the worst in people. For a similar setting update of a classic horror manga, also check out the previously mentioned Devilman: Crybaby!

For fans of Black Mirror-style technological dystopia stories, Psycho-Pass should definitely be on your plan-to-watch shortlist. New police inspector Akane Tsunemori enters into the world of the Criminal Investigation Division, which uses the Sibyl System to target people with criminal intent and stop them before they hurt anyone. She quickly learns that this draconian approach to justice may be doing more harm than good and that the Sibyl System’s mysterious origins could be to blame... With an all-star production team at the helm (Gen Urobuchi wrote it, Akira Amano designed the characters, and Yugo Kanno penned the score), Psycho-Pass was pretty much guaranteed to be a success. Its second season lets it down, but the first is a work of art that more than makes up for any shortcomings.

From Kunihiko Ikuhara (of Revolutionary Girl Utena fame) comes this dramedy anime about two brothers whose terminally ill sister is taken over by a dominatrix spirit that resides within a penguin-shaped hat they bought for her at an aquarium. They must find the titular “penguindrum” to save their sister, but along the way they learn much more about each other and discover what fate has in store for them. Ikuhara also directed this year’s Sarazanmai, which also explores the connections between people through a copious amount of slapstick and animal antics, but Mawaru Penguindrum is our favorite of his works from this decade. Even if you’ve watched it before, try it again – you’re sure to discover something new!

The Promised Neverland is the perfect example of an inherently silly series that still manages to be dramatic and engaging every step of the way. Three orphan children live happily with their “siblings” in an idyllic countryside home, but soon discover that they’re actually being raised as meat for demons! They use their wicked cunning to devise a plan of escape, but their adult overseer is always one step ahead... The conflict between our main characters and their “Mom” plays out like something out of Death Note or Code Geass, complete with melodramatic confrontations and 5D chess mental maneuvers. And yet, the characters are so well written that none of it feels overly cheesy. We can’t wait for the second season next year!

Satoru Fujinuma possesses a magical ability called “Revival” that transports him back several minutes in time whenever something dangerous happens around him. But when he’s accused of murdering his mother, he’s sent back 18 years to his childhood and discovers that the disappearance of one of his classmates may be connected to his mother’s murder. In order to return to his own time, he must unravel the mystery and save the victims from their deadly fates. Erased is less of a supernatural story and more of a mystery thriller that uses time travel to get the plot going. The characters are realistic and compelling, the animation is absolutely stunning, and it’s difficult to predict what will happen next. The ending has caused some controversy due to its odd pacing, but the series overall is a fascinating psychological study well worth sinking your teeth into.

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Magical girl anime are generally seen as harmless fluff for young children, providing little more for the adult viewer than cute character designs and some entertaining fight scenes. And while some franchises like Precure and Lyrical Nanoha have subverted those expectations in one way or another, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica was the anime that really turned the entire genre on its head. This show examines how fighting life-threatening monsters on a daily basis for some cause they don’t fully understand would actually affect young girls in the real world. The ethereal animation and music create a foreboding atmosphere that sets the stage for some of the most intensely emotional scenes of any anime this decade. Many imitators have tried to repeat its success, but none can match Madoka itself.

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Decim runs a bar in the afterlife where he hosts two souls at a time and forces them to play demented parlor games to determine who will be reincarnated and who will be sent to the void. It’s a simple premise, but Death Parade makes the most of it by giving each character (both the one-episode guests as well as Decim and the other recurring staff) their own realistic motivation and compelling storyline. We were in tears by the end of most episodes, especially the ones that dealt with extreme topics like suicide. The worldbuilding is original and compelling, the animation and voice acting are superb, and the storytelling has everything we could ever want out of a psychological anime. It’s truly a masterpiece.

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Zombieland Saga puts a spin on the tired old idol formula by filling its singing group with zombies! Seven girls, each plucked from a different era in Japan’s past, must band together to save the faltering Saga district from obscurity while somehow hiding the fact that they’re walking corpses. There’s plenty of wacky fun to be had (especially when their boisterous manager is in the room), but this anime also tackles more serious issues like culture shock, imposter syndrome, and even transgenderism. Be sure to give this one a watch and look out for season 2 in 2020!

While it’s a more-or-less straightforward sports anime on paper, Yuri on Ice carves out a niche for itself in a number of ways; it focuses on an individual sport with older protagonists, features gorgeous ice skating animation for many of its competition scenes, and portrays a gay male relationship between the main characters in a realistic and sympathetic manner. Japan has a tendency to either fetishize homosexual relationships or sweep them under the rug, so when Yuri and Victor actually kissed and had a real romance, it was a very big step for LGBT representation in the medium. Yuri on Ice is a piece of history, and a great story to boot.

So many fantasy stories yearn to create a sense of boundless adventure, but A Place Further Than the Universe shines brighter than them all with its tale of four high school girls who travel to Antarctica. Shirase, the daughter of an Antarctic researcher who went missing three years ago, decides to go to the icy continent in search of her mother with the help of her friends Kimari, Hinata, and Yuzuki. It’s a heartwarming story about chasing your dreams and enriching your youth, but with its fair share of bittersweet moments that remind you of the harshness of the real world. This anime is criminally under-watched, so catch up on it before the new year!

You may have gotten tired of hearing about this movie breaking box office records and winning awards across the board, but sometimes things are popular for a reason. Kimi no Na wa is a beautifully crafted film by Makoto Shinkai (of 5 Centimeters Per Second fame) about two teens whose fates are intertwined through time and dreams. As they desperately search for each other in the real world to figure out what’s going on, a heartwarming romance blossoms between them. It’s only two hours long, so queue it up for your next date night!

Death Parade has all of the aspects we love about anime original series; a creative premise, vibrant animation, an unpredictable and gripping story, and an ending that we’ll remember forever. Quindecim is a quiet bar in the afterlife where two souls at a time arrive to be judged. Will they be reborn into a new life, or will they be cast into the void? The bartender, Decim, has the souls play a game where their darkest secrets and deepest feelings come to light, exposing them for what they truly are. Death Parade has such incredible depth to its world, and both its recurring and one-off characters are so interesting that you can’t help but be enraptured by them. It’s a gleaming gem of an anime that you definitely shouldn’t miss.

Available for purchase at most shrines, these small wooden plaques portray two kanji. Zodiac images are the most popular nowadays on Ema but this was not always the case. Initially during the Nara period, horses were the common animal to see on ema because they were considered a vehicle for the gods. As Ema evolved, they came to feature other animals that were unique to each shrine and this is still common today alongside the zodiac figures. Ema are not only found at New Years but are common throughout the year for a variety of circumstances from childbirth to exams. To complete the Ema, you write your wish on the plaque (the front on top of the picture is sometimes customary or the back on the blank side so as not to soil the beautiful art) and hang it on the shrine for the gods to answer your prayers. Once the new year has passed, it is common to burn the plaques in order to help the wishes come true and to help clear the shrine.

When Nanami Momozono goes to Izumo, she encounters a great many gods from a variety of shrines. While part of going to Izumo is enjoying yourself and snacking on delicious food, there is also the more spiritual aspect of it. Each god must process the Ema that were submitted to their shrine each year. While Nanami quickly progresses through her own measly pile of wishes, the other gods fail at completing their work. Such is the case with the goddess, Inaho. She is lazy and sleeps through her time to process her own Ema. Poor Nanami is dragged into her work but feels accomplished when the mountain of Ema has finally been completed. While many anime show the view from the human worshipers, Kamisama Hajimemashita gives us a different look into the other side of Ema that must be completed by the gods.

This mock battle during the first half of the game lets all houses of Garreg Mach monastery test their mettle against each other in a massive three-way fight. Your task is to defeat as many enemies as possible and take out the other two house leaders before they accomplish the same thing. If you haven’t played the other routes before, this might be your first chance to see the other houses’ students in action and see if you want to recruit them! Afterward, everyone celebrates with a feast in the dining hall. So sweet!

Directly after the timeskip on the Blue Lions route, main character Byleth wakes up from their five-year coma and hurries to the abandoned Garreg Mach to find none other than Dimitri waiting for them. He’s haggard and hell-bent on revenge, so he pulls Byleth into a battle where the two of them fight off some thieves skulking around the grounds. Initially, you feel that there’s no way you can kill so many enemies with just two units, but one by one, the other Blue Lions return to the battlefield to keep their promise of returning for the Millennium Festival. The story doesn’t just tell you that you’re ecstatic to have them back – you feel it in the gameplay as well!

Dedue’s paralogue has you allying with Kingdom forces to subdue rebels from Duscur, but your real objective is to defeat the rebels and send them away before the murderous Kingdom soldiers can kill them. The hilly terrain makes it incredibly difficult to save all of the Duscur citizens, but if you can at least get to their leader, Dedue convinces him to leave and the conflict dissipates. Later on, the Duscur people show their support by saving Dedue from execution during the timeskip, so it’s imperative that you complete this paralogue if you want him to live!

The final chapter of Verdant Wind (the Golden Deer route) brings Three Houses’ lore to the forefront when King Nemesis and his ten elites march towards the monastery on a quest for vengeance. You’ve only ever heard about these historical figures in stories before now, but here they are in front of you with death in their eyes! You must defeat Lamine to dispel the magical swamp and Odessa to stop the Divine Beast reinforcements, as well as take down the other elites to break Nemesis’ defenses and kill him once and for all. It’s a thrilling end to this lore-filled route and one of the best final bosses in the game!

However, one battle manages to top even “Fodlan’s New Dawn”; “To the End of a Dream”, the final fight of Crimson Flower (Edelgard’s route). With Rhea’s true identity exposed and her forces dwindling, she orders Catherine to set fire to the city of Fhirdiad so your army can’t seize it. You must charge your way through the burning capitol, taking out the last of the church and Kingdom’s soldiers until you reach Rhea and establish your dominance once and for all. It’s heart-rending to kill the people you once called friends and co-workers just because they’re on the opposite side of a national conflict, and it hits even harder because they’re following orders from a madwoman who’s blinded by rage. But, if you emerge victorious, you’ll finally unite Fodlan and dispense of the discriminatory Crest system for good.