Once more, with feeling: Finding the Best Anime of 2012

[Maokun]

Hello everyone, I've been away for a while so many of you surely haven't heard of me (hi to everyone who remembers me!) I'm the guy that made all the previous "Best Anime of year X" and now that most series initiated in 2012 have finished, we're overdue to find the best anime of that year!

How shall we do this? I comb myanimelist.com for all the series which were aired (mostly) during the year 2012 and all the anime films that premièred in that year and which have an average rating of at least 7.0. (I'm leaving out OVA's, special episodes, recap movies and the such of ongoing or past series.) From this initial pool of 106 titles, we'll choose 64 titles to advance to the preliminary round from which the 32 best titles enter the proper competition.

.hack//Beyond the World
009 Re:Cyborg
Accel World
Acchi Kocchi
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
AKB0048 First Stage
Amagami SS+ Plus
Ano Natsu de Matteru
Another
Aquarion Evol
Area no Kishi
Asura
Bakuman. 3
Berserk Movie 1
Berserk Movie 2
Binbougami ga!
Black★Rock Shooter (TV)
Bodacious Space Pirates
Brave 10
Btooom!
Campione!
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
Code:Breaker
Danball Senki W
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou
Dog Days'
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
Eureka Seven AO
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
Fate/Zero 2nd Season
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Ginga e Kickoff!!
Gintama': Enchousen
Girls und Panzer
Guilty Crown
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Hidamari Sketch x Honeycomb
High School DxD
Hiiro no Kakera 2nd Season
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere II
Humanity has Declined
Hyouka
Inazuma Eleven Go: Chrono Stone
Inu x Boku SS
Ixion Saga DT
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2012)
Jormungand
Joshiraku
K
Kamisama Kiss
Kids on the Slope
Kill Me Baby
Kimi to Boku. 2
Kingdom
Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
Kokoro Connect
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Kuroko no Basket
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Library War: The Wings of Revolution
Little Busters!
Lupin the Third, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Medaka Box
Mirai Nikki (TV)
Moyashimon Returns
MuvLuv Alternative Total Eclipse
Mysterious Girlfriend X
Natsuiro Kiseki
Natsuyuki Rendezvous
Nekomonogatari: Kuro
New Prince of Tennis
Nisemonogatari
Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai!
Persona 4 The Animation
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
Psychic School Wars
Psycho-Pass
Recorder to Randoseru
Rinne no Lagrange
Robotics;Notes
Saki - Episode of Side A
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Sankarea
Senhime Zesshou Symphogear
Seitokai no Ichizon Lv.2
Shakugan no Shana Final
Shirokuma Cafe
Smile Precure!
Sukitte Ii na yo.
Sword Art Online
Tantei Opera Milky Holmes 2
Tari Tari
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Thermae Romae
The World God Only Knows: Tenri Arc
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Tsuritama
Utakoi
Wasurenagumo
Wolf Children
Natsume Yuujinchou Shi
Zero no Tsukaima F
Zetman
Zetsuen no Tempest

As always, if you feel that I left out a title that should be here or included one that definitely shouldn't be, or any questions let me know here. I'll post the first entry of the pre-qualifying round around midnight of September the 2nd (between monday and tuesday.)

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

By season (because it's the easiest way for me to remember everything.

Winter:
Bodacious Space Pirates
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijo (it hurts me a little to not just write Nichibros)
Ano Natsu de Matteru
Natsume Yuujincho Shi

Spring:
Kids on the Slope or Sakamichi no Apollon or whatever
Tsuritama
Hyouka
Fate/Zero

Summer:
Humanity Has Declined
Moyashimon Returns
Kokoro Connect

Fall:
Zetsuen no Tempest
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Shin Sekai Yori (which you missed on your list)
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Magi
Chuunibyo demo Koi ga Shitai

Movies:
Wolf Children (why did this have to come out the same year as Hyouka ultimate sadface)
Library War
Nekomonogatari Kuro (which is not a movie but fits here best)

[goldenspines]

Finally, it begins. Actually, 2012 was a good year for anime; lots of great titles to choose from. Thanks as always for setting this up, Maokun. Looking forward to the results. :3

Anywho, voting and stuffs, in no particular order:

- Humanity has Declined
- Wolf Children
- Kokoro Connect
- Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (Nichibros)
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (fun fact, on wiki, "List of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Episodes" is also listed as an anime title)
- Tsuritama
- Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
- Zetsuen no Tempest
- Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!
- Medaka Box (Only the first season. If it came down to it, I'd refuse to support the second season because I'm still mad about the ending. XD; )
- Hyouka
- Natsume Yuujinchou Shi
- Inu x Boku SS
- Kimi to Boku 2
- Persona 4 The Animation (laughing about it, though)
- Sukitte Ii na yo
- Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
- Magi: Labyrinth of Magic
- Nisemonogatari
- Nekomonogatari: Kuro
- Smile Precure!
- Joshiraku
- Wooser no Sono Higurashi (not on your list, but worth bringing up, even if it was just me and Blkmage who watched it)
- One Piece Film Z (also not on your list probably because it aired December 2012 and the subs were nowhere to be seen until July 2013. XD; But it was great, so it deserves a mention)

There was a lot of good stuff in 2012, wasn't there? XD;

[drill]

Since I've only been watching anime for about 3 months I don't really have that many to vote for, but this is my list in order:

Hyouka
Sword Art Online
Tsuritama
Robotics;Notes

[FllMtl Novelist]

Wow 2012 I was so young and innocent back then. And watched more anime, I think.

Bodacious Space Pirates
Fate/Zero 2nd Season
Humanity has Declined
Hyouka
Kids on the Slope
Library War: The Wings of Revolution
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Tsuritama
Wolf Children
Natsume Yuujinchou Shi

[KazeShiki]

best ones:
Fate/Zero S2
Humanity Has Declined
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Jormungand
Natsume Yuujinchou Shi
Wolf Children

good ones:
Bodacious Space Pirates
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou
Kokoro Connect
Nekomonogatari: Kuro (if only they included the Tsukihi banter, I would love this so much more)
Nisemonogatari
Psycho Pass
Sukitte Ii na yo
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

I'm not sure if Space Battleship Yamato 2199 would be eligible (series of 7 theatrical releases starting in 2012, finished in 2013) but that definitely deserves recognition as some of the best anime of the year. Also, the one I consider easily best of 2012 is Space Brothers but that's still ongoing.

[Maokun]

Hold your horses, friends, the time for voting will be later, in neat separated groups.

@KazeShiki: I actually didn't know whether to include the Yamato movies, but now that you have suggested them, I'll add them in. EDIT: I'll probably add them as a single entry.

[blkmage]

no teekyuu, very disappoint

[skreyola]

Yay! And it looks like I've seen a fair number of these.

[Lynna]

Looking over this list, I realise just how many anime there were coming out last year that I wanted to see, and just how few of them I actually watched. In fact, there was only one that I finished and enjoyed: Humanity Has Declined, which I'm happy to vote for.

[goldenspines]

Hold your horses, friends, the time for voting will be later, in neat separated groups.

*can't read directions, was too excited, and is sorry* 8(

Note to self: Don't do what Hat does.



I'm actually predicting that Hyouka is going to take this in the end, but hearing that more people have seen and enjoyed Humanity has Declined makes me very happy. (*w*)

[GeneD]

I'm actually predicting that Hyouka is going to take this in the end, but hearing that more people have seen and enjoyed Humanity has Declined makes me very happy. (*w*)

All of this.

2012 is the year my anime drought broke so I'm pretty sentimental about it. ^__^

[Maokun]

no teekyuu, very disappoint

Hmm, 6.64... anyone else cares for this series to be in the competition?

[KazeShiki]

hearing that more people have seen and enjoyed Humanity has Declined makes me very happy. (*w*)

I thought it was pretty underrated but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

no teekyuu, very disappoint

Hmm, 6.64... anyone else cares for this series to be in the competition?

I didn't realize Teekyuu was actually 2012, so yes, it is the most underrated show of the year. MAL scores are indicative of nothing but popularity.

[Maokun]

I didn't realize Teekyuu was actually 2012, so yes, it is the most underrated show of the year. MAL scores are indicative of nothing but popularity.

I'm entirely aware of this but I need to apply some kind of filter or we'd end with over 200 titles in this That's why I rely on you guys to fill me in! Teekyuu is in, then.

First round of the pre-qualifying days to go up in shortly!

[Maokun]

Ok, time to get started! How are we going to do this? For this phase, I'm going to present you guys with 2 groups each day (out of 8) created with the titles above stated and the help of an online randomiser. For each group, give a star (★) to each title in the group that you believe deserves to continue to the next round. Please vote in this way for no less than 4 titles and no more than 8 titles per group. You can also give a double star (★★) to your favourite title of each group. The titles with more stars will advance to the next round. Without further ado, our competing titles for today:

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation
Girls und Panzer
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns
Hyouka
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro

Votes will be up for 1 day until approximately this time. Have at it!

[Crossfire]

GROUP RED
Girls und Panzer ★★

GROUP GREEN
Jormungand ★★


The only two shows I've watched in these groupings, so I guess they get my vote this round.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Only show I care about in Red is Ano Natsu so everything else is voting for things I hope don't make it (well, Robotics;Notes was okay I guess). Green otoh breaks my heart but ultimately I had to choose Hyouka :<

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World ★
Persona 4 The Animation
Girls und Panzer
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes ★
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You ★
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★★
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns ★
Hyouka ★★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro ★

[Maokun]

@Crossfire: You can vote for series you have seen but that you know (or believe) are good. I'd prefer if you could vote for at least 4titles of each group.

@Hats: You can vote for up to 8 titles in each group No one needs to be left behind and if you want to make sure that some titles in RED will not pass, vote for all the others.

My own votes:

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation ★
Girls und Panzer ★
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero ★
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution
Zetman
Jormungand ★
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing ★
Moyashimon Returns
Hyouka ★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro ★

[MangaRocks!]

Gah, I haven't seen a lot out of these particular groups...


GROUP RED - Only seen R;N out of this one, so the other three are just by if they seem slightly interesting to me/suppose I might eventually end up watching someday, I guess? (Though I actually have read {and really love} the Bakuman. manga, but I don't know how good or not the anime adaptation is, so I decided not to give that a star.)

Accel World ★
Persona 4 The Animation ★
Girls und Panzer ★
Robotics;Notes ★★


GROUP GREEN - Haven't seen Moyashimon, either; but, again, if I have to pick four... Also, *really* hard to choose between Library War and Hyouka for the double-star! However, since I have a sneaking suspicion that more people have seen (and thus will give more stars to) the latter, I'll give my second star to the former.

Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★★
Moyashimon Returns ★
Hyouka ★
Nekomonogatari: Kuro ★

[drill]

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World ★
Persona 4 The Animation ★
Girls und Panzer
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes ★★
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero ★
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna ★
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing ★
Moyashimon Returns
Hyouka ★★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro

[blkmage]

GROUP RED
★Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation
Girls und Panzer
Bakuman. 3
★Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
★Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
★Ano Natsu de Matteru
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
★Library War: The Wings of Revolution
Zetman
Jormungand
★Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns
★★Hyouka
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
★Nekomonogatari: Kuro

[Vii]

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe ★
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation
Girls und Panzer
Bakuman. 3 ★
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes ★
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman[color=#80F00][/color]
Jormungand ★
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyahimon Returns ★
Hyouka ★★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro

[KazeShiki]

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation ★
Girls und Panzer ★
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead ★
Robotics;Notes
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman
Jormungand ★★
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1 ★
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns
Hyouka
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro ★

[goldenspines]

My votes:

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation ★
Girls und Panzer ★★
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes ★
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns ★
Hyouka ★★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro ★

[GeneD]

Green otoh breaks my heart but ultimately I had to choose Hyouka :<

You'd better at least be loosing some sleep over this, Hat.

I dropped the only thing I've seen in this group. Psychic School Wars and Ano Natsu de Matteru get votes in anticipation of my seeing them, hopefully for the former before the competition is out.

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe ★
Accel World
Persona 4 The Animation ★★
Girls und Panzer
Bakuman. 3 ★
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars ★
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★
.hack//Beyond the World

Hyouka, I love you but it's time to let the other kids have a turn. FUSE vote in anticipation.

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl ★
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns ★★
Hyouka ★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro

[Falx]

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World ★
Persona 4 The Animation
Girls und Panzer ★★
Bakuman. 3
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby★
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
Moyashimon Returns
Hyouka★★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro★

[ForeverInspired]

Sorry! I just saw this!

GROUP RED
Dog Days'
Shirokuma Cafe
Accel World ★★
Persona 4 The Animation ★
Girls und Panzer ★
Bakuman. 3 ★
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead
Robotics;Notes ★
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sankarea
Psychic School Wars
Ano Natsu de Matteru
.hack//Beyond the World

GROUP GREEN
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★
Zetman
Jormungand
Kill Me Baby
To LOVE-Ru Darkness
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna ★
Berserk Movie 1
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing ★
Moyashimon Returns
Hyouka ★★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
Nekomonogatari: Kuro

[Maokun]

We're off to a good start! Let's see the results of Day 1 of the pre-qualifying round:

PASS TO NEXT ROUND
Girls und Panzer ★★★★★★★★★★
Ano Natsu de Matteru ★★★★★★★★★
Persona 4 The Animation ★★★★★★★★
Robotics;Notes ★★★★★★★
Accel World ★★★★★★
Bakuman. 3 ★★★

GO TO REPECHAGE ROUND
Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead ★★
Shirokuma Cafe ★★
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero ★★

DISQUALIFIED
Sankarea ★
Psychic School Wars ★
Dog Days' ★
Hayate no Gotoku! Can't Take My Eyes Off You ★
.hack//Beyond the World

PASS TO NEXT ROUND
Hyouka ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Library War: The Wings of Revolution ★★★★★★★★★★
Nekomonogatari: Kuro ★★★★★★★
Moyashimon Returns ★★★★★★
Jormungand ★★★★★★
Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing ★★★

GO TO REPECHAGE ROUND
Kill Me Baby ★★
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna ★★

DISQUALIFIED
Berserk Movie 1 ★
FUSE - Memoirs of the Hunter Girl ★
Zetman ★
Recorder to Randoseru
Kingdom
To LOVE-Ru Darkness


A few favourites take the top positions by landslide leaving meagre votes to distribute among everyone else! Let's see how today's groups do. Remember, up to 8, minimum 4!

GROUP YELLOW
Berserk Movie 2
Thermae Romae
Senhime Zesshou Symphogear
Tari Tari
Tsuritama
Acchi Kocchi
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Smile Precure!
Wasurenagumo
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle
Guilty Crown
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere II
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Nisemonogatari

GROUP BLUE
Mirai Nikki (TV)
Amagami SS+ Plus
Lupin the Third, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Bodacious Space Pirates
Aquarion Evol
Inu x Boku SS
Sword Art Online
Kids on the Slope
Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate
Ginga e Kickoff!!
Zero no Tsukaima F
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
High School DxD

Happy voting!

[drill]

GROUP YELLOW
Berserk Movie 2
Thermae Romae
Senhime Zesshou Symphogear
Tari Tari
Tsuritama ★★
Acchi Kocchi ★
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun
Smile Precure!
Wasurenagumo
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle ★
Guilty Crown ★
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere II
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Nisemonogatari

GROUP BLUE
Mirai Nikki (TV) ★
Amagami SS+ Plus
Lupin the Third, The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Bodacious Space Pirates
Aquarion Evol
Inu x Boku SS
Sword Art Online ★★
Kids on the Slope
Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate ★
Ginga e Kickoff!!
Zero no Tsukaima F ★
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san
High School DxD