I was going to do a blog post for each of these, giving in depth explanations of why each thing was where it is, but it was getting too long and boring, so I’m just leaving the rankings here.
Eligibility is determined by when I first encountered the thing in question, not when the series started.
Top 10 new female characters:
10. Iizuka Yuzu (Sakura Trick)
9. Restia Ashdoll (Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance)
8. Shiro (No Game No Life)
7. Sasame Yaya (Hanayamata)
6. Yonomori Kobeni (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei)
5. Yaya (Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai)
4. Nijino Yurika (Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?)
3. Terminus Est (Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance)
2. Mitsumine Mashiro (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei)
1. Kanzaki Tomoyo (Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de)
Top 10 new male characters:
Why are there always so few good male characters?
10. Yato (Noragami)
9. Son Hak (Akatsuki no Yona)
8. Nozaki Umetarou (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun)
7. Maeno Mitsuya (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun)
6. Karaage Lemon (Sabagebu!)
5. Andou Jurai (Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de)
4. Kiryuu Shougo (Isshuukan Friends)
3. Mitsuka Souji (Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu)
2. Sora (No Game No Life)
1. Mitsumine Hakuya (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei)
Top 10 new OP songs:
If I knew the song before the start of the year then it is not eligible. The only thing really affected by this is Machine Doll’s OP, though.
10. This Game (No Game No Life)
9. Ginsen no Kaze (Madan no Ou to Vanadis)
8. Hoshi to Hana (Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru)
7. Dekoboko Kaiketsu Sensation (Jinsei)
6. Goya no Machiawase (Noragami)
5. Fight 4 Real (Strike the Blood)
4. Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki (Love Live! School Idol Project 2)
3. Kyoumei no True Force (Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance)
2. Hanaha Odoreya Irohaniho (Hanayamata)
1. Synchrogazer (Senki Zesshou Symphogear)
Top 10 new ED songs:
Songs also used as OP songs are not included. NOTE: rank 1 removed as it doesn’t count. This was done sufficiently late that I can’t change the rankings now so the list will have to be missing a rank 1. Sorry.
10. Tinkling Smile (Yama no Susume 2nd Season)
9. Kiss(and)Love (Sakura Trick)
8. Masshiro World (Mikakunin de Shinkoukei)
7. Born to Be (Mahou Sensou)
6. Van!shment Th!s World (Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren)
5. Kairaku Genri (Hitsugi no Chaika)
4. Twintail Dreamer! (Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu)
3. two-Dimension’s Love (Denki-Gai no Honya-san)
2. Hanayuki (Hanayamata)
1.
Top 10 pleasant surprises (anime only):
This is a list for series that most exceeded what I expected from them. Thus low expectations are as important as high results.
10. Love Live! School Idol Project 2
9. Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai
8. Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken
7. Tonari no Seki-kun
6. Akatsuki no Yona
5. Chou Zenmairobo: Patrasche
4. Sabagebu!
3. Onee-chan ga Kita
2. Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru
1. Tesagure! Bukatsumono
Top 10 fastest drops (anime only):
Not everything this year has been good. This is a ranking of the series which took the least amount of time for me to decide that I didn’t want to watch them. Unavailable series or ones that I put on hold indefinitely do not count. It is done by proportion of the first episode watched (none of these series reached episode 2) which is why it isn’t just filled with shorts.
10. Saikin, Imouto no Yousu ga Chotto Okashiinda ga.
9. Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji
8. Strange+
7. Magic Kaito 1412
6. Tribe Cool Crew
5. Wake Up, Girl Zoo!
4. Kiseijuu
3. Yuusha ni Narenakatta Ore wa Shibushibu Shuushoku wo Ketsui Shimashita. OVA
2. Hi☆sCoool! SeHa Girls
1. Momo Kyun Sword
Top 10 new light novels:
Note: Series are not counted as read if I am less than 20 pages in. As such there are only 10 things that are even eligible to appear on the list (all of them enjoyable). Although three of the things on the list are themselves only eligible because of this, as I had read small amounts of them in previous years. As I am slow at reading in Japanese and often miss things, series in English have an inherent advantage.
10. Toaru Majutsu no Index
9. GJ-bu Chuutoubu
8. Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance
7. Sword Art Online
6. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata
5. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.
4. Accel World
3. Ore ga Heroine wo Tasukesugite Sekai ga Little Mokushiroku!?
2. Kieli
1. Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu
Top 10 new manga:
Spinoffs and sequel series are included, as are things I picked up the manga of after watching the anime. Even with that this is still a really easy list to get onto. I started a lot of good manga in the second half of 2013…
10. Natsume Yuujinchou
9. Na*Na*Ki!
8. Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii
7. Noragami
6. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
5. Sakura Trick
4. Vinland Saga
3. Yama no Susume
2. Hitsugi Katsugi no Kuro
1. Kitakubu Katsudou Kiroku
Top 10 new anime:
Sequels excluded.
10. Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?
9. Hitsugi no Chaika
8. Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de
7. Mikakunin de Shinkoukei (AOTS Winter 2014)
6. No Game No Life
5. Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai
4. Hanayamata (AOTS Summer 2014)
3. Isshuukan Friends (AOTS Spring 2014)
2. Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu
1. Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru (AOTS Autumn 2014)
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