2015 in retrospect: A few personal yearly top 10s

Well this was supposed to be posted early last week but it took far longer than I had thought… I should probably start writing it up sooner next year, or maybe keep track of more things than just the drop point throughout the course of the year.

As with last year, eligibility is determined by when I first encountered the thing in question, not when the series started.

Top 10 new female characters:

10. Motoba Kirie (Himouto! Umaru-chan)
9. Muco (Itoshi no Muco) – Noone said the characters had to be human…
8. Tenkuubashi Aika (Ore ga Ojousama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite GETS♥Sareta Ken)
7. Fremy Speeddraw (Rokka no Yuusha)
6. Julie Sigtuna (Absolute Duo)
5. Kagerou (Kantai Collection -KanColle- Kagerou, Batsubyoushimasu)*
4. Lelei La Lelena (Gate: Jieitai Kanochi Nite, Kaku Tatakaeri)
3. Sasamiya Saya (Gakusen Toshi Asterisk)
2. Shiranui (Kantai Collection -KanColle- Kagerou, Batsubyoushimasu)*
1. Akasaki Maayu (Shimaman)

*Arguably I already knew these characters from doujin. But they’re new as far as official releases go.

Top 10 new male characters:

10. Adlet Mayer (Rokka no Yuusha)
9. Narsus (Arslan Senki)
8. Nameless sparkly muscle men (Ore ga Ojousama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite GETS?Sareta Ken)
7. Kurogane Ikki (Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry)
6. Haimura Moroha (Seiken Tsukai no World Break)
5. Hanabusa Youtarou (Lance N’ Masques)
4. Karasuma Tadaomi (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu)
3. Hans Humpty (Rokka no Yuusha)
2. Akabane Karma (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu)
1. Momonga / Ainz Ooal Gown (Overlord)

Arisuin Nagi would be right at the top of this ranking if I was going by biological gender. On the other hand s/he doesn’t even make it onto the female rankings. That’s how one-sided this year’s characters have been…

Top 10 new OP songs:
If I knew the song before the start of the year then it is not eligible. The rank is that of the song, and does not consider the opening animation.

10. Ring Ring Rainbow!! (Joukamachi no Dandelion OP)
9. Kakushinteki☆Metamaruphose! (Himouto! Umaru-chan OP)
8. Clattanoia (Overlord OP)
7. SUKI!SUKI!SUKI! (Itoshi no Muco OP)
6. DREAM SOLISTER (Hibike Euphonium OP)
5. No Limit (Dog Days” OP)
4. Light for Knight (Lance n’ Masques OP)
3. Black Swallowtail (Rokka no Yuusha OP 2)
2. Miiro (Kancolle OP)
1. Akatsuki no Hana (Akatsuki no Yona OP 2)

Top 10 new ED songs:
Songs also used as OP songs are not included.

10. Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari (Love Live School Idol Movie ED)
9. Tokimeki Poporon♪ (Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?? ED 1)
8. Mikazuki (Ranpo Kitan ED)
7. Afterglow (Gakkou Gurashi ED 3)
6. Secret Sky (Rokka no Yuusha ED 3)
5. L.L.L. (Overlord ED)
4. Blue Moment (Etotama ED)*
3. Acchu~ma Seishun! (Yuru Yuri San☆Hai! ED)
2. Akatsuki (Akatsuki no Yona ED 2)
1. Fubuki (Kancolle ED)

*There’s a different version of this every episode. This ranking is for episode 1. Later episodes would be lower on the ranks, but I’m not going to treat each one separately as that would result in one song taking up half the rankings by itself.

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. Absolute Duo
9. Koufuku Graffiti
8. Rokka no Yuusha
7. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu – What is this? A Shounen Jump series done well? At least at first, anyway… By the end it was showing signs of falling into the usual deterioration path that every Shounen Jump series that I have ever come across that wasn’t dropped by the magazine bar Bakuman. has fallen into.
6. Hibike! Euphonium
5. Ore ga Ojousama Gakkou ni “Shomin Sample” Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken –  I thought originally that this would be a series I had no interest in at all. I’m really not a fan of the “ojou-sama” character type, after all. Thankfully, only one of the main characters actually fitted that at all and the rest of them enabled the series to truly shine.
4. Bikini Warriors – yes, I know I ended up dropping this one, but the start of the series was overwhelmingly better than anything I could possibly have hoped for. Shame it didn’t keep it up in the slightest.
3. Etotama – desu desu. Went into with no real expectations but turned out to be one of the best anime of the year.
2. Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai
1. Itoshi no Muco – To think I was expecting to drop this…

Top 10 fastest drops:
Unavailable series or ones that I put on hold indefinitely do not count.

In terms of number of episodes before it was dropped:
10. Wakako-zake 1 ep
9. Bar Kiraware Yasai 1 ep
8. Chaos Dragon 0.86 eps
7. Ushio to Tora 0.74 eps
6. Ninja Slayer From Animation 0.4 eps
5. Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou 0.39 eps
4. Triage X 0.36 eps
3. Prison School 0.29 eps
2. Venus Project: Climax 0.27 eps
1. Punch Line 0.24 eps

In terms of amount of time before it was dropped:
10. Vampire Holmes 7.5 mins
9. Prison School 7.2 mins
8. Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou 7 mins
7. Venus Project: Climax 6.3 mins
6. Kurayami Santa 6 mins
5. Punch Line 5.5 mins
4. Ninja Slayer From Animation 5 mins
3. JK Meshi 3.5 mins
2. Wakako-zake 2 mins
1. Bar Kiraware Yasai 1.5 mins

Top 10 new light novels:
Some of these series I read a few pages of previously. Again, series are not counted as read if I am less than 20 pages in.
There’s more of a gap between 9 and 10 on this list than between 9 and 3. Only 12 things eligible this year… I’ve not really started much.

10. Another
9. Zettai Naru Isolator
8. Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de
7. Log Horizon
6. Black Bullet
5. No Game No Life
4. Strike the Blood
3. Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka
2. Kantai Collection -KanColle- Kagerou, Batsubyoushimasu
1. Hataraku Maou-sama!

Top 10 new manga:
Unlike last year this time these rankings are harder to get on than the light novel ones. 21 series eligible.

10. Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara.
9. Tonari no Seki-kun
8. Dungeon Meshi
7. Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru!
6. Denki-gai no Honya-san
5. Hanayamata
4. Osananajimi wa Onnanoko ni Naare
3. Shimaman
2. Kakukaku Shikajika
1. Isshuukan Friends

Top 10 new anime:
Sequels excluded.

10. Lance N’ Masques
9. Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri
8. Himouto! Umaru-chan
7. Gakkou Gurashi!
6. Joukamachi no Dandelion
5. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (AOTS Winter 2015)
4. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry (AOTS Autumn 2015)
3. Etotama
2. Hibike! Euphonium (AOTS Spring 2015)
1. Rokka no Yuusha (AOTS Summer 2015)