Aggretsuko
Streaming on Netflix
Sanrio’s Aggretsuko stars Retsuko, a Tokyo office worker who deals with her immense day to day stress by singing death metal karaoke alone. This 10-episode anime thoughtfully explores the challenges of a toxic work environment without losing its charm. Thankfully, Restsuko doesn’t have to navigate her awful workplace alone, though like with real life, friendship doesn’t suddenly solve all problems. While this may seem more stressful than fun to watch, Aggretsuko finds a great balance with its awesome death metal and a fantastic cast of characters. You can’t go wrong with the sub or dub on this one, too.
A Place Further than the Universe
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Taking a trip to Antarctica isn’t as simple as booking a hotel and hopping on a plane, but this group of girls has to find their own way there. Shirase’s mother has been missing for three years since her expedition to Antarctica, and Shirase is determined to find her. Mari, a girl who feels like she’s wasting her youth, decides to join Shirase on her seemingly impossible adventure. This heartwarming slice-of-life sees her embark on that journey to Antarctica with the help of Mari and two other girls searching for their own destinies in A Place Further than the Universe.
Devilman Crybaby
Streaming on Netflix
Based on the classic Devilman manga, Devilman Crybaby follows the gory adventures of Akira Fudo after a demon fails to possess him. Now with the powers of the demon – and some of his personality traits – Akira takes on the name Devilman to fight other demons that threaten to consume humanity. Devilman Crybaby is certainly not suitable for all viewers, but is one of the rare graphic action anime that has an incredible story to back up its fantastic animation.
Hinamatsuri
Streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation
In Hinamatsuri, a young, successful yakuza suddenly finds himself thrust into parenthood when a psychokinetic girl suddenly appears in his apartment. Using her powers to threaten his prized vase collection, the girl, Hina, secures herself food and shelter. Hinamatsuri is a delightful comedy about these two people’s lives and how Hina’s mischief affects others. It also takes breaks from focusing on Hina in order to explore the equally hilarious lives of her friends.
My Hero Academia Season 3
Streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation, HuluI’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of My Hero Academia by now, but in case you haven’t, it’s never too late to start watching. Izuku Midoriya grew up as a Quirkless kid, and because of his pure passion for justice, he ends up inheriting the power of Japan’s greatest hero. This is the story of how he becomes the best hero, and the trials he faces with friends along the way. While My Hero Academia certainly not immune to some common shonen tropes, it certainly makes the best of them and is one of the better shonen anime in recent years. This third season only builds upon the fantastic second season with more great animation, action, and heartfelt drama.
Violet Evergarden
Streaming on Netflix
Violet Evergarden is one of the most stunning anime of the year. Its incredible animation is as beautiful as its drama. With the war over, the child soldier Violet is forced to find a new purpose beyond being the murder machine she was raised to be. This proves to be especially hard for her when the only person she ever cared for – and ever cared for her – is reported as missing in action. With the help of some new friends, Violet takes up a job as a letter writer and learns more about others and her own feelings through her experiences.These six anime are our top contenders for the best anime of the year so far, and though they’re not on here, anime like Laid-Back Camp, After the Rain, Food Wars, and Megalo Box still fall among our favorites. What have been your favorites out of this year so far? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and for more on anime, be sure to check out our new show Anime Omake. Miranda Sanchez is a senior editor at IGN. You can chat with her about video games and anime on Twitter.