It’s the beginning of the new decade and so we have crated the list of the best fantasy anime of the previous decade. In this particular genre, anime are mostly isekai and the pioneer of this trend is Sword Art Online that brought change in the RPG-style anime of fantasy. This started the trend of many anime of the same sort as we get to see some truly amazing and interesting stories that we couldn’t even expect. Other than isekai, there are also some shounen anime that will be remembered as the conventional fantasy shows like Magi, Fairy Tail and Seven Deadly Sins. Whereas, anime like Bride and Made in Abyss and The Ancient Magus’ kept us captivated with the gorgeous visuals of its world. So here’s the list of the best fantasy anime of the decade.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride (Mahoutsukai no Yome)
There are not many shows about English and Welsh mythology but Mahoutsukai no Yome has depicted it in the best way possible. Chise Hatori has the special ability to see supernatural and magical beings. But, her life has not been very easy as she has been aloof and never has any friends and after the demise of her mother she became more depressed. She trade herself in a magical black market and is bought by a skull-head mage, Elias to become his apprentice and bride. I my opinion the anime felt a little incomplete due to certain things but it is a very interesting anime especially for those who are interested in stories with a magical world. The gorgeous visuals and the setting of the world that Chise explores which include the cottage of Elias, the dangerous woods feel like real. You would wish to go inside that world.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken)
The title of the anime may not seem that appealing as one might think that the anime is some sort of isekai parody with some silly jokes. We had the same impression after knowing about the title but it’s certainly not what it looks like because when plot moves forward and we learn more about the story, we get to know that it is a very heartwarming story which is focused on a slime who starts a successful community along with his new friends. The world of this anime has been depicted with every little detail (like the politics and life style of every nation that Rimuru explores) and the dragon Veldora who is the first one he encounters in his journey and tags along with him. It’s not the best of its genera but one of the most interesting and good fantasy anime of the past decade.
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!)
This comedy isekai anime is written by the Natsume Akatsuki who also gave the wrestling isekai anime Hataage! Kemono Michi. He is really good and really knows how to give comedic touch to the isekai in a way that won’t seem unnecessary or foolish and will actually makes the viewers laugh. It tells the story about. A bunch of adventurous people who seem more like horrible D&D players or comedians than the protagonist of an anime. Kazuma has been brought to the different world after dying. Aqua is a goddess and is good for nothing, Darkness fears to have destroyed by the monsters and Megumin is a chuunibyou is a magician who only wants to know the magic of explosion. The characters of this anime are so interesting that it makes the entire anime worth watching.
No Game No Life
Two famous gamers Sora and Shiro are stuck in the world of Disboard where all problems and issues are solved with games. They obviously become of fond of this world and begin to thrive to achieve the goal of becoming the gods of Disboard by uniting the 16 races of the world who are against each other. But, in order to achieve this goal they will have to overcome every obstacle that gets in their way. The setting of this anime is very unnatural but gorgeous with some bright colors that suits all its characters. Obviously the main characters are overpowered but it is fun to watch them achieving their goal. In addition to all this, the anime is filled with some hilarious JoJo references.
Land of the Lustrous (Houseki no Kuni)
It is rare to see a CGI anime getting good reviews and considered among the list of best anime. Land Of Lustrous is one of those rare anime. Studio Orange has done excellent job in making the gem-like people sparkle in the Buddhism-based world of fantasy. The CGI anime does not look that unnatural in this setting and beautifully express the intense scenes through the camera angle and body movements. Cherry on top are the voice actors and the details of its world that makes it more appealing to watch.
Violet Evergarden
Violet has never seen the world outside of the war as all her life she has been used as a utensil of combat till the time, her arms broke when she rescued her commanding officer. She now lives with the prosthetic arms and works as ‘Auto Memory Doll’ who anonymously write letter on behalf of those who can’t write themselves. She wishes to understand the meaning of the words that her commanding officer said to her while dying, by learning emotions through letters. The words of her commanding officer was that he loves her. When it comes to animation, one cannot expect less from Kyoto animation and Violet Evergarden is one of their best work. The beautiful shots with gorgeous background and details can easily be compared with Makato Shinkai’s movie. The anime is so heart wrenching that you can’t see this anime without crying.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu)
Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu is the anime with a different category in isekai genera. It’s not funny, heartwarming or a parody but a dark anime with isekai theme. It shows what dark consequences a person can face if he is dragged in a different world. The main character Subaru has a special ability ‘Return by Death’ through which he can get back to a certain time if his death occurs in this new world. But it has its own consequences as he will have to endure the unbearable suffering of death every time he dies, and he also can’t talk about that with anyone which makes it more painful for him to live in this world. Romance is one significant part of this anime. There are some loopholes in this show but it has contributed a different story in the world of isekai and fantasy anime.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Attack on titan is zombie themed anime which became famous as zombie based stories were quite famous back in those days due to The Walking Dead. But still it is different when it comes to fantasy anime due to it scary monsters and political themes that gives a new perspective to the fantasy anime. Some weird looking humanoids called Titans attack the people who are said to be last humans to live on earth. They strive to survive the attack by fighting these monsters. The first season was very thrilling and was action-packed. The other season were more about the characters and the world they live in. Attack on Titan progressed slowly in terms of amusing story. The awaited climax is expected to air in 2020.
Made in Abyss
It’s hard to be the best among so many wonderful fantasy and isekai anime. Made in Abyss truly stands out in a trending genera of isekai. It is the story about two young discoverers who get stuck into the world filled with fantasy monsters. A delver, Riko and her friend who is a cyborg, Reg embarks on a journey in search of her mother deep in the Abyss, a strange and dangerous place that nobody dares to go as it’s unlikely to return from there. While they try to find her mother while surviving through the dark place and unfriendly fauna, they encounter a humanoid being called Nanachi, who becomes one significant character in the second of the season due to her struggle to save her Friend Mitty from her sufferings. It is dark fantasy with gorgeous visuals which is perfect for a fantasy anime.
Fate/Zero
The Fate series keeps getting mixed reviews when it comes to its anime adaptations. But the Ufotable version is the undeniably the best version, not in terms of the series but also in the world of fantasy anime. It goes 10 years back before the Fat/Stay Night and tells the story of Fourth Holy Grail War which is the war between the old historical warriors who battles on behalf of their masters who summon them. The story is hard to comprehend for the new viewers, but interesting characters and visually appealing action scenes of war are not be missed. The conclusive fight of Saber with Caster and Gilgamesh is a must-watch action scene for everyone. With such breathtaking animation, Ufotable should be continuing the fate series in the future.
Some other anime that are not in the list but are worth watching include The Seven Deadly Sins for its interesting characters, Yona of the Dawn for such a great female protagonist, Magi for a fascinating story and Sword Art online for making a great impact in the world of isekai.
