Summary
This year has been great forfantasy anime, with the continuation of a lot of important series likeFrieren: Beyond Journey’s EndandDelicious In Dungeon,as well as the debut of strong newcomers likeNo Longer Allowed In Another WorldandDandadan.There areplenty of other sequels to fantasy animethat have also premiered in the same release window, so fans of the genre are quite happy with so many shows to watch.
This list includes shows that debuted in 2024 or the release window for their second part (half of the episodes) is comprised during the current season. As such, we got lots of strong candidates for the best series of the year, but only these eight made it to the final cut based on their quality, storytelling, critic reviews, and, of course, the reception from the audience.
Freiren: Beyond Journey’s Endcombines tragedy, comedy, romance, and fantasy seamlessly, with lots of action and tremendously well-designed world building. Needless to say, the series is not only a critical favorite, but the audience’s as well. Its art design and visual effects are top-notch, and the plot never disappoints.
The story is a journey of emotion and discovery, but also of the drama of outliving our loved ones. Told from the perspective of an Elf that has lived for over ten centuries, and has missed the passing of time.Unrequited love, a world in constant evolution, and the sensation of being left behind;Freirenteaches viewers about the value of friendship and love in times of war.
Aliens, evil spirits, body horror, and a number of explosions that would make Michael Bay blush. All of this isDandadan, an urban fantasy comedy with a special touch of quirky romance. What is so great about this series, readers might ask? It has just the right amount of adult humor and satire it needs to entertain without crossing the line.
This series has becomea sensation among fans of absurdhumor and ghost stories, and it is one of the top contenders for the best series of this season. Its story is both thrilling and happens at a vertiginous speed, making it a sort of shock-type narrative that leaves little space for viewers to think. At the end of the day, it is a fantastic tale with high doses of senseless humor.
Have readers ever dreamed of eating a monster? Probably not, but the crew fromDelicious In Dungeondefinitely has some cool recipes to share with them if they hunger for something “out of the ordinary.” This series is quite a sensation among fantasy fans, and despite all the humor and its quirky characters, it has a really deep and curated plot.
The only thing that could make this series better would be if there were more chapters, although this two-part first season has a total of 24 chapters, and it’s expected to be renewed for a second season, which will theoretically arrive in 2025. Viewers will have to wait and see how Laios, Marcille, Chilchuk, and Senshi’s party continue to delve into the depths of the dungeon, eating their way to save Falin.
In this urban fantasy tale about a weakling becoming a dark avenger, there are no true heroes. The protagonist Sun Jinwoo is most definitely an anti-hero, always looking to amass more power and overcome all obstacles to reach his personal goals. But as the story progresses, it is made evident that the world doesn’t need a hero, but a dark monarch to protect it from the invaders from other dimensions.
This is a thrilling tale of adventure, with a “growth-type hero” as the main character and lots of peculiar secondaries that orbit around his daily misadventures. Needless to say, there are a lot of awesome battle scenes and lots of gore inSoloLeveling. Perhaps that combination is what makes it such a good series.
The story of two heroes summoned to another worldand a reluctant healerwho just so happens to get caught in the middle,The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magicis most definitely among the best new series that has been launched this season. Although there has been a lot of criticism due to the differences between the anime, the light novel, and the manga, at the end of the day, this is still an excellent series.
Besides the dissenting voices, the story of Usato and his unique fighting style (if a healing punch can be considered a valid isekai power) has drawn a lot of attention from fans of fantasy series and chosen heroes. Viewers shouldn’t let the colorful designs fool them; the world depicted in this show is as harsh and dark as the most gruesome Grimdark stories, and the worst parts are yet to come. If it gets renewed for a second season, that is.
No Longer Allowed in Another Worldis a satirical fantasy series that mocks the isekai genre as a whole. Drawing fromthe trope of the reluctant hero,it builds an incredibly deep worldbuilding structure, with lots of pop-culture references and an abundance of quirky characters to laugh about.
The story follows a writer with suicidal tendencies, who dreams of the “most beautiful and tragic death” alongside his beloved. It turns out that wasn’t possible, as he was isekai’d by none other but the infamous Truck-kun, and forced into a quest to banish the rest of the otherworlders who are causing disturbances in this fantasy realm. Extra points for creativity: He enjoys sleeping and traveling in a coffin. Good times.
A modern person is reincarnated into a medieval fantasy world as Ars, the eldest son of Count Louvent. Soon, he discovers that he has a special power: He can see the talents of other people as numerical values. He intends to use said power to create the perfect army and protect his country from the upcoming succession war that is unleashed upon the realm.
Reincarnated as an Aristocratis a great series,with lots of great character developments,incredible battle scenes, and heartwarming moments. As the story progresses, we see the main character grow in size and spirit, and become the leader he is destined to be. No wonder people consider this one of the best this season; it really is a great story.
People being summoned to another world tends to be a trope that is quite common in fantasy isekai series, but when that is combined with the “discarded hero” trope and a revenge plot, the result is a series likeFailure Frame, where the main character is waiting for the right moment to hit his former classmates where it hurts. Witha powerful and dangerous evil goddessas the main antagonist, the series explores the darker sides of humanity. When survival is at stake, everything is permitted.
Sadly, there has been a controversy around the use and abuse of CGI to create this series, with allegations of AI usage to top it off. The animation technique has indeed affected the quality of the series, and this makes it lose some points that, otherwise, would have helped it position better in the overall ranking. Still, this is one of the best of the season, though it sits in the lowest rank on this list.
