Favourite Action Anime (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 5
It’s time to turn things up in my 30 Days of Anime challenge as I look back at my favourite action anime from the last five years of the Otaku Author. Be warned, things are going to get explosive!
Favourite Action Anime (30 Days of Anime – Years 1 to 5) – Day 5
I grew up in the eighties watching countless Hollywood action movies starring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis. I have no idea how many I watched and rewatched, but it was undoubtedly a lot. So, when I say I love stories with lots of action, I mean it. Thankfully, anime knows how to deliver when it comes to action. Let’s dive in – this should be exciting!
Year 1 – Fire Force (Season One)
I started covering Fire Force back on my old site before bringing it over to the Otaku Author to finish it off. I also managed to convince Yomu from Umai Yomu Anime Blog to collaborate with me and turn every review into a discussion. Originally Yomu thought it was some sort of firefighter-based romance series, but managed to see the light! This series was on fire, literally. The story was good with lots of mystery and intrigue, but it was the fights that really made this series stand out. The amazing use of light and dark brought contrast to the lightning-fast action. This series was so much fun to watch and review.
Year 2 – Akame ga Kill! (Season One)
Akame ga Kill! had an incredible original soundtrack. There was this one song that started playing whenever things intensified and it was amazing. It never failed to get the blood pumping as they raced into battle with the likely outcome that someone would die. Unlike lots of other shows, Akame ga Kill! was not afraid to kill its characters which it did a lot. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about that, but for me, it’s one of its greatest strengths. They are fighting an evil tyrannical government that is not afraid to torture and kill at will. It makes sense that everyone has to raise their game. Everyone must be prepared to die for the future they believe it. This is such an intense series. I absolutely love it!
Year 3 – Jujutsu Kaisen (Season One)
Much like Akame ga Kill!, Jujutsu Kaisen delivers a wonderfully dark world where it’s kill or be killed. There is a huge cast of characters that all end up fighting one way or another throughout the first season. I particularly enjoyed the inter-school battle which ended up as a battle to survive against attacking spirits. We got to see Toudou and Itadori fighting together which was amazing. However, the final three episodes delivered the most intense section of the first season as we saw the three main characters pushed to their limits. This is a dark and intense series. I really need to get around to watching the second season…
Year 4 – Chainsaw Man (Season One)
I started reading the Chainsaw Man manga before the season was announced and knew that it would instantly become a favourite of mine. I absolutely wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did though. Much like the last two entries to this category, Chainsaw Man is bloody and brutal. I think that after so many years of Shounen anime that lacked any real consequences other than a rare death, it’s nice to see shows that take things seriously. Sure, it’s nice that everyone’s favourite character survives, but that’s not how life works, and art should be a reflection of life, warts and all! I can’t wait for the second season, it’s going to be even more intense.
Year 5 – Kaiju No. 8 (Season One)
Just like Chainsaw Man (and Akame ga Kill! for that matter), I was reading the manga long before watching the anime. And, just like Chainsaw Man, I knew Kaiju No. 8 was going to be an absolute banger! This series is full of insane monsters and incredible fights on epic levels, however, it also has a wonderful cast of characters who fight for one another on a level that I don’t think I’ve seen done as well as this before. There is an amazing camaraderie and that just makes the fights that much more exciting. I’m also excited to see the second season, especially as I am well past that point in the manga. Kaiju No. 8 instantly became one of my favourite shows.
Final Thoughts!
I watch a lot of action-based anime. It’s probably one of my most watched genres so there was lots to choose from. Lots of them were amazing too, but these five were definitely the creme de la creme. I’d say that many of them aren’t just great action anime, but would hold their own in many other categories. However, we’ll just have to wait and see if any of them reappear in the next twenty-five days. Tomorrow, I’ll be looking at my favourite anime villains from the last five years. I do love a good villain. Thanks for visiting.
Other Posts in the Series
30 Days of Anime (Years 1 to 5)
I’m a bit surprised that you didn’t list Solo Leveling being the chosen Year 5 though I can understand if the way Jinwoo wins his fights through stabbing and slashes that felt repetitive after a while. Honourable mentions perhaps?I guess the fights in Kaiju No 8 have different styles with different people fighting their Kaiju enemies which I too can agree on since I’ve watched the whole first season already.
Solo Leveling would definitely be in my honourable mentions if I was doing them. I loved both Solo Leveling and Kaiju No. 8 but there was only room for one. Kaiju won because of Kafka and the way the team developed, but that was just a personal decision.
I’m still watching Akame. It’s nice. For action anime, I like the old ones: Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Yaiba, Yuyu Hakusho. New ones, I’ll go with Dororo and Beast Tamer. Guess it’s time to expand my horizons.
Some nice choices. The old ones are still some of the best!