:anime: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Anime (Top 20) ::: Overview & Honorable Mentions

<--To 2007 Edition

The twenty best anime of the decade, as they stand as of December 31, 2008:

:anime: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Anime (Top 20) ::: Insight

For a fuller account of how the list was created and what thinking went into it, I strongly suggest reading last year's Insight, which covered it in an extensive and generalized manner. As this year's list is so close to the previous, it would be better to refer its behind-the-scenes feature instead of merely rehashing it here. Rather, this Insight will focus on why there was a lack of change, what works failed to make the Top 20 (or, in one case, even Honorable Mentions), and what the future may hold in the final installments for this decade...


The second edition of this Decade's Best series, having only started it last year, bears much a resemblance to its predecessor. The primary reason for this is that we are already nearing the end of the decade, and a number of the works present have had a longer scale of time to be judged on and compared to one another and others. Critical and popular opinions have also had a longer time to grow and solidify, meaning that any sudden or great change in the rankings would be less likely to happen than it would earlier or even halfway through the decade. Naturally, that means that newer works may have a harder time competing against these more established ones in obtaining a spot in the Top 20. The barrier-of-entry can be especially difficult when there are already a great number of quality titles among the 55 Honorable Mentions alone. This dilemma led me to designate a "Final Edition" of the list set to be revealed a year after the decade ends to give those shows a better chance. Through the tough competition, there were a few standout title which concluded in 2008 that where poised to make a crack at the upper echelon, though they ultimately did not make it (at least, for this edition...).

:anime: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Anime (Top 20) ::: #5 to #1

And now, finally, the Top 5, with #5 to #1--the best anime of the decade...so far...

:anime: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Anime (Top 20) ::: #10 to #6

Entering into the Top 10, here is #10 to #6...

:anime: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Anime (Top 20) ::: #15 to #11

And now, #15 to #11...

:anime: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Anime (Top 20) ::: Introduction and #20 to #16

Last year's introduction started off with a mention of the debate about whether this decade has been a "golden age" for anime or not. While that argument has lessened some and has gone to the way side in turn for the more dire matter of the worldwide economic downturn's effect on the industry as a whole, a number of well-made titles that have come out since then, despite the circumstances. As good as they are, they will have to contend with an already crowded list of stellar anime, much less one centered around the top twenty anime of the decade--so far. The anime in contention (shows, movies, OVA, etc.) are judged primarily on their own merits and critical opinion, with slight attention being paid to popularity (this isn't exactly "Decade's Most Popular") and a dash of my own personal discretion. The list is unbiased overall, outside of the accompanying "Personal Note" with each entry, which details why that particular anime is there, at times a bit of history behind it, and of course, my own personal opinion of it.

Because much of the information in this introduction and in the entries to follow were more informational and insightful than time-related, there was little need to rewrite everything all over again. As such, what is displayed is nearly the same as before, only with some parts updated with newer information, reflections on why a title's ranking may or may not have changed (whether it might in the future), and additional opinion.

The rules remain as followed: only anime that have either begun showing since January 1, 2000, have been shown in their entirety from that date to December 31, 2008 (2009 in the end), or have aired a vast majority of its episodes (i.e. long-running shows of 75 eps. or more) in that given period of time are eligible. Five will be revealed until the number one anime of the decade--so far--is revealed.

And so once more, we start, from #20 to #16...

:anime & boxing: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Introduction

This year's edition comes a little later due to matters previously discussed. Yet still, it's that time of the year once again, when HardDoor puts out its listings of the twenty best anime and the ten best boxers of the decade (...so far)!

:boxing: Young and Old, Big and Small...:: Margarito vs Mosley

Veteran boxers fighting younger talent is nothing strange in the sport. Be it a simple reason of an old "gatekeeper" testing a hot prospect or a young champion battling the division's long-reigning kingpin, there has always been that spectacle of seeing not only two generations lock in combat, but also if one either has the experience or vitality to take the other out.

:anime & boxing: Decade's Best…So Far (2008 Edition) :: Briefing

Usually at this point of the year (well, ever since last year, when I first started it) I post two lists detailing the best anime and boxers of the decade--appropriately named "Decade's Best". Recently, however, my access time to a computer has been erratic, so this year's installments will be on delay, unfortunately. Thankfully, I already know how mostly everything is going to play out and I don't have to spend numerous hours and days writing up entire entries, as was the case when I first began doing this (especially for the boxing one, where writing two entries would be an all-day affair due to the amount of details involved). That doesn't mean that last year's will be entirely regurgitated for 2008's, as they will be updated where appropriate and given some additional thoughts. If there are any sort of hints that can be relayed for what is to come, it's that there will be some surprises in store and perhaps a reshuffling somewhere...

And so, pardon for the delay, though both will certainly be up in the very near future (and no six-month spacing period for the boxing list...).

--HD

:anime: Free Anime Directory Update! ::For 01.01.09::

A whole new year is deserving of a whole new update of some wholly new additions to HD's Free/Low-Cost Anime Directory & Guide, which just so happen to be covered below in this edition of the Update! Big changes have been going on over the past couple of days since the last post as part of the Directory's well-needed revamp, as well as the introduction of a certain service that has gone unmentioned for quite a while (for a few good reasons...and some forgetfulness).