2021 was a great year for anime fans as it featured the release of countless new anime. A lot of these were adaptations of popular manga or light novels. The manga readers were patiently waiting for their favorite series to be adapted into an anime, and some of them managed to see their favorite series get an adaptation.
While there were many new anime, some of the older series also made a return with a new season, which allowed them to continue the story or wrap up the series. Every anime is unique in its own way, but some series gained more popularity within the anime community. As the year wraps up, we take a look at the best anime series of 2021.
Updated on February 14, 2022, by Suzail Ahmad: 2021 was unforgettable in terms of the quality of anime that it delivered to the screens of the fans. It was a particularly busy year in the anime industry, and it was due to the hard work of the animators that avid anime watchers were able to watch their characters back in action or even try out new anime altogether. With that in mind, we have added some of the best anime series of 2021.
15 Odd Taxi
Odd Taxi follows the story of Odokawa a walrus, who drives a taxi. Odokawa's backstory is quite sad. He was abandoned by his parents when he was just a kid studying in elementary school and this led to him becoming aloof as an adult.
Odokawa's life takes a drastic turn when he finds out about a missing schoolgirl. However, Odokawa isn't the only one looking for the girl and soon the Yakuza and the cops start to tail him.
14 Ranking Of Kings
The show is about a prince named Bojji, who is deaf and mute. He dreams of becoming the greatest king, but it isn't an easy road for him. In addition to Bojji's inability to speak and hear, he is extremely naive, which draws in a lot of criticism.
However, Bojji is transfixed on becoming the greatest king. Bojji is soon shocked when he meets Kage, a member of the now-extinct clan of assassins. Surprisingly, Kage is able to understand Bojji's words, and it unfolds an extremely riveting story. So far the anime has aired a total of 17 episodes.
13 Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song
The anime was produced by Wit Studio, and it has 13 episodes, which makes it one of the shorter anime that came out in 2021. Set in a world where humans are focused on getting autonomous AI to work properly. Soon they find out that AI can only continue to work properly if it is given just one task.
This results in the creation of an AI named Diva, whose only purpose is to cheer people up using her songs. However, Diva's encounter with Matsumoto, an AI from the future changes her priorities. She must now help Matsumoto to alter the grim future.
12 Laid-Back Camp Season 2
The second season of Laid-Back Camp sees Rin go on an adventure trip to see the New Year's sunrise by the sea. The idea is fairly simple, however, due to sudden change in the weather, Rin's journey home becomes complicated. Her path back gets blocked and she gets stranded for a few days. It leads Rin to another adventure where she experiences new things.
11 Re-Zero Season 2 Part 2
Re-Zero is one of the biggest names in the isekai anime community. It has a huge fanbase that is always waiting for the release of a new season so that they can enjoy watching their favorite characters in action. In this part, Subaru's story with the Sanctuary reaches its end. It showcases Subaru's adventures as he tries to help the people in this particular timeline.
10 Attack On Titan Final Season Part 1
With the manga of the series finished, the fans of the popular shonen, Attack on Titan had been waiting for a long time to watch their favorite characters back in action. The final season of the anime is divided into parts, with the first part finishing in March 2021.
The story takes a huge twist in the final season as two entirely different worlds collide. Many new characters were introduced and several mysteries were unraveled. It mainly focused on the other side of the world which the fans knew nothing about.
9 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
Stone Ocean is the sixth part of the JoJo series. The anime adaptation was announced quite some time ago, and the fans of the series were excited to see how it would go. The anime is still ongoing, and it is going to take some time before it wraps up.
The anime follows the story of Jolyne Cujoh, the daughter of Jotaro. After being framed she ends up inside the Green Dolphin Street Prison, where her life completely changes. It takes Jolyne through numerous challenges, as she tries to adjust to the new world.
8 86
86 is a light novel series that has received a manga adaptation as well as an anime adaptation due to its immense popularity. The anime for the series started to air on April 11, 2021, and it finished airing on June 20, 2021. Since then the anime has received a second season, which is still ongoing.
The story follows the war between the Giadian Empire and the Republic of Magnolia. The anime offers different outlooks on the war that is being waged between the two nations.
7 Tokyo Revengers
Tokyo Revengers took the entire world by storm with its quality. The series is based on the manga that has been written by Ken Wakui. Tokyo Revengers started airing in April 2021, with the final episode airing in September 2021.
Hanagaki used to be popular in middle school, but as he grew up he became a nobody. With no friends and children poking fun at him, Hanagi's life couldn't have gotten any worse. However, after an accident, Hanagi is transported twelve years back in time.
6 To Your Eternity
To Your Eternity was released in April 2021 and it finished airing in August 2021, with a total of twenty episodes. With its beautiful animation and riveting story, the anime landed high ratings everywhere.
The anime follows an immortal being, which can take the shape of others beings and objects. On its adventure, it meets new people and gains new memories. However, the series has a lot of emotional moments, which might not make it the first choice among some groups.
5 That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime: Season 2, Part 2
The anime is the continuation of the extremely popular isekai anime, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. It is considered to be one of the best isekai anime because of the quality writing and the wonderful animation.
The second season picks up the story after the first season's conclusion. With the Blumund invasion over, the problems of the group keep piling on. An increase in their problems leads to another exciting season of the show.
4 Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: Season 2
It is the continuation of the very popular Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. The second season continues with Tooru trying her best to become the best maid, while Kanna focuses on her life as a student. This only leads to more chaos in the Kobayashi household, which promises loads of laughter for the viewers.
3 Fruits Basket: The Final
Fruits Basket: The Final is the culmination of the series. It has a total of 13 episodes, and it ran from April 2021-June 2021. Fruits Basket: The Final expands on the events of the previous season. The series focuses on the Soma family as they try to rid themselves of the emotional chains that bind them. Fruits Basket: The Final makes the viewers experience a variety of satisfying emotions.
2 Nomad: Megalo Box 2
The first season of Megalo Box was a huge hit with the viewers. It introduced a brand new way of combining sports with technology. The success of the first season eventually led to the creation of a second season, which focused on the events that transpired after Joe became the champion.
The series focuses on a fallen champion, Joe, who hides from the public eye. After losing to the new champion, Joe goes by the name of "Nomad." Unwilling to return to his normal life, he meets a fighter, who helps him to bring his life back on track.
1 One Piece
One Piece is one of the longest-running anime series with over a thousand episodes. The series by Eiichiro Oda had a very successful 2021. The anime improved drastically and a lot of new things about the legendary characters such as Whitebeard, Roger, etc. came to light.
The anime follows the adventures of a young boy, Monkey D. Luffy, who aspires to become the Pirate King. Luffy sets out to recruit new crewmates, who would help him to realize his dream. The anime takes the viewers on an incredibly exciting adventure through several islands.