I’ve procrastinated long enough, so I guess it’s time for me to start the end of the year summaries. I’m still not done reading 2014 manga, so I figured I’d get my anime list out of the way. This is my favorites list and not based on any merits of quality like a best of list. If I enjoyed the series and eagerly waited the next episode, it was a candidate to go on my list. I couldn’t place the series in any kind of favorites order because each series had something special for me, so I’ll list my 10 favorites in alphabetical order.

• Aldnoah.Zero — I loved the interplay of “Bat” and “Orange” and anticipated them coming together as this magnificent duo to protect the Princess, only to have the show have a very bad end. I was overjoyed at that bad end because being Slain is suffering. I’m not sure whether I’m going to watch the second season since I was VERY satisfied with the bad end. I don’t want that beautiful memory erased.
• Barakamon — How could I not resist the antics of little Naru and the rest of the characters that inhibited the small town Handa went to. That show was my weekly mental vacation.
• Chaika Coffin Princess / Chaika Avenging Battle — Admittedly, this is probably my number 1 favorite series of 2014. Chaika was cute and I loved her earnestness, the way she spoke, and the way she treated both friends and enemies. Friendly Chaika is best Chaika — that was a wonderful message. I also loved the butt-kicking “twins” Toru and Akari. Akari’s comic relief was top notch. I also like how the show gave some time to develop the other Chaikas. Sometimes my love for White Chaika and Red Chaika was evenly split.
• Free! Eternal Summer — Hot boys with muscles and a sweet story of friendship too! I cried so many tear of joy when the boys overcame obstacles. I need Rei forever in my life! My lovely butterfly! I hope they do another season running up to the Olympics.
• Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun — This was definitely the funniest series of the year for me. Hori-senpai and Kashima forever! The image of Kashima with the bull head on running through the hall with Hori on her back is forever burned into my brain.
• Mahouka Koukou no Rettousai — I like God shows. Shiba Tatsuya was added to my collection of hasubando. I couldn’t wait week after week to see Shiba-kun and the rest First School humiliate other schools, the police, the military, the terrorists, and what I suspect was a proxy for “China”. It was a weekly reinforcement of the belief that superiority is linked to family and trust oniichan in all things.
• Noragami — Honestly, this show was all about Bishamonten, Bishamonten’s crew, Kofuku, and Daikoku for me. Bishamon’s cool.  Yato’s okay, but he’s puny in comparison to Bishamon’s majesty. She rides a lion! And proudly struts about half-naked! And her crew is smartly dressed! Bishamon’s where it’s at!
• Sword Art Online II — I like God shows. Kirito is definitely hasubando as well. I liked the last arc of the season the most. It concentrated on Asuna.  It was nice for once to see a girl gamer on her own having fun with friends and finding a way to reach her mother on her own terms.
• Tokyo Ghoul — It’s about the last episode of that series for me. That is all.
• Witchcraft Works — This is a close second behind Chaika for the most fun show for me. I liked the running gag with incompetent Tower Witches and the romance between Kagari and Takamiya was one of the cutest this year. How can I resist a romance where the female calls her guy her “Princess”?

An honorable mention goes to “Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso”. I just marathoned this recently. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the characters, but due to the underlying story about parents pressuring their children, I found it hard to enjoy the show as a whole. It dredged up too many awful memories of junior high and high school for me. I also want to mention “Lord Marksman and Vanadis” because, as I’ve said before, I like god shows, and Tigre gets all the cute Senki ass. But in all seriousness, I like the tactical explainers in which little game pieces are used to lay out the battle we are about to see. And let’s not forget about the weekly arrow to enemy general’s forehead.

Looking forward to next year, here are the shows I’m anticipating (in no particular order):

• Assassination Classroom
• Junketsu Maria
• Kamisama Hajimemashita Season 2
• Kuroko’s Basketball Season 3
• Tokyo Ghoul Square Root of A (???)
• Parasyte
• Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
• Ore no Monotagari
• Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo