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While there were many great sequels this year, 2021 was undoubtedly the year of new anime. 2021 was rich in both short, one-shot series and first seasons of ongoing manga adaptations.
This article lists ten such titles which were most loved amongst fans and critics alike. This article will list the anime in chronological order according to the date of release.
Disclaimer: The article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.
10 new anime in 2021 with the best first seasons
There are many more anime that belong on this list. Both 86 and Mushoku Tensei merit their separate articles, but since they released their first seasons in split-course format, they are not included here.
1) Horimiya
- Season: Winter 2021
- Manga adaptation
- Studio: Cloverworks
- Licensor: Funimation
Hori-San to Miyamura-Kun, Horimiya for short, was one of the most popular anime this year. One of the protagonists is Kyouka Hori, who is a fashionable popular girl at school, but in reality, she is a down-to-earth “homebody” who likes looking after people.
In contrast, the other protagonist is her classmate Izumi Miyamura, who is a nerdy looking loner at school but is a fashionista out of it, with nine piercings and multiple tattoos.
Horimiya tackles issues like bullying, social standards and ostracization. Coupled with that, midway through the anime, the focus shifts onto the romance between Hori and Miyamura
2) SK8
- Season: Winter 2021
- Original animation
- Studio: Bones
- Licensor: Aniplex
Sk8 the Infinity, SK8 for short, is a sports anime about non-professional skateboarding. The show focuses on Reki Kyan, a teenager obsessed with skateboarding and the illegal circuit called “S”, and his meeting with Langa Hasegawa, a Japanese-Canadian transfer student who is naturally gifted at skateboarding due to his snowboarding background.
Praised universally for its animation, characterisation, design, authentic portrayal of real-life locations, and faithful use of skateboarding lingo and moves, SK8 was the surprise of the year from Studio Bones.
3) Wonder Egg Priority
- Season: Winter 2021
- Original animation
- Studio: Cloverworks
- Licensor: Funimation
While Wonder Egg Priority had a controversial last episode, the rest of the anime was unanimously praised for tackling the issues of adolescent depression, gender dysphoria, isolation, abuse, s**uality, and mental health.
Apart from the brilliant animation and characterisation, the sympathetic and in-depth portrayal of people suffering from these issues or the stigma around them made Wonder Egg Priority extremely popular and relatable.
However, viewer discretion is advised as the anime is centered around teen-suicides, and along with constant mentions of it, there are a few sensitive portrayals that may be triggering.
4) Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song
- Season: Spring 2021
- Original animation
- Studio: Wit Studio
- Licensor: Aniplex
Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, aka Vivy, focuses on an A.I. Songstress named Vivy and her 100-years long mission to save humanity from an A.I. invasion. On her quest, she is aided by a time-travelling computer program called Matsumoto.
As farfetched as this plot sounds, the execution is cohesive, interesting, and relatively free of plotholes. However, the characters, the voice acting, action sequences, original songs, background score, and most importantly, the incredible art style and animation, take Vivy to the next level.
Vivy was undoubtedly one of the best anime that 2021 had to offer.
5) Odd Taxi
- Season: Spring 2021
- Original animation
- Studio: OLM, P.I.C.S.
- Licensor: Crunchyroll
Odd Taxi follows Odokawa, a middle-aged taxi-driver, and his adventures with his passengers which more often than not involve violence and mystery. Other than an intriguing plot and critically-acclaimed production, what makes Odd Taxi such a masterpiece is its riveting setting.
The anime is set in a world of anthropomorphic animals, with Odokawa himself being a walrus. The film Odd Taxi: In the Woods is set to be released on April 1, 2022 in Japan.
6) Tokyo Revengers
- Season: Spring 2021
- Manga adaptation
- Studio: LIDENFILMS
- Licensor: Crunchyroll
Arguably the most anticipated anime adaptation of 2021, Tokyo Revengers took the anime community by storm. Set in the world of middle school delinquent gangs, Tokyo Revengers deals with violence and time travel in the same breath, creating a unique mix of Shounen action and sci-fi.
While the animation was criticized for being too wooden and the voice acting was a little inconsistent, the plot more than made up for it. With the manga ongoing, Tokyo Revengers announced a second season on December 2021 which will cover the Christmas Showdown arc.
7) To Your Eternity
- Season: Spring 2021
- Manga adaptation
- Studio: Brain’s Base
- Licensor: Crunchyroll
Authored by the mangaka of A Silent Voice, Fumetsu no Anata e or To Your Eternity was one of the most poignant anime this year. Centered on a nameless, shapeless entity that has no past and evolves with every new creature it meets, To Your Eternity is rich in both philosophy and emotion.
The anime's beautiful animation and art style further accentuate its narrative. To Your Eternity has been renewed for a second season which is slated to premiere in October 2022.
8) The Case Study of Vanitas
- Season: Summer 2021
- Manga Adaptation
- Studio: Bones
- Licensor: Funimation
Vanitas no Carte, or The Case Study of Vanitas, follows the vampire Noe Archiviste and his meeting with Vanitas, a human claiming to heal Vampires by curing the Malnomen that makes them turn feral.
Supported by incredible animation, action sequences, and a stellar voice cast, Vanitas no Carte presents an interesting and innovative take on the overdone vampire trope. The season is being aired in split-cour format, with the second part slated to air on January 15, 2022.
9) Blue period
- Season: Fall 2021
- Manga adaptation
- Studio: Seven Arcs
- Licensor: Netflix
The readers of Blue Period had waited eagerly for the anime adaptation, and Seven Arcs did not disappoint. Centered around art and the people who devote everything to it, Blue Period tackles mental health, social pressure, gender identity, expression, psychological issues, and the strenuous process of creating art.
No anime this year has explored the theme of self and expression as well as Blue Period, and Seven Arcs’ beautiful, if a little wooden at times, animation has only added to it.
With the addition of incredible voice acting, a layered plot, complex characters, and realistically rendered art-pieces, Blue Period was definitely one of the highlights of this year.
10) Komi Can’t Communicate
- Season: Fall 2021
- Manga adaptation
- Studio: OLM
- Licensor: Netflix
Komi Can’t Communicate, Komi-San for short, is the most popular anime from Fall 2021 and with good reason. While the anime belongs to the genres of romance and comedy, it faithfully explores the communication disorder that the protagonist Komi Shouko suffers from.
Packed with a host of quirky characters, Komi-San also boasts beautiful animation and incredible music. A second season was announced in December 2021.
In conclusion
There were far too many good new anime this year to compile in a single list. Since this article considered popularity as well as critical success, some of the lesser-known anime are not listed here.
Uramichi Oniisan, Sonny Boy, and Ousama Ranking were all criminally underrated and deserve an article of their own. However, 2021 only paved the way for 2022 to astonish us further with more original anime and manga adaptations.
