A Decade in Anime: Looking Back at 2010

It’s safe to say that the 2010s brought a lot of anime to the table.

Not only that, but I realise that many people have already spoken about the last decade as well. Bloggers, AniTubers, even companies have shared their favourite anime of the last decade. I may be late to the party, but it’s better late than never, right? Not only that, but I’m not exactly going to be doing everything exactly the same as others.

Sure, I’m going to be looking back at the previous decade, but I’m not going to be necessarily sharing my favourite anime. I’m going to be looking back at the anime that have meant something to me or have represented a certain period of time for me, personally. Some favourites will obviously sneak in, but it’s not going to be a series full of them.

Again, it’s a little bit late to be doing this. We’ve almost completed the first month of 2020 already! But, as I mentioned in a previous post, things are little unstable at the moment, so I thought instead of focusing on more serious posts, such as reviews, we’d have a little bit more enjoyment and a lot more nostalgia doing this for a few weeks! So, without further ado, let’s begin…

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Today, we’re looking at 2010.

In 2010, I wasn’t even a fan of anime yet. I was a thirteen-year-old girl who was passionate about music. I was watching Glee, Merlin and other fantasy dramas. I was obsessed with Animal Crossing. Musically speaking, I was listening to a weird combination of the Jonas Brothers and My Chemical Romance.

In the anime world, however, people were being blessed with the likes of Durarara!!, Tatami Galaxy and Angel Beats!. Those aside, despite watching them a few years later, I would watch some anime that I’ll always treasure for one reason or another. Let’s take a look, shall we?

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Winter 2010 – Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Okay, so it didn’t start in 2010, but it was still around at least. Fullmetal Alchemist was one of the first long anime I watched. Ever since I finished the 2003 series, it’s remained one of my favourite series. I only got round to finishing Brotherhood last year, but it’s without a doubt one of my favourite readaptations, along with 2019’s adaptation of Fruits Basket. I’ve mentioned before that it’s one of the anime I never get bored of and it’s true. I read the manga in high school. I watched the 2003 series in college. I watched Brotherhood recently. The amount of Fullmetal that’s on my MyAnimeList is quite something, even if I had to sit through two quite mediocre movies to get it that way.

Spring 2010 – K-ON!!

If you think I twisted the last entry somewhat, wait until you read through this one. Even though I’ve included it, I haven’t actually seen K-On!!, the second season to K-On!. Even then, I was quite late in watching K-On! anyway. But when I did watch it, gosh, I loved it. It allowed me to reminisce so much about my teenage years, grouping together with friends, learning how to play instruments, playing gigs. It’s incredible to think that these memories were only from 2010 themselves. They seem like they happened yesterday…

Summer 2010 – Colorful

Colorful is the first movie I’m talking about in this series and, admittedly, it’s a weird choice. Yet, I’ve included it as I don’t find many people bringing this film up in conversation. Sure, I only watched the film in the second half of the decade, but I watched it at my anime club back in university and it really was one of the only films we watched that heavily divided the club. Some people loved it, others thought it was too confusing. Personally, I really like it. It’s not the best movie, sure, nor is its plot anything unique, but it’s certainly a beautiful drama that I really should visit again sometime soon.

Fall 2010 – Panty & Stocking

Finally, my last pick of anime from 2010 is Panty & Stocking and, honestly, this is another favourite of mine. There’s something about P&S that is just so refreshing. Maybe it’s the art style, perhaps it’s the comedy, yet arugably it’s the English dub. Whatever it is about P&S, I love it, and it certainly made me open my eyes to other genres of anime. It’s not everyone’s favourite anime, I’m aware, but the irony and raunchy humour involved in the show, as well as an art style that reminds me of the Powerpuff Girls from years ago makes me absolutely fall in love with it. Again, I know it’s a show that isn’t for everyone, but it’s certainly one to consider if you’re wanting a comedic ecchi show… I even included it in my ecchi recommendations in my Anime for All series!

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So, from 2010, these four anime have truly made an impact on me in one way or another. Whether that’s simply because I really enjoyed the show or because I have a memory of some sort attached to it, these are certainly shows that mean something to me and I’m very happy to share them with you!

It doesn’t stop there, however. I’ll be posting other posts covering other years from the past decade very soon, so please keep an eye out for them!

What shows from 2010 made an impact on you? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time!

– Amelia x