Picking back up with our Three Year Celebration of The Contrarian Corner, we’re now moving onto shows! Like the video game article, this list has changed a fair bit since the last rendition, so let’s jump in and check out what new shows have wormed their way into my heart!
Same as before, I’ll also include a list of games which have been knocked out of the top ten from the last version of the list. I’ll also highlight new entries to the list in RED.
Knocked From the List: Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak Academy, Avatar the Last Airbender, Riddle Story of Devil
10) Stranger Things
I literally just finished my first ever watchthrough of this show, but yeah, there’s something pretty magical about it. Despite the increasing length of each season, somehow they never stop feeling more like addicting movies that you just keep wanting to binge. There’s something so easily watchable about Stranger Things that I can’t place my finger on. The strength of the characters? The really good acting? The developing plotlines that make each season feel important and building upon the rest? All of the above? Probably!
9) The Legend of Korra
Sorry to all the fans of the original Last Airbender, because I’ve knocked it off this list to pave the way for the series that just appeals to me more personally. I won’t even try to say that it’s better or anything, just that its world, characters, and themes were more engaging to me. I became so invested in Korra and her crew’s journeys during my rapid-fire binge of this show, and then I eagerly moved on to consuming the comics and supplemental material. This show gets flak for not living up to the impossible standard of the OG, but if you can put aside that inherent bias you’ll find a show that is just as enjoyable, and even exceeds the original in some ways (particularly the action and the soundtrack).
8) Red vs Blue
I’m a few years detached now from my initial love of this show, but it’s not as if the years have caused my love of it to diminish. Even though I don’t re-watch this show’s movie-length seasons anymore doesn’t mean I’ve stopped caring about it, and the years have only made my memories of watching this when I was younger more nostalgic. This is a really solid sci-fi show that just nails that balance between action and comedy, especially as it progresses. Whether it’s the complex thriller-esque seasons nine and ten, the excellently crafted trilogy of seasons eleven to thirteen, or the comfortable simple enjoyment of season eight, Red vs Blue is some stellar stuff.
7) Akame Ga Kill
So you might be wondering why this show moved from the #1 spot to #7, and the answer to that has to do with how I’ve come to define the word ‘Favorite‘. I don’t love this show any less, and I still think it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. However, as for whether it’s my #1 favorite, I don’t think it’s quite the type of show to still hold that place. It’s dark, it’s emotional, it’s intense, and it’s best watched in one straight shot (not one session, but like, all episodes in order close together). What it doesn’t have is much in the way of lighthearted fun that you’ll find in some of the other shows near the top of my favorite list, or the ability to jump around to preferred moments without losing the core essence of the show. So I still love it, and it’d rank near the top if not at the top of a Best Shows list, but it’s just here on this Favorite Shows list, if that makes sense.
6) Cobra Kai
Two (and a half) new seasons having released since the last time we did this list, is Cobra Kai still as incredibly fun as ever? Yeah, obviously. You’d have to be a complete newbie to The Contrarian Corner if you don’t know how much I love this show. It’s actually pretty surprising how this show still manages to be so good even into its sixth season. I think a lot of the strength has to do with the writing and the charm, as well as the excitement of the action scenes. Cobra Kai is just an inherently bingeable show that can really be enjoyed by practically anyone, and comes highly recommended if you haven’t checked it out yet. It needs very low investment from you to still output a whole lot of fun.
5) Agents of SHIELD
Though the MCU might be perfectly happy to pretend that this show never existed, I shall stand alone if need be to continue to sing this oft-overlooked gem’s praises. Agents of SHIELD stands in such stark contrast to so many of the Marvel shows we get these days, in about as many ways as are possible. Longer seasons, self-contained stories, an increase in fun and comedy without sacrificing character or developed themes, and a truly incredible soundtrack (who could forget that main theme).
I also love how many different genres are covered across the various seasons, as it really leads to providing something that everyone can enjoy at some point or other. And, of course, the biggest highlight is just the strength of its cast. It’s one of the most appealing group of characters/actors I’ve ever seen in a television show, and I would’ve gladly taken fifty seasons of this show instead of the seven we got just to see more of them. Oh, and speaking of seven seasons, this show actually has an ending (and it’s a really good one) which isn’t something you can say about every television show in our era of streaming and cancellations.
4) Fairy Tail
Somehow, my love for this show has only grown over the years, despite the prevalence of circumstances of people coming to lose love for things they enjoyed when they were younger. However, I’ve always felt my opinion on Fairy Tail to be pretty unshakeable, especially as it falls into the Shonen genre. A lot of Shonen anime follow the same story beats and clichés, so often one’s first Shonen show ends up being your favorite. Fairy Tail was my first, so…here we are!
Anyway, this show is fantastic, and I mean that in the sense of just being infinitely entertaining to watch. Obviously, it’s got some issues with its writing (among other things) but any issues basically fade away once you settle in and just start watching episodes. Great animation, the best English dub in anime, the best soundtrack in anime, fantastic fight scenes, and just a superb cast of fun and enjoyable characters. Seriously, Fairy Tail‘s cast is probably it’s biggest strength, and despite having hundreds of characters the majority of them really stand out.
3) RWBY
You know, when I last did this list, I hadn’t even actually watched the last few seasons of RWBY and still loved the show, so it should come as no surprise to see it having moved up so many places now that I’ve finally watched it all! RWBY‘s a special little show that grows in more ways than one as it continues, which is a very novel thing to witness in real time. With each season the writing improves, the storyline develops, and the animation quality increases. It’s easy to forget RWBY‘s extremely humble beginnings as the little web show that could.
Though at the beginning it aped a fair bit from Harry Potter, RWBY has now managed to craft it’s own unique world, and it’s one that is just really appealing to take part in (whether through the show, the endless supplemental material, or the millions of fan fictions). Alongside some jaw-dropping action scenes, tons of fun characters, and the second-best television show soundtrack of all time, RWBY is well worth the watch, especially given the movie-length of its seasons that makes it an easy binge.
2) Star Wars The Clone Wars
I’ve mentioned it a few times on this blog, but for as crazy as it might seem I feel like more of a Star Wars fan nowadays than I was even as an obsessed kid, and of course I owe almost all of that to The Clone Wars. I mean, there’s a reason why so many people’s opinions of the Prequels have changed recently, and why every new Star Wars animated show uses an animation style that is an evolution of The Clone Wars. The impact that this show has had on the Star Wars fandom cannot possibly be understated, nor can it be discounted just how much this show has brought to the universe (Ahsoka, Cad Bane, a more nuanced Ventress, Maul’s return, the evolution of Mandalorians and Nightsisters, and even more).
The Clone Wars also uses an arc-based style of storytelling, which works wonders given the theming of this show taking place during the tumultuous and galaxy-wide conflict. There’s a staggering variety of storylines, planets, and people explored and introduced in this show, ensuring that there’s never a dull moment. Combined with some transformative vocal performances (especially for Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka), as well as of course the greatest Star Wars character of all time in Ahsoka, and The Clone Wars more than proves its worth as one of the best animated shows of all time.
1) Arcane
To say that I adore this show would probably be an understatement, and if you needed any more clarification all you’d have to do is go talk to one of the countless people that I’ve tried to sell this show to in the years since it premiered. I’ve watched it with my older brother, my parents, and got my friends and even co-workers to watch it too. It’s my life mission to get more eyes on Arcane, and I relished in joy every time Arcane was dutifully rewarded for its accomplishments (like sweeping the Annie Awards, and snagging a few Emmys too, as well as skyrocketing up the IMDB ratings board).
Legitimately, I consider Arcane to basically be perfect, which admittedly makes it a little difficult to talk about it at length. When you’ve got nothing but praise for something, it can get a little rote, right? Even still, I really do have nothing but good things to say about Arcane, whether it’s from the stellar writing, to the phenomenal and nuanced characters, to the hype soundtrack, to the shocking emotional beats, to the literal best animation quality ever created by human hands, Arcane is a masterpiece. It’s set an unreachable bar of quality that almost makes any other show slightly worse in comparison, and I cannot wait until season two drops in two months!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 