Japanese message board website 2channel, or 2ch, had recently held their own polls and rankings for the top anime of 2014. After a week of deliberation, 2ch have compiled their top 50 anime from 2014. Do note that anime series from the Fall/Autumn 2014 anime season that are 2 cours/seasons long, ie. ending in 2015, are not included in the list. Conversely, anime that started in the Fall/Autumn 2013 anime season and ended in 2014 are included in the rankings.

So, what have the Japanese anime fans of 2ch voted as their top anime?

50. Shounen Hollywood: Holly Stage for 49

Synopsis from MAL:

The anime will tell an original story set 15 years after the novel’s story. It takes place at a fictional theater called Hollywood Tokyo in Harajuku, where members of the idol group “Shounen Hollywood” develop their talents with diligent work and studying.

49. Nobunaga Concerto

Synopsis from MAL:

Due to some unlikely events, Saburou is flung back in time to the Sengoku Era. In the past, he meets a young, but sickly Oda Nobunaga, one of Japan’s greatest warlords. Unable to shake Saburou’s uncanny resemblance to himself, Nobunaga asks Saburou to take his place as warlord. Equipped with knowledge from the modern era, will Saburou be able to unite Japan?

48. Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

Synopsis from MAL:

Nike, the fourth princess of the Rain Dukedom and one who holds the power to call forth the rain, travels to the Sun Kingdom to marry Sun King Livius for her country, despite her own reluctance. She soon discovers that the King, who conquered the world in only three years after his ascendance to the throne, is still a child! Furthermore, for trivial reasons, he has demanded that Nike call forth the rain…?!

47. Glasslip

Synopsis from MAL:

The daughter of a glass artisan family, Fukami Touko, spends relaxed days at a cafe called “Kazemichi” at a friend’s house. On the summer vacation of her third year in high school. In front of them appeared a transfer student boy: Okikura Kakeru. He told Touko that he can hear the voices of the future. If someone knew in advance what their future would look like, what would they wish for? While feeling never-before-felt tremors in herself, Touko realises that she has started getting a feeling in her heart which she can’t leave alone…

46. Kenzen Robo Daimidaler

Synopsis from MAL:

The comedy centers around a high school boy named Madanbashi Kouichi who has Hi-ERo particles, the power source to operate the robotic weapon Daimidaler. With the help of Sonan Kyouko from the mysterious Prince Beauty Parlor organization, he stands up against the Penguin Empire that troubles humanity.

45. Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Ren

MAL synopsis:

Due to various events, Yuuta and Rikka are living together. This secret co-habitation is so exciting for the two lovebirds! Or so it should be… Is having a chuuni girlfriend too high of a hurdle for Yuuta, who never even went out with a normal girl?! Yuuta worries about how to advance his relationship with Rikka. And then everyone else, Nibutani, Kumin, and Dekomori, have powered up by advancing a grade. Furthermore, the cause of his chuunibyou outburst in middle school, the girl who calls herself Sophia Ring Saturn the 7th, Satone Shichimiya appears… This is the long-awaited second season of the adolescent romantic comedy revolving around chuunibyou that makes you laugh and cry.

44. Sora no Method

Synopsis from MAL:

It’s been seven years since an unusual saucer mysteriously appeared in the sky above Kiriya Lake. With no one knowing what this strange object was or where it came from, concern and panic spread amongst the people. But as time went on this occurrence went from oddity to tourist attraction. Before long, the world lost interest entirely, and the saucer remained nearly forgotten in the sky. Now, former resident Nonoka Komiya returns to the small town after seven years in Tokyo. With only vague memories of her time in the town, the appearance of a spritely girl named Noel causes Nonoka to slowly remember wishes she and four of her friends made in an old observatory.

43. Isshuukan Friends.

MAL synopsis:

Kaori Fujimiya is always alone because all of her happy memories, including time spent with her friends, disappear every Monday. Deciding that he wants to be friends with her anyway, Yuuki Hase tries to get close to Kaori each week, wishing that she would one day call him “a friend.”

42. Nourin

Synopsis from MAL:

When the national idol Kusakabe Yuka suddenly retired from the entertainment business, it shocked the world and it devastated teenager Hata Kosaku. Kosaku was Yuka’s biggest fan and her departure left him depressed. His classmates at the Tamo Agriculture School finally are able to get him to leave his room and attend his class, but to everyone’s amazement, Kusakabe Yuka (her stage name) comes into the class under the name Kinoshita Ringo as a transfer student. Kosaku realizes he has the once in a lifetime opportunity to get to personally know his dream girl and, together with his group of friends, try to find out why she is here and become closer than just classmates.

41. Silver Spoon

MAL Synopsis:

Yugo Hachiken dreams of life separated from his family, so he takes the initiative by enrolling in an agriculture school. He thinks, with his talent in studying, no problems will arise no matter what kind of school he attends. He is proven wrong very quickly. Raised as a city boy, he is forced to uncover the inconvenient truth about agricultural life. Enjoy the story of Hachiken, as he tries to keep up with his new friends, farmers’ heirs, who are already accustomed to the harsh world of farming. With no clear goals or understanding of farming life, how will Hachiken survive this new, cruel reality? The story of a sweat, tear, and mud-stained youth begins!

40. Uchuu Kyoudai

MAL Synopsis:

Mutta’s life has hit rock bottom. He’s been fired, blackballed from his profession and now he’s had to move back in with his parents. Meanwhile, his kid brother Hibito has been literally riding a rocket and training to be an astronaut. The same career Mutta once dreamed of. So, is it ever too late to go after your dreams? Through a little coercing and a bit of covert activity, Mutta’s family and friends can get his resume on the right desk, but from that point on it will be up to Mutta himself. Does he have what it takes to turn his life around and put his footprint on the moon? The first step on the highway to the stars is always the hardest, and in a job where crash and burn isn’t just a euphemism, it will be the biggest risk Mutta’s ever taken. But with the best support team ever, maybe he’ll find what he needs to rekindle the spark inside him and light the biggest candle of them all!

39. Buddy Complex

MAL Synopsis:

On the first day back after summer break, high-school student Aoba is attacked by a giant robot that appears out of the sky. As he’s pursued through the city, his classmate Hina appears in a robot of her own. She rescues him, and tells him cryptically that “Dio is waiting for you”, before she disappears. This begins Aoba’s new life as the pilot of the Free Treaty Alliance against the Great Zogiria Republic.

38. Saki: Zenkoku-hen

Synopsis from MAL:

Sequel to the Saki series covering the Inter High School Mahjong Championships. Saki Miyanaga is a high school freshman who doesn’t like mahjong. Ever since she was a child, she would lose her New Year’s gift money during her family mahjong game. If she won, her parents would be upset, and if she lost, well, she lost. As a result, she’s learned to play in such a way that her score differential always remains ±0: not good enough to win, but not bad enough to lose. When we meet her, she’s being dragged to her school’s mahjong club by an old friend. How will a girl who hates mahjong, yet has become adept at the game as a result of her upbringing, survive in this environment?

37. Hitsugi no Chaika

MAL Synopsis:

Toru Acura is a 20-year-old retired soldier meandering through life post-war. He encounters Chaika Trabant, a 14-year-old sorceress carrying a coffin, and follows her in hopes of finding some semblance of meaning in his life again. The two are accompanied by Toru’s adopted sister Akari, the sole employed member of the group and thereby their source of sustenance.

36. Log Horizon

Synopsis from MAL:

By its eleventh expansion pack, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Elder Tale has become a global success, having a following of millions of players. However, during the release of its twelfth expansion pack: Novasphere Pioneers, thirty thousand Japanese gamers who are all logged on at the time of the update, suddenly find themselves transported inside the game world and donning their in-game avatars. In the midst of the event, a socially awkward gamer called Shiroe along with his friends Naotsugu and Akatsuki decide to team up so that they may face this world which has now become their reality along with the challenges which lie ahead.

35. Selector Infected WIXOSS

Synopsis from MAL:

WIXOSS is a card game that’s popular with teenagers. Supposedly there exist “LRIG Cards,” female character cards with wills of their own. Special girls can hear the voices of the LRIGs, and those who possess them are called Selectors. These Selectors have card battles in a dimension that other humans cannot access. It’s said that whoever triumphs in these battles will have their wish granted. Ruko Kominato is the latest girl to find an LRIG card. She names her card Tama, and without any further explanation is thrown into her life as a Selector.

34. Sakura Trick

Here is the series synopsis from MAL:

The story revolves around Haruka and Yuu, two girls who go to a high school that is slated to be shut down in three years. To share something special between them, they share a kiss, and their relationship deepens from that moment onward.

33. Haikyuu!!

Series Synopsis from MAL:

A chance event triggered Shouyou Hinata’s love for volleyball. His club had no members, but somehow persevered and finally made it into its very first and final regular match of middle school, where it was steamrolled by Tobio Kageyama, a superstar player known as “King of the Court.” Vowing revenge, Hinata applied to the Karasuno High School volleyball club… only to come face-to-face with his hated rival, Kageyama! A tale of hot-blooded youth and volleyball from the pen of Haruichi Furudate!!

32. Witch Craft Works

MAL synopsis:

Takamiya Honoka is a regular student whose only problem seems to be that he sits next to Kagari Ayaka, the school’s #1 beauty. They have never spoken to each other before and any small interaction between them immediately results in her fanclub beating him. Yet when a falling part of the school’s building is about to send him to the afterlife, it’s Kagari that comes to his rescue. Only… she’s dressed as a witch, carrying him in her arms and floating on a broom?! Kagari tells him it is her mission to protect him and that now she can finally protect him openly rather than undercover.

31. Akuma no Riddle

Synopsis from MAL:

The story is set at Myoujou Academy, a private girls’ boarding school. The 10th year’s Kurogumi class has 12 assassins with their sights on one target, Haru Ichinose. Tokaku Azuma is a recent transfer student who is also targeting Ichinose, but she gradually develops feelings for Ichinose.





The top 30 anime series of 2014 as rated by 2ch has been compiled into one long video by NicoNico user サガリテ. The video also showcases a small glimpse of the Opening theme of each anime on the top 30 as well as how many points each on the list has received.

30. Sword Art Online II

MAL Synopsis:

One year after the SAO incident, Kirito is approached by Seijiro Kikuoka from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Department “VR Division” with a rather peculiar request. That was an investigation on the “Death Gun” incident that occurred in the gun and steel filled VRMMO called Gun Gale Online (GGO). “Players who are shot by a mysterious avatar with a jet black gun lose their lives even in the real world…” Failing to turn down Kikuoka’s bizarre request, Kirito logs in to GGO even though he is not completely convinced that the virtual world could physically affect the real world. Kirito wanders in an unfamiliar world in order to gain any clues about the “Death Gun.” Then, a female sniper named Sinon who owns a gigantic “Hecate II” rifle extends Kirito a helping hand. With Sinon’s help, Kirito decides to enter the “Bullet of Bullets,” a large tournament to choose the most powerful gunner within the realm of GGO, in hopes to become the target of the “Death Gun” and make direct contact with the mysterious avatar.

29. Amagi Brilliant Park

Anime synopsis from MAL:

Seiya was forced to accept an invitation to an amusement park by the mysterious and beautiful girl Isuzu. What he didn’t know was that she would bring him to the decrepit Amagi Brilliant Park, Japan’s most disappointing amusement park. Seiya is introduced to the leader of the Park, the “real princess” Latifah, who suddenly entrusts him with saving the park, which is in danger of shutting down. Amagi Brilliant Park, it turns out, is not just any amusement park, but rather one populated by fairies.

28. Space☆Dandy Season 2

MAL Synopsis:

Second season of Space Dandy. Space Dandy is a dandy guy, in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet because it’s first come, first served! Accompanied by his sidekicks, a rundown robot named QT and Meow the cat-looking space alien, Dandy bravely explores unknown worlds inhabited by a variety of aliens. Join the best dressed alien hunter in all of space and time as he embarks on an adventure that ends at the edge of the universe!

27. Gokukoku no Brynhildr

Synopsis from MAL:

When he was a child, Murakami was infatuated with a girl he called Kuroneko. She insisted on knowing about aliens and having met them, but no one believed her, even young Murakami was skeptical. One day, she decides to show him the aliens, but an accident occurs and Kuroneko dies while Murakami is left seriously wounded in the hospital. Years go by and Murakami obsesses on finding proof of the existence of aliens because of a promise he had made with Kuroneko. Then, one day, a new transfer student comes to his class, who not only looks a lot like Kuroneko, but is named Kurohaneko!

26. Gundam Build Fighters

MAL synopsis:

The story is set in the near future when GunPla Battles, competitions that pit Gundam plastic models against each other, have become popular worldwide in the “Second GunPla Boom.” Sei Iori, a first-year middle-school student and the only son of a model shop owner, is talented at building GunPla, but inexperienced in the GunPla Battles. He encounters a mysterious boy named Reiji, who happens to be an accomplished Gundam Fighter. Together, they strive for the GunPla Battle world championships.

25. No Game No Life

Anime synopsis from MAL:

The story of No Game, No Life centers around Sora and Shiro, a brother and sister whose reputations as brilliant NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) hikikomori (shut-in) gamers have spawned urban legends all over the Internet. These two gamers even consider the real world as just another “crappy game.” One day, they are summoned by a boy named “God” to an alternate world. There, God has prohibited war and declared this to be a world where “everything is decided by games”—even national borders. Humanity has been driven back into one remaining city by the other races. Will Sora and Shiro, the good-for-nothing brother and sister, become the “Saviors of Humanity” on this alternate world? “Well, let’s start playing.”

24. Nisekoi

MAL synopsis:

Raku Ichijou is an average high school student. He also happens to be the sole heir to the head of a Yakuza Family called the Shuei-gumi. Ten years ago, Raku made a promise… a secret promise with a girl he met. They promised one another that they will “get married when they reunite.” Since then, Raku never let go of the pendant the girl gave him. Then one day, a beautiful girl named Chitoge Kirisaki transfers into Raku’s class. Their chemistry was more than off. There was not a moment where they were not fighting. But by a weird turn of events, Raku and Chitoge agree to become fake lovers. Although his heart is really interested in his classmate Kosaki Onodera, Raku must continue pretending to be Chitoge’s boyfriend.

23. Hanayamata

MAL synopsis:

Normal appearance, normal intelligence, normal in arts and sports… just normal. This is the entirely normal 14-year-old, Naru Sekiya. While she admires “Heroines” she continues to live a normal life until one moonlit night she meets a fairy. This foreign girl then guides her into the extraordinary world of the yosakoi dance.

22. Sabagebu!

Synopsis of series from MAL:

Middle school girl Momoka is dragged into joining one of the strangest associations at her school, the Survival Game Club. Its members participate in various forms of paramilitary training under the watchful eye of charming and alarming president, Miou. How on Earth will the inexperienced Momoka survive her training, let alone Miou’s company?!

21. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

MAL synopsis:

In a Japanese jail sits 17-year-old Jotaro Kujo: punk, fighter, delinquent…and possessed by a force beyond his control! Around the world, evil spirits are awakening: “Stands,” monstrous invisible creatures which give their bearers incredible powers. To save his mother’s life, Jotaro must tame his dark forces and travel around the world to Cairo, Egypt, where a hundred-year-old vampire thirsts for the blood of his family. But the road is long, and an army of evil Stand Users wait to kill JoJo and his friends…

20. Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Synopsis from MAL:

Magic—A century has passed since this concept has been recognized as a formal technology instead of the product of the occult or folklore. The season is spring and it is time for a brand new school year.

At the National Magic University First Affiliate High School, A.K.A Magic High School, students are divided into two distinct groups according to their academic performances. The “Bloom,” who demonstrate the highest grades and are enrolled in the “First Course,” and the “Weed,” who have a poor academic record and are enrolled in the “Second Course.” This spring, a very peculiar brother and sister enroll as new students. The brother is an under achiever with some deficiencies and enrolls as a “Weed,” while his younger sister is an honor student, who enrolls as a “Bloom.” The brother, with a somewhat philosophical expression, and the younger sister who holds feelings a little stronger than sibling love for him… Ever since these two have entered through the gates of this prestigious school, the calm campus was beginning to change…

19. Psycho-Pass Season 2

MAL synopsis:

Sequel to the Psycho-Pass series, taking place one-and-a-half years later. Having learned the true nature of the Sibyl System, Akane Tsunemori chose to obey the system, believing in both humanity and the legal order. She’s part of a new police section and spends her everyday life facing down criminals. Unbeknownst to Akane, however, a monster who will shake the system to its core is about to appear before her.

18. Space☆Dandy

Synosis of series from MAL:

Space Dandy is a dandy guy, in space! This dreamy adventurer with a to-die-for pompadour travels across the galaxy in search of aliens no one has ever laid eyes on. Each new species he discovers earns him a hefty reward, but this dandy has to be quick on his feet because it’s first come, first served! Accompanied by his sidekicks, a rundown robot named QT and Meow the cat-looking space alien, Dandy bravely explores unknown worlds inhabited by a variety of aliens. Join the best dressed alien hunter in all of space and time as he embarks on an adventure that ends at the edge of the universe!

17. Nagi no Asukara

Series synopsis from MAL:

Long ago, all humans lived in the ocean. But some who longed for the land abandoned the ocean, casting off the special raiments granted to them by the sea god to adapt them to life under the sea… Though mankind was divided into sea dwellers and land dwellers, each with different ways of thinking, they were all still fellow humans, and they continued to maintain contact as time went on. Sakishima Hikari, Mukaido Manaka, Hiradaira Chisaki, and Isaki Kaname live in an undersea village, while Kihara Tsumugu lives on land. When these middle school second-year land and sea dwellers meet for the first time, their hearts begin to undulate like the tides. The youthful fantasy tale of these young people’s lives unfolds in a strange and beautiful world.

16. Mikakunin de Shinkoukei

Series synopsis from MAL:

Kobeni Yonomori is a high school girl who lives with her mother and older sister Benio. Upon turning sixteen, Kobeni is shocked to learn that, due to an arrangement by her late grandfather, she is engaged to a boy named Hakuya Mitsumine who, along with his little sister Mashiro, come to live with Kobeni. As Kobeni spends time adjusting to this new family, she learns there is more to Hakuya and Mashiro than meets the eye.

15. Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru

MAL Synopsis:

The story takes place in the era of the gods, year 300. Yuuna Yuuki lives an ordinary life as a second year middle school student, but she’s also a member of the “Hero Club,” where club activities involve dealing with a mysterious being called “Vertex.”

14. Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis

Synopsis of the series on MAL:

Mistarcia is a magical world where humans, gods, and demons mingle together. In the past, the black-and-silver winged Bahamut has threatened to destroy the land, but humans, gods, and demons overcame their differences to fight together and seal its power. The key to that seal was split in two, one half given to the gods and the other to demons, so that they would never be united and Bahamut never released. Now, two thousand years later, the world is in an era of peace—until the day a human woman steals the gods’ half of the key.

13. Mushishi Zoku Shou

Series synopsis:

They existed long before anyone can remember. They are simple and strange in nature, not resembling any other plant or animal in this world. In ancient times, people revered these bizarre creatures and called them “Mushi.” People once again began to believe in the existence of these “Mushi” when they began affecting their lives in inexplicable ways. The one who connects the world of “Mushi” to the world of humans—they were called the “Mushi-shi.” All life exists not to hinder others in this world.

They are simply there to live as they were meant to.

12. Wake up, girls

Series synopsis from MAL:

Green Leaves Entertainment is a tiny production company on the verge of going out of business in Sendai, the biggest city in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku region. The agency once managed the careers of magicians, photo idols, fortune-tellers, and other entertainers, but its last remaining client finally quit. In danger of having zero talent (literally), the president Tange hatches an idea of producing an idol group. On the brash president’s orders, the dissatisfied manager Matsuda heads out to scout raw talent. Matsuda makes a fateful encounter with a certain girl…

11. Love Live! School Idol Project Season 2

Series synopsis from MAL:

The girls of μ’s are back! The school is now safe from closing. A second Love Live! contest is happening. This is the last time all nine girls can try to win together.

10. Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Series Synopsis from MAL:

Cocoa arrives at the cafe Rabbit House one day, excited for rabbits. She actually all but lives in that cafe. She meets lots of different girls there, including a tiny and cool girl named Chino, a tough and soldier-esque girl named Rize, a spacey and quintessentially Japanese girl named Chiyo, and the ordinary but dignified Sharo.

9. Knights of Sidonia

Plot synopsis from MAL:

It’s been a thousand years since the Gauna, a strange alien race with no known method of communication, destroyed the solar system. A portion of humanity managed to escape using enormous “seed ships” like the Sidonia, which have allowed them to maintain the population while drifting through space. Nagate Tanikaze is a young man who has been raised deep in the bowels of the ship. When he goes into training to pilot the huge robotic weapons known as Gardes, Nagate is entrusted with piloting the legendary unit known as Tsugumori. Nagate and his fellow pilots put their lives on the line against the Gauna, in the ultimate battle for the survival of humanity!

8. Aldnoah.Zero

MAL synopsis:

In 1972, the Apollo 17 mission found a hypergate to Mars on the surface of the moon. Upon landing, astronauts discovered an enchanted utility later referred to as “Aldnoah,” giving the astronauts a status of superiority. Soon, many humans have relocated to Mars, and have adapted to the name “Martians.” After Princess Asseylum, a royal Martian princess, descends onto Earth in an attempt to create a treaty between both planets, a war breaks out between Earth and Mars, and Martian soldiers begin to descend from the sky, riding steel giants, intent on exterminating humanity.

7. Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yatte Mita.

Synopsis of anime from MAL:

In the town of Nagarekawa, Nanako Usami, an ordinary high school girl, is approached by her uncle to become a local idol or “Locodol”, partnering with upperclassman Yukari Kohinata to form the idol unit, Nagarekawa Girls. As the girls use their talent to promote Nagarekawa and their businesses, they are joined by Yui Mikoze, who acts as the local mascot, and Mirai Nazukari, who serves as Yui’s substitute.

6. Yama no Susume Season 2

Anime synopsis from MAL:

Second season of Yama no Susume. The title tells the story of the childhood friends Aoi, a girl who prefers staying inside and who has acrophobia, and Hinata, a girl who loves mountains. The two decide to climb a mountain in order to once again see the morning sun from its peak as they did when they were young.

5. Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works

Synopsis of the series from MAL:

New anime adaptation of Fate/stay night, following the Unlimited Blade Works route. Raised by a mysterious sorcerer after the horrific death of his parents, Shiro Emiya has only just begun to help others using the small tidbits of magic that he’s learned. However, when he’s suddenly caught in a battle between two more powerful Magus, Shiro finds himself performing a spell above his expected ability, summoning the beautiful spirit warrior Saber to protect him! But safety is only momentary as Shiro and Saber now find themselves thrust into in a secret world of dark magic and deadly challenges: a no-holds barred duel to the death known as the Holy Grail War! At stake: a prize of unimaginable power. But can the inexperienced Shiro and Saber survive long enough to even enter the contest? First they’ll have to withstand waves of treachery and assassination, even as Shiro scrambles to learn everything he’ll need to know to stay alive as seven teams of Magus and Spirit Servants face off in mortal combat!

4. Kill la Kill

MAL synopsis:

Ryuuko Matoi is a vagrant school girl traveling from place to place searching for clues to the truth behind her father’s death—the “woman with the scissor blade.” The journey has led Ryuuko to Honnouji Academy. Honnouji Academy—where an elite group of students is granted superhuman power by their special uniforms called the “Goku uniform.” With the power of the uniform, the student body president, Satsuki Kiryuin rules the students with unquestioned power and fear. Satsuki holds the secret to the “scissor blade” and Ryuuko confronts Satsuki to gain information but… Was their encounter a mere coincidence or fate? The clash between the two will soon consume the whole academy!

3. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

MAL synopsis:

High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarou Nozaki, but when she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says that she always wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Chiyo discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shoujo manga artist named Sakiko Yumeno. She then agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga, they encounter other schoolmates who assist them or serve as inspirations for characters in the stories.

2. Ping Pong The Animation

Synopsis from MAL:

Makoto Tsukimoto (nicknamed Smile) is a quiet high-schooler who’s been friends with the loud and energetic Yutaka Hoshino (nicknamed Peco) since childhood. They’re both in the local table tennis club and both have a natural talent for it, although Smile’s personality always prevents him from winning against Peco. The club teacher, however, notices Smile’s talent and tries to make him gain some sportive tenacity.

1. Barakamon

Synopsis of Barakamon from MAL:

As a punishment for punching a famous calligrapher, young handsome calligrapher Handa Seishu is exiled to a small island. As someone who has never lived outside of a city, Handa has to adapt to his new wacky neighbors, like people traveling on a tractor, unwanted visitors who never use the front door, annoying kids using his home as a playground, etc. Can this city guy handle all the crazy hardships? Find out in this wacky island comedy full of innocence and laughter!

And there you have it, 2ch’s top 50 anime of 2014.