Best Drama Anime of 2013

Centuries ago, humanity was driven nearly to extinction by colossal, humanoid monsters known as Titans, forcing the survivors to cower behind enormous concentric walls. The true horror of these giants lies in their consumption of human flesh, which seems motivated not by hunger but by pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity lived within these defensive barriers, enjoying a hundred years without a single Titan encounter. But that fragile peace is shattered when a Colossal Titan breaches the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the desperate fight for survival against the man-eating abominations. After suffering a devastating personal loss at the hands of the invading creatures, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by joining the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that battles the merciless humanoids beyond the walls. Alongside his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and childhood friend Armin Arlert, Eren enters the brutal war against the Titans, racing to find a way to defeat them before the last walls fall.

After a tragic accident, Banri Tada loses all memories of his past and his hometown. After forming a friendship with Mitsuo Yanagisawa, he decides to move forward and start fresh at law school in Tokyo. Just as he's beginning to settle into college life, the stunning Kouko Kaga makes a dramatic entrance into Banri's world, and their unexpected encounter sets the stage for an unforgettable year. Getting a taste of college life, Banri realizes he's entered a new place and a new world—one where he can be reborn, make new friends, experience love, stumble, and grow. As he starts uncovering who he used to be, the path he's chosen leads him toward a brilliantly bright future he'll never want to leave behind.

After spending a year in America, Kurisu Makise returns to Akihabara and meets up with Rintarou Okabe again. But their time together is interrupted when Okabe starts having repeated visions of other timelines, as the repercussions of his time travel begin to surface. These effects eventually lead to Okabe suddenly disappearing from existence, with only the shocked Kurisu remembering him. Facing despair, Kurisu must make a difficult decision that challenges her scientific principles and her devotion as a friend: either heed Okabe's warning to avoid time travel and prevent harm to the world lines, or disregard it to save the person she values most. Whichever path she chooses, her decision will impact the past, the present, and the future.

In ancient times, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some chose the surface and permanently abandoned underwater life. As a result, they lost the divine protection called "Ena" that allowed them to breathe underwater. Over the years, the divide between the people of the sea and those of the surface widened, though some contact between them still remained. Nagi no Asu kara follows Hikari Sakishima and Manaka Mukaido, along with their childhood friends Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki, who are forced to leave the sea and attend a school on the surface. There, the group also meets Tsumugu Kihara, a fellow student and fisherman who loves the sea. Hikari and his friends' lives are destined to change as they confront the deep-seated hatred and discrimination between the sea and surface peoples, the storms in their personal lives, and an approaching tempest that may spell doom for all who live on the surface.

The young girls of Mitakihara lead cheerful lives, occasionally battling evil but otherwise enjoying their calm, everyday routines. However, Homura Akemi senses that something is off with this unusually pleasant atmosphere—while the others remain unaware, she can't shake the feeling that there is more beneath the surface: someone who shouldn't exist is now present among them. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica Movie 3: Hangyaku no Monogatari follows Homura as she struggles to reveal the painful truth behind the mysterious circumstances, selfishly and desperately fighting for the sake of her undying love in this despair-ridden conclusion to the story of five magical girls.

Yui Komori is compelled by her father to take up residence in a secluded mansion, where she becomes trapped alongside the six vampire Sakamaki brothers: Shuu, Reiji, Ayato, Kanato, Laito, and Subaru. At first confused about why she has been brought there, the siblings soon disclose their genuine intentions, proclaiming her their new sacrificial bride while harboring deeper, more twisted cravings. As Yui struggles to comprehend her father’s motives and feels an odd ache in her chest, her imprisonment grows increasingly horrifying. Encircled by brothers who become steadily more cruel, she is drawn into an endless cycle of nights where each one asserts possession over her, driving her toward a state of overwhelming insanity and rapture.

Haruki Kitahara's light music club is teetering on the edge of collapse. If things continue this way, the third-year's aspiration to perform at the school festival will never come to pass. But as his weary fingers move through the chords of "White Album," the first song he ever played, a heavenly voice and a mysterious piano join in harmony with his solitary guitar. This pivotal performance marks the start of everything for Haruki. White Album 2 composes Haruki's last semester with intricate romance and thrilling music, as the curtains rise on the stage he has always longed for.

Chihaya Ayase is determined to build up her high school's competitive karuta club, fueled by grand goals such as winning the national team championship at Omi Jingu and claiming the title of Queen, the top female karuta player in Japan—and by extension, the world. As their second year of high school begins, Chihaya and her clubmates must find new members, sharpen both their physical and mental abilities, and face tough rivals on their path to the championship. At the same time, Chihaya's childhood friend Arata Wataya, the prodigy who first sparked her passion for karuta, rekindles his own forgotten affection for the ancient card game.

Takao Kasuga is a high school student with a deep fascination for poetry, admiring Charles Baudelaire so much that he keeps the poet's portrait in his room. One ordinary day, Takao accidentally leaves his copy of The Flowers of Evil in the classroom. When he goes back to retrieve it, he impulsively steals the gym clothes of Nanako Saeki, a model student he considers his muse and a femme fatale. Overwhelmed by shame and aware that his act is seen as both a sin and a crime, Takao is horrified to discover that his classmate Sawa Nakamura, a social outcast, witnessed the theft. Sawa blackmails him, forcing Takao to participate in her disturbing fantasies under the threat of exposing his secret to everyone. Trapped in a downward spiral of increasingly traumatic experiences, Takao must find a way to break free from Sawa's grip and seek redemption for his wrongdoing.

A year after Guts left them to pursue his own path, the Band of the Hawk has been reduced in number. Returning after hearing a rumor about their situation, Guts finds the Hawks—now commanded by his former ally Casca—fighting for their survival. Once hailed as the saviors of Midland, they are now hunted fugitives, desperately trying to free their leader Griffith, who was imprisoned for treason. But the man they rescue bears little resemblance to the Griffith they remember. Griffith is a shattered remnant of his former charismatic self after enduring a year of horrific torture. Unable to walk, speak, or even lift a sword, he clings only to the strange Crimson Behelit that refuses to leave him. The entire Band of the Hawk yearns to rise again, but the price of reclaiming their former glory may be steep. When Griffith's heart turns dark and a solar eclipse blots out the sky, the Behelit presents a choice that seals the Hawks in a blood-soaked fate that will haunt them forever.

The world has been forsaken by God, plunging existence into a state where no one can truly die and no new life can be born, while the "dead" wander aimlessly among the living. Before turning away forever, God granted one final miracle by creating "gravekeepers"—mystical beings who can lay the dead to rest through proper burial. Ai, a cheerful yet naive young girl, carries on her late mother's role as her village's gravekeeper. One day, a man named Hampnie Hambart—claimed to be Ai's father—arrives and slaughters everyone in her village. With her home destroyed and no direction in life, Ai decides to join this mysterious man on his travels. As she journeys across the land, the young gravekeeper strives to fulfill her duty: bringing peace to the dead and helping the living, all while gradually uncovering the truth about the world God left in such a tragic state.

For years, tanuki and tengu have made Kyoto their home, coexisting with humans who remain unaware of these beings. Yasaburou Shimogamo, the third son of a prominent tanuki family, spends his leisurely days looking after an elderly tengu, using his shapeshifting ability to observe humans, and navigating his interactions with the enigmatic Benten. Yet beneath this calm surface lies a painful memory from the past: Yasaburou's father, once the leader of the tanuki community, was killed and devoured by a human group called the Friday Fellows. Uchouten Kazoku follows the trials and hardships of the Shimogamo brothers as they work to avoid meeting a similarly grim fate while gradually uncovering the truth behind their father's death.

The Little Busters have just suffered their first baseball defeat, and the team decides to hold a pancake party. Nearly one semester has passed since Kyousuke Natsume came back. As usual, Riki Naoe assists the Little Busters' members—both familiar and new—in facing their personal issues. Yet, strange events start to happen, drawing Rin Natsume and Riki closer to uncovering the truth behind the "secret of this world." Unbeknownst to Rin and Riki, what they discover will permanently transform the peaceful daily lives the Little Busters have built. Little Busters!: Refrain concludes the varied stories of its ensemble cast—shaped by emotional weight and strengthened by friendship—as they confront their regrets and vulnerabilities.

After the 10th NOVA battle, the Chevalier determined that the NOVA are appearing more frequently and that they are losing Pandoras faster than they can create new ones. Their answer is the E-Pandora Project, which grants ordinary humans the ability to become Pandoras. Pandoras from across the globe are invited to the Alaskan base to witness the unveiling of this new initiative, with Satellizer, Kazuya, and Rana among those summoned. But as time passes, the E-Pandora Project begins to seem increasingly suspicious, and the Pandoras' worries continue to grow.

Haruto Kirishima was leading a peaceful existence in the countryside, far removed from the hectic rhythm of city life. That changed when Yuzuki Eba unexpectedly entered his world, arriving from Tokyo to stay with her family for a short while. The time they spent together left him captivated by the memories of that brief period, only for her to vanish just as suddenly, leaving him with countless unanswered questions. Kimi no Iru Machi picks up some time later, after Haruto has moved to Tokyo to live with his sister, aiming to build a career as a chef. In truth, however, his deeper motive is to be near Yuzuki. Things get off to a rough start. Upon arrival, he is mistaken for a thief and attacked by his sister's neighbor, Mishima Asuka. Once the misunderstanding is resolved, his emotions begin to waver. Is Eba, who keeps avoiding him for reasons unknown, the one he truly wants, or could it be Asuka?

Ibara Naruse and her friends Aoi Fukasaku and Taeko Nomura initially appear to be ordinary, carefree high school girls. However, the streets they walk, their destination, and the environment around them are far from normal. As they move forward, the trio ventures deeper into a version of Tokyo that has become uninhabitable, devastated by a nuclear disaster that occurred 20 years earlier. As members of the Dispatch 3rd Special Force Coppelion, specifically the Health Care team, Ibara, Aoi, and Taeko receive support from the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and Colonel Onihei Mishima while they search the eerily quiet streets for survivors. Locating the last remaining humans and arranging their evacuation via JGSDF helicopters is a routine task for the girls. Yet, as their mission continues, Ibara and her companions begin to question their own humanity—particularly how they are able to survive in Tokyo without any protective equipment.

Fifteen-year-old Izumiko Suzuhara longs to live an ordinary life, but that proves difficult. Raised in a remote mountain shrine, she is extremely sheltered and painfully timid. Additionally, any electronic device she touches instantly breaks. Still, she is determined to change herself. To show her commitment, Izumiko starts by cutting her bangs, shocking both classmates and her guardians. That is only the beginning. Her guardian, Yukimasa Sagara, orders his son Miyuki to come to the mountain shrine and serve as Izumiko's lifelong protector. Unfortunately, Izumiko and Miyuki cannot tolerate each other. They have known one another since childhood, and Miyuki used to bully her relentlessly. He sees nothing special about Izumiko. His father calls her a goddess—but could that actually be true? Can Izumiko and Miyuki overcome their animosity? Is she truly a divine being? Discover the answers in RDG: Red Data Girl!

In the original Rozen Maiden timeline, after marking "yes" on a slip of paper and consenting to wind an unspecified "something," a traumatized Jun Sakurada battles alongside the lifelike dolls called the Rozen Maidens. But what if Jun had chosen "no"? Having moved past the school trauma of his childhood, Jun now attends college and works at a bookstore. Yet he still feels like he doesn't truly fit in anywhere. One day, he discovers a book that contains instructions for creating a Rozen Maiden. That night, when he returns home, the second volume of the series has mysteriously been delivered to his house, along with doll parts. But just as abruptly as they began, the books stop arriving, and Jun receives a notice that the publication has been discontinued. With an unfinished doll in his possession and a message from his alternate self in another world, this Jun too finds himself drawn into the world of the Rozen Maidens.

Akari Taiyou is an apprentice fortune teller who lives with her aunt, uncle, and their daughter Fuyuna. After losing her mother at a young age, she has only a deck of tarot cards and a dream of following in her mother's footsteps as a fortune teller. One night, Akari dreams of being attacked by a plant monster and sees a stronger version of herself defeat it. When she wakes up, she is horrified to discover that the monster was actually Fuyuna. Yet, mysteriously, Akari and her relatives soon forget that Fuyuna ever existed. After another close encounter with a similar monster, she is rescued by three magical girls: Ginka Shirokane, Seira Hoshikawa, and Luna Tsukuyomi. They explain that they belong to the Sefiro Fiore organization, which uses Elemental Tarot power to fight evil creatures known as "Daemonia." Akari learns that she too is a magical girl and has inherited her mother's power of The Sun card. However, she comes to realize that Daemonia are actually people who have been possessed, and she must decide whether to try to save what remains of their humanity or eliminate them entirely. As Akari grapples with her grim duty of protecting the world from Daemonia, the bonds within the organization and among her team become strained as they face serious threats from both outside and within.

The island of Hatsunejima is blessed with perpetual spring, dominated by a massive cherry blossom tree that never fades. Legend holds that this tree can grant any desire. Yet, one day, it suddenly loses its magical properties and becomes an ordinary cherry blossom tree.