Best Fantasy Anime of 2011

Hunters dedicate themselves to perilous missions, from exploring the world's unknown territories to tracking down rare items and monsters. To become a Hunter, one must survive the Hunter Examination—a high-stakes selection process where most applicants end up injured or dead. Each ambitious participant who takes on the notorious exam has their own reason. For 12-year-old Gon Freecss, his motivation is finding Ging, his father and a Hunter himself. Believing that becoming a Hunter will lead him to his father, Gon takes the first step toward following the same path. During the Hunter Examination, Gon befriends medical student Leorio Paladiknight, the vengeful Kurapika, and former assassin Killua Zoldyck. Though their motives differ greatly, they band together for a shared objective and begin to venture into a dangerous world.

The omnipotent Holy Grail, rumored to grant any wish, previously incited three brutal conflicts that ended in total devastation. Despite this grim history, the wealthy Einzbern family remains convinced the Fourth Holy Grail War will yield a victor, largely because they now possess a suitable vessel for the Grail. To ensure this victory, they hire the despised "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya, binding their agreement with his marriage to their sole daughter, Irisviel. Kiritsugu is thrust into a deadly competition involving seven participants, each commanding an ancient familiar and driven by distinct motivations. Alongside his own Servant, Saber, the notorious mercenary encounters his most formidable rival in Kirei Kotomine, a priest searching for personal salvation by hunting Kiritsugu. Adapted from Gen Urobuchi’s light novel, Fate/Zero chronicles the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War, set ten years before Fate/stay night. This narrative presents a ruthless battle royale where survival is far from guaranteed.

On the night he was supposed to choose between fighting evil at Shana's side or living as a normal teenager, Yuji vanished. Returning from the brink of death, he now leads the Crimson Denizens in a suspicious plan to bring peace to the universe—but Shana is not deceived. In a fiery reunion, the blazing warrior confronts her most unlikely opponent, while Flame Hazes from around the world band together to ignite a war that will decide the fate of all supernatural beings.

The story of Dog Days is set in Flonyard, an alternate Earth where residents resemble humans but have the ears and tails of specific animals. The dog-like citizens of the Republic of Biscotti are under attack from the feline forces of the Galette Leo Knights. To defend her people, Princess Millhiore summons a champion from another world: Cinque Izumi, an ordinary junior high school student from Earth. Cinque agrees to help Biscotti, retrieves a sacred weapon called the Palladion, and prepares for conflict. Wars in Flonyard cause no casualties and are more like sporting events intended to raise funds for the participating kingdoms. Cinque performs well as Biscotti’s champion but discovers that a summoned champion cannot be sent back to their home world. The scientists of Biscotti work to find a way for Cinque to return, but until they succeed, he must continue serving Princess Millhiore as Biscotti’s hero.

In the far future, humanity abandons a devastated Earth and ventures into outer space. However, due to an unknown phenomenon that prevents space travel, humans return to Earth only to find it inhospitable except for Japan. To accommodate the entire population, pocket dimensions are created around Japan to house the people. In search of a way back to space, humanity begins reenacting human history according to the holy book Testament. But in Testament Era year 1413, the nations of the pocket dimensions invade and conquer Japan, dividing the territory into feudal fiefdoms and forcing the original inhabitants of Japan to leave. Now, in Testament Era 1648, the Japanese refugees live on the city ship Musashi, which constantly travels around Japan under the watch of the Testament Union, the authority that governs the historical reenactment. Rumors of apocalypse and war begin to spread when the Testament stops revealing what happens after 1648. Taking advantage of this situation, Toori Aoi, head of Musashi Ariadust Academy's Supreme Federation and President of the student council, leads fellow classmates in using this opportunity to reclaim their homeland.

The peaceful everyday life of ordinary high school student Kisaragi Ryuji takes a dramatic turn when his second cousin Eriko returns. Together, they confiscate a relic box from a black market dealer. Inside the box, they discover a red dragon girl named Rose. To keep Rose safe from the sinister black organization, Ryuji resolves to fight, harnessing his abilities as a relic handler.

Young princess Astarotte "Lotte" Ygvar is a succubus, a being that depends on men's life essence to survive, restore her magical power, and carry on the royal bloodline of the magical realm. As such, succubi must maintain a harem of men nearby. However, Lotte holds a strong aversion to men, which will endanger her life when she comes of age. To persuade her to accept her responsibilities, her attendant Judith Snorrevik ventures into the human world to find a male human that Lotte can stand. Judith brings back Naoya Touhara, a 23-year-old single father who unfortunately leaves his daughter Asuha behind in the human realm. As the first member of Lotte's harem, Naoya quickly adjusts to his new surroundings, focusing on serving the princess to make her happy rather than viewing her with any sexual interest. Unfortunately, when his daughter is permitted to come to the magical realm, Naoya's relationship with Lotte quickly deteriorates. Still, he works hard to mend their bond. But soon it becomes evident that Naoya's arrival in the magical realm is no mere coincidence. As his connection with Lotte deepens, fate begins to weave together the ties that bind him and everyone else in this enchanting world.

Sasha gets a new partner in Hana as his Maria. To locate a Qwaser-related artifact called the Magdalena of Thunder that has appeared in a student at an all-girls academy, they infiltrate the school, forcing Sasha to crossdress. However, others are also competing to find it.

In a world where hamburgers sprout from the earth like four-leaf clovers, ice cream carves out entire mountain ranges, and warm mac and cheese simmers inside volcanic craters, the landscape is filled with extraordinary natural delicacies. This era of culinary wonder is known as the Gourmet Age, a golden time for exploration. Both ordinary citizens and chefs dream of tasting and crafting the most exquisite dishes, while adventurers called Gourmet Hunters dedicate themselves to tracking down rare and delicious ingredients. Among them, the wild and passionate Gourmet Hunter Toriko stands out with his unique abilities, having discovered 2% of all known ingredients. Alongside his friend Komatsu, a highly skilled chef employed at a five-star hotel, Toriko embarks on a quest to complete his Full Course Menu of Life. However, the path is fraught with challenges: to obtain the most delectable ingredients, Toriko must overcome deadly monsters, sinister organizations, and even the very essence of food itself.

Since the Fractale system was created, the world has enjoyed lasting peace. People live in solitude, focusing on their own hobbies, sustained by Fractale terminals implanted in their bodies. Clain Necran spends his time gathering old technological relics from the era before Fractale was introduced, and his only companions are his parents' Doppels—advanced holographic clones. Clain then encounters Phryne, the first real human girl he has ever met, and he is immediately captivated by her. But Phryne is being chased by the anti-Fractale group called The Lost Millennium, and she entrusts Clain with a strange artifact before vanishing. Convinced he must rescue Phryne and return her belongings, Clain sets off to find her. His quest leads him deep into the heart of the Fractale system, where uncovering its true nature proves far more dangerous than he ever expected.

In the advanced, futuristic metropolis of Heartland, a boy named Yuuma Tsukumo chases a dream shared by kids his age: becoming the greatest duelist. However, his poor dueling skills make this goal seem out of reach. When the school bully, Ryouga "Shark" Kamishiro, breaks the key given to him by his father into two halves, Yuuma is set on a path toward his ambition. Yuuma keeps one piece of the key and starts a duel with Shark, but quickly finds his inexperience leaves him outmatched. Suddenly, the key mends itself, and the "Door of Destiny" appears before him. Unlocking it with the key, Yuuma meets an alien named Astral—a being visible only to him. Confused, Yuuma learns that his memories have been split into 100 "Number Cards," which he must recover. However, others are also hunting for them. Overwhelmed by these discoveries, Yuuma, with Astral's help, must protect the world from the dangers looming over Heartland City, no matter what divine interference might arise.

Bakugan Interspace is a virtual reality system where players can battle one another and compete in tournaments. Originally created as a training tool to improve Bakugan skills, it quickly became a popular gathering spot for fans. During one of Danma Kuusou's matches, the Interspace malfunctions and he is knocked unconscious. Before waking up, he has a vision of Bakugan once again fighting each other in war. The energy blast from Danma's showdown—which caused the system to crash—reverberates across the galaxy, drawing the notice of the Twelve Orders, a Gundalian faction. They infiltrate Bakugan Interspace in search of strong brawlers to recruit for their approaching conflict with another alien race, the Neathians. Danma and his friends—Shun Kazami and Chouji Marukura—soon become entangled in this extraterrestrial war. Though it seems far away, the fight threatens both Earth's sovereignty and the future of the Bakugan species.

Upon their return to the Digital World, Taiki and Shoutmon discover that the Bagra Army has conquered it and restructured it into Seven Kingdoms, each presided over by a general.

Digimon Xros Wars: Toki wo Kakeru Shounen Hunter-tachi is set one year after the defeat of Bagramon and his forces. In that time, Taiki Kudou and Yuu Amano have formed a basketball team that includes Yuu’s classmate, Tagiru Akashi. One day, Tagiru finds a strange area called the DigiQuartz, an unstable and mysterious realm existing between the human and digital worlds. Tagiru then discovers that children around the world have received Xros Loaders and Digimon partners to join a competition known as the 'Digimon Hunt'. Digimon that wander from the digital world into the DigiQuartz can feed on negative emotions leaking in from the human world. This makes them stronger but also extremely aggressive. As a result, the Digimon Hunters must stop these Digimon from causing destruction in the human world. Joined by the mischievous Gumdramon, Tagiru aims to become the top Digimon Hunter, all while remaining unaware of Taiki and Yuu’s previous experiences with Digimon. Yet a sinister force lurks behind the creation of the DigiQuartz, and the young Hunters will soon realize that the Digimon Hunt is much more than just a simple game...

Driven by jealousy over Suneo’s latest robot toy, Nobita implores Doraemon to construct a superior model for him. Although Doraemon is initially reluctant, his stance changes when Nobita stumbles upon fragments of an enigmatic machine that has crashed from the sky. Once Nobita collects the scattered components and reassembles them, they bring to life Zanda Claus, a colossal robot. The pair soon realizes this creation is far more than a plaything; it is a crucial armament in the defense of Earth against the impending Robot Army, which plans to invade and subjugate humanity. As this threat looms, a mysterious girl named Riruru appears, actively searching for the newly formed robot.

Duel Masters Victory serves as the seventh installment in the Duel Masters anime franchise. Building upon the events depicted in Episode 32 of Duel Masters Versus, this narrative arc aligns with the storyline of the Duel Masters: Star Cross manga rather than Cross Shock. The series introduces a new main character, Katta Kirifuda, who is the sibling of Shobu. Driven by a desire to achieve dueling champion status like his brother, Katta aims to forge his own unique path. The plot chronicles the start of his dueling journey alongside his companions, including Bucyake, Yohdel, and Benchan. Throughout these adventures, Katta identifies Dragon Ryu as a formidable opponent and rival. Additionally, the series explores the underlying history of the conflict between the Hunters and Aliens races.

The opening segment picks up right after the conclusion of the second season, bringing the conflict surrounding the Mohist school to a close. During the latter half, fresh partnerships are forged and new enemies emerge.

Kinoshita Suguri, a nine-year-old third-grade girl who adores animals and crafting fashion accessories, stumbles upon an unusual rock while shopping for bracelet materials. When she picks it up, thinking it would look cute on a bracelet, she discovers a creature named Kappy—the three-year-old prince of Kapimeshia.