Game anime or anime about games are literally what is it sounds like, anime centered on games. Some of them are set inside VR games. This VR game trend started mostly thanks to the success of SAO. It is so famous that people sometimes forget “Game Anime” refers to non-VR anime too.
Also, I’d like to clarify that Game anime and Sports anime are different. Yes, some game anime do include games that are technically considered sports but, sports anime have a common pattern in the story. Game anime does not follow this sports anime pattern. So here are my 5 favorite game anime
This is a rather unique idea for an anime. I feel like Death Parade doesn’t get enough credit. People after dying, come to a bar before going to hell or heaven. They are forced to play different games with odd quirks to make them confess their sins. Then the bartender judges them.
I really like this unique take on the genre. This gives a reason for there to be games in every episode without touching sports anime territory. It is just 12 episodes long but it doesn’t get repetitive and has great characters. Not to mention, that opening.
Log Horizon Game Anime
Another anime that doesn’t get nearly enough credit. It is a very unique take on the video game anime troupe started by SAO. Now I agree it does die down a bit in the later season but that doesn’t change the fact that season 1 is a joy watch.
In Log Horizon, people have trapped the game (of course) but they can’t die. When someone dies, they just respawn in the city like they would in the normal game. Log Horizon has great world-building and characters. I also love the fact that the NPCs of the game are now living people too and they have their own problems. Log Horizon is really good.
Bofuri Game Anime
Bofuri isn’t anything new. A typical OP MC anime with the VR game world setting. It is a perfectly normal game, unlike SAO and Log Horizon. So why is Bofuri good? Because the anime makes fun of every single VR game cliché in existence. It is sort of like KonoSuba of the VR game sub-genre.
It takes all the clichés, looks at them in the face, and then laughs at them. I mean Bofuri is just plain fun, no dark things, no stress of any sort. Just people having fun playing video games as we do in real life. It also a lot of cute girls. So yeah, another reason to watch Bofuri if you haven’t already.
Sword Art Online (Aincrad Arc + Ordinal Scale)
I really don’t like the later parts of Sword Art Online. In fact, the only reasons I put it on the list are my love for the movie and the Aincrad Arc and because it was SAOs success that gave us the sub-genre of video game anime.
It is SAO that started the very famous troupe of being trapped inside a game. I don’t think it was the first anime with this pattern, but it is the one that made this pattern popular for sure. Unfortunately, SAO never gets better than the first arc and the Ordinal Scale movie. The later arcs are so bad it’s almost like the author forgot what made the series so great. Maybe that’s why they’re doing SAO Progressive.
A list about Game Anime can’t end without the mention of No Game No Life. NGNL is something we all hold dear. The unique blend of the Isekai and Game genre that this anime presented was just so good. No anime has been able to replicate it this well since.
The art is colorful like a world about games should be. The rules of the world are very clear and the world-building is really well done. I love the fact that they also added various races to give it a more isekai feel. Also, Season 2 when??
Conclusion
That is all I have for now. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments. As always stay tuned for more content and don’t forget to check out our art section. With that said, I will take my leave here. See ya!
