Hi everyone! After posting the results of the finals, I noticed that quite a few commenters had no idea who the finalists were and had not even heard of their respective shows. This really brought to light that, besides burning the sub to the ground with salt, one of the major goals of the contest is to introduce new shows to participants and ultimately inspire them to watch more anime!With that in mind, I came up with a recommendation list of shows with great female characters that did very well during this contest that aren’t as well-known as some of the consistently dominant series. (I left out some of the very, very popular shows that always do well like The Monogatari Series and The Fate Series because I think the majority of contest voters have already seen these two series, but I think it goes without saying that they are also must watches for strong, well-written female characters.)So with that, here’s my list of must watch shows based on the results of the Best Girl contest: 5. Humanity Has Declined - 12 EPS – While Watashi didn’t go as far as many other Best Girl candidates, she made waves in the early rounds when she beat Ougi from the Mongatari series, resulting in the contest’s first major upset. While I personally haven’t seen Humanity Has Declined, I’ve heard many great things about the series and Watashi who’s been described as “unique and refreshing” and I plan on watching this as soon as I'm done writing up this post!TL;DR: Looking for a satire/comedy with a cute, cynical and unique MC? Watch Humanity Has Declined. Available for streaming on Crunchyroll. 4. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun - 12 EPS- Unlike, Humanity Has Delined, I actually have seen Nozaki-kun and can confirm its hilarity and brilliance in subverting many classic shoujo tropes that we’ve come to experience in many, many shows. The characters are hysterical and cleverly written in the way that they relate and interact with one another, making each episode an absolute joy to watch. Our main heroine (and top 8 finalist), Chiyo Sakura, plays a great straight-man to the quirky cast around her and with her many hilarious reaction faces its impossible not to root for her in her many ambitious endeavors. (It is important to note that Nozaki-kun is more of a comedy than a romance, so if you’re looking for a show that is focused on romance, this might not be what you’re looking for.)TL;DR: Looking for a light-hearted, comedy-romance that plays off subverting tropes in a cleverly hilarious way? Check out Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, available for streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.ALSO CHECK IT OUT LATER TODAY FOR THE R/ANIME NOZAKI-KUN REWATCH! 3. Spice and Wolf + Spice and Wolf II 12/13 EPS- Are you tired of generic, cliche romances featuring the standard average, dense MC barely interacting with an unpersonable tsundere a in a high school setting? Well look no further, because Spice and Wolf is here to spice up the romance genre sorryIhadto . Spice and Wolf follows the journey of wandering merchant Lawrence and wolf goddess Holo as they travel throughout Medieval Europe in the hopes of helping each other accomplish their life long ambitions. After finishing both seasons of Spice and Wolf only a few weeks ago, I can honestly say that it’s one of the most unique series out there with two very charming, charismatic characters that engage in top tier snarky banter that make each episode a heartwarming, entertaining experience. Holo the Wise Wolf lives up to her title while also showing that she’s a multi-faceted character who has a lot of depth underneath her charming and witty exterior. I think it’s safe to say that she’s more than earned her praise as one of the best written female characters in anime.TL;DR: Looking for a romance with a refreshingly, unique couple with tons of chemistry and charm, in a unique setting, that also features one of the best written female characters in anime? Check out Spice and Wolf, available for streaming on Hulu and Spice and Wolf II available for streaming on FUNimation’s site for subscribers. 2. Shokugeki no Souma- 24 EP- While this show is hardly a diamond in the rough, I felt it was necessary to include an entry on the show that featured two of the contest's strongest entrants, one of whom being the runner up from this year’s competition. A fast pace, high action show, Shokugeki is impressive in it’s execution of intense, culinary matches between the students at the highly prestigious and insanely competitive, Tootsuki Culinary Academy. The story follows our talented, down-to-earth protagonist Souma in his quest to be the best of the best, ahead of many equally talented, quirky chefs-in-training. Two of these quirky chefs include the charming, yet cunning Alice “The Monogatari Slayer” Nakiri and the clumsy yet inspiring Megumi Tadokoro. Both girls, among the rest of the colorful cast, manage to be as compelling as they are entertaining in their quest to become the best of Tootsuki Academy. I definitely recommend checking out this show and for those of you turned off by the ecchi tag, please do not let the minimal ecchi moments turn you away. The ecchi moments are relatively minor compared to other shows in this genre and are mostly used for humorous purposes in the various “foodgasam” scenes.TL;DR: Looking for a fast paced, intense show that makes battles between chefs truly feel like battles between warriors? Check out Shokugeki no Souma, now streaming on Crunchyroll. 1. A Certain Scientific Railgun + A Certain Scientific Railgun S – 24/24 EPS- In honor of our Best Girl of 2016, I saved the best for last! The Raildex series takes place in the scientifically advanced Academy City, who’s population consists of students developing their psychic abilities as espers in various institutions. While the main series (A Certain Magical Index) follows the many antics of Touma Kamijou, the spin-off series, A Certain Scientific Railgun, follows the story of Misaka Mikoto and her friends.There have been many, many watch order disputes for this series and there’s no right answer for how to go about watching it. If you want to see both perspectives on how to approach the series, check out r/anime’s Raildex Watch Order Wiki entry. It is very helpful at illustrating both sides of the watch order argument.But since this is my sales pitch/recommendation thread I’ll give you my hot take: if you want to know why Misaka Mikoto is considered a great character, why she has her own following over at /r/OneTrueBiribiri and why she won this year’s best girl contest, watch the Railgun S’s version of the Sister’s Arc. It is a fantastic arc that many (myself included) consider to be, not only the high point of the Raildex series, but one of the best arcs in anime history. To get to that point, the easiest way to watch the series (without spoiling yourself) is to watch Railgun and then Railgun S. Some people will object to that, for many reasons, but I think it’s the best way to see why Misaka Mikoto is considered by many to be Best Girl.TL;DR: Want to see why Misaka Mikoto won Best Girl this year? Check out Railgun and Railgun S, available for streaming on Hulu and FUNimation.I tried to write this list as quickly as possible, so I might not have written enough to do all of these shows justice. If you have anything to add or or if you have other shows that you want to recommend (that feature great female characters) please leave a comment below!But that's it for me! Thanks again to everyone who participated in the Best Girl contest! The Best Character contest (and the Best Character Writing Contest) can't come soon enough. And on that note...SEE YOU SALTCOWBOYS, SOMEDAY, SOMEWHERE (slight FMAB spoilers)! http://ift.tt/29nP1z4
