2007. What a year! I think all of us can agree that there were a significant amount of awesome titles to indulge in, choosing only five top anime titles for the A-S survey was not an easy task.

Well, you have dropped into what the Anime-Source staff members chose for their top 5 picks of the 2007 year. Remember, every person has their own individual tastes, and it's almost impossible to watch everything!

Okay, enough rambling, now it's time for the staff selections...

bigdave

Claymore 5th Choice: Truly an interesting series, Claymore is a very good anime. In the beginning the show was monotonous, but once u reached the later episodes you just couldn' get enough of the action and guts of yoma flying everywhere. The dark colors used for the series was definitely set an atmosphere for the anime. A dark gory theme of transformed women that fight off monsters using the monsters own abilities. The change you see the main characters go through from the beginning and end is what I thought was a main pull for me. That and the high speed fighting. A must anime to watch for 07.

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann 4th Choice: Starting from four and five choosing the top five was very arduous. But I can't not put in Gurren Lagann as a top five. The show with its GAR image and its interesting mech fights and designs. This series was very straighforward and predictable to some but I say so what. I enjoyed it a lot as one of the best of 07 anime season. It shows the timid boy change from weak and soft spoken boy change from being weak to the leader of a nation and to save the world from beastmen is one of the main reasons I enjoyed this show so much. Of course there is ........Yoko too! >////>

Hayate no Gotoku 3rd Choice: Right from the start this series got me reeling in laughter. Its use of many anime references is almost second to none. The characters are funny and enjoyable. Of course some of the supporting characters are typical archetypes for characters but they still add to the comedic value of the show. I personally liked watching this light comedic anime. Its very own take on a butler anime is something I thought was unique. A very good watch.

ef- a Tale of Memories 2nd Choice: At first didn't really understand this series. It was a unique series for sure. But the Romance and the story kept me in it. Im very glad I stuck with the series I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. My friend said that it was one of the best animes in 07 and now I see why. It was animated well which enhanced the story and allows you to enjoy it more. Not only is it that but the series and its unique use of colors and shapes and other things to tell the story. I know some might see it as boring but everybody has there preferences. ^__^

CLANNAD TV 1st Choice: I definitely say that this series is the best Anime I have seen in 2007. It had the elements closest to what I like in anime. It had the drama/relationships, it had the comedic part down. The animation was well done. The background songs were well thought out and fit the moods of every scene. And personally the character interactions were hilarious.

ddogt432

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann 5th Choice: I'm pretty sure that everything that can be said about TTGL has been said. And for those of you that might have missed it, here's a recap. Epic show is epic. Period.

Minami-ke 4th Choice: Slice-of-life has always had a soft spot in my quasi-voyeuristic heart, and Minami-ke delivers in spades. The daily lives of the three Minami sisters and their (very broken) friends had me in stitches nearly every episode. The studio did a great job splicing their forte (Bible Black anybody?) with easy to digest comedy.

Hayate no Gotoku! 3rd Choice: Many might be turned off by the series comedic backbone of parody and plagiarisms, but I can't stop coming back week after week. While any show that runs as long as this one has will have its weak episodes, Hayate delivers on a consistent basis and serves up good comedy with plenty of homages to keep the trivia nerds busy until the next episode.

Bamboo Blade 2nd Choice: Hilarious gem of a sports comedy. Each character, with their strengths, quirks, and often dichotic (sp?) nature play off each other extremely well. The kendo fights are intense and well animated. An excellent blend of sports drama and comedy with just a touch of over-the-top outrageous moments. The great supporting characters and subtle (sometimes not so subtle) fanservice are delicious extras.

Nodame Cantabile 1st Choice: Absolutely superb drama and comedy from the minds behind Honey&Clover. The characters made the show with powerful emotions, spot on voice work and great animation.

du5k

Lucky Star 5th Choice: I didn’t like Lucky Star at first; because of the way they seem to poke fun at seemingly uninteresting stuff and how they made stuff overly cute, like their small physique and Konata’s voice. Maybe because I’ve grown used to that, or maybe due to the change of the director, before I know it, I find myself enjoying Lucky Star. What’s outstanding in this series is humor the parodies bring with the help of good animation (Marimite and Initial D reference), and the moe moments that really showed the bond between the characters. Konata X Kagamin?

Claymore 4th Choice: Admittedly, Claymore isn’t great in the storyline. Its plot took a fairly simple direction which was kind of easy to figure out. What’s good about Claymore is that based the story on an effective monster vs half-monster concept, and with the help of excellent character development and action styles, makes the series fairly addictive. I have some complains about the show though, but in the end I would regard it as one of the best action series this year.

Minami-ke 3rd Choice: Minami-ke's fun in its own unique way; it sticks somewhat close to the style of Ichigo Mashimaro, but everyone’s a Miu. Yes, it does looks like a series where nearly everyone’s a screw loose, but that’s what makes it so fun to watch. I’m a slice-of-life fan, so this type of shows usually appeals to me... because they meant Serious Business.

Nodame Cantabile 2nd Choice: While I'm not really a fan of the classical, I do really enjoy the music played; like how they say the music drives the mood, the music in this series really drives the show. Aside from the music, the well-designed characters with their funny quirks are really entertaining; particularly it's their passion for music is what makes this show great.

Hidamari Sketch 1st Choice: Hidamari Sketch quickly became one of favourites; though without a real plot to drive the series, the artsy feel and creative scene transitions helps make it different from all other series I've seen. It became somewhat a "comfortable" watch. The lack of a plot, drawing style and/or genre may put off some people, but I feel that it's where they really brought out the "feel" of the series. Probably an underrated series, but this is undisputed first on my list.

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