Favorite Anime of 2015

You probably won’t be surprised that my favorite anime of 2015 was none other than Arslan Senki.  The only other anime I rated at four and a half stars was Eden of Grisaia.  Very few anime have parodied the harem genre so well.  I especially loved the hero’s resemblance to Sousuke Sagara of Full Metal Panic! and the show’s finale was nothing short of amazing.  However, Arslan Senki‘s quality animation, fascinating setting, and equally intriguing characters gave it the edge over its competitor.  Also, as an enthusiast for all things medieval, the realistic depiction of chainmail:

Showing the danger of leaving the bind too soon:

And the realistic battles and combat–or at least exciting swordplay–were icing on the cake:

Also, the religious commentary was interesting to me.  The presentation of the Lusitanian religion seemed to criticize the historical excesses committed by both Christians and Muslims.  I’m not sure which the author intended to attack more.  In the popular imagination, the reputed bloodthirstiness of both Abrahamic religions get lumped together, save that Islam, for some unaccountable reason, is still regarded in some quarters as a religion of peace.  Though, one of my most frequent commentators, David A, remarked that many of the terms used in the Lusitanian religion may be traced to the Gnostic demiurge, especially the name Yaldabaoth.  These details make one respect all the research Hiromu Arakawa (known especially for her Fullmetal Alchemist) undertook for this setting.

Of the characters, Daryun and Farangis appealed to me the most.  The rest of the cast was also quite strong, and the viewer wants to see more of the exploits of Arslan and company at the end of the series.  Arakawa worked her magic well.  I’ll also add here that the opening and closing songs, especially the latter, were fun to listen to and only a certain je ne sais quoi prevents me from giving the series five stars.

So, what were my readers favorite anime of 2015?