Heya, everyone! I did something similar already for 2023. Now we're doing it for 2024!
Like before, I thought would be fun to do something like this since I noticed some people I spoke to would love to watch something "recent" that has kemono stuff in it but they don't know where to begin or what they would like to give a try. So this journal is to point out the ones I know and can recommend, also can be a place to discuss anime with or about kemono characters released this year or that will be released later.
The rules are simple: it has to be an anime released in 2024 or continued that year. Anime that also has a new season in 2024 counts as well. The anime also needs at least one kemono character as part of the main cast or, even better, if the setting is pretty much about kemono.
Like everyone, I don't have the time to watch every single anime released xD. So if you know others who follow those rules, feel free to leave a comment. This journal can also be a fun place to discuss such anime, especially the ones that follow those rules I mentioned (released that year, etc.)
I will factor only two things into this list. How good the anime is IMO and how "strong" the kemono presence is in there. Obviously, I'm not saying that just because an anime doesn't have kemono it sucks or something like that, but the point of this journal is to talk about anime with or about kemono characters! And since this is still my list, maybe you will like or dislike some of those anime more than me and would rank them differently. Keep that in mind~
Now, for this list...what is considered a "kemono" character? That's a character that can be considered a furry, no matter if anthro or feral or what.
I'm only going to talk a bit about them here. It doesn't make sense to go into detail for any of them because each could be the next "target" of my "It's Kamikazetime for..." review series. If you don't know what I'm talking about see https://inkbunny.net/j/535492-kamikazetiger-its-kamikaz.... All base descriptions of the plot are taken from wikipedia.
If you like the kemono characters from those anime mentioned here and others that I already commissioned with and do want to see more rule 34 of those characters, then please contact me! We see what we can commission together~
Honorable mentions in no particular order:
-You Shou Yan aka Fabulous Beasts. This anime won best kemono anime of 2023 and would be such a safe bet for 2024 and so on if they keep that up, haha. That's why while that anime is still amazing and all I'm only going to keep it as an honorable mention this time. And probably from now on, but it is sure to be among the best anime of the year for many who watched it...and technically it still is, for me xP
-Beastars (final season) Liking the ending or not, can't just ignore Beastars so here it is. For similar reasons as You Shou Yan it's here instead of being in the main list!
-Guai Xiang Shou aka Whimsical Wish. "College graduate Yueran is unexpectedly brought into the fantasy world of Dongji State by a cat and temporarily stays at the shop run by the cat Yaya—Weird Idea Shop. What kind of completely different strange effects will a human trigger?" Still not finished with this one but it seems nice. The cat alone is enough to at least put it in a honorable mention! Hope it gets a sequel since it does have the potential to be quite good.
-Re:Monster is one of the (if not the first?) isekai of the "I died and reincarnated in his world as a monster" type of isekai whose manga got quite popular. Here, the MC is now a goblin after dying and being isekaid to this world.
The manga is quite good though it sure had its share of, uh, problematic stuff. Maybe that's why they went too far with the anime and fucked it very hard with the cuts and rushing. So unfortunately the anime sucks... I can't put it on the list as it is. Maybe one day if they reboot it...such a waste.
-Arifureta season 3 is only here because of the very hot ice werewolves the characters fight at one point! It's such a shame that that's all we got in this season (or series...) kemonowise xP.
-Shadowverse Flame: Arc-hen is here for similar reasons to Fabulous Beasts. If you like card games and kemono you can't go wrong with the Shadowverse Flame series! I almost put it in the list but I wasn't a big fan of the ending due to spoiler reasons. But that aside I can still recommend it for sure~
-Natsume Yuujinchou Shichi it's amazing, they're keeping the same quality in all seasons. But as much as I like it and "Sensei" too, he's still the only really good kemono of all the anime. And not like this is a new anime so I think it belongs more here than in the top 10.
-Sand Land. If one of the kemono like the cute kitsune had gone with the prince on their journey instead of Thief...yeah, this would have made it on the list for sure! Eh, still a good anime and with some good kemono just a shame we barely see them aside from episode 1.
-Saikyou no Shienshoku "Wajutsuhi" de Aru Ore wa Sekai Saikyou Clan wo Shitagaeru aka The most Notorious "Talker" Runs the World's Greatest Clan was another that I didn't expect to be so good. If in the next season, the MC gets at least one kemono in his party I can see this being part of the top ten next time. Plus, it's an anime in which "talk no jutsu" is a thing haha~
-Shinmai Ossan Boukensha, Saikyou Party ni Shinu hodo Kitaerarete Muteki ni Naru aka The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, Trained to Death by the Most Powerful Party, Became Invisible would be on the list for sure if the hot lizard guys were part of the main cast or something from the start!
-Fairy Tail: 100-nen quest. As much as I like Fairy Tail since it only offered a new exceed as a new kemono this time as part of the main cast (kinda?) and a few other kemono here and there I thought it would be best to give the spot in the top 10 for other stuff that is newer or more unknown.
-Tensui no Sakuna-hime. I didn't play the game so I don't know if this adapted the game of the same anime well or not. Animewise it's ok. I did like the others in the list more than this one though.
-The New gate. This one was VERY close to being on the list! Soooo close! If anything, consider this the one in number 11 ok? xP
-Tensei Shitara Slime Datte Ken season 3. Can't say it's the best season of the anime so far, very okaish, and no new kemono worth aside from that fox...which barely showed up.
-Ore dake Level Up na Ken aka Solo Leveling is AWESOME. But as good as it is I can't put an anime that doesn't have a single kemono as part of the main cast in the list. Unless we count the ghost shadow bears? Eh...xP
-Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu aka Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy is still good for sure but they are now starting to change and fuck up too much stuff from the manga. What they did with Bowl for example...they literally BUTCHERED HIS ARC!!!! And almost butchered the character too, he almost didn't show up in the anime WTF! If you're going to do this to your few kemono characters there's no way I can put you in my top ten.
-Ishura was also close to being in the top ten (same as the next two anime) but I decided not to due to spoiler reasons.
-Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha aka The Unwanted Undead Adventurer. As good as this anime is, I'm not sure if the "familiar" he got way later isn't enough to put it on the list! I still almost did thanks to it and the nice goblins and might have done so if I didn't like the plot or characters or other stuff aside from the kemono of Earth or Wistoria more.
-Chiyu Mahou no Machigatta Tsukaikata aka The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic got close and would be in the top 10 if one of the two cute kemono that are "kinda of" part of the main cast could talk!! But...that sadly isn't the case.
Now, let's go to my top 10 kemono anime of 2023~
10 - Bye Bye, Earth: "Despite having incredible fighting skills and the strength to wield the enormous sword Runding, Belle Lablac has grown up as an outcast due to being the only human in a world of anthropomorphic animals. Desperate to find a place where she belongs, she goes on a quest to find others like her."
I really wish I could put this anime way higher in the list but they fucked up. Lots of stuff was rushed here and it shows, no wonder I saw fans of the novel complaining about it which made some parts almost pure nonsensical or too hard to follow.
Worse than that to me though is how they went too safe with the "kemono aspect". 90% of the characters are kemonomimi so it's not like Belle even looks so different from them to begin with. I was expecting with the same number of kemono as, say, Niehime but nope. Really annoying when they want to pretend the world is full of kemono and yet barely do anything with them.
The only reason why it's even here in the top 10 is because we do have a kemono as part of the main cast and the few we see here and there are nice. Plus, the plot and characters are still good despite the rush.
9 - Tsue no Tusurugi no Wistoria: "Hundreds of years ago, invaders from the sky ravaged the land and almost destroyed the world. To repel the invaders, five mages joined together and cast a powerful barrier to ward the invaders away, atop a huge tower, the "Mercedes Caulis", becoming known as the first "Magia Vander". The Rigarden Magical Academy is focused on training magicians, including those strong enough to become Magia Vander themselves and continue the legacy of maintaining the barrier that protects the kingdom.
Will Serfort is a Rigarden student who swore to become a magician strong enough to be accepted into the Mercedes Caulis and reunite with his childhood friend, Elfaria Albis Serfort, the youngest magician ever to become a Magia Vander. However, Will has no magic aptitude at all, having managed to progress on his studies so far with the perfect scores on written tests and the extra credits obtained from hunting monsters in the school's dungeon, but only a few people know his true power, as what he lacks in magic, he makes up with his swordsmanship, capable of defeating powerful monsters that even the strongest magicians have difficulties against. As Will keeps pushing toward his dream, he makes friends and enemies along the way while showing his true powers which shake the very foundations of the world."
I was shocked with this one! It's known as the anime of Harry Potter with a sword xD. It is good stuff though not as good as Mashle. But hey, unlike Mashle we got at least one kemono and Kiki is cute! I can recommend it to fans of Harry Potter or Mashle!
8 - Kami no Tou (second season). While I didn't like this one as much as the first season it's still good stuff. Still, a shame they're being so shy with the kemono since we barely got a new one or others here and there. But at least Rak is still there and he's still awesome!
7 - Isekai de Mofumofu Nadenade suru Tame ni Ganbattemasu aka Fluffy Paradise. "A 27-year-old office lady, Midori Akitsu, abruptly dies from overwork just after returning home. In her life, her greatest passion was to touch and pet fluffy animals; after her sudden death, a god offers to restore her in another world, where her wish will come true. Midori is reborn as a noble-born little girl named Nefeltima Osphe (Néma for short) in the world of Asdyllon, which is inhabited by humans and fantastic creatures. The humans, however, violently discriminate against their non-human cohabitants, and therefore God leaves her with the choice to decide whether or not they deserve to be wiped out. He grants Néma the ability to attract the affection of non-human beings, which she uses to befriend a number of animals and mythological creatures."
6 - Hazurewaku no "Joutai Ijou Skill" de Saikyou ni Natta Ore ga Subete wo Juurin suru made aka Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells. "When loner Touka Mimori is summoned to another world alongside his classmates, he obtains the power to inflict status ailments, such as paralysis or poison, on his enemies. Unfortunately for him, skills of this nature are considered useless due to their low success rate, and Touka is thus assigned the title of E-rank hero. Things take a further turn for the worse when Vicius, the goddess who summoned the class, reveals that the lowest-ranked hero will be disposed of so that they do not hinder those with greater talent.
Banished to a notoriously dangerous area, Touka comes face-to-face with death after being cornered by a minotaur-like creature. In a desperate attempt to survive, he uses his supposedly worthless skill—only to quickly realize that it works almost every time. Armed with the ability to render the monsters standing in his way completely helpless, Touka resolves to track down the goddess that tossed him aside and exact his revenge."
I think the best way to describe this anime is this is Arifureta but waaaay better and even edgier. It's superior to it in every way unless you prefer your harems though we do have one here too...kinda xD.
Eve Speed is enough reason to put this on this list though I hope we get more kemono as part of the main cast!
5- Tensei Shitara Dai Nana Ouji Dattanode, Kimama ni Majutsu o Kiwamemasu aka I was Reicarnated as the 7th Prince so I can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability. "An ordinary sorcerer, lacking in bloodline and aptitude, meets a dumb death in a duel, but when he woke up, he was reincarnated as Lloyd, the seventh prince of the Kingdom of Saloum. In this blessed environment, he can now learn and master any magic at will, armed with the knowledge and memories of his previous life. As a result, he can now enjoy a life of unrivaled skill and mastery of magic, not caring what others think of him."
This is one of those anime I wanna check the novel or manga because it feels like they cut some stuff which is annoying. But what we have here it's still quite good and to top it off we have a few nice kemono including Grimoire and Pazuzu though Pazuzu is better in the novel.
4- Shangri-la Frontier (season 2). Do you like anime like SAO or Log Horizon? Watch Shangri-la Frontier. Do you like Kemono? Go watch Shangri-la Frontier. Do you want to see a bunny being molested by a cat? GO.WATCH.SHANGRi-LA.FUCKING.FRONTIER.
3 - Kono Sekai Wa Kunkanzen Sugiru aka This World is too Defective. "Clayborne Island, a landscape fragmented into five small, contentious nations, is perpetually marred by conflict. Amidst this turbulent setting lies the Kingdom of Bayle, the smallest and most tranquil of these nations. On the outskirts of Bayle, in a modest village, resides a young girl named Nikola. Her life, characterized by the simplicity of daily chores, takes a dramatic turn when she encounters a giant dragon while collecting firewood. As the village braces for an attack, a mysterious man named Haga intervenes, identifying himself as a member of the "King’s Seeker," an enigmatic investigative squad. Nikola, who has long found solace in the uneventful rhythm of her peaceful existence, is suddenly gripped by a desire for adventure. Compelled by Haga's presence and the allure of the unknown, she resolves to venture beyond the familiar confines of her village. Thus begins Nikola's quest to uncover the deeper truths of her world, embarking on a journey that promises to transform her understanding of the reality that lies beyond her sheltered life."
Holy shit, I can barely talk about this one without giving any spoilers. But yes, it's that good and it has even a cute kemono as part of the main cast!
2 - Ramen Akaneko aka Red Cat Ramen. "Red Cat Ramen centers around the titular establishment, a ramen shop established and run by talking cats. Focusing on Tamako Yashiro, a human woman who is working as a part-timer behind the scenes, the series focuses on the day-to-day antics of her and her fellow feline employees: Bunzo, the head chef; Sasaki, the owner and finance/business expert; Sabu, the sous-chef; Hana, the customer service manager; and Krishna, a tiger in charge of making the base ramen noodles in-house."
Ahhh~ This is THE cozy anime of the year AND it's about kemono! Can't go wrong with that formula! Even if the MC is a human with the rest being cats it works. If you like cozy anime, cats, and kemono this is an easy one to recommend! The fact that anime/manga about cats making ramen and their lives could be this good is proof that anything can be a good anime/manga!
1 - Tonari no Youkai-san aka The Youkai Next to Me. "Set in a version of Earth where yōkai, humans and gods live together, the story follows the lives of several characters in Fuchigamori, a rural Japanese village. A twenty-year-old cat named Buchio evolves into a Nekomata and sets out to learn more from his yōkai peers about his evolution. Meanwhile, a young human named Mutsumi becomes curious about their neighbor Jiro, a crow Tengu who performs ritual Shinto duties."
Come oooooon, if you knew this anime already then you know why it's here. If we don't count stuff like Fabulous Beasts then there was no other anime that deserved to be the top one like Tonari! It's crazy how it mixes cozy with fantasy with drama and a bit of comedy so well. And not only that but this is an anime that is about the kemono!
I think it deserves to be in the top one since it does more stuff with more characters and a plot compared to Akaneko but it's very easy to put Akaneko in first place depending on your taste. Heck, even if Buchio was the only kemono in this anime it would be enough to put it in the top ten but with everything else? Yup, top one for me!!!!
And for 2024, this is it! So, which ones do you know? Or is curious to check it out? Feel free to ask questions or talk/discuss them in the comments. Please share his journal with as many people as you can so more people know about those anime! Also, if there is any anime that aired in 2024 that has kemono that I didn't mention feel free to do it in the comments as well~
and yeah, solo leveling is pretty good. surprisingly it's not an isekai despite all the video game mechanics but that's all i'll say of that cause spoilers.
tbh...i don't really like the isekai genre much and it's concept is really muddied between VRMMORPG, isekai, and xianxia content.
shows like SAO, .hack, and shangri-la frontier are not isekai.
xianxia is...well...a chinese thing where people call themselves "cultivators" (i live in the US. a cultivator here is a piece of farming equipment. but since when does china known for having their own original ideas?) and...train towards becoming immortal using a...video game system or something? tbh, i'm not at all interested in it outside idle/incremental games based on it.
and offhand, i don't remember any good legit isekai examples but modern isekai is the following: a random person gets sent to a different world via any number of methods, gets a seemingly useless skill that makes them ridiculously over powered, gets a harem (typically female but can be male and female or just male), and the world operates using irl video game mechanics and systems.
modern isekai is a template anime. they're almost all minor variations of the same poorly written plot. and anime is FLOODED with them. >:(
if i want to watch a video game, i have youtube. i don't want to see random losers LARP as a video game character. it's boring and lame.
ACK! i forgot about re:monster! didn't know arifuerta was at season 3... and yeah, solo leveling i
Kinda agree with ya there...the genre of Isekai used to be good in older anime stories but ever since the advent of the harem Isekai/power fantasy troupe it's been a cesspool of over used story lines and basically fan service...I'm tired of it....
If I may recommend one furry Manwha though if u read those it's called Solo Farming in the Tower has many cute animal friends and an MC who basically stays weak throughout the story cause his job class no surprise is...Farmer XD a tower farmer he has many animal side kicks and season 1 just ended this week, Majority of the cast is furry animals/monsters in the tower. Mc never really meets any humans but his animal friends do meet the adventures that climb the tower and due business with them with the MC's magic crops
You better forget re:monster as it is haha...so sad!
Yeah and not over yet.
It is one of the best animes of the year already x3!
Eh, like most genres there are good and bad isekai. I only care about the bad isekai if it has good kemono in it but that aside, yeah. Very annoying how most of those have so much in common like the nonsensical harem. Some even had good ideas but still executed them terribly.
I hope Solo Farming in the Tower gets an anime one day!!
You better forget re:monster as it is haha...so sad! Yeah and not over yet. It is one of the best
Don't remind me about Bye Bye, Earth. Interesting setup - outcast with unknown powers and stuff, but then it just felt like I was either missing episodes or they had no idea what they were doing. As someone said 'I have no idea what they were smoking, but I want some'. I haven't heard anything about novel, so maybe it makes more sense, but the anime is just hard to follow.
Tonari no Youkai-san was a fun anime, even if a little too simple for my tastes. Felt as bit like baby's first japanese mythology anime.
Don't remind me about Bye Bye, Earth. Interesting setup - outcast with unknown powers and stuff, but
It's a shame you can tell there's quite a good plot and characters there but yeah...if the anime was as good as it should be, probably would be way higher in the list. Or maybe not since they still barely use the kemono...urgh.
Tonari is more for fans of cozy stuff that happen to like kemono too. It's not an anime for hardcore foxes, Kaz x3!
It's a shame you can tell there's quite a good plot and characters there but yeah...if the anime was
