From a total of 20 TV series I watched this year, my personal top 6 (I couldn’t trim it down to five this time), four animated shows (both Anime and US cartoons) and two docu-series. In no particular order:
- She-ra and the princesses of power. One of two remarkable cartoon reboots in this list, and a fine example of taking an existing property and retooling it into something unique. Essentially a fantasy-action cartoon for the current era, with a charming cast and an engaging storyline that balances mystery with character focus.
- Aggresive Retsuko (aka Aggretsuko). Technically a reboot as well, being a web-series spun-off into a TV series proper. A slice-of-life comedy (or perhaps dramedy), and one of the few animated shows that can be legitimately described as “relatable”. After a Christmas special this year, I’m looking forward to the second season.
- Time of Eve. A quiet, vastly underrated sci-fi show that explores a future society composed of humans and androids from a pivotal place: A café where the two may mingle freely. Subtle and emotionally sincere. Looking forward to the movie.
- DuckTales. The other remarkable cartoon reboot in this list, a series that managed to be both an homage to the past (not just the original DuckTales, but to decades of Disney Duck comics, movies and cartoons) and a brand-new artifact. An all-ages, extremely enjoyable blend of comedy and adventure. Looking forward to the second season.
- Sat, Fat, Acid, Heat. A four-part documentary based on the book by chef Samin Nosrat, a tour around the world (Italy, Japan, Mexico —then back to the US) in search for traditional food and cooking methods. A feast for the senses, in several ways.
- Explained. A collection of twenty information capsules that cover a wide variety of topics —from the world’s water crisis to the history of tattoos and exclamation marks, to eSports to the female orgasm and much, much more. A rare Netflix docu-series that aims to be informative rather than exploitative. Notable for both educational value and as a springboard for several necessary discussions.
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