Over the past 5 years, Anime has started to skyrocket into the mainstream culture like never before. As the year winds down, it’s clear that this year in particular has been one of the best for Anime in recent memory, with some blockbuster series returning for new seasons as well as new, original series making an impact on viewers.

First up is Megalo Box, a cyberpunk boxing anime that turned some heads this year. The story follows Junk Dog, an underground boxer looking to make a name for himself in the eccentric world of Megalo Boxing, where boxers wear metal frames in order to deal lethal punches. With a style reminiscent to the classic masterpiece Cowboy Bebop, this show was sure to enthrall watchers from the first episode. Megalo Box is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Next is the second season of The Seven Deadly Sins, based off of the manga of the same name. Sins follows Meliodas, a yellow-haired man with the appearance of a little boy, his love interest Elizabeth, and the group that he leads, known as the Seven Deadly Sins. In this season, a new group of villains known as the Ten Commandments have appeared, and not only does their power trump that of our heroes, they also know a dark secret about our protagonist. It is up to Meliodas to stop these villains from causing destruction, and to stop himself from becoming what he most fears: his former self.

This season of Sins was very well received, with the introduction of fan favorite Escanor and Meliodas’s battle with the Ten Commandments being some of the best moments in anime this year. The Seven Deadly Sins is currently available on Netflix.

One of the most thrilling anime of 2018 came in the form of My Hero Academia’s third season. With some of the best fight scenes the series has produced thus far, such as the brilliant bout between All Might and All For One, or the deeply personal clash between protagonist Deku and Kacchan, it’s no surprise that the already-popular anime increases it’s fan base. With the success of this new season, many people have began to wonder if Academia is starting to become “the next Naruto” in the West. My Hero Academia is currently available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu.

The most anticipated anime this year, however, goes hands down to the third season of the insanely popular Attack On Titan. With a mix of both stellar action and politics, the series delivered arguably its best season yet. An article from Collider praised the season, writing “Attack on Titan concluded the first part of its third season earlier this month, bringing an end to 12 weeks of electrifying action, a thrilling conspiracy, and one of the bleakest animated shows out there.” Attack on Titan is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll

Anime is becoming more and more popular, and with the second half of Attack on Titan and the long-awaited second season of One-Punch Man on the horizon in 2019, its no telling how much more popular it can become.