Well, another year has passed and I've fallen for some new stories! I want to post my current list of top favorites, and I'd be really interested to see any of your lists as well! Some of this will obviously be repeats from my previous post... but there are few fun changes!
15: Shovel Knight
Though it has fallen somewhat on my list since the last time, Shovel Knight's story still holds strong. Probably the best thing about each of the three stories the game contains (and there is a fourth one on the way!) is that they catch you completely by surprise! You get about halfway through each of them thinking they are just generic, side-scrollers with a bit of quirkiness, but then each tale has an emotional hook that is either really dramatic or really, really sweet (Mona and Plague Knight are one of my few ships!). The story also oozes with charm and humor. The music and art are also good in a retro kinda way.
14: The Marvel Cinematic Universe
The MCU has continued to shine as a monumental connected universe, and Infinity War was one of my favorite superhero films to date. It was gutsy while still being extremely entertaining. I also felt they balanced their characters fairly well considering how many of them they were trying to work with! I am extremely excited for End Game, and I am sure this franchise will continue to excite and entertain for years to come. The reason the MCU is not higher is that I don't find any particular character to be extremely relatable, and the sheer size of the story keeps it from feeling concise and clear in a given theme or message. Pluuuuuus... I kinda hate how much superhero movies are saturating the industry.
13: Doctor Who: Tenth Doctor Era
Doctor Who is kind of a mixed bag for me. I like some of the 9th, 11th, and 12th Doctor, and the 13th Doctor looks interesting to me. However, there are a lot of aspects about those eras in the show that I don't appreciate. The Tenth Doctor, on the other hand, is extremely well written, acted, and the themes are amazingly handled. The final episodes are particularly good... as they become a complex character study of pride and selflessness. The Doctor himself is one of my all time favorite protagonists, and he carries the show extremely well. Sadly, the production value is pretty poor, and a lot of the episodes come across with a lot of B-movie campiness and without much charm. Still, his era is an extremely solid one, and I will always consider his final episodes to be some of the best sci-fi I've ever seen.
12: Hollow Knight
Unlike number 13, this story is a fairly new one. Hollow Knight is an indie game created by Team Cherry. It was released on the Switch earlier this year and has been available on steam since 2017. To say that this game is polished would be an understatement. It is an absolute steal at only 15$, and every aspect about it is incredibly well done. The music, art, gameplay, and lore are all top quality. It would probably fall in my top five if I were to make a list of top ten games... it's just that well done all around. As far as the story goes... it is a relatively joyless tale, but it is extremely immersive and dark, and when you finally begin to unravel the mysteries of Hallownest, it finally explains the undying drive of the character you have been playing with. I won't give any major details about it because it is still pretty new and there are a lot of mysteries that the game wants you to unravel on your own, but I will say there are occasional moments where the dramatic depth of what is going on really does hit you right in the feels!
11: Attack of Titan
Attack on Titan is one of the most hype animes I have ever enjoyed. I actually hesitate to put it on the list because the show has not been completed, so I don't know if I will enjoy the ending. The first two parts of the first season are extremely unique, and the aura of both horror and epic action make this show stand out really sharply. I wasn't crazy about the season 1 finale, and season 2 honestly felt like a misfire. This is why AoT never made my top lists before. However, season 3 has been extremely good. My brother and I have been watching it together, and the development of some of our favorite characters has been spot on. The show remains extremely action-packed, and the themes of season 3 have been the best so far in my opinion. It is the first M rated show I've seen, so I was pretty cautious stepping into it, and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 18, but it really does deserve the attention that it gets! I just can't wait for the second half of season 3!
10: Dark Souls
PRAISE THE SUN! This game was GOOD. I knew it supposedly a rich world filled with intricate lore, so initially my high expectations kinda hurt my impression of the game. It just didn't feel as legendarily good as everyone had said. But then I started digging into the lore, and suddenly stuff that felt trivial or unimportant became emotional and rich. Basically, every aspect of every enemy, NPC, or boss has some sort of story related to it. Most all of the stories are dark and sad, so much like Hollow Knight, it is not exactly an upbeat game. The character in the above image is Artorias, a knight who was immortalized after he conquered the malicious force known as the Abyss... however, it turns out that all the legends are a fabrication and that he failed in his quest. He died protecting his closest companion, a great wolf named Sif. If you as the player go and save the honor of Artorias, you may later find Sif, who is a non-optional enemy that you must kill to finish the story. Sif will recognize you and be overtly grieved that you must fight, but she challenges you all the same. It is that kind of dark and dramatic story writing that won my heart to this series... and don't even get me started on how cool I think the Nameless King is from Dark Souls 3!
9: Over The Garden Wall
This mini-series is one of the most unique shows I have ever watched. Paying tribute to old animation as well as early American art styles, the world of Over The Garden Wall is rich and mysterious. The show drops you right in and doesn't feel obligated to tell you anything. You just have to stick with it until pretty far in, and even then it doesn't give you all the answers! The characters Greg and Wirt are incredibly endearing, and my brother and I pretty frequently quote some of the shoes more random and hilarious dialogues. I am a sucker for sibling stories, and the themes of selflessness and growth that are explored are both handled really well. The show is only ten episodes long, so it is an easy watch, and I would highly recommend it!
8: Undertale
If you are on the internet, you have almost certainly heard of Undertale. This indie game was developed almost entirely by Toby Fox, and it overcomes less than stellar visuals by being one of the few games I've played where your choices really do have a long-lasting impact on the story. It is really carefully crafted in that respect, often surprising the player by remembering their every move and altering the ending accordingly. Alongside a beautifully executed moral dilemma, the game boasts one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard (probably the best game soundtrack in my opinion). On top of that, Undertale, much like Shovel Knight, exudes massive amounts of charm. The game has its own quirky pace and sense of humor, and it is really endearing because of that. However, what sets it apart from Shovel Knight and Hollow Knight in the pantheon of indie games is that Undertale has an extremely rich and endearing cast... even more so than Shovel Knight. There are a ton of characters, each with their own distinct personalities, hopes, dreams, and flaws. Sans is my personal favorite, and that is because, yet again, he and Papyrus work together as a really wonderful sibling duo. I also find Sans to be pretty relatable. The game ranges from charming and cute to dark and sinister, but it handles this spectrum with surprising deft. This one may be a new story for me, but it is one that I am sure will stick with me for years to come (Plus it has a new spin-off, DELTARUNE, which is well written and promises to be another great installment to the franchise!).
7: Avatar: The Last Airbender
I saw parts of this series when it was first showing on television. Because I didn't have cable myself, it became too difficult to follow, and so I dropped the series after the first season. Boy, did I almost miss a gem! This series starts out good, gets better, and ends on an utterly AMAZING note. Seriously, it just grows, matures, and gets better and better. The storyline clearly knew where it was going the whole time, so watching it feels more like watching one great epic, rather than watching a series aired on tv. I loved the mix of anime and classic American animating styles. The world was fantastic, and the characters were very well balanced. Toph reminds me a LOT of my little sister, and because of that, she became my favorite character... although it was hard to top Prince Zuko. Ok, I digress, but this series is worth it. I believe you can see the whole thing on Amazon Prime, so give it a go. If it doesn't grab you in the first season, just give it a little time. Trust me, it delivers. Aside from my number 5 pick, I think this show may have the best finale of any series I have enjoyed!
6: Gravity Falls
Out of everything I've ever seen Disney do... I think Gravity Falls was my favorite. This show had it all. The art style was great, the characters were endearing, the world was enigmatic, the conspiracies and fan theories went viral, and in the end, they wrapped the story up and left me utterly satisfied... and sort of nostalgically heartbroken. Mabel and Dipper are both really, really funny, along with Grunkle Stan and Soos, but as the series progresses these characters stop just being comedic outlets and start to feel like actual people. The show also had a super spooky villain, and who doesn't love that. Once again I am a total sucker for sibling stories, and this one really does do a good job. I kinda wish they would bring it back... since I think there are some epicly hidden clues in the finale that might hint at a future adventure! I'd talk more about it, but I worry that I'd give away one of the MANY spoilers, so I leave you to check it out on your own time.
5: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Out of the newcomers to my list of top tens, FMAB is the highest. Honestly, this show was everything I could have wanted in a show and more. It handled its story and climax much like Avatar: The Last Airbender, but it was a much more tightly wound plot, with practically no filler, and it explored far more themes... some of which required a lot of care and balancing (religion, race). The cast of the show is extremely large, but almost every character is allowed to grow substantially. The heart of the story is, yet again, siblings. The Elric brothers are extremely endearing but also extremely cool (Do NOT underestimate Alphonse just because he is kind and young!). Roy Mustang is Edward Elric's commanding officer, and boy does he almost steal the show. He is one of my favorite characters I have ever seen... in anything! He is both relatable and awe-inspiring, human yet terrifying! And that is just the tip of the ice burg! This show has received praise as one of the most iconic anime of all time, and it deserves it. I have truly never seen any other story handle its entire cast so well... not even HTTYD. Not only are the heroes written well, FMAB boasts an extremely interesting, and in some cases relatable, cast of villains. Aside from the excellent characters and themes, the show also has absolutely BRILLIANT action sequences. It also has excellent worldbuilding, a somber and dark tone, but also a nicely balanced sense of humor that keeps it from feeling oppressive (unlike Attack on Titan). The animation still looks good today, and the series is over eight years old. Aaaaaaand, the show has great music too! It is, simply put, a masterpiece, and I feel it will stand the test of time!
4: The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is amazing. It is actually hard to put the many games into one tidy category. Skyward Sword was a sweeping epic in which a young knight undergoes a dangerous adventure in order to transform into an unstoppable hero... all for the sake of his best friend. Twilight Princess had brilliant character development and lots of moral complexity (ha, we have dark, light... and then this stranger in-between). Majora's Mask is enigmatic, stressful, and haunting. Then Ocarina of Time set the standard for 3D adventure games. Breath of the Wild boasts a massive world just begging to be explored. All the games have not only had brilliant storytelling and world-building, they have also benefited from extremely fun gameplay mechanics. If you like puzzles, great! If you like fast-paced combat, perfect! If you want to be immersed in an epic tale of courage in the face of darkness, then you have picked the right piece of media! Twilight Princess is my personal favorite, but it is a close competition! (Midna ftw). I honestly consider LoZ and FMAB to be about equal in how much I enjoy them, but LoZ gets the higher spot because of just how much nostalgia I have for it. My brother and I have enjoyed it together for years.
3: Fire Emblem
This series of games honestly shocks me. I would NEVER have EVER dreamed that I could enjoy a set of games more than LoZ, but here I am. I think part of it is expectations. I expect Zelda to be great. I mean, come on, it's ZELDA. Fire Emblem, on the other hand, I came to much later, and I played several of the retro games. Rekka No Ken and Sacred Stones were great fun. They had engaging storylines, and I actually cried a little when certain characters died. For older games, they were brilliant, so when I decided to play FE Fates, I was expecting the game to be pretty good. It surpassed EVERY EXPECTATION. The game had a level of story complexity that put most books and movies to shame. The fact that the story allowed the player to see two sides of a bloody conflict made everything significantly deeper. Nothing was black and white. Characters that were noble and good could be driven to terrible, dark places, and nations that lived for war could be turned to the ways of peace. It all hinged on a single young man or woman... the player. There was a perfect mix of customization and yet it never seemed to ruin the depth of the story; rather it enhanced it. I will openly confess to ugly crying during this game. It is that sad, but at the same time there is a satisfying ending to every path the player may choose to take, and the rewards are well worth the pain. Much like Zelda, this game benefits not only from a stunning story, it also has great gameplay. FE is a strategy game, and because I am better at those kinds of games than any other, I think it may leave me biased. Plus (spoiler alert) the main character of FE Fates is a dragon! Who doesn't like that?
2: The Lord of The Rings
This one hardly requires explanation! The LotR and Hobbit books are classics and probably deserve to be number 1 on everyone's list. I grew up having The Hobbit read to me at night by my father, and The Lord of The Rings was one of the first major works of literature that I voluntarily picked up and tackled. The world is incredibly rich, and Tolkien's writing style is beyond impressive. Peter Jackson brought the LotR to life wonderfully in his films (although I personally did not enjoy the Hobbit films). What other tale has quite the scale, the character depth, or the complexity of LotR? It really does set the standard by which all other fantasies are judged. Besides the beauty of the world and characters, Tolkien also slides in some beautiful thematics, many of which are Christian in origin. They are not so overt that they take control of the story and strangle it (Gosh, I hate it when themes do that. Example: Zootopia), but they do enrich the tale. In the end, I imagine people will never forget the Lord of The Rings. Those Hobbits really are incredible creatures!
1: How To Train Your Dragon
Ok, if that surprised you... what on earth are you doing here on this blog? HTTYD1 and HTTYD2 are priceless. They are my all-time-faves. I've never been more impacted by a story, and the proof is in how long I've remained a die-hard fan. Other favorites came and went. This list I'm making now will shift and change (again!)... but number one stays number one! I've seen the first movie more times than I can count (somewhere around 70 times), and I still can't watch the second one without shedding tears. These films have absolutely gorgeous visuals, perfect character design and animation (looking at you Toothless), stunning depth while at the same time a child-like innocence, and stories that feel more like works of the greatest writers of literature as opposed to the plots of children's films. If you want to know all the reasons why I love these films... just start reading! This blog is practically one long tribute to Hiccup and Toothless. They are really the element that sold HTTYD for me. LotR, LoZ, FE, GF, FMAB... tons of stories I love wind up being "buddy" tales. If the story has two best friends who wind up being incredibly selfless and devoted to one another, then I am probably gonna like it. HTTYD feels like the epitome of that for me. I see so much of myself (and who I'd like to be) in Hiccup, and at the same time, I see so much of what I'd like to have as a friend in Toothless. I've always loved dragons, so when I film finally came out that had this balanced of a friendship focused around a boy and his dragons, it hooked me and I still haven't ever managed to wriggle off the line. Sure, sometimes the series has resulted in some complaints and thrashing about, but I'm still DYING to see the third film. It really does look like the trilogy is shaping up to be something completely unique and timeless, and that makes me extremely excited. So, yeah, I suppose that makes HTTYD my favorite story. Granted, if you haven't seen it... I imagine you'd not find this blog all that interesting!
So, that's my current list of favorites! If you would like to share yours with me, I'd be really interested to see what stories my fellow HTTYD fans are falling for!
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