Top 10 Best New Action Anime in 2024

Just like that, we're already looking towards the end of the year 2024, a year that's given us a fair share of new action anime that fans of all kinds have come to enjoy. There are blockbusters and there are some underrated hits. Today's list will have me go through 10 of my favourite new action series, those I think are the best the year has thrown at us. At number 10, we kick things off with Osan Newbie Adventurer. There's much joy to be found in youth. It's the time of seemingly endless horizons with so much potential yet to be fulfilled. However, what about those who've passed their primes? The underlying theme of this underrated offering from summer 2024 is such a dilemma transposed into a fantasy setting. It delivers both on the thematic front and in the entertainment aspect. Power fantasies are really fun when they involve a protagonist showing up to the world for underestimating him. Those kinds of stories are a dime a dozen, but what I appreciate with Osan Newbie Adventurer is how it intertwines this kind of popcorn entertainment with a meaningful theme of how it's all about effort, how it's never too late to start, and how you shouldn't let your supposed shortcomings prevent you from bettering yourself. Done in a fantasy setting with a healthy dose of action and comedy, and you have a show that anyone remotely into fantasy action should definitely check out. Terminator Zero is definitely one of the standout action anime of the year. It's a fantastic blend of classic Terminator lore with the unique style and energy of anime. First off, the animation is absolutely top-notch. Production IG, the studio behind hits like Ghost in the Shell, has done an incredible job bringing the futuristic world and intense action sequences to life. The visuals are stunning, and the fight scenes are both brutal and exhilarating. But it's not just about the eye candy. The story is also really compelling. It takes place in 1997, just before Skynet became self-aware, and introduces us to a new set of characters who are caught up in the time-traveling conflict between humans and machines. The show explores themes of destiny, free will, and the consequences of our actions in a thought-provoking way. And let's not forget the action here, of course. There are plenty of intense battles, robot chases, and tense standoffs that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to root for them as they fight for their survival. Overall, Terminator Zero is a must watch for fans of action anime and the Terminator franchise. It's thrilling, visually stunning, and a thought-provoking series that's sure to leave a lasting impression. 8. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic A low-key awesome isekai that I felt got overshadowed by the blockbusters that arrived alongside it. I think a reason it didn't click that much is due to how everything seemed cliche at first, putting off a chunk of the audience. Now, a generic premise doesn't immediately put people off a lot of isekai or action titles, but this anime is also not the type to hook you in with an insanely beautiful fight sequence from the get-go, nor does it play into those huge twists that get people talking. Overall, this anime is all about accepting its identity as something rather cliched and just executing things well. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic isn't something that sets itself to be something special or big-brained compared to the rest of its kin. That's not what it's going for. Instead, it looks to maximize what it has as an old, tried-and-true story of a hero being summoned to another world, going through challenges, and becoming stronger by the end of it, all while surpassing his peers. Along the way, people still learn to get invested in the characters and the story due to its good blend of light-hearted scenes with some honestly hard-hitting ones. Go! Go! Loser Ranger is in 7th place. When you think of a guy who brought us quintessential quintuplets, a Super Sentai series is likely not your bingo cards of what he'll do next. But here we are, blessed with this interesting anime that depicts the Super Sentai genre with a twist. In this world, at least, the good guys aren't exactly the squeaky-clean heroes Saturday morning cartoons tend to depict them as. It's up to Fighter D and his crew to expose the heroes as the hypocrites they are, and that does make for a fresh take on the whole superheroes in spandex shtick. Go! Go! Loser Ranger is deceptively multi-layered, and there's even more underneath the surface than you'd think, even with its subversive themes and perspective flip. That's fitting due to the theme of the series itself. The conflict between anti-heroes and anti-villains comes with a lot of plot twists, and the characters all shine in their own ways as we go deeper and deeper into the meat of the story. Elusive Samurai lands at number 6. This is an anime that I can see caught me off guard. It wasn't on my radar entering summer 2024, but it turned out to be an awesome watch when the dust settled. Ancient Japanese kingdom stories, or at least tales that carry that kind of aesthetic, will always have an audience, even more so recently due to the success of Apothecary Diaries. If you like that, Elusive Samurai should be right up your alley as something similar, but more light-hearted and action-packed. The first thing one notices about this anime is just how beautiful it looks. Art and visuals make up the biggest boon for the show, as fans will quickly get dazzled by how cinematic it feels. However, the content is just as engaging, and while the comedy, which gets placed alongside some rather heavy moments, can be hit or miss depending on who you ask, they really nail the action-adventure aspect that gets bundled with a coming-of-age story. Elusive Samurai is a simple show. However, I do think that if you ask anyone who's watched the show, they'd have a positive impression of the show's elements, like its characters and especially the visuals. The mood whiplash, thanks to mixing comedy and heavy tragedy, might not be everyone's cup of tea, but overall, I'd say this show is quite a success. We're halfway through our list, but we've got more on the way. Meanwhile, go hit that like button to show your support and help the channel out. Airing in the same season as Elusive Samurai, Wistoria is the new action show that I had high hopes for, and I'm glad to say that those hopes weren't misplaced, as it ended up as one of the The story isn't anything we haven't seen before. In fact, this very list has a show with a similar premise of a guy in a world where he's a supposed underachiever. But what Wistoria excels at is what a lot of fans seem to love in action anime, art and animation. I'd say that it's not hard to see how good the character designs are, giving us a slew of colourful characters that have their own charms. But the fight animation is another thing altogether, bringing us the best of what fame director had to offer, and we get to see it pretty much every episode. Wistoria can be described as a bag of tropes that has really, really great production. I generally agree with that assessment, and I think it makes for a very engaging watch overall. After all, some people just want to be entertained and see pretty fights featuring some cool or cute looking characters, and excelling in that category is what Wistoria brings to the table, all while being wrapped in a story that we've seen but can't ever grow tired of. And if you thought the fight scenes in Wistoria were cool, wait till you see what Windbreaker has to offer. Windbreaker is, in several ways, the same song Wistoria is, a premise that we've seen before, albeit in a less common setting. I mean, delinquent anime seems like a genre that only relatively recently got revived into the public consciousness. Like Wistoria, Windbreaker is yet another show that excels due to the breathtaking action sequences that it can pride itself in. That, as well as its own set of charismatic characters, make for a show that more than entertain in spite of a premise that isn't unique when you take a look at it. The easiest way to sell Windbreaker is to just show clips that will no doubt impress a whole lot of anime fans who've grown up in this generation where animation and graphics seem to be king. That's not a knock on everything else the show has to offer though, as the other elements like the story are still competently done, well enough for the whole thing to be a very immersive watch, one that will get fans hooked right from the get go. It's the perfect show for people who just want a no holds barred barrage of well choreographed and engaging fights, and if you're someone who doesn't care if a show is profound or not, then all the better. Solo leveling breaks into the top three, and while we're on the topic of anime with hype moments while not being profound, solo leveling in my mind is definitely the king of it as far as 2024 shows are concerned. In fact, we have a whole meme circulating of what a typical arc of solo leveling is like. I had a good chuckle at that, but I have to say, solo leveling hits a home run when it matters as far as action anime are concerned. There's no skimping in production, and when the team wants you to feel hyped at the show's pivotal moments, you'll really feel hyped. That's all thanks to the excellent sound direction and the crisp animation that brings to life some of the source material's most iconic scenes. It's got everything fans of edgy power fantasies would love. A bleak world and a protagonist that goes from timid to unbelievably strong, all while leaving destruction in his wake as he makes the coolest entrances in shows of strength. Sounds like paradise for anyone who loves these kinds of shows, and there's a reason why it's one of the most anticipated shows of the year. For my number two, it's Kaiju No. 8. Among the action shows this year, Kaiju No. 8 is no doubt one of the shows that broke out into the global mainstream audience, kind of like how Attack on Titan did about a decade ago. Post-apocalyptic setting, monster battles, humans desperately clinging for survival against titanic odds. It's really something that seems to be made with the global audience in mind, all while enjoying the fresh boost of momentum from stuff like Chainsaw Man, owing to their similar premises. But that's not to say those first impressions are what made Kaiju No. 8 the breakout hit of the year. They're just a part of it, and the anime itself is a great watch in its own right, giving us some spectacular fighting scenes that those who love cinematic monster mash stuff like Pacific Rim will absolutely adore. There's also its cast of characters who things that will be further explored in the upcoming season 2. Kaiju No. 8 is a show that at first glance primes itself to be a global hit, and it reaches those goals with ease. It's a shounen anime that plays it a bit safer and old school with the story elements, but don't let that discourage you. The hype is more than worth it, and I found myself very invested to the show and what it has to offer. Dandadan tops the list for 2024. Dandadan is a show that's a chaotic mishmash of pretty much everything you can think of. Aliens, the occult, kaiju, and all sorts of quirky, funny, and profane stuff you can think of, all wrapped in one action-packed package that features some very charming characters, and that's what you get with Dandadan. Just what the hell is going on? Quite the common reaction by people who first came across the anime, and I do think that that's probably the point of it. At times, we've got to just chill, relax, and sit back. Just watch the chaos unfold, so to speak, as we relish in something not quite like anything we've seen before. Dandadan simply is something that shouldn't work at first glance, with how haphazardly it throws several genres together, but boy does it hit the mark and make for such a fun ride, one which will keep your eyes glued on the screen for hours on end.