Back in the wild days of his youth, Shouya Ishida - our protagonist in "A Slient Voice" - was all about beating boredom. However, he took it to the extreme by pulling off some pretty cruel acts: when Shouko Nishimiya, a deaf transfer student, stepped into his class, Shouya and the gang thought it would be fun to give her a hard time. They bullied Shouyo without giving much thought about the follow-up consequences.

When Shouko's mom found out and blew the whistle on the whole thing, only Shouya got the blame; all his other friends were left off the hook. Shouko ended up leaving the school, and Shouya got left in the dust, now becoming a bully victim himself. His classmates showed him no mercy, treating him like he was invisible from elementary to middle school; the teachers also turned a blind eye and let Shouya suffer by himself.

Now he's in his final year of high school, and those mistakes from way back are still haunting him. He's got a lot of regrets about how he treated Shouko, and he's dead set on making amends. The rest of "A Silent Voice" follows Shouya's touching quest for redemption and his heartfelt journey to reconnect with Shouko.

Release: 2016

MyAnimeList Score: 8.94/10

After four long years of brutal war, the Great War finally came to an end, and the continent of Telesis slowly started to heal. In the midst of all that chaos was Violet Evergarden, a young girl who was trained to be a ruthless weapon on the battlefield. She fought hard; but in the final leg of the War, she got badly hurt and ended up in the hospital, not really understanding the last words of the person she cared aboutthe most.

As she recovered from her wounds, Violet Evergarden decided to start fresh and joined CH Postal Services after some family drama. There, by pure chance, she discovered the work of an "Auto Memory Doll" - scribes who put people's thoughts and feelings into words on paper. This idea struck a chord with her, and she decided to become an Auto Memory Doll herself. Little did she know, this decision would kickstart a whole new adventure, where she'd not only change the lives of her clients but also find herself along the way. It is defintely one of the best anime by Kyoto Animation.

Release: 2018

MyAnimeList Score: 8.67/10

Of course, Kyoto Animation could not enjoy the same popularity as it has without "K-On!!", lauded by many as one of the best anime by Kyoto Animation.

It is a brand new year at school at the start of "K-On!!". That means the senior members of the five-member Light Music Club are now the big-shot third-years, while Azusa Nakano is holding it down as the only second-year left. The four seniors realize that once they graduate, poor Azusa will be the lonely soul left in the club.

So, they are on a mission to recruit some fresh blood, trying all sorts of tricks to attract new members: handing out fliers, dragging unsuspecting souls into the clubroom, and even busting out some tunes at the welcome ceremony. Despite their hardest attempts, there are no takers so far!

Later on, as Azusa is strolling to the clubroom, she overhears Yui Hirasawa saying that the club is just fine with the five of them, and they can still have loads of fun together. That changes Azusa's mind. She's decided, "Why bother recruiting? We're good as we are!"

And so, the story of "K-On!!" unfolds as the Light Music Club members go about their daily high school shenanigans. From practicing for concerts to goofing around, they are all set to make their final year together a blast.

Release: 2010

MyAnimeList Score: 8.17/10

"Hyouka" follows Houtarou Oreki, an average high school freshman who is all about living life in grayscale mode and conserving energy. Buthis peaceful days get hijacked when his big sister, Tomoe, guilt-trips him into saving the Classics Club from fading into oblivion.

Just when things seem like they will be dull, there is Eru Chitanda - a fellow first-year - already onboard as a member. Before Oreki knows it, he is sucked into Chitanda's world of curiosity and charm and become a regular part of the Classics Club voluntarily.

And so, "Hyouka" sets the stage for this quirky foursome - Oreki, Chitanda, his buds Satoshi Fukube and Mayaka Ibara - as they dive into solving those everyday mysteries that are anything but ordinary.

Release: 2012

MyAnimeList Score: 8.07/10

Being the center of "Clannad" is Tomoya Okazaki - a total delinquent who's convinced life is just one big snoozefest, and he is destined for nothingness. With his buddy Youhei Sunohara, they are on a mission to skip school and basically cruise through their high school days without a care.

But one day, while strolling to school, Tomoya crosses paths with this girl, Nagisa Furukawa, whispering to herself. Out of the blue, she shouts "Anpan!" (some Japanese snack) that grabs Tomoya's attention. Next thing you know, Nagisa claims they are besties, but Tomoya goes, "Eh, whatever," and brushes it off.

Yet, he can't help but notice Nagisa more and more around school and still ends up being buds with her after all. Turns out, Nagisa had to repeat a year because she was sick, and her dream is to bring back the school's drama club. Tomoya, with nothing better to do, jumps on board and decides to help her out, along with four other girls.

As Tomoya spends time with these girls throughout the rest of "Clannad," he starts understanding them and their struggles better, stepping up to be their hero and helps each of them face their own challenges. Once getting deeper into their lives, Tomoya discovers that life is not that boring and bland as he once thought.

Release: 2007

MyAnimeList Score: 8/10

In "Hibike! Euphonium," Kumiko Oumae is all set to begin her high school life at Kitauji High. New place, new people - she is ready to leave her musical past behind. Nevertheless, her new buds - Sapphire Kawashima and Hazuki Katou - rope her into joining the school's band club, forcing her to play the euphonium again.

The band is not exactly ready to rock the stage at the local festival, Sunfest, let alone think about nationals. But there is still hope. Their new advisor, Noboru Taki, gives them a choice: they can chill out and have fun or buckle down and shoot for nationals. Kumiko is not so sure about the whole nationals thing due to the bad memories from her middle school days.

And the plot of "Hibike! Euphonum" thickens: Kumiko's old bandmate Reina Kousaka - who she did not exactly see eye to eye with - is now part of Kitauji's band club too. With Noboru cracking the whip on them, Kumiko and her band pals have to figure out how to face their struggles and come out on top together.

Release: 2015

MyAnimeList Score: 8/10