The Best Anime Tropes That Don’t Deserve the Hate

By Cathlyn Melo

I always find the beach episode trope lighthearted and fun since it allows the characters to take a breather and relax outside of their usual intense settings.

It also gives the characters a chance to bond with each other and learn more about one another, which I think viewers would find funny and touching at the same time

One of my favorite beach episodes is in TenSura, where everyone, including the monsters, wore swimsuits.

It was fun seeing Rimuru get impressed by the girls' swimsuits and feel faint seeing Benimaru and the monsters in swimming trunks.

By Tarun Mazumdar

Time loops have to be my favorite anime trope. It is such a cool concept, and anime seems to execute it quite creatively.

Summer Time Rendering is one of my favorite anime series that showcases the time loop fantastically.

The entire setup of Summer Time Rendering is dark and mysterious. On top of that, we have the time loop, which is incorporated right from the first episode.

The time loop in Summer Time Rendering is unique because it acts more as an intriguing element rather than the central focus.

While the loop is significant, it mainly functions as a tool for Shinpei, our protagonist, to explore various strategies and gain insights rather than being the driving force behind other loops.

What makes Summer Time Rendering stand out is the introduction of new twists and mysteries in every loop.

By Nicolo Manaloto

When it comes to romance anime, the tsundere is perhaps one of the most common character tropes. While some fans may be tired of them, it’s undeniable that a good tsundere character is incredibly entertaining to watch.

Sure, not all tsundere are great, as many of them can become annoying, especially if being a tsundere is their only character trait. After all, some versions of the trope are just straight-up bullies.

When it comes to well-executed tsundere characters, you can look no further than Fate/stay night’s Rin Tohsaka. She is one of the defining examples of the character as her tsundere nature is just one aspect of her character.

For something a bit more subdued and natural, there’s Kurisu Makise from Steins;Gate. While she’s not exactly a loud tsundere, she has plenty of moments that make her quite endearing.

By KC Mendoza

The anime trope I consider my guilty pleasure is enemies to allies or when a "villain" turns good and sides with the protagonist.

Some memorable examples of this trope are Renji Abarai lending his hand to Ichigo Kurosaki in the first arc of Bleach, and Zuko joining Team Avatar in Avatar: The Legend of Aang (if we consider all kinds of animated works).

Renji's arc happened pretty early in the series, so most fans might not even consider him an antagonist at all. However, he was one of the reasons Rukia got captured and was about to face execution in the first place.

As such, his sudden change of heart and surprise appearance to aid her escape was a huge moment in the Soul Society Arc.

There's also Prince Zuko, who, for most of the early episodes of Avatar, hunted Aang and his friends.

Zuko's redemption arc is still very popular to this day primarily because of how endearing it was. Team Avatar didn't readily accept him given his past deeds against them, but they steadily formed a bond based on friendship and trust.

While the enemies-to-allies trope can be pretty predictable and cliché, if done right, it can highlight and deepen the character's growth and development, such as in the case of Renji and Zuko.

Of course, it's also always fun to see powerful "bad guys" teaming up with the protagonists to defeat other more powerful enemies.

By Cathlyn Melo

Another trope I could think of is the transformation sequence trope. I think it's really cool whenever a character transforms, even if it's just Dragon Ball’s Goku screaming at the top of his lungs. It gets me excited all the time.