ANIME FAVS

OWF OWF OWF AWOOOOGA it's that furry anime babey!! im actually a Manga OG (don't mean to brag 😏) and while i find the manga's art to be very charming, i really enjoyed this adaptation! it's a fun high school drama with funny animal people and it's just a Fun Story. watching this show is just constantly being like “oh hell yeah that's such a fun direction to take the story in!!” did i mention Fun. also Louis' such a funny character i love whatever's wrong with him

i chose the anime over the manga for this list bc (so far) the anime's covered the only arc that matters LMAO personally i think everything after the high school arc is uh. not as good

Cute Girls Doing Cute Things is the powerhouse anime genre, made all the more potent when you mix it with a heaping helping of Debilitating Social Anxiety

one of my favorite aspects of the show is how wacky and zany the animators get with visually representing Bocchi's crushing social anxiety. each of Bocchi's Spirals is unique and hilarious to watch, so you're both feeling for her but also reveling in the ridiculousness of how extreme her brain makes any social situation

also i love the characters! they're all charming and fun to watch goofing around together!!

constantly shocked that i somehow didn't become aggressively obsessed with this show as a kid.
it's like, the ultimate Young Girl Wish Fulfillment Show!! you got a cute girl who is bestowed with a cute magical staff that has cute magical powers that she uses with the help of her cute animal partner and cute collectible card friends, featuring cute outfits personally tailored by her bestie. how was i immune to this as a kid!! i don't understand!!!

i honestly haven't watched that many magical girl shows, but out of the few i've watched this is probably my top one? watching it made me happy :^)

okay so, this is a show about playing a traditional japanese card game where you competitively match a set of poem cards with the corresponding part of each poem that is read off and hey wait don't leave yet!! this anime is such a headache to describe in a way that doesn't sound like the most tedious boring endeavor to air in our lifetime but i swear to god it's such a good show. this is a sports anime for people who don't usually like sports animes (me)

the action might only be sweaty people crouching over cards and slapping them at mach speeds but that action is INTENSE i can't tell you how many times this show had me on the edge of my seat

i'll admit that i haven't seen this magical girls anime in a while and i've forgotten like 99% of what happens in it, BUT what has always stuck in my mind are the cool world designs.
now, does this show weirdly sexualize middle school girls? y. yes.
am i also not a fan of the ending?    yeah,,

BUT!!! Wow That Art Direction Can Look Cool.
this show is purely an aesthetic favorite of mine, sometimes i simply want to stan something for being eye candy

first things first: the OST fuckin rips. Please Listen.
anyways i've always been like, fascinated by this show's writing? mostly bc it was my first experience with "main character doesn't have her own character arc but she is the catalyst for everyone else's arcs" and that had me so like :OOO!!! when i first watched this show bc one of the Big Rules of writing you usually learn is "your main character NEEDS to grow throughout the story or it SUCKS." but our MC is out here with her third eye open gently guiding everyone else to their own self-discoveries

also the show explores some interesting themes focused on social media, the masses, and the role of heroes that i find really intriguing in a like, Thought Experiment kind of way

a show for anyone who's seen a takarazuka musical and was like "god i wanna go to school for that"

this story surprised me with its depth--you witness the Struggles of young women fighting for their chance to become musical theater stars, all of them arriving at their school with their own goals and baggage. everyone feels like a real person and you really feel how much these bitches struggle.
also interesting to learn more about takarazuka and other related theatrical/musical arts

there is some Heavy shit in this story so def look up content warnings if you need to

Yuasa's sort of like, a contentious anime director for me? some of the shows he's directed fall a bit flat in my humble opinion, but others absolutely rip

Kaiba is one that Mostly Rips--it delves into a really interesting sci-fi dystopian exploration of the relationship between Body and Memories, and what capitalism would love to do if you could separate those two. a lot of the show is me going "damn that sucks :(" but that's balanced out by its really charming Tezuka-esque art style :^)

finally, a show on this list that is impossible to recommend to other people. yes, this is in fact the Horny Lesbian Gambling Anime, and YES, i thoroughly enjoyed it. i always love a setting where people are obsessed about One Specific Thing and the whole world is built around that One Thing.
these rich horny girls LOVE to gamble and they will do whatever it takes to get in a good ol' fashioned wager. honestly the main appeal for me is that every single character is a Freak, someone will be like "Jabami couldn't possibly agree to a super obviously rigged gamble like that!!" and she's sitting there like
":^) I Need To Gamble Right Now Or So Help Me God"

you'll have to judge for yourself if you can survive the egregious amounts of Anime Horny

I LOVE ANIMATION I LOVE ANIMATION I LOVE ANIMATION!!!! this show is such a joyous celebration of the entire art form of animation!! watch these teenagers start an animation club and get swept away with their passion for the craft!! god watching this show was like watching the sun smile upon me,
i love stories where people are so genuinely passionate about Something and i love watching good animation and i love! this show!! that's like, as coherent as i can write about this show lmao the whole time i was watching it i was just like "damn...... I Love Animation"

also genuinely appreciate the Producer Representation, Kanamori was the only bitch holding their whole project together

great episodic adventure with Tastey Vibes.
Kino loves to go vroom vroom on their talking motorcycle Hermes as they tool around various countries, acting as a (mostly) passive observer of unique brands of Fucked Up Cultures. the show's core concept is a great excuse to come up with a lot of weird lands for this funky little traveler to stop by and witness social norms beyond moral comprehension

im a sucker for episodic animes that got Contemplative Vibes, so Kino's Journey was a huge delight when i finally got around to watching it

snuggle yourself deeper into your blanket cocoon. take a deep breath, crisp winter air filling your lungs. sip your hot cocoa. lean back. relax.

this show is such a wonderful, calming, beautiful healing tonic.......
never would i have thought that anything could make winter camping look appealing, but watching this show made me desperately wish i was out there with those Camping Girls, taking in the beauty of winter nature, cooking at a campfire, sharing a quiet moment as we stare up at the stars. plus you get to learn all about camping gear and Camping Uh-Ohs To Avoid

LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!! im a huge fan of both the anime and the manga, and the anime does SUCH a good job of adapting the manga. the manga's got such good compositions and vibes, but the action can become a bit indecipherable in parts. the anime blows all the fight scenes out of the water with the zestiest camera shots i've perhaps ever witnessed in an anime.
like they take full advantage of this being a 3D Anime with a 3D Camera

also i love having an excuse to sit down and once again get emotionally devastated by these miserable little gem people

Fun Fact: Shogi Makes Me Really Sad And Also Cry

so Rei Kiriyama is a loner loser whose only importance in the world is being a high school shogi prodigy. BUT he's such a good boy!! i root for him so hard!! like yeah, you work thru those emotional traumas! you work thru your fear of opening up to others and forge strong bonds! you put yourself out there and get hurt and grow!! any show that's got a Shy Young Lad who's a genuinely Good Person who's trying to work thru his Emotional Turmoil just gets to me 😭

another Big Fav of mine, im enamored with Ikuhara's style of kinda goofy surreal/magical realist storytelling. he takes his stories seriously but doesn't seem to take himself too overly serious, y'know?

this whole show is a japanese critique of japanese society in the early 2010s and im not fully equipped to analyze all the nuances that lie within. it's a symbolic reckoning with societal anxieties surrounding the economic crash known as the Lost Decades, and how those anxieties culminated into a personal listlessness amongst the youth and younger adults of that era, which further evolved into extreme events such as [HUGE SPOILER REAL LIFE EVENT]. the show starts off pretty lighthearted but once it dives into the meat of the story it's utterly captivating

MOB! MOB! WHAT DO YOU WANT! MOB! MOB! WHY DO YOU WANT!

weewoo weewoo it's another Good Boy alert!! Mob is yet another shy awkward loser loner who's a genuinely good kid trying his best to better himself 😭 he's got super strong psychic powers but! he doesn't want to depend on his powers to prove his worth as a person! he wants to work on himself and understand his own feelings better!! i believe in you Mob!!! i believe in the power of your kindness!!!

also the Body Improvement Club is the objective best squad of dudes i am shaking all of their hands.
also also the animation RIPS this show looks so good

first time i watched this show my jaw clattered to the floor bc *chef kiss chef kiss* the aesthetic is unrivaled. an episodic-ish horror buffet with one of the most visually stunning presentations i've ever been blessed to witness in my life. this is another Aesthetic Fav of mine so i don't have much of substance to add beyond that lmao just watch it

this show Does Not respect your time so the pacing may be boring for some people but Not For Me!!

god tier rom-com! smth smth Art Is My Passion! wow he just like me fr!

hapless protagonist Chiyo musters up the courage to ask out her crush Nozaki but... wacky misunderstandings ensue and now she works for him as his manga assistant?!!! it's a very charming and genuinely funny show!! makes me laugh!!

also when this poor guy is sick as hell and he's like "don't worry, i can still draw... my body remembers" and proceeds to produce the most dogshit drawing the world has ever seen. i felt that in my soul

love the vibes of this show. Ginko travels thru nature, researching a basic form of life called mushi. there is a haunting calm to this episodic story, witnessing both the beauty and horrors of these indifferent entities

it's been a while since i first watched this show, but i remember liking the first season more than the second. iirc the second season felt like it tried a little too hard to make the cinematography feel more Grand than the first season?? which doesn't really fit with a show as contemplative and grounded as this. second season's still good tho

I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH,,,,, perhaps my ultimate Mood Booster Rom-Com

this show has the superior dynamic of Uwa Kyaa Awaa~!! Girl and Biggest Himbo You've Ever Seen, PLUS Kindest Bestie of All Time Suna. the main couple don't waste any time with Actually starting dating so you get to witness them being cute and getting to know each other without all that drawn out will-they-won't-they bullshit that bogs down way too many romances for me (stares directly at Kimi ni Todoke). and it's FUNNY this show always got me laughing every time i watch it. plus! once again Suna is such an mvp, it's so nice to have a romance story where the main character has a friend who genuinely roots for him and has his back

could it be...? a third show about an awkward loner loser lad who's a genuinely good kid trying his best out there? You Bet I Can't Get Enough Of This Specific Flavor Of Anime!

so this show is basically if Mushishi focused more on character development. you got a high school kid who can see yokai, and he goes on episodic adventures dealing with both yokai and human shenanigans alike where he Grows and Learns More About Himself and Opens Up To Others. i already easily cry to certain types of shows but jesus christ this one had me bawling like every other episode bc im just sitting there like "uggghhhgghhh...... i care him........................"

comedies are always hard to recommend bc like, even if you got a similar sense of humor to someone else, the kinds of shows you think are the funniest shit you've ever seen might not even get so much as a chuckle from them. but i personally think that Nichijou is some of the funniest shit i've ever seen and i have good taste so obviously my opinion is correct

it's a good over-the-top everyday type comedy!!
the characters are fun and they make funny faces!! what more could you possibly ask for!!

humble walrus taxi driver. cat/dog idol group.
hippo who needs to touch grass. puma gacha whale. all these characters And More are available to you in this tightly woven missing person mystery thriller!!

idk what more i can even say without spoiling shit, this is the kind of show where it will Inevitably come up in conversations with friends and i'll hold them at gunpoint to watch it but alas..... nobody listens 😔 but you could be better than those losers. you can listen to my recommendation and you can sit down and watch one of the best animes to come out in recent years

Nostalgia Classic Time Babey!!

Ouran is such a fun satire on (now kinda old) shoujo tropes PLUS the character writing is GOOD.
look, im sure certain aspects of this show haven't aged well (the riffs on twincest and shotacon would def get torn apart if this anime came out today), but it's such a delightful time capsule poking fun at what was popular back in the 2000s. also Haruhi is GNC Queen and, like all of the cast, she's written with a surprising depth that brings more substance to this story than just Shallow Parody

sports anime for people who don't like sports animes (me)!! EXTREMELY stylish show, the cinnamontography is a dynamic feast for the eyes

youths duke it out in heated ping pong battle! a back and forth conversation of passion and self-doubts! the weight of competition! self-actualization! blood tastes like iron!

it's a pretty typical Sports Anime Coming of Age story, but the visual storytelling, symbolism, and character depth made it into something that i could really get invested in

anime is finally giving the people what they want: lesbian yaoi 😤

Pop Team Epic is the most powerful culmination of sketch comedy shows: frenetic shitpost energy,
an obtuse amount of japanese nerd humor, and a frankly awe inspiring amount of creative freedom that shines thru its wild amount of collaborations. even if not every single joke hits, im always greatly amused by whatever off the wall bullshit they manage to cram into each episode

i wanna see more shows like this. let The People go apeshit

didn't grow up watching this one but i wish i did!!
this humble little ducky just wants to be a real ballerina girl u,n,u

a sweet fairy tale of a duck who is granted the powers of the talented Princess Tutu, whose sick moves can heal that which woes people and piece together the broken heart of her beloved prince.
but, like many fairy tales, there's darkness lurking in this fantasy. these characters might not appreciate the strings of fate this tale has woven for them

surprisingly nuanced, this is a fun and heartfelt deconstruction of an archetypical fairy tale

the OG Ikuhara anime babey!! look, it's got that Surreal Metaphorical Storytelling that i aggressively gobble up, i simply cannot resist

Utena desperately strives to embody the noble qualities of the prince who once cheered her up in her deepest childhood despair. and she gets her perfect stage when she attends Ootori Academy!

she is rapidly entangled in the world of Duelists, and oh! poor Anthy! these Duelists, they fight over her ownership! what nasty objectification! Utena will save Anthy with her noble grace and save the day!

another one of those shows that i haven't watched in forever so i don't really remember much of what actually happened in the story, just the general Vibes that linger. which lemme tell you: Immaculate Vibes. the show feels almost... hazy? the powerline buzz is etched into the fabric of my brain. bright, abyssal skies. static. disquiet. realities converging

we will take all of our late 90s anxieties about the rising influence of the internet and inject them into this one young girl. she'll probably turn out fine

one of the best pieces of dramatic storytelling i've ever experienced in my life. immerse yourself in the world of rakugo, a traditional form of japanese one-man comedy

i will admit that the first season is kind of a slog, but for me that's mostly bc i fucking hate Sukeroku with every fiber of my being LMAO i genuinely hate him as a person so much that i can't even enjoy the dynamics that he brings to the story as a character. absolute fucking garbage excuse of a human being, only capable of baffling levels of selfishness and negative growth.
however the second season rocks and is absolutely worth it, once again genuinely one of the best dramas i've ever witnessed

i grew up in a Pretty Fuckin Rural area so i was pretty much surrounded by farmland as a kid.
a cornfield down the road, a whole herd of cows as my next-door neighbors, farmers' kids as my classmates. so having a show in which its whole conceit is "kids attend an agricultural highschool to learn how to be better farmers" you know that shit is gonna GET to me

farmers do so much for us!! like bitch there ain't no way you're feeding yourself without them!! oh, you don't like to think about where your deli meats come from? learn to embrace it. show gratitude toward the somber gift of sustenance that our animal brethren provide us. cry ugly tears over Yuugo's pig

adolescence, am i right? [AUDIENCE LAUGHS]
i love me a good Metaphorical Surreal Story, and this whole anime is just that babey!! a bunch of middle schoolers get tossed into the void alongside their school building and they gotta figure what the Heck is going on. also they get a bunch of random abilities and some are way more OP than others and some kids don't really like that :(

WARNING! WARNING! the fourth episode is one of the most boring dull dry pieces of media i've ever suffered thru but the rest of the show is really good i promise

what if we had bears but they were lesbians and also had guns

another Ikuhara Adventure that's one big critique on japanese homophobia. these girls go to an all-girls' school and all they can think about is who they wanna ostracize next smh

it's a heartfelt (and kinda horny) story of young girls who desperately wish to express their love in a world that readily punishes them for it, who desperately scramble to hide their love at all costs, who will travel far and wide to rediscover love they lost long ago.
all told thru a world where a meteor shower rained on the earth and caused all bears on earth to rise up and start eating humans

sometimes i just wanna sit back and watch some zombie girls struggle to succeed in the idol world

this show isn't perfect, but it's got a fun premise and charming characters that i always enjoyed coming back to. the first few episodes were a bit more hype than the rest simply bc it started off with these zombie idol girls doing shit like Heavy Metal and Rap and i thought that they were gonna play around with a lot of different genres, but once the story got going they eased into Just Idol Music. which was still fun for me! love to watch their goofy hijinks! and there's some good character development tossed in there every once in a while too!