Edit: @[email protected] just wanted to come back and tag you in the second part of my response so you don’t miss it. El Psy Kongroo!
PART 2 of Response:
Crime Thriller:
Death Note (2006) - Another big one. Not just one of the best anime cat-and-mouse crime thrillers, but one of the best crime thrillers of any medium.
Danganronpa: The Animation (2013) - While the game is the superior version of this story, the show does just fine in a pinch. It’s a strange take on the legal drama genre, but that’s what makes it intriguing. The game will have you conducting the investigation and collecting evidence so you can reference what you’ve found during the court trial. The show skips over the investigation part in order to make the defense and prosecution come as a big shock and surprise during the trial. If you don’t want to play the game but the story still sounds interesting, give the show a shot.
Comedy:
Dorohedoro (2020) - A must-see for anyone that likes to GET WEIRD with it. The world of Dorohedoro is absolutely bonkers, with some of the most entertaining characters put on screen — you’ll be equally invested in the good guys AND the bad guys. Unique characters, interesting animation, and gyoza come together exceptionally well. While I haven’t read the manga personally, I hear it does a solid job bringing it to life. The action and weirdness are phenomenal but I’m putting this under Comedy here since the wacky characters and humor are my favorite part of it all.
Uncle from Another World (2022) - I almost can’t believe how much I enjoyed this. A satire of Isekai shows, it’s hilarious and genuinely compelling. While a decent chunk of the comedy relies on the audience being familiar with how Sega stopped making video game consoles after no longer being able to compete with Nintendo and Sony, there is so much more to laugh about beyond that. With it’s compelling “what happened next?” storytelling and satirical comedy, this oddly has more appeal than it should — if you love Isekai, you’ll love this. And if you hate Isekai, you’ll still love this.
Spy x Family (2022) - I only watched up to around episode 15 but it’s a very cute show. Anya’s hilarious and the spy stuff is a cool addition. There’s a world to learn about and a story to unfold but it’s all light enough that you never feel overwhelmed or like you can’t just relax and shut your brain off. I’ll say that the super weird relationship between Yor and her brother doesn’t really mesh with me, but I still plan on getting back to this one day.
Dragon Ball Z Abridged (2013) - I’ve never really felt compelled to re-watch Dragon Ball Z, but Dragon Ball Z Abridged is another story. While the comedy isn’t quite refined in the beginning, slowly Team Four Star starts finding its footing and ends up creating something incredible. Dumb comedy and bad sound mixing start to turn into extremely clever jokes and excellent performances from the voice over actors. Eventually you go from watching it for the gimmick to actually being invested in their version of the characters and storyline. I don’t think they really find their style until part way into the Namek arc, but once they do it is a laugh-out-loud unforgettable experience. I still say the line “Nail, don’t take his coat!” to myself every now and then because it just kills me. Go Team Four Star!
Adventure:
One Piece (1999) - I enjoyed the 10 or so episodes I saw years ago but didn’t get back into it until recently. It was too daunting of a task for a while there; this show has been running for 24 years now with no end in sight and there are so many episodes that I feared I’d never catch up. It wasn’t until I was working as a story editor on a book for an author that really pushed me to watch it since it was his favorite series of all time. It really hooked into me at the end of episode 37 and I went on a sprint of episodes. I’d take breaks and come back to it. I’ve since made it to episode 706 and am on a break again. I’m watching ALLL of it but If you want to cut it way down, you can skip all the anime-only stuff, all the movies, all the filler and follow something like “One Pace” to just get the manga-relevant episodes. The pacing can be a complaint, but it’s one of the most popular manga/anime of all time for a reason. Oda really cares about this story and tells it with wonder and passion.
Music:
BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004) - If you played in any kind of rock band or were involved in your local music scene at all, this is a great one. If not, it can be a lot slower than some would like. One catch is only the sub version really works for this. The dub version butchers the original songs and, even worse, wasn’t able to secure the rights for a very popular song that plays a major role in the story. Since the entire show is centered around music, losing it in the dub version turns a good story into a snooze-fest.
Bonus:
Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - Sure it’s a movie, not a series, and it’s live-action, not animated, but it’s still a solid adaptation of a manga. This movie always makes me smile. It’s a rare breed: a live-action manga adaptation from an American studio that has its own ending different from its source material, and yet is completely perfect in every way. Even Tom Cruise, whose real life overlords creep me out, gives one of his best performances in one of the best roles he’s had in years. And Emily Blunt is just awesome.
Edit: @[email protected] just wanted to come back and tag you in the second part of my response so you don’t miss it. El Psy Kongroo!
PART 2 of Response:
Death Note (2006) - Another big one. Not just one of the best anime cat-and-mouse crime thrillers, but one of the best crime thrillers of any medium.
Danganronpa: The Animation (2013) - While the game is the superior version of this story, the show does just fine in a pinch. It’s a strange take on the legal drama genre, but that’s what makes it intriguing. The game will have you conducting the investigation and collecting evidence so you can reference what you’ve found during the court trial. The show skips over the investigation part in order to make the defense and prosecution come as a big shock and surprise during the trial. If you don’t want to play the game but the story still sounds interesting, give the show a shot.
Dorohedoro (2020) - A must-see for anyone that likes to GET WEIRD with it. The world of Dorohedoro is absolutely bonkers, with some of the most entertaining characters put on screen — you’ll be equally invested in the good guys AND the bad guys. Unique characters, interesting animation, and gyoza come together exceptionally well. While I haven’t read the manga personally, I hear it does a solid job bringing it to life. The action and weirdness are phenomenal but I’m putting this under Comedy here since the wacky characters and humor are my favorite part of it all.
Uncle from Another World (2022) - I almost can’t believe how much I enjoyed this. A satire of Isekai shows, it’s hilarious and genuinely compelling. While a decent chunk of the comedy relies on the audience being familiar with how Sega stopped making video game consoles after no longer being able to compete with Nintendo and Sony, there is so much more to laugh about beyond that. With it’s compelling “what happened next?” storytelling and satirical comedy, this oddly has more appeal than it should — if you love Isekai, you’ll love this. And if you hate Isekai, you’ll still love this.
Spy x Family (2022) - I only watched up to around episode 15 but it’s a very cute show. Anya’s hilarious and the spy stuff is a cool addition. There’s a world to learn about and a story to unfold but it’s all light enough that you never feel overwhelmed or like you can’t just relax and shut your brain off. I’ll say that the super weird relationship between Yor and her brother doesn’t really mesh with me, but I still plan on getting back to this one day.
Dragon Ball Z Abridged (2013) - I’ve never really felt compelled to re-watch Dragon Ball Z, but Dragon Ball Z Abridged is another story. While the comedy isn’t quite refined in the beginning, slowly Team Four Star starts finding its footing and ends up creating something incredible. Dumb comedy and bad sound mixing start to turn into extremely clever jokes and excellent performances from the voice over actors. Eventually you go from watching it for the gimmick to actually being invested in their version of the characters and storyline. I don’t think they really find their style until part way into the Namek arc, but once they do it is a laugh-out-loud unforgettable experience. I still say the line “Nail, don’t take his coat!” to myself every now and then because it just kills me. Go Team Four Star!