For the un-intiated and the novice, the likes of Naruto, Death Note, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and more such shonen anime are used as a launch pad to become a weeb. And as anime turns into a bigger global phenomenon with each passing year, the choices are endless. While most of the insanely popular anime have every right to be celebrated, let’s look at 5 anime series that equally deserve to be binged on and obsessed over.
Made in Abyss
Think Journey to the Centre of the Earth… but anime, more horrors at every turn, and devastating consequences. The “Abyss” is an almost never-ending chasm, that has explorers and adventurers wandering into the deep caves and pits of the Abyss to discover life outside the known. While exploring the Abyss, Riko comes across a robot that looks like a human boy. After learning more about him, Riko’s interest in exploring the Abyss only grows stronger, with a desire to learn more about her parents, who presumably went missing in the depths of the Abyss.
With interesting characters, unpredictable turn of events and creatures of the deep, Made in Abyss is an anime for anyone seeking deep story-telling and beautiful world-building. You might want to think twice before you deem an Abyss creature adorable. Although this anime centers around children, its core and dark plotlines are anything but kiddy. While a 3rd season is confirmed by Kinema Citrus, fans may have to wait a while for it. Stream the 2 seasons and the 2 canon movies on Prime Video.
Yuru Camp △
One of the coziest anime ever, Yuru Camp follows the story of a group of high school girls who happened to form an odd club at their school- Outdoors Activities Club. Rin Shima, a quiet introvert who prefers to camp solo, happens upon sunny, bubbly Nadeshiko Kagamihara who loves to explore uncharted territories on her bicycle. Together, with more members of their club, they discover the joys of friendship, outdoor camping-cooking and embracing nature. The anime features beautiful and scenic camping locations, such as Mt. Fuji!
While some may even brand this as a food anime, Laid-Back Camp is a whole lot more than its food. Though, the food in this anime is indeed stellar! Perfect to bundle up in warm covers and a cup of noodles, soak in the laid-back vibes of this hearty anime on Crunchyroll, while the 3rd season is scheduled to be released sometime this year.
Also read: 5 Animes Every Foodie Needs To Have On Their Plate!
The Tatami Galaxy
Remember the days when you’d slurp your sorrows away at a ramen cart and a God of Matrimony makes you reflect upon your college life? Well, that is how Watashi meets Ozu. Ozu urges him to make the best of his college days, and what follows is Watashi failing terribly at almost everything… even trying to land the girl he likes. But life (or should we say Ozu) gives Watashi seemingly endless opportunities to re-visit his mistakes and make the most out of his newfound chance. Wouldn’t that be a handy thing to have when you wish you didn’t drunk-call your ex!
This anime can have you feeling frustrated as Watashi repeats his mistakes. But that’s the beauty of The Tatami Galaxy, as you watch Watashi try to figure out life, friendships and what really matters most, on Disney+. Oh, lest we forget the offbeat artistic and animation style of this series.
Monster
While Naoki Urasawa’s manga is well known, the anime adaptation only found a cult-like following when it first aired. Initially airing in 2004, Monster’s popularity didn’t skyrocket due to the likes of Shonen animes taking the world by storm during its initial airing. While over the years since its release there has been a better fanbase for Monster, not enough people recognize the deep poignancy, profound and complex storytelling the anime has to offer.
When Dr. Kenzō Tenma, a genius neurosurgeon, saves a mysterious boy’s life, his life and career turn upside down. He is promptly fired from his position for saving the boy rather than a mayor. However, Tenma soon finds himself turning fugitive after being labelled the prime suspect when the Board that fired him was poisoned. Spanning across 74 episodes, each episode will have you by the edge of your seat, wondering what’s next for Tenma. If the mystery-thriller genre needed its crowning glory in anime, look no further than Monster– available to stream on Netflix and Prime Video.
Forest of Piano (2018)
While this anime received notoriety for its poor use of 3D animation in an anime series, what lurks beneath that ill-deserved fame is an anime that is brilliantly executed in its musical accuracy. The Netflix adaptation follows the story of Kai Ichinose, a talented young boy who cherishes his love for music, and his magical forest piano. While Kai grew up poor, his close friend Shūhei Amamiya grew up quite privileged where one might think he was practically raised by the world of music and pianos itself. The common bond between the vastly different upbringings is their love for the piano, and this brings them to compete at the International Chopin Competition.
Although Kai was reluctant to refine his skills, his teacher, Sōsuke Ajino, is determined to train Kai and have him see that his talent is not tied to any magical piano. With its appreciation for classical music, a coming-of-age story and a wonderful surrogate father figure in Ajino, Piano no Mori is bound to be every classical music lover’s solace, in anime form.
