9 Anime to Watch When You Want to Feel Like 👇🏾
So you just finished something heavy or maybe you finally finished an epically long show (looking at you, One Piece) and now you need a silly little respite for some casual viewing. Here are a few short series/movies to check out for a quick laugh.
The Devil is a Part-Timer (series) - this is not your average isekai. Usually, we see someone from modern times getting sent back to like feudal era (or something fantasy-eque but primitive nonetheless) who sees meteoric success because of their expansive knowledge compared to those around them. Yea no, imagine Satan himself blasting into the modern era with no street smarts, no self-awareness and none of his fiendish powers. How does he get by? If you want a touch of action with your funny, this is a great choice.
Sub/Dub | Tubi, Funimation, Hulu, Crunchyroll
The Vampire Dies in No Time (series) - I love a good subversive comedy (as seen above) and this also challenges the notion of strong vampires and.. even what vampires can be. Ronaldo, white haired vampire hunter pictured above, had no idea the peril he'd encounter when he snuck into the great Draluc's castle. It was the kind of peril that lingers since, ultimately, Draluc ends up becoming his unwelcome house guest along with his faithful companion, John. Expect maybe a tiny bit of fan service but not in ways you'd expect.
Sub/Dub | Funimation
Wave Listen to Me (series) - what if your shitty ex could give you more than just a broken heart? Like maybe a total career change? Minare, woman after my own heart, gets plastered one night and ends up on the radio airing out her own dirty laundry. Turns into quite the side gig with her penchant for self-deprecating Gilmore Girls tempo delivery. The overarching message of the show has depth and the character feels real despite always being wrapped in a few layers of fiction. All in all, relatable.
Sub/Dub | Funimation
Chio's School Road (series) - Chio is just a gamer girl with an eccentrically rich inner life stemming from some severe awkwardness that endears her to me immediately. The show follows her everyday commute to school that is made complicated time and time again, usually by her own hand.
Sub/Dub | Funimation, Crunchyroll
Hinamatsuri (series) - imagine a magical girl who isn’t quite so… magical. She’s got the powers but she has a complete lack of self awareness and social graces. That is our MC Hina which is to low-level yakuza thug Nitta’s distinct displeasure when she appears in his apartment one day. The series follows their best attempt at a functional father-daughter relationship as Nitta tries to turn Hina into a normal kid with some wholesome and endearing subplots involving rough around the edges, Anzu.
Sub/Dub | Funimation, Crunchyroll
Life Lessons with Uramichii-San (series) - maybe this is the kind of show you only find funny once you have lower back pain but there's something about the bitter, worn down Uramichii contrasting the bright and hopeful children he entertains that just speaks to me. Imagine finding out that the Sesame Street cast is comprised of a bunch of depressed, chain smoking loners who are hanging on by a silly string thread (oh and they also have troubling sleep paralysis demons). Millennials, rise up, this one is for us.
Sub/Dub | Funimation, Crunchyroll
Love After World Domination (series) - love hurts but sometimes it's a good hurt like when you're forced to fight your significant other to keep up appearances so you can avoid scandalizing your relationship. Oh, just Reaper Princess and Red Gelato? This Romeo + Juliet story follows a villain and a hero as they awkwardly navigate their first romantic relationship, privately. Fan service in this show (as seen above) is going to be more in abundance and, at times, used as a comedic device so be warned.
Sub/Dub | Crunchyroll
Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun (series) - There's something about characters who show a complete lack of awareness that kills me. The story centers on a girl confessing to her classmate not realizing he's actually one of her favorite shojo romance's mangaka (who is supposed to be a girl). If you're confused, so is Chiyo when she somehow secures an invite to her crush's house. It's cute and awkward and the crazy characters that seem to surround Nozaki ultimately inspire his manga.
Sub/Dub | HiDive
Grand Blue Dreaming (series) - Rife with so much debauchery there's a disclaimer at the beginning, this show follows college freshman Iori as he moves to a seaside town with his uncle who owns a dive shop. Iori has moments of wholesome reflection while trying to appreciate his coming of age which is constantly underpinned by the mischief and trouble one can only expect when navigating adulthood, independence and romance for the first time. The show has a good sprinkle of life lessons from unexpected places, but, considering the source, take it with a grain of salt as there are several questionable elements that I'm choosing to gloss over here. Expect gratuitous fan service though. And some generally problematic tropes sprinkled in with those hijinks. Is it obvious I’m second guessing this recommendation?
Sub | Prime Video
