There might be too much wishful thinking involved here, but whenever summer comes, I decide to do a number of things that I put off: reading books I’d always intended to, visiting places I want to go, and watching anime on my watch list. Somehow, I never complete my list, but this year, I’m more motivated than ever, especially for that that last item.
The shows I want to watch fall into two basic categories. The first are those that I’ve started, but need to complete. I’m about 2/3 through Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and with it winning our Anime March Madness tournament for a third straight year, it feels like as good a time as any to finish. I’m at about the same place with Shinsekai Yori as well and I also want to sit down and finish The Tale of Princess Kaguya, a choice necessitated by Isao Takahata’s death and my goal to have watched every Studio Ghibli film (this is the last one!). His and Her Circumstances, Paranoia Agent, Durarara!, Little Busters! Refrain, and Wolf’s Rain would also be on this list
In addition to those, I have a long list of series that I’ve never even started, which include all the remaining anime on the poll below. So yes, I’ll let you, dear readers, determine which anime I need to complete! Please vote in the poll below to let me know which of these series I should watch this summer. You may vote twice.
What about you all? Are there any shows or movies you plan to catch up on during these months? Let us know in the comments below.
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featured illustration by banishment | reprinted w/permission
I don’t know yet,but I can’t wait for summer! Maybe I should start a new anime! 🙂 Me and Rachel are going to the Toby Mac concert and I’m so excited! What Christian songs do you like TWWK? Maybe you can give me some recommendations 🙂
Tobymac iis an amazing artist! I love his music. I have been to two of his concerts they are awesome.
Check out Tauren Wells, he’s similar to Tobymac.
Yeah I know I’ve heard of him before Toby Mac is lit and his music is lit! this is my first time going to one of his concerts
Yaaaaasss!
Oh, sounds fun!
As for recs, I don’t know if I have any! I mostly listen to praise music when it comes to Christian songs.
Yeah! Yeah me too sometimes sorry just saw this now
Omigosh 🙂
It’s going to be litttt
So lit
Those seem like some good titles. You might have given me inspiration to start my own anime watch list! I know a few anime that I’m interested in…
Cool! Yep!
The problem with anime watch lists, infamously, is that they usually get longer and not shorter haha. But have fun with it!
I’ve been trying to re watch a Ghibli film each month, and plan to continue this summer. This month is THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY, which is better than the first time I saw it and will probably be my go to movie recommendation for people not into anime- it’s incredibly accessible. If you haven’t seen ONLY YESTERDAY, I highly recommend it, my favorite Takahata for sure. And it’s an all time favorite film.
Thanks for the rec, Phillip! Actually, the other major reason I have Kaguya on the list (other than Takahata’s recent death) is that it’s the only Ghibli film I haven’t seen. I’ve been sitting on it for years now, and have even started it, but couldn’t get very far.
And yes, Only Yesterday is wonderful! I had the opportunity to watch it in the theater and it was a wonderful experience. Beautiful film!
FMA:B for sure. I imagine it would be hard what with running an anime blog and whatnot, but have you remained spoiler-free on the ending of FMA:B?
Also a separate, unrelated question: I think I remember seeing somewhere that Beneath the Tangles is on WordPress.com now instead of WordPress.org? I’m running a blog and trying to decide on which one to go with myself, so I’m curious as to why you made the switch.
Haha it has, and I may have seen spoilers, but if I have they’ve been expelled from my mind.
WordPress.org, of course, has far more capacity than WordPress.com. However, there were two primary issues. The first is troubleshooting—we have a webmaster, but I hated depending on her (she has a busy schedule, too, after all) all the time. And second, our readership was down do to the lack of built-in community on WordPress.com through WordPress reader. We moved back about four months ago, and it’s been a good decision for us so far.
Wolfs Rain is kinda dark future dystopian, post apocalyptic. There is advanced technology but it’s kinda government or rich people territory. The characters are mystical intelligent wolves who create illusions to pass as human, are trying to find Paradise. They aren’t the only ones. Thats the main plot, for the wolves to find Paradise. Society is in severe decline and poverty rampant. The world seems on the verge of falling apart and the hope of the series is to destroy the world followed by rebirth. I’m not too happy with the series version of Paradise, which is revealed only at the very end. It seemed lazy. Also the story wasn’t interested in Paradise of heaven so much as the Buddhist idea of repeated cycles of rebirth. Paradise in the series is only slightly better and different rather than a place of unending joy. Personally it’s beautiful art and a few of the Episodes are interesting like when the main character gets trapped in a “false” Paradise where he kind of camps out in and gives up his quest. I’m really not sure it has enough good points to really make it one that you’ll walk away with much.
That being said I’m pretty sure I need to watch Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood sometime soon. The tale of Princess Kaguya is another I’ve been meaning to see
I hear so many good things about it! The series seems really ambitious, but I grew a little bored of it—I think I’m about at episode eight. I stalled on it a number of years ago.
Thanks for the input!
Whoa! Props on almost completing every single Ghibli film. I’m behind on Isao Takahata’s works, mostly, which is why I signed up for Pom Poko in the theater this summer. I should also watch Princess Kaguya!
Your list of anime on the poll are all quite good (except True Tears, which I struggle to remember, and Little Busters, which I haven’t seen yet), so it’s hard to only pick two. You should obviously finish Shin Sekai Yori since it is FANTASTIC and one of the few I think everyone should watch at some point. Dennou Coil is my second choice since I also think it phenomenal and a must see. Despite that, I do you think you should go ahead and finish Brotherhood since it is very good and I’ve even been meaning to re-watch it since it’s been a while now.
So much anime, so little time! I am glad to see Dennou Coil getting some love on this poll—I thought it was long forgotten, but apparently not!
Well, my vote goes for Now and then, here and there: I´ve never seen a more hopeful show, anime or otherwise, and I suppose the effect only increases if you have watched more shonen or isekai (I hadn´t at the time, much like Madoka was my first shoujo series). Brotherhood was also great, specially near the ending, when the characters reach their final trials: I loved that sense of a complete, intrincate fantasy world. And Dennou Coil was a very interesting attempt to mix the themes of shows like Haibane Renmei with SF and virtual reality in a realistic environment, even if the last arc was too fast and convoluted.
I´m currently with Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199 (very different from what I´m accustomed to), and my current watching list includes Shion no Oun, March comes in like a Lion, The Eccentric Family, Fate/Zero, Hikaru no Go, Jojo, Violet Evergarden, The Ancient Magus Bride, Wolf´s Rain, Vampire Princess Miyu and ARIA the Animation, in no particular order. I´m also watching My Hero Academia, and trying to buy the Umineko: When they cry VN. And when I´m prepared, I´d love to finish Penguindrum.
Thank you for the input! Now and Then was never a show I was particularly interested in, but personal input from folks like you and our own staff has put it higher up on my watch list. And thanks for sharing your own list! There’s some really good stuff in there, and some really heavy series, too.
You’re brave, asking for recommendations! I don’t drop shows, so my friend used to recommend me horrible shows that I’d start completely unaware of just how horrible they were as a prank and I’d be forced to watch them in their entirety. But I’m nice, so I recommended you two of my favourite shows: Lovely Complex and Shin Sekai Yori! Good luck!
Oh, Ty! It’s been a long time! And thank you for the recs!
If you have time to take in an anime movie, and would enjoy a movie that rips into your heart, as well as having a strong theme of tragic circumstances, repentance, and redemption, then check out A Silent Voice: The Movie. The teen boy is every bit the self-centered worldly icon, whereas the deaf-mute teen girl is every bit the spiritual person who endures everything unpleasant with a smile.
Thank you for the rec! I’ve been dying to see the movie, but I missed my chance when it was in the theaters. I’m awaiting a DVD release!
Maybe you have already watched it, but I’d like to suggest you add Maison Ikkoku to your watch list.
It’s an older anime, by Rumiko Takahashi (famous for Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha) and is generally regarded as her best work.
It a romance anime about a young man in college, and his widowed landlady. If that plot sounds familiar, it’s because Maison Ikkoku was so popular and successful, that many many imitators sprung up in the years that followed. It’s basically the grandmother of romance anime, and I can’t help but think “Maison Ikkoku did it better” every time I see an anime romance trope taken from Maison Ikkoku.
It has it’s flaws, mainly in that it’s a little slow to get going, and in the “fanservice” of the first few episodes (though in many ways it’s a lot less fanservicy than most modern anime). But it does have the very best conclusion to any romance anime that I have ever seen.