Welcome to another general discussion thread! Feel free to use this thread to talk about things you have watched recently, questions you have, or recommendations you want to give!
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I really enjoyed muishishi, bocci the Rock and Spy x family. I’d appreciate some other modern anime recommendations. Thanks. Edit: Thanks for the suggestions.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is pretty much THE peak of the last decade or so. And now’s the perfect time to catch up with season two premiering in a few days.
Apocalypse Hotel for AOTY 2025. If I can convince you to just take my word and go into this one blind I think you’ll enjoy it even more.
If you liked Bocchi and Spy x Family and want more goofball comedies, try Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Dungeon Meshi, and CITY: The Animation.
I will second the Apocalypse Hotel recommendation others have offered.
Mushishi is pretty much my favorite anime ever, so I have often tried to chase that same high. Here are two that I think scratch similar itches, but are a bit different:
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Kino’s Journey - This is an anthology series like Mushishi where the titular Kino goes around exploring a new city-state each episode with their own rules/culture/etc. The series can get pretty dark (like Mushishi), and happy endings are not guaranteed. This is probably my top recommendation that is the closest to Mushishi. There are two series adapting these novels. I recommend starting with the 2017 series and then watching the 2003 version only if you are really into it. Some of the episodes adapt the same part of the novels, but many are different.
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Natsume’s Book of Friends - This is mostly an anthology series, but there are elements that act as story throughlines. Basically, Natsume is a student that is able to see and interact with the yokai that are all through the world, but most people can’t see (this show’s version of mushi). This ability is something that he inherited from his grandmother, along with a powerful book containing the names of yokai that she met in her lifetime. He then goes around trying to return the names of the yokai that his grandmother took and learn more about her and his own past in the process.
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LOOK BACK is super good, and it’s a short movie so it’s not as much of a time commitment.
If you’re into sports anime my favorite recent one is Medalist. Now is a pretty good time to pick it up since the second season starts airing in just a couple weeks!
Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon is also super good if you want more of an adventure.
Medalist very quickly went from “Oh this is cute and well written” to one of my favorites of all time. Such a great story, beautifully animated, and well voice acted.
Mushishi - Cool vibes, with mysteries galore
Bocci The Rock - Relatable main character with personal growth
Spy x Family - Comedy set in what would otherwise be a dark world
Try out Apocalypse Hotel!
Oh yeah, Apocalypse Hotel was a lot of fun.
Winter shows that I have watched so far and my impressions:
- You and I Are Polar Opposites - This premiere was great! I really enjoyed this a lot. I had seen it posted to the manga community a lot, but I am glad I went into this episode blind.
- Chained Soldier S2 - New studio, better quality. Looking forward to more.
- Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers - I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this episode. I was just going to check out episode one for nostalgia sake, but enjoyed it so much, I am planning on trying to keep up with it.
- Tune in to the Midnight Heart - A compelling first episode, but we will see if they can keep it up (or if I can keep making time for it).
- The Demon King’s Daughter is Too Kind - Super cute. Like super-duper cute.
- You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends - This one is a drop for me. I have read most of the manga, and I just found their dynamic more annoying in anime form. In such a stacked season, I need to make some time somewhere.
Watched This Monster Wants to Eat Me. Started off very strong, the premise had me hooked, but it sorta felt like too many episodes were going by with no real development. S1 ending felt kinda anticlimactic, and it sounds like I’ll be waiting a while for any kind of resolution.
Finished Kemonozume last week. I think it’s Masaaki Yuasa’s most underrated work so far but I’ve yet to see all his works. Really love how crude-looking it is and yet it feels very intentional and complete.
