Anime Suggestion Trail: February

For February’s Anime Primer, stories of relationships and fantasy collide.

• Romeo x Juliet
  • Perfect for binge-watching over February.
  • Science Fantasy update of the Shakespearian classic.
  • A treat for English majors and Theatre lovers who are just discovering anime
• Kamisama Kiss
  • A young schoolgirl finds a world of responsibility suddenly on her shoulders when she is given godhood by a runaway Kami.  Hijinks ensue.
  • Suitable for compare/contrast with InuYasha
  • Additional genre: Shojou anime
• Tenchi Muyo
  • Tenchi, a young man tending to his family’s shrine, finds his life turned upside down by the appearance of alien space travelers.
  • Start with the movies, in order.
  • Additional genres: “Harem” anime, Science Fiction
    • Think “The Bachelor” without anyone ever getting kicked out, with younger characters
    • Additional challenge: Find a drinking game for harem anime.
• Fruits Basket
  • Follows the adventures of a high schooler who takes up residence with a family of young men who all symbolize characters of the Chinese Zodiac when they are hugged by a woman.
  • Rare “Reverse Harem” anime – One girl, lots of guys!

Done with fantasy and just want a pure feelgood, heart-thumping, saccharine romance?

• The romance:
  • Whisper of the Heart
    • A good, old-fashioned, “This is how we met” love story
    • Violins and libraries.  Watch with “Nice to Sweet You” chocolates.
• The fantasy:
  • The Cat Returns
    • The sudden return of The Baron from “Whisper of the Heart”. (In case you are charmed by his presence in the above movie.)
    • Compare/contrast with The Velveteen Rabbit.

(Most of the above are fairly Hetero-Normative romances, but I’ll try to cover Yaoi and Yuri romances in a later update.  If you’re highly interested in those genres, I would recommend Revolutionary Girl Utena, after checking out Sailor Moon.)

Happy Valentine’s Day for those who celebrate, and Happy Nirvana day for those who don’t!