Anime Favorites New and Old | Manga Mondays #4

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to Manga Mondays!

Today, I figured we needed to talk about things that make us happy. After all, the world is going crazy, and we as entertainers and seekers of entertainment need to keep the morale up if we don't want to slip into a deep spiraling depression.

Okay yeah I did get a little dark there. But I'll be honest with you guys, I'm really not doing that hot at the moment. But don't worry, I'm in a safe place with people I trust by my side, and am not looking for harm in any way. It's just the downs of the rollercoaster we call life.

I think it's pretty clear what makes me happy, looking at the contents of this blog, but I'll repeat myself for any newcomers:

- books
- manga
- anime
- friends who also love books and manga and anime

And a bunch of other little things that I could honestly go on and on about, but that's not the point of today's MM! Nosiree, today we're talking about some of my favorite animes of all time, new to old.

Let's start with a classic, shall we? Fruits Basket was the very first anime I ever watched fully aware of what anime was. (I say that because when I was way too young I would watch the sub of Ouran High School Host Club with my sister, because she knew that I wouldn't bother reading the subtitles and therefore was a little more comfortable with her seven year old kid sister watching with her.) The 2001 anime was iconic, a masterpiece completely in its own right. However, also being the very first manga I ever picked up, I was shocked and horrified to discover that the anime was cancelled after one season. For a story like this?! Inconceivable!

As I grew older and experienced more manga and anime, I slowly forgot my love for Tohru and the zodiac clan. So imagine my surprise when they announced a complete remake of the anime! With the original voice actors and everything!! I'm not going to lie, I cried a little. I was so so happy that we were going to be able to see this incredible story come to life once again. I immediately went back and reread the series, all 23 volumes, in three days. I tell ya, nothing is easier than binge-reading manga. 

Season 2 premieres on April 8th, and I'm quaking to see how they animate certain scenes. Also, for all you anime-only's out there...keep tissues on hand.

Ah, the history makers have arrived! Thank you tumblr for bringing this beautiful anime to my attention years ago. I am eternally grateful. 

Yuri on Ice!!! truly did make history as the first anime to openly portray a gay couple, as gay marriage was still illegal in Japan at the time of its release. The creator of the story said that the world in which Yuri and Victor live in doesn't know homophobia or discrimination, instead everyone is accepted no matter their race, gender, sexuality, preference, etc. I don't know about you, but I would sure love to live in that world. 

Not only did YOI help me feel seen in one of my most favorite entertainment platforms, it also brought me back to anime in general. I've said before that I credit Haikyuu!! with my reemergence into anime culture, but really it was the gif compilations and art I saw on tumblr of two men, two ice skaters, two Olympic-grade athletes being dorks in love that drew me back in. For a long time, anime culture felt a little toxic, as there were so many jokes on gay couples and poor references to certain people (one could argue that the anime in question are a product of their times, but still) that I was scared to really embrace it again. Not to mention the absolute hatred and disgust some people felt toward people who love anime, like it was a dirty habit. PS, not all anime is hentai. Learn a thing or two before coming at me in the comments. 

Okay, I'm putting the soap box away, I promise. 

Anyway, YOI holds a special place in my heart, nothing said about the music and animation and choreography. The choreography, guys. If I haven't convinced you to watch this show, at least watch the final performance (I'm sure if you search 'Yuri on Ice Katsuki Yuri final skate' you'll find it) and then make your decision. 

Also a little side note: my best friend whom I've spoken of many a time before (Angela) and I actually got back into watching competitive figure skating after watching this anime. We both loved watching it as kids but stopped as we got older. We're by no means true die-hard fans but we can watch hours upon hours of Grand Prix Final skates without boredom creeping it. 

Ooooooh my god, when I say this is the best anime???? THIS IS THE BEST ANIME. It's by no means flashy or magical like Fruits Basket or Yuri on Ice but this slice-of-life shoujo is sure to tug at your heartstrings. 

I feel like most writers will agree with this sentiment, but Subaru (our MC) is actually me. And not in a "oh wow this feels so relatable like I have an alter-ego" kind of way (which I've had many a time with many different characters) but in a "this is calling me out on my shit and I don't appreciate it" kind of way. Subaru is a depressed young man in his 20s living on his own while working as a novelist. He stays so focused in his work that he doesn't notice when he's hungry, or tired, or unclean. He would pass out in front of his computer mid-manuscript because he just forgets to take care of himself, instead thinking only of the current work he's writing. Oof, did that hit home. I won't get into too many details as this is happy time, but yeah, I've been there. Done that. Skipped out on the movie. 

The utter sameness of Subaru's life once he takes in a stray cat is completely annihilated, also something I am familiar with. Truly this anime shows us that having another living being depend on you can actually really turn your life around. When you're so cavalier about your own health, it's easy to just fall through the cracks and let yourself slip away. But once you have an animal, or another person, there under your care, suddenly it becomes about them (and not in a bad way). You start to think, "I have to be here to make sure (animal/person) is fed, and watered, and healthy. And I can't do that if I'm not fed and watered and healthy myself." I'm not saying this is the end all-be all coping mechanism, but oh boy does it work. 

Moral of the story is uhhhh pets are great and you should watch My Roommate is a Cat. 

Until next time!